Houle brought Canadiens ‘family together’ as Alumni Association president 

Rejean Houle in late 1960s or early 1970s Montreal Canadiens portrait, and waving to fans during a pregame ceremony at Bell Centre on Oct. 22, 2024.

“We’ve always had a very close team. We’ve won a lot of Stanley Cups (24 in all, the first in the pre-NHL National Hockey Association) but I’ve always felt it’s been most important to take care of our people, our families. To be there for them when they’re happy and healthy, and to help them when they’re sick, or worse.”

Brisebois, 54, knows the size of skates he’ll try to fill as he succeeds Houle.

“It’s remarkable what Réjean has done with class and passion and I know I have a lot to learn,” Brisebois said. “Everybody loves Rej, they all feel so comfortable with him. He’s always open, always trying to find solutions, that’s why people love him so much. He’s such a gentleman.”

Former Canadiens president Ronald Corey established the Alumni Association in 1983, the team 13 years from leaving the fabled Forum to take up residence in the Molson (now Bell) Centre.

Corey would see to it that the new arena had an ice-level salon for alumni and their families, and for every home game it’s a who’s-who of former Canadiens and their wives, girlfriends, children, grandchildren, and friends.

Canadiens’ Patrice Brisebois takes part in a pre-game ceremony prior to the team’s Bell Centre game on Nov. 24, 2018.

The walls are adorned with framed paintings of every Canadiens captain. This month, two large photos of the late Ken Dryden, the goaltending great who died on Sept. 5 at age 78, are prominently displayed. On another wall, a photo taken at a 70th birthday celebration for the late Guy Lafleur, who lost his battle with cancer in 2022, and a huge, framed tableau of 1995-96 tickets, the team’s final season at the Forum, featuring the team’s Hall of Fame players and builders and the arena itself.

Cournoyer, the winner of 10 Stanley Cup championships, was the alumni group’s first president. He was succeeded by Houle in 1984 a year after the latter’s retirement following a 16-season NHL career, three years spent from 1973-76 with Quebec of the World Hockey Association.

Houle held the post through 1995, until he was hired as Canadiens general manager. He was replaced by former defenseman Pierre Bouchard, again taking the presidency in 2000 when he was released as GM two months into the 2000-01 season.

For the past 25 years, Houle has seen to the needs big and small of the Canadiens’ robust alumni membership, and those of the families of former players and others in the organization. He almost literally bleeds the team’s red, white and blue.

From October 2015 at Montreal’s Bell Centre, a night honoring the work of team doctor and chief surgeon Dr. David Mulder. From left: former Canadiens president Pierre Boivin, Rejean Houle, Dickie Moore, David Mulder, Canadiens owner and president Geoff Molson, former team doctor Douglas Kinnear and Yvan Cournoyer.

Since the NHL’s 1917 birth, 945 players have worn the Canadiens crest in regular-season play – 855 skaters and 90 goalies. That’s only third-most in the League, behind the 1,093 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and 1,090 of the Boston Bruins, but the Canadiens’ 23 NHL championships are four more than the Maple Leafs (13) and Bruins (six) combined.

During Houle’s two presidencies, the Canadiens won their two most recent titles, in 1986 and 1993, and famously celebrated their season-long centennial, the team born in 1909 to first play in the NHA.

Houle has presided over many happy moments, but so too has he been largely responsible for management of too many funerals. He has been front and center in the organization upon the passing of 14 Hall of Fame legends during his two tenures.

In order: Jacques Plante, Aurel Joliat, Doug Harvey, Toe Blake, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Bernie “Boom-Boom” Geoffrion, Lorne “Gump” Worsley, Emile “Butch” Bouchard, Jean Beliveau, Elmer Lach, Dickie Moore, Henri Richard, Guy Lafleur and Ken Dryden.

Rejean Houle during the 1970s, and in March 2007 with the Canadiens’ “Big Three” on defense. From left: Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Houle and Guy Lapointe.

