It has been a tough season for the Montreal Canadiens family with the recent deaths of the legendary Jean Beliveau, Elmer Lach and Dollard St. Laurent. But if there is one organization that knows how to honor its fallen greats, it is the Canadiens.

Above is the tribute video for Lach, which was done at Montreal’s Thursday game against Detroit.

Per a story by Dave Stubbs in the Montreal Gazette when Lach, a Hall of Famer, died:

And it was Lach’s name that was the first Canadiens autograph the teenaged Béliveau ever collected, a signature penned in Trois-Rivières during a barnstorming Habs tour of rural Quebec.

Béliveau was hugely influenced by Lach early in his glorious career.

Succinct, understated, classy, and it finished with an interview of an elder Lach praising his time with the Canadiens. And “As Time Goes By” being played during the montage was a nice touch. Typically Montreal in the best way possible.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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