Béliveau, Jean

▪ Canadian athlete

in full  Jean Arthur Béliveau , byname  Le Gros Bill  

born Aug. 31, 1931, Trois-Rivières, Que., Can.

      professional ice hockey centre who was noted for scoring winning goals in Stanley Cup playoff games. He played his entire career (1953–71) with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL).

      Béliveau attracted the attention of the Canadiens while playing in the Quebec Senior League, which they bought to get his services. Béliveau was team captain from 1961. His 507 career goals was a record for centres. He played in 17 Stanley Cup playoffs and was on 10 Stanley Cup winning teams. His career records of most points scored in Stanley Cup playoff games (162) and most assists (97) persisted into the 1980s. He was awarded the Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer (1956), the Hart Trophy as most valuable player (1956, 1964), and the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the playoffs (1965). After his retirement as a player, he became a vice president of the Canadiens. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.

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