Lafleur Ends Retirement Today as Rangers Report

When Guy Lafleur cuts his first icy steps on a rink in Trois-Rivieres today, it may be comforting for him to know the arena where he is launching his comeback is as old as he.

Le Colisee in Trois-Rivieres, a small town 90 miles northeast of Montreal, was built in 1951, the same year Lafleur was born. Hockey fans are wondering if Lafleur will last with the New York Rangers much beyond his 37th birthday on Sept. 20.

“Guy is in shape,” former teammate Larry Robinson said recently. “The hard part is going to be for him to take all the pounding you take out there.”

Others, such as former star Rangers defenseman Brad Park and current Gereral Manager Phil Esposito are more optimistic.

“He quit too soon,” Park said of Lafleur’s retirement four years ago. “I can see him becoming a very useful member of the team.”

“I don’t know if he can make it, but this guy was somebody special,” Esposito said. “I feel he deserves the chance. What have we got to lose? What has he?”

If the “Flower” (English translation of Lafleur) doesn’t make it, it won’t be for lack of effort. For three weeks prior to the opening of the Rangers’ training camp, he worked out six hours daily. He spent mornings at a Montreal boxing gym, riding a bicycle, working the heavy bag and sparring three rounds at a time with middleweight Robert Beaulne. Afternoons were spent skating alone at a local arena. Lafleur even gave up his half-a-pack-a-day smoking habit.

He weighs 183 pounds, seven less than when he retired.

“I’m going to feel good about it (the comeback attempt) no matter what happens,” Lafleur said prior to leaving for training camp. “I’m not trying to prove anything to anybody but myself. I just didn’t want to end up 45 or 50 years old, wondering if I should have tried it.”

There is no question about his talent--Lafleur was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Sept. 7--only if it is still there.

He shook the Montreal Forum to its rafters with his scoring exploits during 14, mostly brilliant, years with the Canadiens.

It came to a halt Nov. 26, 1984, when a tearful Lafleur, with just two goals in 19 games, announced his retirement.