Former Montreal Canadiens captain Emile (Butch) Bouchard has died following a long illness. He was 92. Former Montreal Canadiens Elmer Lauch, left, and Emile "Butch" Bouchard, right, and Emile's son Pierre Bouchard pose for a photograph during centennial celebrations Friday, December 4, 2009 in Montreal.Paul Chiasson
Montreal Canadiens greats gathered on Saturday to remember longtime Habs captain Emile (Butch) Bouchard.
The funeral for the four-time Stanley Cup winner, who died last Saturday at age 92, was held at a church in Longueuil, just off the island of Montreal where he grew up.
The church was packed with family, friends, members of the Canadiens organization, including owner Geoff Molson, and fans decked out in Habs gear.
A giant Canadiens logo was placed to the side of his casket.
Montreal native and current Canadiens winger Mathieu Darche was too young to have watched Bouchard, but said he heard stories from his parents and grandparents.
"He was one of the greats," he said before the funeral. "It's these kinds of players that created a winning history for the Canadiens."
Bouchard, a defenceman, scored 49 goals in 785 games during his 15-year NHL career, captaining the Habs for eight seasons before retiring in 1956.
The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup four times while Bouchard was with the team, twice while he was captain.
Former teammate Dickie Moore, 81, said Bouchard helped him starting out as a rookie with the Canadiens.
"He was the greatest captain that I had," said Moore. "He was a real gentleman."
Guy Gagne, a 72-year-old fan wearing a Habs baseball cap, came to pay his respects. He recalled watching Bouchard as a boy during the team's glory years.
"He wasn't a big star, but he was a real leader," he said.