Jean Beliveau dies at 83

Longueuil, Qc. - Jean Beliveau was given 83 years of life. They ended Tuesday.

Beliveau starred at center for the Montreal Canadiens from 1950 to 1971, winning 10 Stanley Cups as one of the finest hockey players to ever live.

His craft inspired Habs fans to nickname him "Le Gros Bill," after the strongman of Quebec folklore.

He featured in the Habs' middle as the team won five-straight Cups, a standing record of successive victory, from 1956-1960.

Beliveau added seven more Cups as a front office executive for the team, serving as vice president and public relations director, adding his name to seventeen Stanley Cups, the most of any man in hockey, a record that stands today.

The Quebec native was one of the most skilled players in the history of the game, scoring 507 goals and 712 assists in 1,125 games.

He retired in 1971 as the all-time playoff scorer in goals (79) and points (176) in 162 playoff appearances for the Canadiens. 

His achievements were so great, his play so efficient, so graceful, his gift so supreme that the league made an exception to its three-year waiting period, nominating Beliveau for their Hall of Fame a year following his retirement.

"No record book can capture, no image can depict, no statue can convey the grandeur of the remarkable Jean Beliveau, whose elegance and skill on the ice earned the admiration of the hockey world while his humility and humanity away from the rink earned the love of fans everywhere," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

His talent on the ice was suceeded only by his reputation as a gentleman and sportsman.

His Jean Beliveau Foundation was founded in the year he retired though transferred its charitable activities to the Society for Disabled Children in 1993.

Canadiens owner Geoff Molson released a statement:
"Jean Beliveau was a great leader, a gentleman, and arguable the greatest ambassador our game has ever known."

In 1998, Beliveau was named as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor, and in 1994 was offered the office of Governor General of Canada, the representative of the British Crown to that nation, but declined the position.

He wed the former Elise Couture in 1953 in Quebec City, with whom he had a daughter, Helene. 

Jean Believeau

10-time Stanley Cup Champion

Montreal Canadiens

1931-2014