[habernac]

https://www.nhl.com/news/johnny-bowe...?tid=277548856

On the day the world said goodbye to her husband, Elise Beliveau paid Johnny Bower the ultimate tribute.

On Dec. 10, 2014, mourners battled through driving snow and ice pellets of a nasty blizzard to attend the funeral of Jean Beliveau at the majestic Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal.

Beliveau, 83, had died eight days earlier. With sporting legends and political icons having congregated to pay their respects, Beliveau's coffin, draped in a Montreal Canadiens logo, entered the cathedral with Serge Savard, Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Phil Goyette, Bobby Rousseau and Jean-Guy Talbot.


Those six men were Beliveau's former teammates with the Canadiens. All wore red boutonnieres on their lapels signifying their roles as pallbearers.

At the request of Elise Beliveau, Jean's widow, one other person in the cathedral was given a red boutonniere to wear instead of the white ones everybody else had.

It went to Johnny Bower, the former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie who spent a chunk of his career trying to beat Beliveau and the Habs.