National funeral being held in Montreal for Canadiens legend Lafleur

Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur was remembered at a national funeral Tuesday as a father, a teammate and a person of exceptional generosity who inspired generations of Quebecers both on and off the ice.

His son, Martin Lafleur, described his father as someone who always made time for his family and who wanted to take care of everyone, "even people he didn’t know."

He told the crowd at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal that his father wasn't perfect but did everything he could to ensure he, his mother and brother were happy and lacked nothing. "Thank you for all the values you passed on to us Dad, we love you," he said.

Hockey hall of famers Yvon Cournoyer, Larry Robinson, Guy Carbonneau and Patrick Roy were among the first to pay tribute to the Habs legend, who died last month at age 70 after battling lung cancer.

"Guy once said, 'Play every game as if it is your last one,'" Robinson said. "Nobody embodied that philosophy better than Guy.

"Not only did he play each game to the fullest, he tried to live his life to the fullest off the ice as well."

Carbonneau recounted showing up at his first Canadiens training camp and having to pinch himself when he was put on a line with his childhood idol, Lafleur. At that point Lafleur had won four consecutive Stanley Cups as well as a host of individual awards.

"In spite of that, he did everything in his power to make me feel at home," the former captain said. "That was Guy Lafleur, a superstar but also one of the boys. He was one of the most generous and accessible people I ever met."

Canadiens president Geoff Molson thanked Lafleur for inspiring three generations of fans. He described Lafleur as a player who had time for everyone, especially his fans,