Jean Beliveau, 2d Edition

The classic hockey biography, fully updated: all new material on a decade of personal challenge and a troubled game, with a new introduction by Wayne Gretzky.

For close to twenty seasons, Jean Beliveau was le Gros Bill, "the gentle giant" centreman and captain of the fabled Montreal Canadiens during the team's glory years in the 1950s and 1960s. Retiring from active play in 1971, he went on to a successful twenty-two-year career as the Canadien's senior vice-president of corporate affairs and to life-long service as a goodwill ambassador for the sport. For half a century, he has been universally acknowledged as a prince of our national game and unofficial royalty to four generations of Canadians.

For close to twenty seasons, Jean Beliveau was le Gros Bill, "the gentle giant" centreman and captain of the fabled Montreal Canadiens during the team's glory years in the 1950s and 1960s. Retiring from active play in 1971, he went on to a successful twenty-two-year career as the Canadien's senior vice-president of corporate affairs and to life-long service as a goodwill ambassador for the sport. For half a century, he has been universally acknowledged as a prince of our national game and unofficial royalty to four generations of Canadians.

Chrys Goyens is a journalist, public relations consultant, and the author of more than a dozen books on hockey, among them biographies of Scotty Bowman, Larry Robinson, Maurice Richard, Darryl Sittler and Mario Lemieux. He is co-author with Allan Turowetz of the bestselling history of the Montreal Canadiens, The Lions in Winter. He lives in Montreal.

"Jean Beliveau: My Life in Hockey is packed with stories, anecdotes, tributes, and opinions about players past and present from a man many have cited as a much-needed role model for professional sports, a man whose life and career have personified ability and success." -New York Sport Scene Magazine

"Beliveau's book is for anyone who wants to learn more about one of hockey's most gifted stars and by far its greatest ambassador. In print, as he did on the ice, Le Gros Bill both educates and entertains." -Montreal Gazette

"If you're looking for that last-minute gift for the sports fan on your list, you can't go wrong with . . . My Life in Hockey by Jean Beliveau." -Victoria Times Columnist "The last few chapters, where Beliveau curtails from talking about his life in hockey, are what really vault the book to the next level." -Cambridge Times