The hockey community is mourning the loss of Guy Chouinard, one of the original stars of the Calgary Flames.
When the Flames moved north from Atlanta in 1980, Chouinard was already established as of their top players. The skilled centre scored the first goal in their new home city, although he will be best remembered as a setup ace.
In fact, Lanny McDonald once described him as “probably the purest passer I’d ever played with.”
Chouinard’s death was announced Sunday night by the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. He was 69.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Guy Chouinard,” the Flames posted on social media on Monday morning. “A franchise legend, he scored the first goal in the Corral and posted a combined 529 points in Atlanta and Calgary. He was a kind, generous spirit who cared for everyone around him. Rest in peace, Guy.”
That sentiment was echoed in a post by the Flames’ alumni association.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Guy Chouinard’s family and friends as we mourn our teammate’s passing. As tremendous as he was a player, he was an even better person. He took care of those around him and lifted everyone up, becoming a brother to those who played alongside him.”
Born in Quebec City, Chouinard played a total of nine seasons for the Flames organization, hitting the 50-goal mark in 1978-79 in Atlanta and playing a key role through the first three campaigns in Calgary.
His name remains all over the franchise history book. He currently ranks eighth in assists (336) and power-play points (199) and ninth in total points (529). He still shares the single-game mark for most helpers, with six setups during a lopsided win over the New York Islanders in February of 1981.
When McDonald notched 66 goals in 1982-83, establishing a team record that may never be broken, Chouinard was his regular centre. He racked up a career-high 59 assists that winter.
“I would always ask Guy, ‘How the hell did you find me?’ ” McDonald told Postmedia as part of a feature on his 66-goal season. “He’d throw it up over three sticks and land it flat, right on your blade. And he would say, ‘I can’t tell you, I’d have to kill you.’ He’d say, ‘I need to keep some secrets to myself.’ He was just a fun guy to be around, to play with.”
Echoed another former Flames teammate, Jim Peplinski: “There hasn’t been a handful of people in the history of the National Hockey League who can pass better than Guy Chouinard. He was just a beautiful passer. He’d put it right where you needed it.”
Chouinard capped his playing career with the St. Louis Blues and then became a fixture as a bench boss in the QMJHL. He earned 515 victories as a head coach and guided the Longueuil Chevaliers to a league title and a Memorial Cup trip in 1987.
Combined with his sensational stats as a player, including a 160-point outburst in his final season as a junior, he was a shoo-in for selection to the QMJHL Hall of Fame.
His son, Eric, now works for the league after an NHL career of his own.
“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Guy Chouinard at the age of 69,” the QMJHL posted Sunday night on X. “A dominant player for the Quebec Remparts from 1971 to 1974, he went on to record 575 points in 578 games in the NHL. Then, from 1985 to 2010, he became one of the greatest coaches in the history of the QMJHL.
“Above all, he was the father of our VP of Hockey Operations, Eric Chouinard. Our deepest sympathies to Eric and to all the loved ones of the great Guy Chouinard.”