Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery on Thursday, the NHL club has confirmed.

The Canadiens say the procedure took place at the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM).

"This procedure was necessary after a routine examination detected a cardiac issue," the Canadiens said in a statement. "The operation was successful, and doctors predict a full recovery after several months of convalescence. The family wishes to thank the entire medical team, as well as the personnel at the CHUM, and will not issue any further comment."

The 68-year-old native of Thurso, Que., played in 1,126 career NHL games from 1971 to 1991, registering 1,353 points (560 goals and 793 assists).

Lafleur spent the first 14 years with the Canadiens, followed by a three-year retirement. He then played with the New York Rangers for one season and the Quebec Nordiques for two.

Most of those three seasons were spent after he already was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lafleur became the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons.

He holds the record for most points as a Canadien and helped the club win the Stanley Cup five times.

Lafleur, named one of the NHL's top 100 players of all time in 2017 by the league, was the sixth Canadien to have his number (No. 10) retired.