The day I met hockey legend Jean Beliveau

Hockey great Jean Beliveau passed away earlier this week. His reputation on the ice was of a player who was respected by fans, teammates and opponents alike. Off the ice, he had a reputation as a classy gentleman who was always willing to take the time to make the people he would meet happy.

Me and Jean Beliveau

I had the pleasure of meeting him once. In 1998, I was playing goal for the Eicon Technology hockey team and Mr. Beliveau came out and coached our team during a charity game we were playing. In the brief moments when I spoke with him, he certainly lived up to his reputation. In the two hours or so that he coached our team, he made me, and I’m sure my teammates, feel like we were important to him.

I left the arena that night feeling grateful for having met the 10-time Stanley Cup champion. Plus, I was happy to show my Dad, who was a huge Canadiens fan, the picture you see on this post.

Oh, by the way, we won the game… 3-2. 🙂