LONGUEUIL - Friends, family and fans gathered in Longueuil Saturday to pay their last respects to Habs great Emile Bouchard.

The former Montreal Canadiens captain, nicknamed "Butch," died last Saturday at the age of 92.

The legendary player's funeral took place at 11 a.m. in the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Longueuil.

Bouchard, who wore number 3, played defence for the team for 15 years, from 1941 to 1956, and won four Stanley Cup in that time, twice of those as captain.

He is survived by his wife and five children, including Pierre Bouchard, who played for the Habs from 1970 to 1978.

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."

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.

With a file from La Presse Canadienne and The Associated Press