Maurice Richard
Encyclopedia
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., (ʁiʃaʁ, rɨˈʃɑrd; August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey
player who played for the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
(NHL) from 1942
to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50 games
. He lived most of his life in Ahuntsic
, Montreal
.
Richard was the first to score 50 goals in one season (the 1944–45 NHL season), doing so in 50 games, and the first to score 500 goals in a career. He finished his career with 544 goals in the regular season, with 82 in the playoffs which included a record six overtime winners (surpassed only by Joe Sakic
who has eight), and led the league in goals five times. He also amassed 421 assists for a total of 965 points in 978 games. He retired as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.
Richard won the Stanley Cup
eight times in Montreal, was captain
of four straight cup wins from 1957–1960, won the Hart Trophy in 1947, was elected eight times to the first all-star team and six times to the second all-star team, and played in every National Hockey League All-Star Game
from 1947 to 1959. Teamed with Elmer Lach
as centre
and Hector 'Toe' Blake playing left-wing
, they formed the "Punch Line
".
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1961, the customary three-year waiting period being waived in his honour.
fans considered it discrimination that Richard only won the Hart Trophy once. Although Richard was often perceived as a pre-Quiet Revolution
hero excelling in an Anglophone world, he always insisted that he was an apolitical man playing hockey for the love of the sport.
Richard was not without opinions. Richard wrote, along with a newspaper ghost-writer, a column in the French language 'Samedi-Dimanche' starting in 1952. The column was entitled "Le Tour du Chapeau" (Hat Trick). It mostly described the regular goings-on around hockey, but Richard would occasionally run into controversy; in one instance, he called Quebec City
fans "bandits" for their treatment of his brother Henri
when he was a junior.
Richard's writing took on a most serious tone in 1954 when he criticized NHL president Clarence Campbell
for suspending Boom Boom Geoffrion
for eight games. Richard labelled Campbell as 'partial' to Canadiens opponents.
Campbell threatened Richard with discipline and Frank Selke wrote up an apologetic retraction letter to Campbell. Richard then signed off his next column "Freedom of speech has been taken away from me. I have to obey my employers. I am not judging them but will leave this matter in the hands of my friends." Geoffrion also quit a similar column he had been writing. Richard deposited a $1,000 dollar cheque with Campbell along with his retraction. Campbell declared the matter closed and said that it would not have any bearing on any future matters.
Richard's career began and ended before the beginning of huge salaries. The largest yearly salary he ever made was $25,000 (equivalent to $200,000 in 2008). His #9 jersey number was retired on October 6, 1960, by the Canadiens, less than a month after he announced his retirement. His brother Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard
joined him with the Canadiens in 1955 and would go on to win eleven Stanley Cups with the team, an NHL record.
, who was coach of the senior Canadiens when Richard played there. Haynes noted that Richard also had a sizzling back-hand shot and could still get that shot off if the defenceman pushed him off the angle for a forehand shot.
In the 1950s, Richard was frequently compared to emerging star Gordie Howe
of the Detroit Red Wings
. Both were right wingers who wore the same sweater number (9). They were frequently contenders for the league scoring title, and could also play rough if needed. During their first encounter in the Montreal Forum
, when Howe was a rookie, he knocked Richard down with a punch after being shoved. The Red Wings and Canadiens faced off in four Stanley Cup finals during the 1950s. When Richard retired in 1960, he paid tribute to Howe, saying "Gordie could do everything."
Maurice Richard played minor ice hockey at all levels in the Montreal area before playing junior in Verdun, starting in 1938. By 1940, he had moved up to the Canadiens senior team in the Quebec league. He broke his ankle and played only one game. He returned and played the whole 1941-42
season for the senior Canadiens. However, by the time he first tried out for the NHL Canadiens in 1942, he had suffered several injuries and he was a considerable risk for the Canadiens to take on. Despite this, coach Dick Irvin
insisted that general manager Tommy Gorman
sign him, being impressed with his play in camp. Richard would break his right ankle and play only 16 games. Gorman attempted to make a trade with the New York Rangers
for Phil Watson
, but the Rangers' GM Lester Patrick
refused the deal.
In 1943, Richard's first child was born, Huguette, and she was nine pounds. Richard, who had been wearing number 15, asked for and received number 9. It was a new start for him with the Canadiens. Richard's left ankle was to be forever misshapen by injury but he adapted his skating. Richard played the full 1943–44 season, and score 32 goals and 54 points and be named to the Second All-Star team. He had one of his career highlights that season when, on March 23, 1944, Richard scored all five goals for the Canadiens in a 5–1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup Finals
and was awarded all three stars for his efforts. The Canadiens would win the Stanley Cup
, sweeping Chicago
in four games.
The following season
, only his second full season in the NHL, Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games
. He became the first NHL player to score 50 in a season. This was the season that the "Punch Line" was formed with Richard, Elmer Lach
and Toe Blake
. The trio finished the season 1-2-3 in league scoring. All three shot left, and Richard was moved from his previous left wing position to right wing. Irvin had recalled that Richard had played right wing with the senior Canadiens and been effective. Richard would remain a right winger for the rest of his career. The Canadiens placed first in the league, but lost in the first playoff round to the eventual Stanley Cup
champion Maple Leafs.
In that season, Richard had two other career highlights. On December 28, 1944, Richard scored five goals and three assists in a 9–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He had spent the day moving to a new house and he had told his team-mates he was exhausted. His brother-in-law, who had witnessed and helped in the move, bet against Richard scoring any goals that night. On February 3, 1945, Richard scored a goal while carrying Red Wings defenceman Earl Siebert, who weighed 95 kilograms (209.4 lb). According to Red Storey
who refereed the game:
In 1945–46, NHL veterans started returning to the league after serving in World War II
. The league became stronger and goal-scoring dropped. The Canadiens again placed first, and won the Stanley Cup. Richard's goal-scoring was reduced to 27 goals while Blake had 29 to lead the Canadiens. Richard and Blake both scored seven goals in the Canadiens' nine-game playoff, losing only one game over two series.
