GOAT Index

Two legends at a time. Thousands of votes. One ranking.

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Jean Béliveau: the case for the GOAT

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    Jean Béliveau: the case for the GOAT

    C · Canadiens · Born 31 August 1931, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada · Died 2014 · Career 1950–1971

    "Le Gros Bill" was a graceful, commanding centre and long-time Canadiens captain, admired as much for his class and leadership as for his scoring.

    Career highlights

    Why Jean Béliveau could be the GOAT

    Béliveau won ten Stanley Cups as a player, more than any other member of this list, and his name is on the Cup 17 times counting his years as an executive. He combined size, elegance and scoring touch with unmatched leadership. If winning and dignity define greatness, Béliveau is the answer.

    What fans say

    Jean Béliveau is #8 of 25 in the fan ranking, with a 1–1 head-to-head record from 23 NHL votes. See the full NHL GOAT ranking

    Jean Béliveau head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

    One vote per matchup per person. If you see a pairing again in another session your new answer replaces the old one, so nobody can stuff the ballot by repeating a matchup.

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      Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses listed. Each links to its source page.