CREDIT: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES/THINKSTOCK
Perhaps Sidney Crosby is the only player in the league who fits the hero bill, but why?

During final exams, there was a great tragedy that hit the world of hockey.

Like many of you, I’m not sure if it was my need to study or my desire to watch the Detroit Red Wings face the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I let that news pass through my conscious without a second glance.

However, once my last exam was finished, I went back to read a bit more on the passing and legend that was Jean Béliveau.

The game of hockey today is missing players like Mr. Béliveau, the type of man who takes a young rookie under his wing and shows him everything there is to know about being a professional. The type of player who is compassionate, articulate and selfless.

Why are hockey players today so vanilla? So robotic? Where are the personalities and ‘larger than life’ icons? Sure, Sidney Crosby arguably fits the mold, but hockey fans need more than one true icon.

It’s disappointing that youth are looking up to players like Evander Kane flashing stacks of money or Patrick Kane, who allegedly assaulted a taxi driver a few years ago over some spare change.

Don’t get me wrong, these guys play hard night in and night out, but they lack the strong character and maturity level off the ice to truly be considered heroes.

This is why the passing of Béliveau is so relevant. It is the beginning of the end of an era. Players like Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Maurice Richard and Béliveau are quickly becoming old stories our parents will tell our future children one day.

I can remember growing up watching the Red Wings build a dynasty around Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom. The Leafs had Mats Sundin and Doug Gilmour. You just don’t see the same type of iconic figures in the game today.

Perhaps parody in the NHL is to blame. Since the institution of the salary cap in 2005, we have seen a sharp increase in talented players league-wide, but it’s been offset by the a lack of rivalry and personality in the NHL.

In the words of sports journalist Heywood Broun, “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.”

Ultimately, the hockey world and fans alike will miss players like the great Béliveau most because there may not be another one like him again.