Guy Lafleur

Lafleur only played in nineteen games in the 1984-85 season. His speed and skating skills had diminished, and he was played on the third or fourth line. Lafleur was frustrated by his lack of playing time and burned out by his dealings with management. He felt his coach destroyed his confidence by not using him in big goal situations. Scoring only two goals and three assists in the nineteen games, Lafleur retired from hockey in November 1984 because management would not change.

After retiring, Lafleur was hired to work for the Canadiens in public relations, but this was short-lived. He continued playing hockey in a recreational league. The lure of playing professionally was too great. After he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988, Lafleur decided to unretire a few days later. He began to train in earnest as soon as he was mentally ready. As Stan Fischler quoted him as saying in The All-New Hockey's 100, "Hockey is like a drug for me. I am hooked. I can't do anything about it."