Hockey legend Guy Lafleur was in court Monday morning to begin his $2.16-million lawsuit against the Montreal police and Quebec prosecutors for abuse of power.

The Montreal Canadiens star was unanimously cleared by an appeals court in 2010 of committing perjury to protect his son, Mark Lafleur. Lafleur testified in 2007 at his son’s criminal case.

Guy Lafleur, 63, was accused of providing contradictory testimony during his son’s bail hearing in 2007.

At first, he said his son was respecting his court-ordered curfew, but later revealed his son spent two nights in a hotel with his girlfriend.

At the time, Lafleur had agreed to supervise his son and enforce court orders in the trial on sex charges.

When confronted about the omission, Lafleur said no one had asked him about his son's hotel visits and added he didn't know a court order included a provision that his son stay with his parents overnight on weekends.

Lafleur was found guilty in 2009 before the conviction was overturned on appeal.

The hockey legend is arguing the arrest warrant was exaggerated and unjustified and that his life has been adversely affected by the criminal case against him.

His lawyers asked Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Wery on Monday to amend their case by adding a claim the Crown prosecutor omitted a crucial document that would have helped Lafleur's defence.

"All of (Canada's) constitutional guarantees were violated," Lafleur's lawyer, Jacques Jeansonne, told the court.

Jeansonne said Monday it was only last week that he saw the court document listing the younger Lafleur's bail conditions, which he said did not include on order to stay with his parents overnight.

The Crown had the document in its possession during Lafleur's trial, and hid it from his defence team, Jeansonne said Monday.

Lafleur has said the time he spent defending himself in court was a nightmare and that Montreal police mishandled the investigation and the Crown hounded him.

Lafleur was in court Monday but did not speak to reporters.
 

With a report from The Canadian Press