Hockey Legend Jean Beliveau -- RIP

Jean Beliveau with the Stanley Cup
(Image: cbc.ca)

A half-century ago, Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau epitomized pro hockey's best aspects. He commanded respect from his play, his dignity, and his poise. His greatness was so apparent that the Hockey Hall of Fame waved its three-year waiting period and inducted Beliveau immediately after his retirement from playing. However, he never really retired from the game. The Quebec native remained an active, highly visible member of the Canadiens' front office. He proudly upheld sportsmanship and the right way to play the game. That "way" coincided with ten Stanley Cups, as Beliveau bridged the generation between Rocket Richard and Henri Richard.

Those Montreal teams represented the heart and soul of French-speaking Canada. In Beliveau's playing days, the Canadiens could skim the cream of Quebec's ice hockey talent. There was no doubt that the Canadiens represented the Quebecois against English-speaking Canada. It was no coincidence that Montreal's lineup featured mainly French surnames, with a sprinkling of Anglos who protected the team's stars from their opponents' bully boys. The Canadiens at that time played in the Montreal Forum on Rue St. Catherine, which was for hockey what old Yankee Stadium was to baseball. Those Canadiens squads were often brilliant.

I had the good fortune to see Beliveau skate in a playoff game against the New York Rangers. He was splendid, with an enviable combination of size, grace, and savvy. The Canadiens happened to win the game in overtime. No, Beliveau did not score the winner, but that hardly mattered. I knew, even then, that I had witnessed a great player in action. I've always remembered that game.

Jean Beliveau passed away in Montreal yesterday. His obit and associated stories in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail are worth reading, as they offer the context of Beliveau's career and impact on all Canadians.

Canada to Give IRS Tax Info on Americans Living North of Border

The Obama Administration has distinguished itself as relentless in its efforts to close offshore tax havens. The Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, even Switzerland have agreed to work with the US Treasury to illuminate dodgy bank accounts. The administration's latest triumph of revenue accumulation is an agreement with Canada. The accord, according to an article in the Toronto newspaper The Globe and Mail, opens the door for the Canadian government to "start routinely (share) vast amounts of financial data about Americans living in Canada with U.S. tax authorities."

Image: passport.gc.ca

"The scope of the agreement," the story noted in an interview with an accounting professional, "is much broader than most people realize...virtually all companies in Canada -- from small family-run businesses to multinationals -- will soon be asked by their banks to provide more information on the tax status of their shareholders."

Approximately one million Yanks or dual US/Canadian passport holders live north of the American border. Oh, Canada!

Iceland Flirts With Adopting Canadian Currency

North America's stronger dollar

Here we are, in the middle of winter, and two of the planet's coldest nations are doing some heavy currency canoodling. Believe it or not, Icelandic officials have informally approached Canadian counterparts about the Nordic island adopting the Canadian loonie as Iceland's legal tender. According to an article in Toronto's leading newspaper, The Globe and Mail, both governments quickly put a public lid on this curious story.

The best part of the article was its listing of illustrations on each country's currency. Icelandic krona notes include illustrations of girls embroidering, while Canadian banknotes show children playing ice hockey. "In God We Trust"? That's been sent to the bench, no longer denoting a leading currency.

PS. Thanks to the financial blog Zero Hedge, which posted this story earlier today.

Michael Jackson: His Doctor's Trial and Cirque du Soleil's New Tribute to the "King of Pop"

Just when you think Michael Jackson no longer fascinates, the public keeps him alive in ways both lurid and entertaining. The current court case involving the "King of Pop's" physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is a case in point. The trial, dutifully reported in the LA Times, is a pointless proceeding. Of course, La La Land's criminal court system has the knack for producing such events; in fact, over the years, we have witnessed a parade of unflattering legal spectacles. The O.J. Simpson trial, which Ishmael Reed lampooned in his 2011 novel Juice!, comes to mind. The trial of Dr. Murray does not nothing to improve these sordid endeavors.

Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil channeled the singer's musical sensibility for its new production Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The show just began its world tour, with the Canadian-based entertainment juggernaut launching its opening in its home base, Montreal, and loonie land's principal commercial city, Toronto. The Globe and Mail, Canada's leading English-language newspaper, recently reviewed the MJ show. I haven't seen the show, but the review explores some of what it asserts are the performance's odd choices and chilly feeling.

Well, eventually Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour will come to the United States. In the interim, we'll just have to settle listening to recordings of the Gloved One. Some of his songs, such as P.Y.T. and Human Nature, are wonderful and I still enjoy listening to them. There's life in Jackson's recordings, a lot more life than in an absurd court case or what appears to be a painful stage show leveraging his life without genuinely understanding it.