MONTREAL (AP) The Montreal Canadiens retired Guy Lapointe's No. 5, raising it to the Bell Centre rafters alongside those of fellow defensive standouts Larry Robinson and Serge Savard.
The Big Three starred for the Canadiens during the 1970s, and the trio was reunited Saturday night before Montreal hosted the Minnesota Wild. The 66-year-old Lapointe was in tears with his family and his defense mates at his side.
The No. 5 had already been taken out of service for Bernard (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, but the Canadiens have three numbers retired for more than one player.
In 14 seasons with Montreal, Lapointe was one of the NHL's premier puck-moving defensemen. In the 1974-75 season, he set the team record for goals by a defenseman with 29.
The Montreal native won the Stanley Cup six times, including four in a row from 1976-79. Lapointe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.
