Rancourt pictured in Oct. 2016. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- For more than 40 years at the Garden, the start of a Bruins game has featured the singing of Rene Rancourt.
But Sunday night, the 78-year-old Rancourt was honored before he sang the National Anthem at his final regular-season game.
The Lewiston, Maine native and U.S. Army Veteran is a trained opera singer and first began singing the national anthem at Boston Red Sox games.
His signature fist-pump following the anthem was modeled after the "Stump Pump" of former Bruin Randy Burridge.
"I'm an opera singer, I was at Boston University way deep into opera and Boston Conservatory, and I never would think to go to a hockey game," Rancourt told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 when he announced back in January that he would be retiring at the end of the season.
Rancourt will still sing throughout the playoffs.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports