Guy Lafleur is well-known as one of the greatest players to ever don the Montreal Canadiens sweater, holding the franchise record for assists and points, and coming in second for goals behind Maurice Richard. Lafleur’s number 10 was retired after 14 seasons of service to the franchise.
He was a larger-than-life persona; more than just a superstar hockey player. He was a bona fide celebrity in the province of Quebec, and beyond. But where there was poetry in motion on the ice, there were frequent difficulties with management behind the scenes stemming from a 10-year contract he signed with the team as a promising young player.