For a second day in a row, thousands of Habs fans braved the cold to pay tribute to the man who spent his life warming hearts around the hockey world. It was the final day of Jean Béliveau’s public viewing ahead of Wednesday’s planned state funeral, and fans from across Canada once again poured into the Bell Centre beginning at 10:00 a.m. - although a line formed outside the main entrance hours before the doors officially opened - to celebrate the life of the Canadiens legend.

PHOTO CREDIT - Canadiens.com

Montreal - December 8, 2014 - For a second day in a row, thousands of Habs fans braved the cold to pay tribute to the man who spent his life warming hearts around the hockey world.

It was the final day of Jean Béliveau’s public viewing ahead of Wednesday’s planned state funeral, and fans from across Canada once again poured into the Bell Centre beginning at 10:00 a.m. - although a line formed outside the main entrance hours before the doors officially opened - to celebrate the life of the Canadiens legend.

“He was an extraordinary man. I came with my father today in his honor. We were both very emotional,” offered longtime Habs fan Josée Lebuis. “We ate next to him once on my father’s birthday and he actually he came over to wish my dad a happy birthday even though he was with Céline Dion and René Angélil. He was so kind, it was amazing. It takes a lot of patience and courage for a family to do something like this. I have a lot of respect for the Béliveaus for offering us this opportunity.”

Known for his kindness and compassion, Béliveau was famous for never turning away an admiring autograph seeker or an adoring fan, and stories of the former captain going the extra mile were commonplace during the two-day wake.

“He was my idol growing up. He was an extraordinary man, both as a person and as a player,” said Suzanne Mathieu, who lined up with thousands of other fans to pay her respects to the Hall-of-Famer. “I had the chance to meet him at a golf tournament in Boucherville once when he was the guest of honor. He was very kind. He came to greet me personally. I was 35 years old at the time but he made me feel like I was 17.”