Montreal says farewell to Jean Béliveau

The Bell Centre crowd stood and cheered for several minutes Tuesday night after a moving tribute to legendary captain Jean Béliveau, bringing his widow Elise Couture Béliveau to tears.

The hockey world stood still as the Montreal Canadiens paid tribute to hockey legend Jean Béliveau with an emotional pre-grame tribute at the Bell Centre Tuesday.

Many fans, admirers and members of the hockey community shared their thoughts and photos from the ceremony on Twitter.

Chris Johnston on Twitter

The Vancouver Canucks took the ice along with the Montreal Canadiens to pay their respects.
Vancouver Canucks on Twitter

The ceremony took fans through Béliveau’s incredible life, on and off the ice.
Canadiens Montréal en Twitter

Jean Béliveau’s widow, Elise Couture, was moved to tear at many points during the presentation.

HabsHappy-RIPJean4 on Twitter

In addition to the moving tribute, the Bell Centre honoured Béliveau’s memory with a powerful moment of silence that was observed by those near and far.

Ioanna Roumeliotis en Twitter

Keith Olbermann on Twitter

The sentiments of the evening did not end with the puck drop. During the first period, a puck was deflected into the crowd. The fan who caught it gave it to Jean Béliveau’s widow. Watch:

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