Happy Birthday: Lafleur, Larsson, Lopez

Sport360 staff 10:48 20/09/2016
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  • (Clockwise): Henrik Larsson, Feliciano Lopez and Guy Lafleur.

    From the moment Guy Lafleur received his first hockey stick at the age of five there was no going back.

    His ice hockey prowess, evident during his teen years with the Quebec Remparts, grew to greater strengths when signing for the Montreal Canadiens in 1974.

    Adored by fans for iconic skating and scoring touch, “The Flower” helped his side lift the prestigious Stanley Cup five times during his 17  year career.

    Lafleur is the Canadiens all-time leading scorer, amassing an impressive tally of 1,246 points (518 goals and 728 assists), leading the NHL in points from 1976 to 1978. He also became the first NHL player in history to register at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons. Other accolades include three Art Ross, two Hart Memorial, three Lester B. Pearson and a single Conn Smythe trophy.

    Le Demon Blond was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, but like Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux, Lafleur is one of three players to have returned to NFL action following an induction.

    More sports celebrity birthdays on this day:

    1971: Henrik Larsson, prolific former Celtic, Barcelona, Manchester United and Sweden centre-forward (45).

    1975: Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombian former Formula One driver for Williams and McLaren (41).

    1981: Feliciano Lopez, Spanish tennis player and three-time Wimbledon singles quarter-finalist (35).

    1990: John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey centre who is captain of NHL’s New York Islanders (26).

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