Josh Gorges spoke fondly about his Montreal Canadiens past with Jeff Marek at the Memorial Cup Tournament in Kelowna and he had an interesting story to tell about Jean Beliveau.
While the Montreal Canadiens are chasing the Stanley Cup this spring, former blueliner Josh Gorges is busy chasing the Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets. An alumnus of the Rockets’ organization, Gorges was hired as an assistant coach earlier this season. Since Kelowna is this year’s tournament host, the Rockets are battling for the big prize.
Earlier this week, Gorges sat down with Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek for an interview, and he had an interesting story to tell about one of the Canadiens’ legends, Jean Beliveau. Years ago, when the defenseman was still playing with the Canadiens, he was walking up the stairs of the Bell Centre when an employee stopped him to ask for their autograph. Gorges didn’t have a sharpie on him, but le Gros Bill pulled one from his suit, signed it, and then lent it to a grateful Gorges.
Once the happy fan walked away, Beliveau gave the rearguard the sharpie and said:
You play for the Montreal Canadiens. No matter where you go, you need to keep a Sharpie on you because people will want your autograph, and you need to be able to sign for them. So, keep this, and keep it with you at all times.
That was a valuable lesson for the defenseman, who went on to praise the organization for having legends on hand willing to teach their players what it means to be a Hab. Something they cannot learn from their coach or their teammate because they haven’t been through it all like Beliveau did.
It’s no secret that Gorges loved his time as a Canadien, even if you can’t be anonymous in the city since the fans are so invested in hockey that they will recognize you even though you’re not wearing your jersey. This market comes with certain expectations, and having legends around to guide the youngsters through it all is a fantastic resource.
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