Canadiens honor Jean Beliveau with touching pregame tribute
The Montreal Canadiens honored legendary center Jean Beliveau, who passed away last week, ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks.
The ceremony itself was gorgeous, simple and incredibly moving:
The ceremony included this tough, emotional moment as Beliveau's wife, Elise, reacts to seeing her husband honored:
This Says It All! Jean Beliveau's wife Elise Couture pic.twitter.com/WnAajqeplX
— HabsHappy-RIPJean4 (@HabsHappy) December 10, 2014
During the game the team left the spotlight on Beliveau's seat:
The game has begun, and Mr Béliveau's seat remains lit by a spotlight.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) December 10, 2014
Pitch perfect:
Jean Béliveau’s seat at the Bell Centre, lit up by a spotlight in the rafters. pic.twitter.com/nXupqmei1Q
— Steve Faguy (@fagstein) December 7, 2014
The Canadiens even listed their attendance at 21,286 on Tuesday night according to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, which is one short of a sellout. The empty seat was obviously Beliveau's.
So the club purposely ended a sellout streak that was approaching 400 games, according to Sportsnet's Ticker. They did so in order to mark the occasion on Tuesday night. Tradition, class and pageantry is all about the small details.
Rest in peace, No. 4.