In 1946–47, Richard led the Canadiens in goal scoring and points as the Canadiens again placed first. The Canadiens made it to the Final to play Toronto. This series had one of Richard's violent outbursts. After winning the first game 6–0 the Canadiens may have been overconfident and the Leafs changed their tactics, riling up Richard in game two. Richard high-sticked
and injured Bill Ezinicki
and Don Metz
earning a fine and a one-game suspension. The Canadiens lost game two, game three and game four before winning game five to prolong the series. Toronto closed out the series in game six to take over as Cup champions.
The following season
, line-mate Toe Blake suffered a career-ending ankle injury. The Canadiens struggled that season to that point, and after Blake's injury, fell out of playoff contention with a series of losses. Richard and Lach both made the First All-Star team, but the Canadiens failed to qualify for the playoffs.
After two lack-lustre seasons, Richard had an outstanding season, scoring 43 goals and 65 points, but was held to just one goal in a five-game semi-final loss to the New York Rangers
. Richard again made the First All-star team.
In 1950, the Rocket followed this up with 42 goals in the season, and the Canadiens made it to the Stanley Cup Final again, losing again to Toronto. It would be the first of ten consecutive appearances in the Final series. Richard placed second in the scoring race to Gordie Howe
, who now pushed Richard to the Second All-star team. Richard led the Canadiens to the Final, with some revenge by defeating Howe's Red Wing team in the semi-final. Richard led all playoff scorers. That same season, on January 6, 1951, Richard scored his 271st goal to become the Canadiens's all-time goal scorer.
In 1951-52
, Bernie Geoffrion
played his rookie season with the Canadiens, scoring 30 goals to outscore Richard, who played only 48 games due to injury. Richard was named to the Second All-star team, second to Howe. The Canadiens again made it to the Final, although third-string right wing Floyd Curry
led the team in scoring.
On April 8, 1952, Richard scored one of the most famous goals of all time, described variously as "the greatest in the history of the game" and "most beautiful in the history of the world." As blood dripped down his face after an earlier injury that saw him suffer a concussion, he scored the series-winning goal of the 1952 Stanley Cup Semifinals. Richard had left the game, but returned to the bench in the third period, wearing a bandage. Richard, although somewhat dazed, jumped off the bench and drove to the net to score past a surprised Sugar Jim Henry, the Boston Bruins
' goaltender.
In 1952–53, Richard again led the Canadiens in scoring, and scored seven goals in 12 games as the Canadiens won the Cup for the first time since 1946. On November 8, 1952, Richard scored his 325th goal to overtake Nels Stewart
and become the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history. Richard picked up the puck after scoring, but he then threw the puck down violently, before picking it up again and keeping it. The puck was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1955. After Lach scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime on a pass from Richard, Richard and Lach jumped into each others arms to celebrate. The collision broke Lach's nose.
In 1953–54, the Canadiens finally landed Jean Beliveau
by purchasing his team. Richard led the Canadiens in scoring, with 37 goals and 67 points in 70 games. He was tightly checked in the playoffs, scoring only three goals. The Canadiens lost in the Final to the Red Wings in seven games. The Canadiens ended the season sourly, a crowd of spectators swarmed onto the Detroit ice after the deciding game and the Canadiens did not do the customary shaking of hands.
1954–55 was a turbulent season for Richard. This was the season after he had publicly criticized Campbell for being partial, and then publicly apologized and retracted his statements. While scoring 38 goals and 74 points in 67 games, he also recorded his highest penalty total of 125 minutes. He slapped one official in a game in Toronto and in the 67th game punched out a linesman to receive a suspension for the rest of the season and the playoffs. The suspension incensed his fans and led to the 'Richard Riot
.' Richard had been leading the league in scoring, and would lose out to Bernie Geoffrion
who was able to play 70 games. When Geoffrion, Richard's teammate, passed him in points on the last day of the regular season, he was booed by the Montreal faithful. The Canadiens lost in the Stanley Cup Finals
without Richard who was named to the First All-star team at the end of the year. Geoffrion was named to the Second All-star team.
from the Canadiens and the return of Toe Blake to coach the team. Unlike Irvin, Blake took a new approach with the Rocket. Irvin tried to ratchet Richard up, Blake tried to smooth out his performance. Richard scored 38 goals and 71 points in 1955–56, but the top scorer was now Beliveau, who had 88 points. But the new team approach of Blake worked and the Canadiens won the first of five straight Stanley Cups. Richard was joined on the team by younger brother Henri
. Richard was again named to the First All-star team.
1956–57
saw Richard named team captain of the Canadiens. Richard scored 33 goals to tie Beliveau for the team lead. In the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated New York and Boston, each in five games to win the Cup again.
In 1957–58
, Richard played only 28 games due to an Achilles tendon injury, but contributed 11 goals in ten playoff games to lead the Canadiens to another Cup win. He had an outstanding playoff run. He scored seven in the series against Detroit, including a hat trick and the series-winning goal. The game-winning goal would be his 18th, a record. One of the goals of the hat trick was a career highlight. Richard drove to the net around Detroit defenceman Warren Godfrey
, who pulled Richard to the ice. Richard, still traveling at full speed, pulled himself up to one knee and poked the puck past Terry Sawchuk
.
But it would be his last individual hurrah. He would not score in the 1959 playoffs and score only once in the 1960 playoffs. The 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons saw Richard battling injuries that reduced his games played to 42 and 51. Both years however, the Canadiens under his captaincy won the Cup.
