R.I.P Le Gros Bill
- The entire hockey world mourns, as one of the greatest men to play the game has passed. Jean Béliveau was a great player, and a better man. Le Gros Bill will be rightfully remembered as the epitome of talent and class. [Sportsnet]
- Béliveau answered every piece of fan mail he ever received. Yup, he was that nice. [Canada.com]
- For those that haven’t seen it yet, Béliveau’s Legends of Hockey documentary gives us a good idea how respected he was among his peers. [Youtube]
- It should come as no surprise that absolutely everyone has great things to say about Le Gros Bill, who was hockey’s true gentleman. [CBC]
- Lost in all of this, is perhaps the fact that Béliveau was an absolute dominant force on the ice. [NHL]
- He scored so often, that the NHL was forced to change its powerplay rules. [EOTP]
- Béliveau was not only a great ambassador for the Canadiens, but possibly the best ambassador for the sport. [NY Times]
- Le Gros Bill formed a generation of hockey loving Canadians. [TSN]
- Dave Stubbs’ take on the situation is a fantastic read. [HIO]
- The entire hockey world was touched by the death of hockey’s captain. [Canadiens]
- Michael Farber put it perfectly, he was a giant among men. [TSN]
- Stephen Brunt put together a video essay of his own to honour Beliveau. [Sportsnet]
I met Jean Béliveau when I was 10 years old..That’s when I knew I wanted to play for the @CanadiensMTL -A Hero and Hockey’s Captain #RIP
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) December 3, 2014
Sad day in the hockey world with the passing of a Mtl legend Mr. Jean Beliveau. He was a role model, idol and the definition of class #RIP
— josh gorges (@jgorges26) December 3, 2014
1. At Dorval Airport, 1971 #Habs returned from Chicago, celebrating Stanley Cup victory. Customs agent asked Beliveau “Anything to declare?”
— Jen (@NHLhistorygirl) December 3, 2014
2. Beliveau replied, “Just the Stanley Cup.” Customs Agent: “We will just mark ‘Canadian Goods Returned’ “
— Jen (@NHLhistorygirl) December 3, 2014
Jean Béliveau’s 500th goal was against Gilles Gilbert. He scored a hattrick that night at The Forum. Beautiful move: https://t.co/8zHsPzSpAD
— Marc Dumont (@Dr_Habs) December 3, 2014
Montreal Canadiens links:
- Nathan Beaulieu really doesn’t want to be playing in Hamilton, and who could blame him. Thankfully, he’s buckling down and doubling his efforts. [Hamilton Spectator]
- There’s no exact date set for Michael Bournival’s return, but it’s getting close. [RDS]
- As per usual, Carey Price took home the Molson Cup, which is awarded to the most Carey Price player of the month. [Canadiens]
- The Brendan Gallagher contract extension continues to get a thumbs up from everyone around the league. [Yahoo Sports]
- The guys seem to be keeping things light during practice, which was apparent during the water fight yesterday. [Canadiens]
- Elliotte Friedman’s 30 thoughts always make for a good read. Here are his Habs notes:
Around the League and Elsewhere
- Either Zemgus Girgensons has suddenly become the most popular player in the NHL, or roughly one in four Latvians has submitted an all-star vote. Subban is second overall, and Price leads the goalie vote. [NHL]
- Bob McKenzie gives us his thoughts on Team USA’s selection roster for the upcoming WJC. [TSN]
- Down Goes Brown figured out the perfect recipe for a Stanley Cup. [Grantland]
- The NHL All-Star jerseys might have leaked, and if we’re being honest they look awful. [Puck Daddy]
- For some reason the Kings thought it would be a smart idea to let Slava Voynov practice with the team. It cost them $100K. [Eye on Hockey]
