Canadian ice hockey legend Jean Beliveau died at his Quebec home on Tuesday at the age of 83 following a long illness, his former club the Montreal Canadiens have announced.
The Quebec native from Trois-Rivieres played 20 seasons with the Canadiens between 1950 and 1971, winning 10 Stanley Cups and being nominated to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
Only his former teammate Henri Richard has won more Stanley Cups, as a player, in the history of the game with 11.
Wayne Gretzky, another legend of the game wrote in his foreword of Beliveau’s autobiography: “Having had the good fortune to win four Stanley Cups in my career and to experience the satisfaction and lifelong friendships that are generated by such a difficult and collective effort, it is mindboggling to recall that Jean Beliveau accomplished the feat no fewer than 10 times as a player and seven times more as a senior executive with the same organization.
“I don’t think there can be any other figure in the history of professional team sports who better exemplifies the word ‘winner.”
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his “sadness” at Beliveau’s passing, saying “he was a great, a true legend”, while Montreal mayor Denis Coderre added: “Quebec, Canada and the world of hockey are in mourning.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Beliveau who played at centre and wore number four, also won trophies as the NHL’s top scorer, most valuable player and most valuable player in the playoffs.
He played in 14 all-star games and was given an NHL Lifetime Achievement award in 2009 after scoring more than 500 career goals and also winning seven additional Stanley Cups as a team executive.
“Jean was a star of stars,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
“The fans loved the way he played, but they loved him even more for his humanity, the pride he took in his profession and the standards of excellence that he set. He is the emblem of elegance and class.
In 1998, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian award.
Montreal Canadiens president Geoff Molson said: “The Montreal Canadiens organisation is extremely moved by Mr. Beliveau’s passing away.
“Like millions of hockey fans who followed the life and the career of Jean Beliveau, 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”.