For Jim Taman, meeting Guy Lafleur was a moment he’ll never forget.
“This picture here is the first time I ever met Guy Lafleur,” said Taman, a longtime fan of the hockey legend.
“Fortunate for me he’s with (former teammate) Steve Shutt and a friend of the family, but Guy is holding my son at three years old.”
Little did Taman know at the time that this first meeting wouldn’t be the last for him or his son Jeremy. It’s a moment Taman would later find out meant something to Lafleur as well.
“When I would meet Mr. Lafleur later on,” said Taman, “I would always introduce myself and I would always say that I remember the first time I had met you and had my photo taken with you you’re holding my son in your arms. He would say, ‘Yes, Jeremy,’ and I would say ‘Wow’ and he would say, ‘How is Jeremy doing?'”
Fast forward 25 years and Taman’s son Jeremy would pose with the Montreal Canadiens legend once again at a charity hockey game.
“Just special, special moments,” said Taman. “And today it floods back.”
Taman and other Saskatoon fans gathered to pay tribute to the hockey legend, not only to share fond memories but also to write them in a book that will later be sent to the Lafleur family.
“It means the world to me, personally,” said Taman. “It means the world to my family, but it also means the world to all our guys and the community so to do this. It’s the right thing to do, the respectful thing to do and it feels wonderful that people appreciate it.”
For Jim’s wife Bernadette Taman, the memories she has of Lafleur are of a kind man who always made time for everyone.
“When I first met him in 2013,” said Bernadette Taman, “he was very kind and very compassionate about hockey and his career. He was just a true gentleman. He treated everyone as if they were family.”
For the Tamans, it’s important that the whole country get together. They are proud to know that for those who can’t make it to Montreal, there is a space in Saskatoon — a space set up as a tribute to Lafleur and all of his accomplishments.
“After listening to so many people and hearing stories,” said Jim Taman, “it makes me realize even more how blessed I was to have spent time with Mr. Lafleur. I met him on many occasions but to become a friend, it is amazingly, wonderfully special.”
The book will be available for anyone interested in writing a message in tribute to Lafleur at the Harold Latrace arena until the end of May.
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