Hockey Legend Jean Beliveau Dead at Age 83
The Montreal Canadians icon was part of 17 Stanley Cup championships.
— -- Hockey legend Jean Beliveau has died at the age of 83, his longtime team, the Montreal Canadiens, announced Tuesday.
Beliveau led the Canadiens to 10 Stanley Cup championships during his 20-year career, and contributed to another seven championships as a Canadiens executive. He's also remembered as one of hockey's class acts, a fan favorite who seemed to always have time for others.
He was born in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec in 1931, the oldest of eight children, learning hockey on a backyard rink. He entered the NHL at the age of 19.
Beliveau played with Montreal from 1950 to 1971, amassing 10 All-Star selections and scoring 507 career regular-season goals. His finest season might have been 1956, when he scored 47 goals, with 41 assists and earned the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
The supremely-skilled center entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. The institution waived its usual three-year waiting period for Beliveau.
Canadiens president Geoff Molson reflected on Beliveau’s impact in a statement released by the team.
“The Montreal Canadiens organization is extremely moved by Mr. Beliveau’s passing away. Like millions of hockey fans who followed the life and the career of Jean Béliveau, the Canadiens today mourn the passing of a man whose contribution to the development of our sport and our society was unmeasurable. Jean Beliveau was a great leader, a gentleman and arguably the greatest ambassador our game has ever known,” Molson said.
Former linemate Gilles Tremblay has said Beliveau had a special presence.
"Meeting him is not like meeting other stars from the old days," Tremblay said. "When people see Bobby Hull, they say: 'Hi Bobby.' When they meet Big Jean, it's always: 'Hi, Mr. Beliveau.' He commands respect."
Canadiens fans who revered Beliveau were given a scare in 2000 when he was diagnosed with throat cancer, but after losing 30 pounds during treatment and enduring "the worst period of my life," he recovered. Soon, he was back in his familiar spot attending nearly every home game with his wife Elise in the seats among the fans.
He also survived a stroke in 2012.
When the Canadiens opened Centennial Plaza at the Bell Centre as part of the team's 100th anniversary, their four greatest players were honored with statues: Maurice Richard, Howie Morenz, Guy Lafleur and Beliveau.
Beliveau also ran a charitable foundation and sat on the board of directors of several companies.
He and his wife Elise had one daughter, Helene, and granddaughters Mylene and Magalie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
