Beliveau is An NHL Hockey Icon
They say there will never be another player like Jean Beliveau and in 31 years since he retired they haven’t been proven wrong! Beliveau is truly an NHL Hockey icon!
For those of you who don’t keep up on your hockey history and who are wondering who Jean Beliveau was. Jean Beliveau was a lot of things! He was the greatest hockey captain, all time leading scorer, he was an athlete all way round, he was a remarkable skater, and he was an inspiration to those both on and off the ice.
Beliveau played for the Montreal Canadians and he played on 10 Stanley Cup winning teams. In fact he was team captain for 5 of those wins.
Upon his retirement in 1971 he also held the title of the NHL’s all time leading playoff scorer and all time leading scorer. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1965 and ended his career with a Stanley Cup in 1971. At the age of 40 he had play 20 playoff games and had 22 points. He took the Hart Trophy twice for being the most valuable NHL player and from 1955-1956 he was the lead scorer in the league.
Here was a man that was muscular, athletic, and he towered over his competitors at 6 foot 3 inches and 215 pounds. He also towered over the competition in skill. How a man of this size could be so nimble on skates is still a question asked regularly. He was quick to fit into those tight spots and on the rush he had a long powerful stride that took him no time to clear the ice, and he had a powerful shot.
Beliveau had 712 assists, 507 goals, and 1219 points from the 1125 regular season NHL games he played. And his playoff record was just as impressive.
This was a man from a humble background. His family was not of power or wealth yet he climbed the ranks to become a sports superstar that was a powerful and influential voice for French national unity. He urged Canada to value the French heritage and he urged Quebec to preserve the Canada we all know and love. His love for country and unity lead to his being asked to become the Governor General of Canada which he respectfully declined.
There are many other hockey players like Lemieux, Sakic, or Esposito that have Beliveau characteristics but there are no other hockey players that have all of the attributes that Beliveau had.
Beliveau is recognized for this amazing skill during a face-off. Taught by veteran Elmer Lach his skill was unsurpassed by many. His competitors hated facing off against him!
Beliveau has plenty of hockey stories to share. After all he has six decades to talk about. But this is a humble man that still believes in sharing the limelight with his fellow teammates and takes little direct credit for his amazing accomplishments. He attributed his success to the efforts of the team and prided himself in being the captain of the team.
This is a man that made the Canadian dream a reality. Beliveau is truly an NHL Hockey icon!
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