NHL Hockey Trivia: Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur was a huge part of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty during the 1970’s in the National Hockey League. He played with the Canadiens from 1971-72 until 1984-85. He came out of retirement and played three more seasons from 1988-89 to 1990-91.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Guy Lafleur with the following four trivia questions.

Q. How many times did Guy Lafleur win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point-getter?

A. Lafleur won the Art Ross three times consecutively, 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1977-78. His point totals in those seasons were 125, 136 and 132 respectively. This was right in the middle of a six year stretch of 100+ point season for Guy that spanned from 1974-75 to 1979-80.

In 1975-76, Lafleur finished with a six point edge over Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Flyers. That year, he neither led the league in goals or assists. The following year, Guy’s cushion over second place increased to 14 points, this time finishing ahead of Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings. He once again did not lead the NHL in goals but did lead in assists. In 1977-78, Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders was second best, nine points behind. Lafleur led the National Hockey League in goals with 60.

Q. Guy Lafleur finished his NHL career off playing for what team?

A. When Lafleur made his three year comeback from 1988-89 to 1990-91, he played his first year with the New York Rangers and his final two with the Quebec Nordiques. In the two seasons in Quebec, Lafleur managed just 39 and 59 games with twelve goals in each season.

Q. When Guy Lafleur was taken first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, who was second overall?

A. Always a rival of Lafleur’s in the scoring race, Marcel Dionne was selected second overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Lafleur came out of the QMJHL where he played for the Quebec Remparts. Dionne was a Quebec born hockey dissident, playing in the OHA for the St. Catherines Black Hawks. When Guy won his three Art Ross Trophies, Marcel Dionne was never very far behind. The bulk of Dionne’s success came while playing for the Los Angeles Kings. The two played together for the Rangers in 1988-89.

Q. What was the highest single regular season goal total during Guy Lafleur’s NHL career?

A. He scored 103 and 130 goals in his final two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Guy Lafleur’s NHL single season best was not nearly as high as those totals but still quite respectable. Lafleur scored 60 goals in 1977-78. At the time, Guy was just the fourth player in NHL history to reach 60 goals in a single season. He was the second Montreal Canadien to reach the plateau with Steve Shutt scoring 60 the year before.

The 130 goals stood as a QMJHL single season record until 1983-84. That year, Mario Lemieux of the Laval Voisins topped the mark with 133 goals. Lemieux played in seven more games.