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Jean Beliveau: My Life in Hockey
For close to twenty seasons, Jean Beliveau was le Gros Bill, the 'Gentle Giant' centreman of the fabled Montreal Canadiens during the glory years of the fifties and sixties. And for over twenty years, he was the Canadiens' senior vice-president of corporate affairs, becoming a sort of ambassador for the world of hockey. My Life in Hockey is the long-awaited story of this remarkable life, both on and off the ice.
344 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 23, 2020
Here's an interesting biography/memoir submitted by that rarest of creatures, a true North American gentleman.
I wasn't a Beliveau fan in my youth. Not that I had anything against him, but it was hard to be a devout NHL fan on the prairies in those days. The closest professional team was over 1000 road miles away. We all played hockey in one form or another, and decorated our rooms with colour hockey action photos clipped from the pages of the newsmagazine that came with the weekend edition of the newspaper, but our NHL loyalties were mixed, usually switching from one team to another to follow the fortunes of a particular hockey hero. I favoured Chicago because of Bobby Hull. Had I known more about Beliveau, I might have chosen Montreal.
Beliveau has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup not less than 17 times, and he was a member of the Canadiens for each of those victories. He won the Hart trophy for MVP twice, the Art Ross trophy once (leading scorer) and the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP once. He was a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec and was also presented with the Order of Canada. When he started playing hockey, he spoke no English. He picked that up from teammates. He could actually have started play in the NHL a couple of years earlier than he did, but Jean held out for personal reasons and loyalty to the junior team he was currently playing with. Plus, he had his eyes on a certain young lady. Fame and money could wait.
When Beliveau chose a course, he didn't deviate from it. He gained the affection of that young lady and stuck with her for 61 years: only the reaper could part them. He also signed with the Montreal Canadiens and played with the likes of Maurice Richard and Boom Boom Geoffrion. He stuck with this team as well, in spite of the fact that other teams tried to lure him away with lucrative enticements. He was a man of principle, and he was going to stick with the escort that brought him to the dance. When his playing days were over, he went on to work for the team in the office.
Beliveau started his professional career at a time when the players wore no helmets and the goalies had no face protection. Players played for a pittance with broken bones and never considered that to be particularly unusual. Jean comments on the advent of these innovations: he was all for the goalie mask but wasn't wild about the helmets, claiming they led to more stickwork resulting in more injuries. In those days a player taking a dive would be held in contempt; nowadays brush up against a player and he goes down as if tomahawked, only to appear on the ice uninjured for his next shift.
Jean comments on all of the changes he has observed in hockey and how the game was changed by each innovation. There were the helmets and face masks, the curved blade on the hockey sticks. He states that one of the biggest changes was brought about by the unorthodox (for that time) play of Bobby Orr. And, of course, the NHLPA, the union that ensured that players would get a fair cut, although he laments that this has ballooned out of proportion to the point that wages are hard to justify. Patrick Roy at that time made as much money in two months as Rocket Richard made in 18 years of solid play. Beliveau foretold the shutting down of some minor markets like Quebec and Winnipeg because the fan base couldn't support a team.
Beliveau remained true to himself throughout his life, and although he was courted by both major political parties, he turned them down. Conservative PM Mulroney wanted him for the Senate, but Beliveau believed that representatives should be elected, not appointed, and so turned down what would have been a plum job for life. When Liberal PM Chretien wanted him for Governor General, he begged off because he wanted more time to be with his family.
Beliveau played a rough game against some pretty tough customers. He was broken and bruised and took some cheap shots, but throughout the book he doesn't stoop to character assassination or anything of that nature. The league was full of interesting men, and he tastefully tells their anecdotes along with his own story. The sad part is that the book is dated, Beliveau is long gone, and few of us remain who remember the real men of the "Original Six".
I wasn't a Beliveau fan in my youth. Not that I had anything against him, but it was hard to be a devout NHL fan on the prairies in those days. The closest professional team was over 1000 road miles away. We all played hockey in one form or another, and decorated our rooms with colour hockey action photos clipped from the pages of the newsmagazine that came with the weekend edition of the newspaper, but our NHL loyalties were mixed, usually switching from one team to another to follow the fortunes of a particular hockey hero. I favoured Chicago because of Bobby Hull. Had I known more about Beliveau, I might have chosen Montreal.
Beliveau has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup not less than 17 times, and he was a member of the Canadiens for each of those victories. He won the Hart trophy for MVP twice, the Art Ross trophy once (leading scorer) and the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP once. He was a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec and was also presented with the Order of Canada. When he started playing hockey, he spoke no English. He picked that up from teammates. He could actually have started play in the NHL a couple of years earlier than he did, but Jean held out for personal reasons and loyalty to the junior team he was currently playing with. Plus, he had his eyes on a certain young lady. Fame and money could wait.
When Beliveau chose a course, he didn't deviate from it. He gained the affection of that young lady and stuck with her for 61 years: only the reaper could part them. He also signed with the Montreal Canadiens and played with the likes of Maurice Richard and Boom Boom Geoffrion. He stuck with this team as well, in spite of the fact that other teams tried to lure him away with lucrative enticements. He was a man of principle, and he was going to stick with the escort that brought him to the dance. When his playing days were over, he went on to work for the team in the office.
