Gary Bettman makes a promise to honor Guy Lafleur

"It's a sad day for hockey fans and especially Canadiens fans. He represented our sport so well and in the Canadiens, he had great shoes to fill, after the Maurice Richard and Jean Béliveau. He was fantastic to watch play and above all he was a passionate about our sport.

"He was beloved by hockey fans everywhere, not just in Montreal. I remember the standing ovation he received at the closing of the forum and also at the opening of the Molson Center. It was incredible! When you watched him skate with that much ease, you knew you had a chance to see something extraordinary happen."

"We're going to look at how we're going to want to honor him. Let's take the time to grieve. But I promise you that his legacy will be protected by the NHL. But we do want to think about it before we decide how we're going to proceed."