Habs insider Eric Engels shares a beautiful story about Jean Beliveau

Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau is known as one of, if not THE, classiest player to ever play the sport of hockey. 

There are literally hundreds of anecdotes from around the hockey world that demonstrate Beliveau's grace and class and Habs insider Eric Engels blessed us with another one just yesterday.

While participating in a Reddit 'Q&A' yesterday Engels was asked if he had any good Beliveau stories, which prompted this incredible tale from Engels' own childhood:

When I was about 16 years old, I was vacationing with my family in Florida.

We got to the airport to return home and were standing in a long security line when my brother elbowed me and said, "Dude, that's Jean Beliveau standing over there."

We dropped all our shit in the line and speedily walked his way to meet him.

We had a lovely interaction, he asked us all about our trip and hockey and, right as it was ending, I randomly asked if he knew who the Canadiens were playing that night--can't imagine a time where I was disconnected from the team in my youth, but we had been away and it had slipped my mind.

Beliveau said he normally kept a pocket schedule handy but didn't have it on him.

All good. We shook hands and parted ways--he was on a later flight that had been delayed 8 hours.

An hour later, we were sitting at the gate, and my brother elbowed me again.

"Eric, Jean Beliveau is running towards us."

I look up, and Jean Beliveau is literally jogging through a maze of people and looking at us.

He arrives, smiles, and says, "Hey Guys, just wanted to let you know, they're playing Atlanta."

It was absolutely fucking priceless, pardon my French.

- Eric Engels

Absolutely priceless.

They simply don't make 'em like Beliveau anymore.

You know, one of the traits that I've always admired about fellow Habs superstar was Guy Lafleur's insistence that he never turns down an autograph seeker. Lafleur was famous for sticking around late after the game to sign autographs for young kids, a trait that he says he learned directly from Beliveau. The point is that Beliveau set the standard for what it means to be a Montreal Canadien.