Canadiens Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur has heart surgery

MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal Canadiens Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery on Thursday, the NHL club has confirmed.

The Canadians say the procedure took place at the Centre hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal (CHUM).

“This procedure was necessary after a routine examination detected a cardiac issue,” the Canadians said in a statement. “The operation was successful, and doctors predict a full recovery after several months of convalescence. The family wishes to thank the entire medical team, as well as the personnel at the CHUM, and will not issue any further comment.”

The 68-year-old played in 1,126 NHL games from 1971 to 1991, finishing with 1,353 points (560 goals and 793 assists).

Lafleur spent the first 14 years with the Canadiens, followed by a three-year retirement. He then played with the New York Rangers for one season and the Quebec Nordiques for two.

Most of those three seasons were spent after he already was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lafleur became the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons.

He holds the record for most points with the Canadiens and helped the club win the Stanley Cup five times.

Lafleur, honored one of the NHL’s top 100 players of all time in 2017 by the league, was the sixth Canadiens player to have his number (No. 10) retired.