Houle played a vital role in organizing state funerals for the Canadiens’ crown jewels: Rocket Richard in 2000, Beliveau in 2014 and Lafleur in 2022. He stickhandled alumni and their kin through the pandemic, during which time a modest COVID-lockdown funeral was held for Henri Richard, winner of an NHL-record 11 championships.

Many of these funerals have had massive personal impact on Houle, who has been emotionally crushed by the loss of teammates and cherished friends. But he has always pushed those feelings aside, for a time, to organize the finest details of life celebrations.

Beyond his work with and support of the icons, Houle has also been a quiet presence in times of need for the much lesser known. More than once has he seen that the Canadiens would improve the difficult situations of alumni with limited financial means.

“Recognition for me is not important,” said Houle, a popular alumnus to whom fans still flock. “What is important is taking care of your family, your people, your kids.

From left, Donald Audette, Rejean Houle, Guy Lafleur and Richard Martin pose with the Stanley Cup during Kraft Hockeyville ceremonies on Sept. 21, 2008 in Roberval, Quebec.

“When I was playing, I had Jean Beliveau as my captain, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer... We always felt we could stick together and help each other as much as possible.”

In July 2017, he cut short a summer vacation to attend the Montreal-suburban funeral of Don Johns, a defenseman who played just one game for the Canadiens in 1966, a Montreal jersey displayed at the altar.

Houle sat in the back of the church and slipped out virtually unnoticed, then was nearly reduced to tears when the Johns family later reached out in appreciation for his having come to pay his respects.

Six years earlier, Houle had travelled 100 miles northeast of Montreal to Victoriaville for the funeral of goalie Jean-Guy Morrissette, who played 36:22 for the Canadiens in his single NHL game in 1963.

Patrice Brisebois signs autographs after stepping off the ice at Bob Birnie Arena in Montreal-suburban Pointe-Claire following a Montreal Canadiens Alumni charity game in January 2022.

“I went to Don’s funeral out of respect for his family,” Houle said. “What I got in return was such big love from the family. I nearly cried, even if I didn’t know Don or those close to him that much. And Jean-Guy’s funeral in Victoriaville, you should have seen the people and the Canadiens flags.

“Men like Don and Jean-Guy might have played just one game for the Canadiens, but at the end of the day, in their minds and those of their families, they played all of our games.”

Brisebois hears the story about the Johns funeral and says, “I’m not surprised. That’s Rejean Houle. It’s respect. You can’t teach that. You have it and you do it because you’re passionate about what you do. This team is very lucky to have him.”

The two men were delighted on this night that Elise Beliveau was in the lounge with her daughter, Helene, and two guests, sitting in the corner where Jean would hold quiet court. So too was Denis Richard, one of Henri’s sons, in the room, mingling with others.

Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois in action, and with team icon Jean Beliveau at Bell Centre, having just received the 2009 Jean Beliveau Trophy for his community contributions.

Houle briefly interrupted a conversation to join Brisebois to welcome Quebec Premier Francois Legault, the province’s highest-ranking politician, who had arrived for the game.

Houle had told the Alumni Association’s annual meeting last May that he wished to step down from the presidency.

A month ago at a meeting, Brisebois showed interest in the post, as did a few other alumni.

“I was the choice and it’s a huge honor, honestly,” Brisebois said. “Some will say it’s only the presidency of the Canadiens Alumni Association, but for me it’s a huge privilege, the love I have for the team and the organization and for all those who played for the Canadiens.

“We say, ‘Once a Canadien, always a Canadien.’ We’re a big, big family. I’m thinking about Reggie, what he did as president, and I know I have big shoes to fill.”

Top photo: Rejean Houle (l.) and Patrice Brisebois outside the Canadiens dressing room at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Oct. 18, 2025, in front of a display of Stanley Cup miniatures representing the team’s championships.