Beliveau started his professional career at a time when the players wore no helmets and the goalies had no face protection. Players played for a pittance with broken bones and never considered that to be particularly unusual. Jean comments on the advent of these innovations: he was all for the goalie mask but wasn't wild about the helmets, claiming they led to more stickwork resulting in more injuries. In those days a player taking a dive would be held in contempt; nowadays brush up against a player and he goes down as if tomahawked, only to appear on the ice uninjured for his next shift.
Jean comments on all of the changes he has observed in hockey and how the game was changed by each innovation. There were the helmets and face masks, the curved blade on the hockey sticks. He states that one of the biggest changes was brought about by the unorthodox (for that time) play of Bobby Orr. And, of course, the NHLPA, the union that ensured that players would get a fair cut, although he laments that this has ballooned out of proportion to the point that wages are hard to justify. Patrick Roy at that time made as much money in two months as Rocket Richard made in 18 years of solid play. Beliveau foretold the shutting down of some minor markets like Quebec and Winnipeg because the fan base couldn't support a team.
Beliveau remained true to himself throughout his life, and although he was courted by both major political parties, he turned them down. Conservative PM Mulroney wanted him for the Senate, but Beliveau believed that representatives should be elected, not appointed, and so turned down what would have been a plum job for life. When Liberal PM Chretien wanted him for Governor General, he begged off because he wanted more time to be with his family.
Beliveau played a rough game against some pretty tough customers. He was broken and bruised and took some cheap shots, but throughout the book he doesn't stoop to character assassination or anything of that nature. The league was full of interesting men, and he tastefully tells their anecdotes along with his own story. The sad part is that the book is dated, Beliveau is long gone, and few of us remain who remember the real men of the "Original Six".
July 14, 2020
A classy book for a classy guy. Not just about the game but the players and business around it.
November 28, 2021
Very good book overall for those who are fans of old-school hockey and his legacy.
April 15, 2013
Honest rendering by ‘Le Grand’ who seems nice to everybody. It made me realize how much more I care about the old game (of Jean’s era) and how little I care about the game now. He makes a good point on how helmets tend to make players more anonymous.
The beginning of the book is a little tedious because most of us know very little about hockey in Victoriaville and Quebec City. Interestingly enough people flocked to the arenas in those pre-TV days. I liked his commentaries on Bobby Orr – who was like a meteor on ice.
Jean is a great example of an individual who didn’t let his ego get in the way of his love for the game.
The beginning of the book is a little tedious because most of us know very little about hockey in Victoriaville and Quebec City. Interestingly enough people flocked to the arenas in those pre-TV days. I liked his commentaries on Bobby Orr – who was like a meteor on ice.
Jean is a great example of an individual who didn’t let his ego get in the way of his love for the game.
February 13, 2017
Very eye opening, insightful look at not only Mr. Beliveau's life but also behind the scenes of the business end of hockey. If you are not necessarily a Montreal fan but a hockey fan still worth the read.
November 7, 2023
Le Gros Bill.
I didn't know that was one of Béliveau's nicknames.
Lots of other things I didn't know "Big Jean" beyond what you get in snippets on mainstream media.
From the marathon shinny games in Trois-Rivières, to the Quebec Aces to the Montreal Canadians (on the ice and on the Second Floor), Msrs. Chrys Goyens and Allan Turowetz do a great job.
They capture the former Canadiens captain's history and his take on players like the other Number 4, Bobby Orr.
I didn't know that was one of Béliveau's nicknames.
Lots of other things I didn't know "Big Jean" beyond what you get in snippets on mainstream media.
From the marathon shinny games in Trois-Rivières, to the Quebec Aces to the Montreal Canadians (on the ice and on the Second Floor), Msrs. Chrys Goyens and Allan Turowetz do a great job.
They capture the former Canadiens captain's history and his take on players like the other Number 4, Bobby Orr.
February 5, 2010
It is said that Joe DiMaggio was class personified. The Yankee Legend wishes he was 1/1,000,000th as classy as the great Jean Beliveau. The Habs' Hall of Famer's autobiography was a thorough examination of a life in hockey and the state of the game he loves. I cannot recommend My Life In Hockey highly enough.
May 5, 2015
If I could give this 3.5 stars I would. I was fascinated by Jean's life and what he had to say, but a lot of the main points were repeated endlessly. Other than that I found this to be a great read and found Jean to be a really wholesome man and a great leader for his team and his community.
May 3, 2017
No matter how long ago it was written or which version one reads,this is a very good account of his life, his playing career on time with the legendary Montreal Canadians teams or his reflections on the state of hockey after he retired.
November 18, 2008
Autographed by subject.
March 29, 2010
I LOVE the way he writes...He's such a gentleman & he respects everyone! I'm really impressed by him!
Read
November 25, 2017Excelent
Read
March 2, 2018worth reading if only for the one chapter that exists p much only to just absolutely dunk on Winnipeg
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews