from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette,

The 66-year-old will be the 18th Canadien so honoured, the first since the 2009 centennial-season tribute to former captain Émile (Butch) Bouchard and Punch Line centreman Elmer Lach.

The Habs have retired 15 numbers in all. Lapointe and Geoffrion both wore No. 5, Cournoyer and Dickie Moore had No. 12, Henri Richard and Lach wore No. 16.

It is long overdue that Lapointe is being honoured, and some will suggest that the Big Three should have gone up together, celebrating the magnificent unit that dominated team defence during the 1970s.

But Pointu is driving only the high road to Canadiens immortality.

“This is not anything that honestly I ever thought about or dreamed would happen,” Lapointe said, his emotions hanging by a thread. “I was happy for both of my teammates (Savard and Robinson) when their numbers were retired.

“When I reflect on our team, if anyone had success during the season, winning trophies or whatever, we were happy for them. That’s the way I was feeling. It was incredible news when Mr. Molson and Reggie came over and told me they were going to retire my jersey.”

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Below, watch a Legeds of Hockey feature on LaPointe...