Montreal Canadiens: This Date in Habs History: Jean Beliveau Scores First NHL Goal

Montreal Canadiens have had dozens of legends over the years. Carey Price is currently building a Hall of Fame resume, but he is far from the first Habs great to do so.

Howie Morenz and George Hainsworth and George Vezina did it nearly 100 years ago. Maurice Richard, Henri Richard, Toe Blake, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson and Patrick Roy among many, many others would build Hall of Fame resumes of their own while playing for the Montreal Canadiens.

But one Habs legend stood out above the rest.

In the Canadiens alumni room in the Bell Centre there was a couch near the front entrance. No one would sit on that couch except for Jean Beliveau and his incredible wife, Elise. Even in a room full of stars and legends of the team with there richest history in hockey, there was a special place for Jean Beliveau.

It all started on this day, in 1951.

The 1950-51 season shows Beliveau played 46 games for the Quebec Citadelles of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. As a 19 year old, the big centre would score 61 goals and 124 points in those 46 games.

He would also make his NHL debut, being held scoreless, and then, on January 27, 1951, exactly 70 years ago today, Beliveau would score his first NHL goal, add his first NHL assist and help the Canadiens defeat the Chicago Black Hawks 4-2 while he played on an amateur tryout agreement and wore the number 20.

Of course, Beliveau would go on to play 1125 NHL games, all with the Canadiens and mostly with the number 4 on his back. He scored 507 goals and 1219 points in that time and added another 176 points in 162 playoff games while leading the Canadiens to ten Stanley Cup titles in his illustrious career.

Beliveau would win the Hart and Art Ross Trophy’s in 1956, take home the Hart again in 1964 and win the Conn Smythe in 1965.