Rocket Richard: The Fiercest Competitor
Rocket Richard scored goals by the bushel and was a pillar of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1950s. Richard retired in 1960 and was immediately ushered into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Maurice Richard at a Glance
Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Sr., PC, OC, OQ (August 4, 1921 - May 27, 2000) was a 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 seas...
1942-43: The Rookie Year
Injuries Stop The Rocket And Threaten His Career
But again, Richard came back. From these early injuries, The Rocket displayed the same tenacity as when he was on the ice. He played through and the next season he scored 32 times in 46 games and added 12 more goals in the playoffs as the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1930-31.
Great Maurice Richard stuff from Amazon
A piece of hockey history: a jersey hand signed by Maurice Richard - I wish it was mine too!
The Rocket Receives A Special Award
When Maurice Richard scored his 200th career goal, he was awarded the trophy displayed above. The trophy has 3 monumental hockey pucks from Richard's brilliant career:
The puck he scored his 45th goal of the season in 1945 when he broke Joe Malone's record for most goals in a season;
The puck he used to score his 200th career goal in 1949 against the Chicago Blackhawks;
The puck he used to score his 50th goal in 50 games. also from the 1945 season.
Any one of the 3 pucks alone would make up a great part of any hockey fan's collection and all three are a part of the Richard legacy, in trophy form.
Well, If You Can't Have Richard's Jersey...
Montreal Canadiens RBK Edge Premier NHL Team Color Jersey
Montreal Canadiens Jersey
This is new Reebok Premier replica NHL team color jersey looks just like what the Canadiens wear on the ice. Features tackle twill logo on chest and shoulder logos as shown. 100% polyester double knit mid-weight Air-Knit fabric.
The Sweater: An Animated Tribute to Rocket Richard
Le chandail (Maurice Richard) The Sweater
A Roch Carrier story that every hockey fan shoud watch. Une histoire de Rock Carrier que chaque fan de hockey devrait observer.
curated content from YouTube
Quick, what do you think of Maurice Richard?
A beautiful hockey moment. Richard accepts congratulations from Bruins goalie after Richard scored the winning goal
Vote for your favorite Maurice Richard stuff
The Rocket / Maurice Richard (Original French Version with English Subtitles)
In the late 1930s, a young machinist named Maurice more...0 points
Maurice Richard Montreal Canadiens NHL Alumni T-Shirt - Small
Turn back the clock and get jersey status of this more...0 points
The Richard Riot
March 15, 1955
The fiery temper that often inspired Richard to greatness also got him in the penalty box. This trait also caused one of the most notorious incidents in league history. On March 13, 1955, Richard was given a match penalty for deliberately injuring Hal Laycoe and punching a referee. There was a formal inquiry after which NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the remainder of the season.
This decision came when the Rocket was leading the NHL in scoring and the Habs were battling for first place in the standings. Montreal fans were outraged and a memorable scene took place at the Forum in Montreal as supporters of Richard pelted Campbell with eggs when he tried to take his seat for a game against Detroit the following St. Patrick's Day. The crowd was so unruly that the game was forfeited to the Red Wings and the building evacuated. A riot ensued outside, causing $500,000 in damages.
Get The Movie "The Rocket" From Amazon
The hockey scenes, which include various genuine NHL players, are exciting; and the personal moments, especially those involving Canadiens coach Dick Irvin (Stephen McHattie) are fine, if somewhat pat. Modest bonus features include deleted scenes and "A Tribute to Maurice Richard, the Rocket."
The Rocket - Maurice Richard
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Directed by Charles Biname, written (in French and English) by Ken Scott, and starring Roy Dupuis as Richard, this 2005 Canadian production is more than a sports movie, as Richard's significance as a populist hero to French Canadians, the humble factory worker who fought against rampant cultural discrimination and risked his career for what he believed in, is given nearly as much weight as his remarkable feats on the ice. As such, The Rocket approaches the status of hagiography. It's more like watching The Natural than a bio of a real person, as the film is quite literally bathed in a reverent glow (the cinematography, both color and black & white, adds a gorgeous but unreal tint to every scene); even in his more dubious moments (he attacked a referee in 1955 and received a suspension, leading to a full-scale riot in and outside of the Montreal Forum), Richard is depicted as a hero-victim.
That said, this is also a very entertaining biopic, with Dupuis excellent as the gritty machinist who was considered too frail and injury-prone to compete with the sport's tough guys but who, in the course of a career that lasted from 1942 to 1960, proved himself not only on the rink (where he more than held his own against various NHL goons while setting seemingly impossible scoring records), but also off it (where he stood up to the arrogant owners and league executives who regarded French Canadian players as lower life forms and refused to protect even Richard, the sport's best player, from dirty opponents and biased refs).
Some Other Hockey Greats
Gordie Howe and the Rocket had some fierce battles throughout their careers. Guy Lafleur was the man in the 1970s leading Monreal to 4 straight championships. The legendary Bobby Orr patroled the Bruins blueline and was an offensive scoring threat. And Jean Beliveau - the Habs great captain after Richard.-
Gordie Howe
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Arguably the best player to play the game of hockey, Gordie Howe was the most prolific goal scorer of his era. Mixing toughness with superb playmaking ability, Howe shattered every record and retired after playing more games than any player before or...
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Bobby Orr
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Orr totally smashed all previous highwater marks for defensemen in scoring and became the only NHL defenseman to lead the league in scoring, a feat he accomplished twice. Bobby Orr's style of play completely revolutionized the game of hockey. Before...
