Jean Belliveau dead at 83

[Walter]

Only won 10 Stanley Cups. RIP.

He's been retired from hockey since '71 so you'd have to be mid 50's to remember seeing him play. He retired as captain of the Stanley Cup winning team and the top scorer of that team. Talk about going out at the top.

 

[Mowich]

Style, grace, skill - Jean had it all - both on and off the ice. RIP Mr Béliveau.

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[coldstream]

As graceful a gentleman as ever donned a jersey.. pure elegance and class on the ice and off. He led the Habs to 10 Stanley Cups, unlikely ever to be equalled.

He was lesser known as an eloquent and passionate voice for Canadian unity, notably in the Referendum debates. He was offered the office of Governor General of Canada, and would have been a superb symbol of what is best in Canada. Sadly he turned it down for health reasons.

RIP, Jean.

 

[darkbeaver]

Wouldn't miss Hockey Night in Canada when I was a kid, Mr Belliveau was magic in the game.

 

[Canbyte]

Big Jean and Mr. Hockey. They both gave Mrs. Canbyte and I so much pleasure at the Forum.

 

[lone wolf]

Rest in Peace.

 

[wulfie68]

I'm too young to remember him as a player, but I saw the highlights, I saw the off-ice gentleman who exuded class, dignity and sportsmanship, in the media, or in a small town arena as a ref with the Montreal Old Pros, playing charity games against local oldtimer clubs. My Dad said playing with him on the ice and talking briefly to him in one of those games was one of his greatest thrills ever.

 

[Goober]

From the G&M
Four great moves that testify to Jean Béliveau's class off the ice - The Globe and Mail

 

[gopher]

He was one of the true giants of the game and one big reason why I became a hockey fan in the early 1960s. NYC sports fans are not generally well thought of but I can tell you in all honesty that they recognized what a superb player he was. A man who exemplified CLASS in every aspect of his life, not just in sports.

Truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed.

 

[Locutus]

Don Cherry ✔ @CoachsCornerCBC Follow

1) What can you say that hasn’t been said about Jean Beliveau. I keep hearing the word class all day when people are describing him and they

2) are so right. It’s the old story, in the dictionary, beside the word class you would find Jean Beliveau’s picture. I remember when I was

3) at the Montreal training camp, hearing a story, one of the rookies after the game had thrown the Canadiens sweater on the floor and the

4) the room went silent. Jean Beliveau picked up the sweater, got a hanger, hung it up and turned to the rookie and said “never let this

5) this sweater hit the floor again”. Another story told to me in recent years, is about signing autographs. Have you seen Jean Beliveau’s

6) or Bobby Orr’s, Wayne Gretzky’s, Bobby Hull’s, Guy Lafleur’s? You can read it. One day while signing autographs, Jean looked over at

7) another guy scribbling his name and asked “do you have no pride in your name?” He was a class guy. . I’ll use the word class too.

8 ) If someone like UN asked me to send one person to represent Canada it would be Jean Beliveau.

Don Cherry has highest praise for the late Jean Béliveau - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings

 

[spaminator]

 

[Canbyte]

A footnote: Big Jean gets the big mention deserved. Here's to All dead who lived to be good and worthy Canadians but who were not sports stars and not adulated in requiem.

 

[gopher]

I was on a sports chat earlier this evening and was amazed at the all accolades given to JB from the fans. About three said they met him and that he gave them autographs. They all loved watching him play but it was his work as an ambassador of the game that really stands out the most.