Canadiens legend Jean Béliveau to 'lay in wake' at Bell Centre
Late Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Béliveau will "lay in wake" at the Bell Centre on Sunday and Monday, the club announced Wednesday. Fans will be able to pay their respects between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET on both days.
Béliveau died Tuesday night at the age of 83. A bronze statue of the long-time Canadiens captain will be on display across from the Bell Centre main entrance until Sunday. Canadiens players will also wear Béliveau's No. 4 on their helmets during Wednesday night's game at the Minnesota Wild.
The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET Wednesday at the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal.
• Hockey world reacts to passing of Montreal great Jean Béliveau
Béliveau's NHL career spanned 20 years from 1950 to 1971, all with the Canadiens. He won 10 Stanley Cups as a player, plus seven more as an executive with the team. Béliveau ranks second on the Canadiens' all-time regular-season scoring list with 1,219 points in 1,125 games played, third in goals (507), second in assists (712) and also owns the team record for career playoff points with 176 in 162 games.
“Like millions of hockey fans who followed the life and the career of Jean Béliveau, the Canadiens today mourn the passing of a man whose contribution to the development of our sport and our society was unmeasurable,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “Jean Béliveau was a great leader, a gentleman and arguably the greatest ambassador our game has ever known.”
- Mike Fiammetta