One of the greatest players in NHL history visited Humboldt on Oct. 27 as part of a Montreal Canadiens alumni team that took on local players at the Elgar Petersen Arena.
Guy Lafleur, the Hockey Hall of Famer who won five championships with the Canadiens in the 1970s and is the team's all-time leading scorer, coached the alumni team and drew a warm response from a crowd dotted with red Habs sweaters.
"The best part is meeting the fans, the people who have followed our careers," Lafleur said before the game.
He was standing and smoking a cigarette in a tiny dressing room as the players began to shuffle out for introductions. The game was about three minutes away from starting; he wore a red jacket, jeans and brown loafers and still has most of the famous hair that once identified him as easily as the name on the back of his jersey.
A bad back and knees have taken him off the ice, but he still thinks about stepping on the ice he once called home. For now, though, he's just the coach.
He laughed about that.
"I coach now, but I don't do much on the bench."
During the game, Lafleur watches, mostly silent. He chuckles at the banter on the bench and signs cards and pucks that are passed down from the stands above. He only gets to about 20 of the 60 games that the alumni play every year, but he's by far the biggest name.
Most of the players who took the ice in Humboldt were NHL journeymen, with a few more prominent players sprinkled in.
Out of everyone, Gilbert Delorme, who played parts of three seasons in Montreal, seemed to be having the most fun.
When a referee made a call he didn't like, he hopped off the bench and mockingly wiped the ref's visor with a towel. When fans behind the Canadiens' bench cheered a goal by the Humboldt team, he turned and looked up at them.
"Hey, why don't you guys go and sit behind their bench?" he asked.
"We get to travel all over the place and meet a lot of great fans," Delorme said before the game. "That's what I love about it."
Both Delorme and Lafleur said they weren't totally surprised by the hundreds of Canadiens fans who came out to see the game.
"Every time we came out west with Montreal there was always a big fan base for the Habs," Delorme said. "It didn't matter if you went to Winnipeg or Edmonton or Vancouver."
Added Lafleur: "I remember playing in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton and there were always a lot of Canadiens fans. Small communities like this, you might think they cheer for the Jets or Flames, but it's nice to see so much support."
Lafleur himself got lots of support, but the afternoon was not without its hiccups. As Lafleur was being introduced before the game, the public address system began to cut out at just the wrong time.
"A winner. Stanley Cup championshipsplayed forand the Quebec Nordiques," the announcer said as the feed crackled in and out.
Lafleur laughed about it as he walked out of the tunnel and up to the bench. When you're Guy Lafleur, introductions aren't always necessary.
