Hockey Hall of Famer Lafleur to lie in state at Bell Centre

MONTREAL — The body of Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur will be lying in state as of today at the Bell Centre, the team's current home.

People are invited to come and pay tribute to the Hockey Hall of Famer from noon to 8 p.m. and on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lafleur, who helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1973, and then again four more times from 1976 to 1979, died on April 22 at the age of 70 following a battle with lung cancer.

Quebec Premier François Legault, who previously called Lafleur the "greatest player in the history of the NHL," is set to be among those paying his respects today.

A national funeral for Lafleur is scheduled for Tuesday and will be held at Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal.

Lafleur finished with a career total of 560 goals and 793 assists for 1,353 points in 1,126 games over his 17-season career. He was later named one of the NHL's top-100 players of all-time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2022.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.