In the 1960 off-season, there was considerable speculation about the Rocket retiring, but he put off the decision. Punch Imlach predicted accurately that Richard would not want to play any longer if he could not play at the top level. Despite the speculation, in June with the intra-league draft, the Canadiens kept him on their protected list. At a September 15 practice however, Richard made up his mind and he announced his retirement at a press conference on September 15, 1960.
during the 1972–73 WHA
season. He would last for only two games, a 3–2 loss to the Cleveland Crusaders
, and a 3–0 victory over the Alberta Oilers. Richard decided coaching wasn't his forte and stepped down.
so that Onesime could work as a machinist at the Canadian Pacific Railway
. At age four, he began playing hockey on a backyard rink, built by his father. As a teen, Richard excelled at baseball and boxing. He played hockey as much as he could, sometimes twice per night and four games on the week-end. To play on more than one team, Richard adopted aliases, the most well known-being Maurice Rochon.
Richard married teenage sweetheart Lucille Norchet against the wishes of her father in 1942. Maurice had met Lucille when she was thirteen and he was sixteen, when he was playing for the Paquette Club in the Park Lafontaine Juvenile League, which was coached by Lucille's brother George. They announced their engagement when she was 17 and Maurice was 20. At 16, Maurice dropped out of school and worked with his father as a machinist and that was his only income other than some income in the winter with the senior Canadiens. They would have seven children: Huguette, Maurice Jr., Norman, André, Suzanne,and Jean. Lucille died in 1994. After Lucille died, Maurice's last companion was Sonia Raymond.
. The first time was in 1939 at the beginning of World War II
when he was 18 and the second time the following year. X-rays showed that his ankle and femur as well as his wrists had broken and had not healed properly during junior hockey and he was therefore unfit for military action.
Richard had applied to be a machinist in the military, but was again refused due to his lack of a high school diploma or technical trade certificate. Richard tried to explain that he had dropped out of school to help his family and had been working as a machinist at a local factory since he was 16. They still refused, and he was told he needed a machinist certificate. Upon hearing this he decided to train as a machinist at the Montreal Technical School the following year and therefore fulfill his desire to help in the war effort.
The war was over before Richard received his certificate, which took four years. He was disappointed that the Canadian military had not given him the opportunity to participate in some capacity.
In 1967 Richard was inducted into the grade of Officer in the Order of Canada
, making him one of the first members of the order. He was later promoted to Companion of the order in 1998, the same year he was ranked number five on The Hockey News
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking Montreal Canadien. Richard was also given the rare distinction of being appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
in 1992, entitling him to the style The Honourable (French: L'Honorable) for life. The appointment, and those of twenty others that year made by the Governor General
on the advice of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
, remains unusual as, traditionally, being made a privy councillor is an act reserved for members of Cabinet
, Chief Justices of Canada
, and certain others who require access to classified documents. In August 2008, Canadian Pacific Railway
named a station in his honour.
Although Richard had a falling-out with the Canadiens not long after he retired in 1960, he eventually patched things up and returned to them, serving the club as an unofficial goodwill ambassador from 1991 – highlighted by the Habs' most recent (to date) Cup in 1993 – until he died. The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens
hockey club to the NHL in 1999, to be awarded annually to the goal-scoring leader during the regular season. Richard himself had led the league in goals five times.
In 1996 at the closing of the Montreal Forum
, a tearful "Rocket" received the longest standing ovation in the city's history: Over 16 minutes of adulation poured over him, chanting his nickname over and over again. Richard, always the reluctant hero, looked around in surprise for the first few minutes. When he realized the crowd was not letting up and their love for him was real, he broke down in tears while waving and mouthing "thank you". He rarely showed this side of himself, as he always tried to remain humble. The last few minutes of adulation saw Richard closing his eyes, while the crowd chanted "GO HABS GO!" over and over again. Richard later stated that when he closed his eyes and heard the crowd, it brought him back to his younger days. He thought it was a very loving gesture by the fans. A Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
team was also named after him, the Rocket de Montréal
, playing out of the Maurice Richard Arena (in 2003 this team moved to Prince Edward Island
becoming the P.E.I. Rocket
). Their team logo prominently features Richard's number 9. On June 27, 2001, the Canadian government
unveiled a monument in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Hull, Quebec
, honouring Richard, and he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
.
on May 27, 2000. Although being long retired by the time of his death, an estimated 115,000 people of all ages paid their respects while his body lay in state
at Montreal
's Bell Centre
. Following Richard's death, the Montreal Expos
Major League baseball team wore Richard's number 9, in black, on their right sleeves for the duration of the 2000 season, and flags were lowered to half staff as Quebec's National Assembly
was suspended for the day. Richard was given a provincial state funeral
that was broadcast live across Canada, the first time such an honour was bestowed on an athlete. Among those who attended were Governor General Adrienne Clarkson
, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
Lise Thibault
, various politicians (including then Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien
, and then Premier of Quebec
Lucien Bouchard
), Gordie Howe
, Jean Béliveau
, and then Canadiens team captain Saku Koivu
.
* indicates a Stanley Cup–winning season
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who played for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) from 1942
1942–43 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50 games
50 goals in 50 games
"50 goals in 50 games" refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty games in the NHL is a rare achievement....
. He lived most of his life in Ahuntsic
Ahuntsic
Ahuntsic is a district in the northern part of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originally an independent village, Ahuntsic was annexed by Montreal in 1910. It is now part of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville....
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Richard was the first to score 50 goals in one season (the 1944–45 NHL season), doing so in 50 games, and the first to score 500 goals in a career. He finished his career with 544 goals in the regular season, with 82 in the playoffs which included a record six overtime winners (surpassed only by Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
who has eight), and led the league in goals five times. He also amassed 421 assists for a total of 965 points in 978 games. He retired as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.
