'A hero to me': Alberta Lafleur fan, stabbed in jersey at age 9, recounts meeting idol post-attack
It was January 1980 and a cold winter in Calgary, Cory Gurnsey was just nine years old when he was stabbed in his Guy Lafleur jersey.
He was walking home from Victoria Park School when he was randomly attacked by a man, who had just been released from prison.
He was beaten and stabbed eight times.
"I didn't even know I was being stabbed at the time," said Gurnsey from his Lethbridge home. "Everything went numb, when it penetrated, but it felt like like a pin cushion."
Gurnsey was wearing his iconic Montreal Canadiens jersey with Lafleur's famous number 10 printed on the back. Doctors had to cut it off so they could ultimately save his life.
"He only had a five per cent chance of making it," said Laura, Gurnsey's mother.
Lafleur caught wind of the incident and visited Gurnsey at the Holy Cross Hospital. It was that meeting Laura believes gave her son the power to live.
"They told him about everything that was going on, and it was just great," she said. "He just seemed to come around just like that."
Cory Gurnsey had the opportunity to meet Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur (Supplied).
Weeks later, Lafleur flew the Gurnseys out to Montreal to watch the Canadiens take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"After I was out of hospital, that's when I got flown to Montreal and Guy promised me, he will score a goal for me," said Gurnsey. "And he did against Toronto. He put (the puck) on a plaque after, and signed it."
Cory Gurnsey holds a plaque presented to him after Guy Lafleur scored a goal for him (Supplied).
Laura Gurnsey says she continues to cherish those moments 42 years later and says many hockey fans will miss Lafleur.
"It was a shock when I found out he passed away," she said. "He's like a big brother."
Cory says the traumatic injuries have led to him suffering from PTSD, a learning disorder and several mental health issues.
He says Lafleur impacted his life significantly, and he was saddened to learn of his death.
"I wish for his wife and kids, I'm sorry for their loss, and I hope the real best for them," said Gurnsey.
A national funeral will be held in Montreal on May 3 for the National Hockey League great.
Lafleur was 70.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.