Hockey has to be fun, says “The Flower” SPORTS
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should play the game because they want to, not just because they might get to play professional some day. “If they play hockey, it has to be a fun game,” he said. “They have to enjoy it.” He also urges young people to keep up on their academics along with their slaps- hots and skating skills. “It’s maybe more important than their hockey career,” he said. “A hockey career, you don’t know if you’re going to make it.” Lafleur himself, since he hung up his Number 10 jersey for good, still keeps ac- tive in the league as a hockey ambassador plus managing his own business interests. But he keeps an eye on how his beloved Habs are doing, especially now as they butt heads with the Boston Bruins in this sea- son’s Stanley Cup playoffs. “So far, so good,”he said. “It’s too bad they lost yesterday (Saturday), but it’s going to be a tough series and everybody knows that. So we’re looking forward to the next game and we’ll see what happens.” If he could be on the ice again, Lafleur would do what he always did back in the day. Be ready. “Every chance you have, you have tomake sure that you put the puck in. You have to play well defensively, offensively. Even if you take a few goals lead, you have to make sure you protect that lead, instead of sitting back and waiting for the opponent.” ROCKLAND | It’s a meeting of minds for a summer of fun tossing frisbees and kicking soccer balls around. The Rockland United Soccer Club (RUSC) and the Canadian International Hockey Aca- demy (CIHA) are forming a summer camp partnership to offer local youth something different for summer vacation fun. The two organizations are working toge- ther to present an Ultimate Sports summer camp in July at the CIHA fields. RUSC will handle the morning camp session with a focus on soccer skills instruction and deve- lopment, plus some scrimmages. The after- noon session belongs to CIHA staff and they are looking at a menu of Ultimate Frisbee, softball, ball hockey, volleyball, basketball and other activities. The Ultimate Sports camp program will run from July 7 to 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be open to participants ages 6 to 14. Details on fees, including an early drop- off/late pick-up option, are available at www.CIHArena.com, by email to camps@ cihacademy.com, or by phone to 613-446- 7776. Ultimate sports summer camp
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
ROCKLAND | Anyone who shakes hands withGuy Lafleur will notice right away that his grip remains as strong and powerful as back in his NHL days when he hammered in goals for the Montréal Canadiens. Now at 62, “The Flower” as he was known to his English admirers, or “le Démon Blond” (the Blonde Demon) as his legion of franco- phone fans called him, can still shoot and score. But when he plays the game that helped make him a Canadian sports legend, he plays for fun and the love of hockey. “The only good advice I could give,” La- fleur said, after signing a photograph for a very young and very patient fan, “is they (young hockey players) have to be passio- nate about the game. They have to be ready to make the sacrifice to succeed.” While Lafleur’s childhood was spent in Thurso, QC, he spent many of his early years in minor hockey playing on the other side of the Ottawa River for Rockland under the direction and guidance of Jean-Marc Lalonde. He later moved up into the Qué- bec Major Junior Hockey League with the Québec Ramparts, leading his team to their 1971 Memorial Cup victory with 130 regular season goals.
Guy Lafleur was the main attraction for young hockey fans during the May weekend open house event at the Belvédère des Moulins Edwards condo development.
That got him the attention of Habs’ ge- neral manager and his entry into the NHL where the winger earned fame as the first player to score 50 goals and 100 points in six straight seasons. Add to that a 17-season
career, including five Stanley Cup cham- pionships. But Lafleur noted that competition for an NHL berth is tough, at any time, and not everyone makes it. So young hockey fans
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