Richard won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
eight times in Montreal, was captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of four straight cup wins from 1957–1960, won the Hart Trophy in 1947, was elected eight times to the first all-star team and six times to the second all-star team, and played in every National Hockey League All-Star Game
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
from 1947 to 1959. Teamed with Elmer Lach
Elmer Lach
Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...
as centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
and Hector 'Toe' Blake playing left-wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
, they formed the "Punch Line
Punch line (ice hockey)
The Punch line was a famous ice hockey line for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1940s. It consisted of Elmer Lach at center, Toe Blake on left wing, and Maurice Richard on the right side....
".
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1961, the customary three-year waiting period being waived in his honour.
Playing career
Many HabsHabitants
Habitants is the name used to refer to both the French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada...
fans considered it discrimination that Richard only won the Hart Trophy once. Although Richard was often perceived as a pre-Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
hero excelling in an Anglophone world, he always insisted that he was an apolitical man playing hockey for the love of the sport.
Richard was not without opinions. Richard wrote, along with a newspaper ghost-writer, a column in the French language 'Samedi-Dimanche' starting in 1952. The column was entitled "Le Tour du Chapeau" (Hat Trick). It mostly described the regular goings-on around hockey, but Richard would occasionally run into controversy; in one instance, he called Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
fans "bandits" for their treatment of his brother Henri
Henri Richard
Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...
when he was a junior.
Richard's writing took on a most serious tone in 1954 when he criticized NHL president Clarence Campbell
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
for suspending Boom Boom Geoffrion
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
for eight games. Richard labelled Campbell as 'partial' to Canadiens opponents.
“What did Campbell do, when Jean BeliveauJean BéliveauJean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
was deliberately injured twice by Billy Mosienko of Chicago and Jack Evans of RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
? No penalty, no fine, no suspension. Did he suspend Gordie HoweGordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
of DetroitDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
when he almost knocked out Dollard St. Laurent'sDollard St. LaurentDollard Herve St. Laurent is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Dollard started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1951. He would spend eight years in Montreal before being traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. He won four Stanley Cups with the Habs and one with...
eye? No! It is strange that only Dick IrvinDick IrvinJames Dickinson Irvin, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slapshot and tough style with gentlemanly play...
and I have the courage to risk our livelihood by defending our rights against such a dictator.”
(On the topic of 'paper assists' given out in Detroit:) “It is not surprising that Howe, LindsayTed LindsayRobert Blake Theodore Lindsay is a former professional ice hockey player, a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League . He scored over 800 points in his Hockey Hall of Fame career, won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950, and won the Stanley Cup four times...
and AbelSid AbelSidney Gerald Abel was a Canadian professional hockey player and later coach in the National Hockey League...
are among the top point-scorers in the league, although I admit Howe and Lindsay are good players. Let Campbell get busy with the other little goings-on known about players of the National Hockey League and not try to create publicity for himself at the expense of a good fellow like 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion just because he is a French Canadian. That is my frank opinion and if I am to be punished for it, well that's that. I will leave hockey and I have an idea that several other Canadien players who share my opinion will do the same.”
Campbell threatened Richard with discipline and Frank Selke wrote up an apologetic retraction letter to Campbell. Richard then signed off his next column "Freedom of speech has been taken away from me. I have to obey my employers. I am not judging them but will leave this matter in the hands of my friends." Geoffrion also quit a similar column he had been writing. Richard deposited a $1,000 dollar cheque with Campbell along with his retraction. Campbell declared the matter closed and said that it would not have any bearing on any future matters.
Richard's career began and ended before the beginning of huge salaries. The largest yearly salary he ever made was $25,000 (equivalent to $200,000 in 2008). His #9 jersey number was retired on October 6, 1960, by the Canadiens, less than a month after he announced his retirement. His brother Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard
Henri Richard
Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...
joined him with the Canadiens in 1955 and would go on to win eleven Stanley Cups with the team, an NHL record.
Playing style
Richard was an outstanding scorer. While he had a good fore-hand and back-hand shot, he was not considered to have the greatest shot or accuracy. Richard made up for it in desire and other skills to become the outstanding goal-scorer of his time. He had excellent stick-handling skills, was fast on his skates, and strong. He used those abilities to outmaneuver opponents. He was well-known for frightening opponents with his stare. Richard's fighting ability (he had taken boxing in school) meant that most players did not want to get into fights with him. The most common strategy was to check him hard, play him chippy and insult him into drawing a penalty. Richard was known not to start fights, but would willingly fight back and finish them, including the fights of other team-mates. Richard would make a burst of speed around the defenceman and then cut out front of the goaltender and be in a perfect position to shoot before the other defenceman hit him. It was a high-stakes style as he was also putting himself in the perfect position to get hit by the other defenceman. Richard was first converted to a right wing to take advantage of his move around the defenceman by Paul HaynesPaul Haynes
Paul W. Haynes was a Canadian ice hockey forward.Haynes started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Maroons. He would also play with the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. His career lasted from 1931 to 1941...
, who was coach of the senior Canadiens when Richard played there. Haynes noted that Richard also had a sizzling back-hand shot and could still get that shot off if the defenceman pushed him off the angle for a forehand shot.
In the 1950s, Richard was frequently compared to emerging star Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
of the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Both were right wingers who wore the same sweater number (9). They were frequently contenders for the league scoring title, and could also play rough if needed. During their first encounter in the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
, when Howe was a rookie, he knocked Richard down with a punch after being shoved. The Red Wings and Canadiens faced off in four Stanley Cup finals during the 1950s. When Richard retired in 1960, he paid tribute to Howe, saying "Gordie could do everything."
