”As a boy in Montreal, Guy was larger than life to me.”

The words of Mario Lemieux – one all-time hockey great reacting to the death of another – Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur at the age of 70.

”I idolized him as a player, I respected him as a person, and always cherished him as a friend,” said Lemieux in a statement.

”He will be missed.”

Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur says Lafleur was one of his childhood heroes.

”I always pretended to be him when I was playing street hockey.  A true legend of the game and an ever better person,” Brodeur wrote on social media.

Lafleur was a favourite of Justin Trudeau.

”His speed, skill, and scoring were hard to believe,” the prime minister posted on Twitter.

”A record-setter and a five-time Stanley Cup champion, he inspired countless Quebecers, Canadians, and hockey fans around the world.”

Lafleur was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 and after surgery, learned it had returned in 2020.