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Terry Sawchuk
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Sawchuk was the Calder Trophy winner as the NHL Rookie of the Year after his 1951 season. The following year Sawchuk had an unbelievable playoffs as Detroit Red Wings went undefeated in the post-season to win the 1951-52 Stanley Cup with Sawchuk garn...
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Guy Lafleur
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Who was the greatest hockey player of the 1970s? Between Bobby Orr's dominance in the early years of the decade and Wayne Gretzky's seismic arrival at its end, no star shone as brightly as Guy Lafleur. Beloved hockey icon and member of the 4-time St...
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Jean Beliveau
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Jean Beliveau had a storied NHL career. A Hockey Hall of Fame member almost from the moment he retired, Beliveau was a member of a dozen Stanley Cup winning teams with the Montreal Canadiens and selected as an All Star just about every year of his ca...
Richard Becomes the First To Score 500 Goals
To the roar of the crowd, Maurice Richard nets his record-setting 500th career goal with a ferocious slapshot. The Montreal Canadiens will go on to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 in this historic game on Oct. 19, 1957.
Richard vs Howe
Two legends face off
They had a fierce rivalry during their days in the NHL. Both are legends and worthy of your support. But if you had to pick just one...
Rocket Richard or Gordie Howe. Who was better in their heyday?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byMaurice Richard
pee says:
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Posted March 31, 2009
Gordie Howe
Habs Collectibles
If you are a Rocket Richard fan, memorabilia collector, Habs fan or plain old hockey nut, take a look at all this stuff available through auction. Rare pictures of The Rocket through his career. This is being auctioned off by Classic Auctions.
Take a peek at Eyes On The Prize.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHow did the NHL help the Montreal Canadiens build a dynasty?
The Canadiens had exclusive rights to all players within its 50-mile territorial limits. So the Canadiens could browse the neighbourhood rinks near Montreal at their leisure, while teams like the New York Rangers had a lock on the next great goalie from Hoboken. I think they're still waiting for him.
Most of these advantages disappeared in 1963 when the amateur draft was introduced. But the Canadiens continued to benefit from players developed under the old system well into the 1970s.
The Best Young Players In Today's NHL
How would these new guys stack up against the Rocket? Ovechkin and Crosby are legitimate superstars in the present NHL. Toews and Kane are bringing respectability back to Chicago Blackhawks. And we're still waiting for Tavares.-
Jonathan Toews
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When the Chicago Black Hawks announced that their young center Jonathan Toews was named as the team's captain during the 2008-09 regular season, Toews earned the distinction of being the third-youngest player in the history of the NHL. A gifted play...
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Sidney Crosby
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Sidney Crosby is fast proving that he can play with the big boys in the NHL. Hockey's heir apparent to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, Sid the Kid continues to improve season over season, scoring highlight goals while leading his youthful Pittsburgh...
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John Tavares
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John Tavares has been playing in the Ontario Hockey League for three seasons with the Oshawa Generals and the London Knights and he is expected to be the number one NHL draft pick of the New York Islanders in the next draft which will be held June 26...
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Patrick Kane
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Patrick Kane was the No. 1 pick overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2007 entry draft after scoring an astounding 145 points (62 goals, 83 assists) in only 58 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in 2006-07. Fitting right i...
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Alexander Ovechkin
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Alexander Ovechkin has emerged as the hot goalscorer in the NHL. Last year's winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy for the most goals scored in a season, Ovechkin potted a record 65 goals in 2007-2008. That shattered the previous record of 63 held by L...
Richard's Records
First player to score 50 goals in 50 games.
First player to score 500 goals in a career.
Set the new record for career NHL goals with 544 (previously held by Nels Stewart).
Played for 8 Stanley Cup winning teams (the fourth most of any NHL player).
- 1944
- 1946
- 1953
- 1956
- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
Led the NHL in goal scoring in 1945, 1947, 1950, 1954, and 1955.
Won the Hart Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP in 1947
Named to the NHL's First All-Star Team from 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, and 1956.
Named to the Second All-Star Team in 1944, 1951 to 1954, and in 1957.
Played in NHL All-Star Game in 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, and 1959.
Ranks 24th all-time in career goals (544).
Ranks 2nd all-time in career playoff overtime goals (6).
Ranks 75th all-time in career points.
Ah, The Boston Bruins!
The Team Habs Fans Love To Hate
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Boston Bruins
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Incredible as it might be, the Boston Bruins are on a real roll in this year. With the excellent goaltending of Tim Thomas and Tuuku Rask and the stellar defensive work of Zdeno Chara, hardnosed hockey from Milan Lucic, combined with the goalscoring...
The Rocket Richard Trophy
In 1999, the Montreal Canadiens honoured Maurice Richard by donating The Rocket Richard Trophy to the National Hockey League to be given annually to the NHL's goalscoring leader during the regular season.Winners of the trophy:
2007-08 Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2006-07 Vincent Lacavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
2005-06 Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose Sharks
2003-04 Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames (tie)
2003-04 Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers (tie)
2003-04 Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets (tie)
2002-03 Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche
2001-02 Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
2000-01 Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers
1999-00 Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers
1998-99 Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHistory Of The Montreal Canadiens
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Montreal Canadiens
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The Montreal Canadiens are fighting to add yet another Stanley Cup to their long record of excellence. From Newsy Lalonde, through Rocket Richard, John Beliveau, Guy Lafleur all the way to to the present day, the Canadiens have been the standard by w...
by Bradshaw
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