Chronology
1941-42 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
season for the senior Canadiens. However, by the time he first tried out for the NHL Canadiens in 1942, he had suffered several injuries and he was a considerable risk for the Canadiens to take on. Despite this, coach Dick Irvin
Dick Irvin
James Dickinson Irvin, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slapshot and tough style with gentlemanly play...
insisted that general manager Tommy Gorman
Tommy Gorman
Thomas Patrick "T. P." Gorman was a founder of the National Hockey League , a winner of seven Stanley Cups as a general manager with four teams, and an Olympic gold medal-winning lacrosse player for Canada....
sign him, being impressed with his play in camp. Richard would break his right ankle and play only 16 games. Gorman attempted to make a trade with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
for Phil Watson
Phil Watson
Henri Phillip Watson was a professional ice hockey player and coach in the NHL.-Coaching career:Soon after retiring as a player Phil Watson became a coach...
, but the Rangers' GM Lester Patrick
Lester Patrick
Curtis Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, was a professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
refused the deal.
In 1943, Richard's first child was born, Huguette, and she was nine pounds. Richard, who had been wearing number 15, asked for and received number 9. It was a new start for him with the Canadiens. Richard's left ankle was to be forever misshapen by injury but he adapted his skating. Richard played the full 1943–44 season, and score 32 goals and 54 points and be named to the Second All-Star team. He had one of his career highlights that season when, on March 23, 1944, Richard scored all five goals for the Canadiens in a 5–1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
and was awarded all three stars for his efforts. The Canadiens would win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, sweeping Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in four games.
The following season
1944-45 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, only his second full season in the NHL, Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games
50 goals in 50 games
"50 goals in 50 games" refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League season. Scoring fifty goals in fifty games in the NHL is a rare achievement....
. He became the first NHL player to score 50 in a season. This was the season that the "Punch Line" was formed with Richard, Elmer Lach
Elmer Lach
Elmer James Lach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He was part of the Punch line, along with Maurice Richard and Toe Blake. He led the league in scoring twice, and was awarded the Hart Memorial...
and Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...
. The trio finished the season 1-2-3 in league scoring. All three shot left, and Richard was moved from his previous left wing position to right wing. Irvin had recalled that Richard had played right wing with the senior Canadiens and been effective. Richard would remain a right winger for the rest of his career. The Canadiens placed first in the league, but lost in the first playoff round to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Maple Leafs.
In that season, Richard had two other career highlights. On December 28, 1944, Richard scored five goals and three assists in a 9–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He had spent the day moving to a new house and he had told his team-mates he was exhausted. His brother-in-law, who had witnessed and helped in the move, bet against Richard scoring any goals that night. On February 3, 1945, Richard scored a goal while carrying Red Wings defenceman Earl Siebert, who weighed 95 kilograms (209.4 lb). According to Red Storey
Red Storey
Roy Alvin "Red" Storey, CM was a Canadian football player and National Hockey League referee.-Early life and career:...
who refereed the game:
“Earl Seibert jumped on his back. Jumped on his back! Put his arms around him. And his legs around him. The Rocket never broke stride. He went in, deked the goalkeeper, scored a goal, and shook Seibert and threw him in the corner.”
In 1945–46, NHL veterans started returning to the league after serving in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The league became stronger and goal-scoring dropped. The Canadiens again placed first, and won the Stanley Cup. Richard's goal-scoring was reduced to 27 goals while Blake had 29 to lead the Canadiens. Richard and Blake both scored seven goals in the Canadiens' nine-game playoff, losing only one game over two series.
In 1946–47, Richard led the Canadiens in goal scoring and points as the Canadiens again placed first. The Canadiens made it to the Final to play Toronto. This series had one of Richard's violent outbursts. After winning the first game 6–0 the Canadiens may have been overconfident and the Leafs changed their tactics, riling up Richard in game two. Richard high-sticked
High-Sticking
High-sticking is the name of two infractions in the sport of ice hockey that may occur when a player intentionally or inadvertently plays with his or her stick above the height of the shoulders or above the cross bar of a hockey goal. This can result in a stoppage of play or in a penalty...
and injured Bill Ezinicki
Bill Ezinicki
William "Wild Bill" Ezinicki is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs , the Boston Bruins , and the New York Rangers of the NHL....
and Don Metz
Don Metz
Donald Metz is an architect known for his earth-integrated house that was built in the 1970s to take advantage of Thermal insulation....
earning a fine and a one-game suspension. The Canadiens lost game two, game three and game four before winning game five to prolong the series. Toronto closed out the series in game six to take over as Cup champions.
The following season
1946-47 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, line-mate Toe Blake suffered a career-ending ankle injury. The Canadiens struggled that season to that point, and after Blake's injury, fell out of playoff contention with a series of losses. Richard and Lach both made the First All-Star team, but the Canadiens failed to qualify for the playoffs.
After two lack-lustre seasons, Richard had an outstanding season, scoring 43 goals and 65 points, but was held to just one goal in a five-game semi-final loss to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Richard again made the First All-star team.
In 1950, the Rocket followed this up with 42 goals in the season, and the Canadiens made it to the Stanley Cup Final again, losing again to Toronto. It would be the first of ten consecutive appearances in the Final series. Richard placed second in the scoring race to Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, who now pushed Richard to the Second All-star team. Richard led the Canadiens to the Final, with some revenge by defeating Howe's Red Wing team in the semi-final. Richard led all playoff scorers. That same season, on January 6, 1951, Richard scored his 271st goal to become the Canadiens's all-time goal scorer.
In 1951-52
1951-52 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, Bernie Geoffrion
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
played his rookie season with the Canadiens, scoring 30 goals to outscore Richard, who played only 48 games due to injury. Richard was named to the Second All-star team, second to Howe. The Canadiens again made it to the Final, although third-string right wing Floyd Curry
Floyd Curry
Floyd James "Busher" Curry was a Canadian ice hockey right winger....
led the team in scoring.
