The Canadiens still plan to raise Geoffrion's No. 5 to the rafters prior to their game against the New York Rangers Saturday.
Earlier this week, Geoffrion assured Canadiens Alumni Association president Rejean Houle that his heath troubles wouldn't prevent him from attending the ceremony.
But according to a Canadiens spokesman, Geoffrion's condition has become worse over the last few days.
Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion will have his jersey retired by the Montreal Canadiens Saturday. (CP PHOTO/Paul Chiasson)
"It hasn't been determined how much time he has left, but it's a day-to-day situation from what we can see," Geoffrion's son, Danny, told Canadian Press.
Danny Geoffrion said his father didn't want to attend the ceremony unless he was fit enough to walk into the Bell Centre under his own strength and address the crowd.
On Thursday, Geoffrion's wife, Marlene, and daughter, Linda, had him admitted to a hospice.
Danny Geoffrion said his father is entering "the last stage."
A tumour was discovered in Bernie Geoffrion's stomach during a check-up two weeks ago. Doctors operated, but found the disease had spread too much to be removed.
"At his age of 75 there was just no way they would have been able to," said Danny Geoffrion. "They would have left him there on the table."
Bernie Geoffrion starred in Montreal from 1950-64 and is the third Canadiens player to have his sweater retired this season.
Last November, the Canadiens honoured Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer and retired the No. 12 jersey worn by both players.
They joined Jacques Plante (No. 1), Doug Harvey (No. 2), Jean Beliveau (No. 4), Howie Morenz (No. 7), Maurice (Rocket) Richard (No. 9), Guy Lafleur (No. 10) and Henri Richard (No. 16) with the team's highest honour.
Geoffrion, who many view as the innovator of the slapshot, was the second player in NHL history – teammate Rocket Richard was the first – to score 50 goals in a season in 1960-61. That same season he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
He won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in 1952, scoring 30 goals and adding 24 assists in his first season in the NHL.
Geoffrion, who scored 371 goals in 766 games with the Canadiens, also won the Art Ross Trophy in 1954-55.
He came out of retirement in 1966 to play two seasons with the Rangers.
Geoffrion was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
