Flames mourn death of Guy Chouinard, who scored first goal in Calgary’s NHL history

The hockey community is mourning the loss of Guy Chouinard, one of the original stars of the Calgary Flames.

After the Flames relocated from Atlanta in 1980, Chouinard scored the first goal in their new home digs at the Stampede Corral, although the skilled centre is best remembered as a setup ace.

A few years ago, Lanny McDonald described him as “probably the purest passer I’d ever played with.”

Chouinard’s death was announced Sunday by the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Guy Chouinard at the age of 69,” the QMJHL shared on social media. “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.”

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.

In the franchise history books, he ranks eighth in assists (336) and ninth in points (529) and still shares the single-game mark for most helpers, with six setups in a lopsided win over the New York Islanders in February of 1981.

When McDonald notched a team-record 66 goals in 1982-83, 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.

He was inducted to the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2005.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com