On April 8, 1952, Richard scored one of the most famous goals of all time, described variously as "the greatest in the history of the game" and "most beautiful in the history of the world." As blood dripped down his face after an earlier injury that saw him suffer a concussion, he scored the series-winning goal of the 1952 Stanley Cup Semifinals. Richard had left the game, but returned to the bench in the third period, wearing a bandage. Richard, although somewhat dazed, jumped off the bench and drove to the net to score past a surprised Sugar Jim Henry, the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
' goaltender.
In 1952–53, Richard again led the Canadiens in scoring, and scored seven goals in 12 games as the Canadiens won the Cup for the first time since 1946. On November 8, 1952, Richard scored his 325th goal to overtake Nels Stewart
Nels Stewart
Robert Nelson "Old Poison" Stewart was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Maroons, New York Americans and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League...
and become the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history. Richard picked up the puck after scoring, but he then threw the puck down violently, before picking it up again and keeping it. The puck was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1955. After Lach scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime on a pass from Richard, Richard and Lach jumped into each others arms to celebrate. The collision broke Lach's nose.
In 1953–54, the Canadiens finally landed Jean Beliveau
Jean Béliveau
Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
by purchasing his team. Richard led the Canadiens in scoring, with 37 goals and 67 points in 70 games. He was tightly checked in the playoffs, scoring only three goals. The Canadiens lost in the Final to the Red Wings in seven games. The Canadiens ended the season sourly, a crowd of spectators swarmed onto the Detroit ice after the deciding game and the Canadiens did not do the customary shaking of hands.
1954–55 was a turbulent season for Richard. This was the season after he had publicly criticized Campbell for being partial, and then publicly apologized and retracted his statements. While scoring 38 goals and 74 points in 67 games, he also recorded his highest penalty total of 125 minutes. He slapped one official in a game in Toronto and in the 67th game punched out a linesman to receive a suspension for the rest of the season and the playoffs. The suspension incensed his fans and led to the 'Richard Riot
Richard Riot
The Richard Riot was a riot on March 17, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The riot was named after Maurice Richard, the star ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League...
.' Richard had been leading the league in scoring, and would lose out to Bernie Geoffrion
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
who was able to play 70 games. When Geoffrion, Richard's teammate, passed him in points on the last day of the regular season, he was booed by the Montreal faithful. The Canadiens lost in the Stanley Cup Finals
1955 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1955 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Montreal Canadiens, appearing in their fifth of ten straight Finals and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings, in the fourth Detroit-Montreal Final series of the 1950s and the second consecutively. The Wings would win the...
without Richard who was named to the First All-star team at the end of the year. Geoffrion was named to the Second All-star team.
1955–60: A Canadiens dynasty and a mellower Richard
1955 saw the departure of Dick IrvinDick Irvin
James Dickinson Irvin, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slapshot and tough style with gentlemanly play...
from the Canadiens and the return of Toe Blake to coach the team. Unlike Irvin, Blake took a new approach with the Rocket. Irvin tried to ratchet Richard up, Blake tried to smooth out his performance. Richard scored 38 goals and 71 points in 1955–56, but the top scorer was now Beliveau, who had 88 points. But the new team approach of Blake worked and the Canadiens won the first of five straight Stanley Cups. Richard was joined on the team by younger brother Henri
Henri Richard
Joseph Henri Richard is a former professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1975...
. Richard was again named to the First All-star team.
1956–57
1956-57 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
saw Richard named team captain of the Canadiens. Richard scored 33 goals to tie Beliveau for the team lead. In the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated New York and Boston, each in five games to win the Cup again.
In 1957–58
1957-58 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, Richard played only 28 games due to an Achilles tendon injury, but contributed 11 goals in ten playoff games to lead the Canadiens to another Cup win. He had an outstanding playoff run. He scored seven in the series against Detroit, including a hat trick and the series-winning goal. The game-winning goal would be his 18th, a record. One of the goals of the hat trick was a career highlight. Richard drove to the net around Detroit defenceman Warren Godfrey
Warren Godfrey
Warren Godfrey was a professional Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Godfrey began his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins in 1952...
, who pulled Richard to the ice. Richard, still traveling at full speed, pulled himself up to one knee and poked the puck past Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
.
But it would be his last individual hurrah. He would not score in the 1959 playoffs and score only once in the 1960 playoffs. The 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons saw Richard battling injuries that reduced his games played to 42 and 51. Both years however, the Canadiens under his captaincy won the Cup.
In the 1960 off-season, there was considerable speculation about the Rocket retiring, but he put off the decision. Punch Imlach predicted accurately that Richard would not want to play any longer if he could not play at the top level. Despite the speculation, in June with the intra-league draft, the Canadiens kept him on their protected list. At a September 15 practice however, Richard made up his mind and he announced his retirement at a press conference on September 15, 1960.
Coaching
Richard briefly served as head coach of the Quebec NordiquesQuebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
during the 1972–73 WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
season. He would last for only two games, a 3–2 loss to the Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
, and a 3–0 victory over the Alberta Oilers. Richard decided coaching wasn't his forte and stepped down.
Personal life
Born August 4, 1921, Maurice Richard was the eldest of eight children (five sons: Maurice, Henri, Claude, René and Jacques; three daughters: Rollande, Marguerite and Georgette) of Onesime and Alice Richard. Onesime and Alice had moved from the Gaspé region to Nouveau-BordeauxBordeaux-Cartierville
Bordeaux-Cartierville is a district of Montreal, Canada in the administrative borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. It is bordered to the north by the Rivière des Prairies, to the east by the district of Ahuntsic., to the south by Villeray, Park-Extension, Mount Royal and Saint-Laurent and to the west...
so that Onesime could work as a machinist at the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. At age four, he began playing hockey on a backyard rink, built by his father. As a teen, Richard excelled at baseball and boxing. He played hockey as much as he could, sometimes twice per night and four games on the week-end. To play on more than one team, Richard adopted aliases, the most well known-being Maurice Rochon.
