When Jean Beliveau's name was used by corrupt officials to gain business contracts

Jean Beliveau was one of the most respected hockey players in Quebec's history.

He is remembered for his outstanding career, but also for his charitable work, which he continued up until his death.

The Charbonneau Commission (a public inquiry into corruption in the construction industry in Quebec) once revealed that engineering firms had used Beliveau's name to win contracts from local politicians.

According to the commission's findings, engineering firms would go to great lengths to influence local politicians. Even if it meant exploiting the reputations of well-respected individuals such as Jean Beliveau.

One such example occurred in 2005. Engineering executive Gilles Cloutier arranged for Beliveau to meet with Maurice Vaudrin, the mayor of Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Quebec, and his grandson.

Cloutier was working on securing a contract to plan a water purification plant for Roche Engineering. He believed that setting up a meeting between Vaudrin and Jean Beliveau would help him win the contract.

Cloutier arranged for Jean Beliveau to give Vaudrin Montreal Canadiens tickets and a meeting in a special lounge for former Canadiens players. Beliveau also gave the young boy a Beliveau jersey, which made him cry.

A week later, the town council passed a resolution to award the planning work to Roche. Beliveau claims that he had no idea about the back story and that it was a surprise. He said in an interview:

"I had no idea that the grandfather who was with the boy was a mayor. Or all the story behind. I had no idea."

The Charbonneau Commission uncovered many examples of corruption in the construction industry. Many of which included bribery and collusion between engineering firms and politicians.

A look at Jean Beliveau's NHL career

Joseph Beliveau, also known as "Le Gros Bill," is widely regarded as one of the greatest NHL players of all time.

He made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens in 1950 but chose to remain in the QMHL full-time until 1953.

By his second season in the NHL, Beliveau was already among the top three scorers in the league. He was the fourth player to score 500 goals and the second to score 1,000 points.

His incredible skills on the ice led to him winning two Hart Memorial Trophies as league MVP in 1956 and 1964, and one Art Ross Trophy as the top scorer in 1956. In 1965, Beliveau won the inaugural Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Beliveau spent the majority of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, playing for the team for parts of 20 seasons from 1950 to 1971.

During this time, he won an astonishing 17 Stanley Cup championships, the most by any individual in NHL history. All of his championships were won with the Montreal Canadiens, with 10 coming as a player and seven as an executive.

In 1972, Beliveau was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, solidifying his place as one of the greatest players ever. In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.