Richard married teenage sweetheart Lucille Norchet against the wishes of her father in 1942. Maurice had met Lucille when she was thirteen and he was sixteen, when he was playing for the Paquette Club in the Park Lafontaine Juvenile League, which was coached by Lucille's brother George. They announced their engagement when she was 17 and Maurice was 20. At 16, Maurice dropped out of school and worked with his father as a machinist and that was his only income other than some income in the winter with the senior Canadiens. They would have seven children: Huguette, Maurice Jr., Norman, André, Suzanne,and Jean. Lucille died in 1994. After Lucille died, Maurice's last companion was Sonia Raymond.
Attempts to join the military
Richard was turned down a total of three times by the military, twice for combat and once as a machinistMachinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
. The first time was in 1939 at the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when he was 18 and the second time the following year. X-rays showed that his ankle and femur as well as his wrists had broken and had not healed properly during junior hockey and he was therefore unfit for military action.
Richard had applied to be a machinist in the military, but was again refused due to his lack of a high school diploma or technical trade certificate. Richard tried to explain that he had dropped out of school to help his family and had been working as a machinist at a local factory since he was 16. They still refused, and he was told he needed a machinist certificate. Upon hearing this he decided to train as a machinist at the Montreal Technical School the following year and therefore fulfill his desire to help in the war effort.
The war was over before Richard received his certificate, which took four years. He was disappointed that the Canadian military had not given him the opportunity to participate in some capacity.
Honours
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, making him one of the first members of the order. He was later promoted to Companion of the order in 1998, the same year he was ranked number five on The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking Montreal Canadien. Richard was also given the rare distinction of being appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
in 1992, entitling him to the style The Honourable (French: L'Honorable) for life. The appointment, and those of twenty others that year made by the Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
on the advice of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
, remains unusual as, traditionally, being made a privy councillor is an act reserved for members of Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
, Chief Justices of Canada
Chief Justice of Canada
The Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
, and certain others who require access to classified documents. In August 2008, Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
named a station in his honour.
Although Richard had a falling-out with the Canadiens not long after he retired in 1960, he eventually patched things up and returned to them, serving the club as an unofficial goodwill ambassador from 1991 – highlighted by the Habs' most recent (to date) Cup in 1993 – until he died. The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
hockey club to the NHL in 1999, to be awarded annually to the goal-scoring leader during the regular season. Richard himself had led the league in goals five times.
In 1996 at the closing of the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
, a tearful "Rocket" received the longest standing ovation in the city's history: Over 16 minutes of adulation poured over him, chanting his nickname over and over again. Richard, always the reluctant hero, looked around in surprise for the first few minutes. When he realized the crowd was not letting up and their love for him was real, he broke down in tears while waving and mouthing "thank you". He rarely showed this side of himself, as he always tried to remain humble. The last few minutes of adulation saw Richard closing his eyes, while the crowd chanted "GO HABS GO!" over and over again. Richard later stated that when he closed his eyes and heard the crowd, it brought him back to his younger days. He thought it was a very loving gesture by the fans. A Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
team was also named after him, the Rocket de Montréal
Montreal Rocket
The Montreal Rocket were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for four seasons from 1999 to 2003, based out of Montreal, Quebec. The team was named in honor of Montreal Canadiens great Maurice "Rocket" Richard...
, playing out of the Maurice Richard Arena (in 2003 this team moved to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
becoming the P.E.I. Rocket
P.E.I. Rocket
The P.E.I. Rocket are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The franchise was granted in 1999, however the Rocket were originally located in Montreal, Quebec and called the Montreal Rocket. In 2003 they were relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
). Their team logo prominently features Richard's number 9. On June 27, 2001, the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
unveiled a monument in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
, honouring Richard, and he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
.
Death
Richard died of Abdominal CancerBaker's cyst
A Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst, is a benign swelling of the semimembranous or more rarely some other synovial bursa found behind the knee joint. It is named after the surgeon who first described it, William Morrant Baker...
on May 27, 2000. Although being long retired by the time of his death, an estimated 115,000 people of all ages paid their respects while his body lay in state
Lying in state
Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...
at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's Bell Centre
Bell Centre
The Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...
. Following Richard's death, the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
Major League baseball team wore Richard's number 9, in black, on their right sleeves for the duration of the 2000 season, and flags were lowered to half staff as Quebec's National Assembly
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
was suspended for the day. Richard was given a provincial state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
that was broadcast live across Canada, the first time such an honour was bestowed on an athlete. Among those who attended were Governor General Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
The Lieutenant Governor of Quebec : Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec, or : Lieutenant-gouverneure du Québec) is the viceregal representative in Quebec of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions...
Lise Thibault
Lise Thibault
Lise Thibault is a Canadian civil servant who was appointed the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec on January 30, 1997. As a former Vice-Regal representative of Elizabeth II, as Queen in Right of Quebec, she is styled The Honourable for life.-Early life:Born in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec,...
, various politicians (including then Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, and then Premier of Quebec
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
), Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Jean Béliveau
Jean Béliveau
Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
, and then Canadiens team captain Saku Koivu
Saku Koivu
Saku Antero Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
.
Depiction in popular media
- Richard's hockey career, and in particular the folk legend of his NHL game played after having moved, was featured in Heritage Minutes (1997). Richard was played by Roy DupuisRoy DupuisRoy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
. - Richard's life story was featured in a two-part, two-hour French-Canadian miniseries televised as part of the program Les Beaux Dimanches: Histoire d'un Canadien (Beautiful Sundays: Maurice Rocket Richard Story [Canada: English title]), in 1999, starring Roy DupuisRoy DupuisRoy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
as Richard. - The French version of a feature film, Maurice RichardMaurice Richard (film)Maurice Richard is a French language Canadian biopic about the ice hockey player Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. It was released in English Canada as The Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story. It was released in the United States as The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard and was distributed by...
was released in November 2005; the English-subtitled version entitled The Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story was released in April 2006. The film again stars Roy DupuisRoy DupuisRoy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
in the title role and is directed by Charles BinaméCharles BinaméCharles Binamé is a Quebec director. He was born in Belgium and came to Montreal with his family at a young age. In 1971, he began work as an assistant director with the National Film Board of Canada. During the 1980s, he directed commercials in England...
. - Admiration for Richard and the Montreal Canadiens was the main plot point of the popular heritage story "The Hockey SweaterThe Hockey Sweater"The Hockey Sweater" is a short story published in 1979 by Canadian author Roch Carrier....
", originally published in 1979 by native Quebecker and acclaimed author Roch CarrierRoch CarrierRoch Carrier, OC is a Canadian novelist and author of "contes" . He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada....
., as well as its 1980 National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB) adaptation, The Sweater. - He is the subject of a 1998 NFB documentary, The Rocket, and a 1972 NFB short film, composed of animated photographs of Richard, Mon numéro 9 en or.
- The Jane Siberry song "Hockey" contains the line "They rioted in the streets of Montreal/When they benched Rocket Richard".
- Was referenced in the Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
song "Hit Somebody": "His dad took the hose and froze the back yard/And little Buddy dreamed he was Rocket Richard" - In the early 1980s, Maurice Richard starred in a commercial for Grecian FormulaGrecian formulaGrecian Formula is a popular men's hair coloring product in the United States. It is made by Combe Incorporated in White Plains, New York, and is also known as Grecian Formula 16. It is available as a clear liquid, cream and a foam...
, a hair coloringHair coloringHair coloring is the practice of changing the color of hair. Common reasons are to cover gray hair, to change to a color regarded as more fashionable or desirable, and to restore the original hair color after it has been discolored by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching...
product. In the commercial Richard plays a referee, he mentions that he leaves a touch of natural grey, because his wife likes it. At that point a trainer calls out, "Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!" a line that has since become famous and is referenced in a song by the Canadian punk band BelvedereBelvedere (band)Belvedere was a Canadian Punk Rock band formed in 1995. Originally not meant to play a show, they gained a cult following in Canada's punk scene...
. - The local media first nicknamed him The Comet. During an intra-squad practice, Ray GetliffeRay GetliffeRay Getliffe was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Born in Galt, Ontario , he played with the Saint John St. Peters.It is a miscopnception that Getliffe nicknamed Rocket...
was so impressed by him, he compared him to a rocket. - In an edition of The Book of Sports Lists, by Pepe and Hollander, Richard was described by a teammate "with his eyes flashing like a pinball machine." His eyes seemed to be the most memorable feature during his play; in the picture he is wide-eyed as he skates toward the goal.
- The ValueTalesValueTalesValueTales is a series of simple biographical children's books published primarily by the now-defunct Value Communications, Inc. in La Jolla, California. The books were written by Dr. Spencer Johnson and Ann Donegan Johnson, and illustrated by Stephen Pileggi. Thirty books were authored by Ann...
series of children's books featured Maurice Richard for "The Value of Tenacity," published in 1984. - Richard appears as a member of the Canadiens All-Star Team of Legends in NHL 09NHL 09NHL 09 is the 18th video game in the NHL series released by EA Sports. NHL 09 was first released in North America for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 10, 2008, and on September 25, 2008 Australia, and September 26, 2008 in Europe. It was released for Microsoft Windows on October 22, 2008...
, playing on the first line.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1942–43 1942–43 NHL season -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:... |
Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
16 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1943–44 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 46 | 32 | 22 | 54 | 45 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 10 | ||
| 1944–45 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 50 | 23 | 73 | 46 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1945–46 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 27 | 21 | 48 | 50 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 15 | ||
| 1946–47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 45 | 26 | 71 | 69 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 44 | ||
| 1947–48 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 53 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 59 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 110 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1949–50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 43 | 22 | 65 | 114 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1950–51 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 65 | 42 | 24 | 66 | 97 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 13 | ||
| 1951–52 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 48 | 27 | 17 | 44 | 44 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1952–53 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 28 | 33 | 61 | 112 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 1953–54 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 37 | 30 | 67 | 112 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 22 | ||
| 1954–55 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 67 | 38 | 36 | 74 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 38 | 33 | 71 | 89 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 24 | ||
| 1956–57 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 63 | 33 | 29 | 62 | 27 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 1957–58 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 28 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 10 | ||
| 1958–59 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 42 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1959–60 * | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 51 | 19 | 16 | 35 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 978 | 544 | 421 | 965 | 1285 | 133 | 82 | 44 | 126 | 188 | ||||
* indicates a Stanley Cup–winning season
- * also had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1965 with Montreal as assistant to the president.
See also
- List of players with five or more goals in an NHL game
- Punch line (ice hockey)Punch line (ice hockey)The Punch line was a famous ice hockey line for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1940s. It consisted of Elmer Lach at center, Toe Blake on left wing, and Maurice Richard on the right side....
External links
- The Canadian Museum of Civilization - "Rocket" Richard: The Legend – The Legacy
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Radio-Canada Archives - Maurice Richard: Le Rocket, héros d'un peuple (French)
- CBC Digital Archives - The Legendary #9: Maurice 'Rocket' Richard (English)
- History by the Minute: Historica Minutes (Heritage Minutes): Maurice "Rocket" Richard
- The first color captation of Maurice Richard in 1952 with comments from Ron Fournier (In french)
- Order of Canada Citation: Maurice Richard
- Last game at the Montreal Forum - Maurice Richard Ovation, March 11, 1996