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Henri Richard

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Not to be confused with Henri Richards.

Henri Richard
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1979
Richard with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1960s
Born (1936-02-29)February 29, 1936
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died March 6, 2020(2020-03-06) (aged 84)
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1955–1975

Joseph Henri Richard (February 29, 1936 – March 6, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played centre with the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1975. He was nicknamed "Pocket Rocket" after his older brother, Canadiens' legend and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Henri played his entire professional career with the Canadiens and won the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player, the most in NHL history. Richard and Bill Russell of the National Basketball Association are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. In 2017, Richard was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Early life

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Henri Richard was born on February 29, 1936, in Montreal, the seventh of eight children of Alice (Laramée) and Onésime Richard.[1][a] His father worked as a machinist for the Canadian Pacific Railway, specifically at the Angus Yards.[2] His older brother Maurice Richard played hockey for the Montreal Canadiens beginning in 1942, when Henri was six years old. Maurice Richard quickly became a superstar player for the Canadiens, earning the nickname Rocket Richard, and Henri Richard wished to emulate his brother and go into hockey.[3] Henri joined the junior Montreal Canadiens as a 15 year old, and led the Quebec junior in scoring for two consecutive seasons before being promoted to the NHL.[4]

Playing career

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Henri Richard signing autographs in 2011

Henri Richard began his professional career playing on the same team as his older, more famous brother; and comparisons between himself and his brother were easy to make. He was nicknamed "Pocket Rocket" while still a junior in reference to his brother's nickname "Rocket Richard," as well as the fact that Henri Richard was shorter than his brother.[4][5] The two Richard brothers' style of play was quite different. Maurice Richard was famous for driving at the net with brute force; however, Henri Richard preferred tactical playmaking and outthinking the opponent. Maurice shot left; Henri shot right. Maurice was a prodigious goal-scorer, the first to score 50 goals in 50 games, and led the league in goals on five occasions.[6] Henri led the league in assists twice, in 1957–58 and in 1962–63.[7] Maurice was strong; Henri was fast. However, they had one thing in common: both were willing to be physical on the ice.[4][8]

Initially, Montreal Canadiens coach Toe Blake kept the two Richard brothers apart on the ice, fearing that his star Maurice Richard would give up goalscoring opportunities to his younger brother. However, one game against Chicago a couple of injuries forced Blake to play the Richard brothers together, and Henri assisted Maurice on a goal in the third period, and from then on he played the brothers together on a line with hall-of-famer Dickie Moore. Initially, Maurice would watch out for his brother, and go after anyone who pushed his younger brother around; but after Henri won a fight while Maurice was stuck in the penalty box, Maurice realized that his brother could take care of himself, and stopped looking out for him. Toe Blake later said that playing with Henri forced Maurice to become a better player, and helped prolong Maurice's career. Later in 1958, when Maurice Richard was injured, Toe Blake moved Marcel Bonin to the line to take Maurice's place, and Henri Richard's line continued to produce goals, showing the world that Maurice Richard was not simply carrying his little brother.[8][2]

The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in each of Henri Richard's first five seasons, the longest championship streak in NHL history. Maurice Richard retired after the last of these titles in 1960, however even before then Henri Richard was recognized as a star in his own right. In 1957–58, he was named to the first All-Star team and in 1959 he was named to the second All-Star team; he was also named to the second All-Star team in 1961 and 1963.[2][9] He scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal at the 2:20 mark of the first overtime of game six in the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, when a pass bounced off of Henri Richard's body into the net while Detroit's goalie Roger Crozier was still sprawled out on the ice.[10] In the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals, Richard scored the game-tying and Stanley Cup-winning goals in Game Seven against the Chicago Black Hawks.[11]

The 1971 Stanley Cup finals were a particularly controversial moment for Richard, as he was benched in Game 5 by head coach Al MacNeil on May 13, 1971.[12] After the game, in front of reporters in the Canadiens' dressing room, Richard went on to call MacNeil "the worst coach I have ever played for. ... He is incompetent."[13] His comments resulted in MacNeil getting death threats and requiring police protection for him and his family during the rest of the series.[14] Despite winning the Stanley Cup, MacNeil did not have much choice except to resign as the Canadiens coach on June 10, 1971, and was replaced by Scotty Bowman.[15] MacNeil became the general manager and head coach of their top farm team, the American Hockey League's Nova Scotia Voyageurs.[16] Another surprise, captain Jean Beliveau retired on June 9, 1971.[17] With the captaincy now open, Richard was then elected as the team captain in mid-September 1971.[18] By 1974, MacNeil and Richard reconciled.[19]

Retirement and legacy

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Not liking the spotlight, Richard reluctantly consented to a tribute night in his honour, hosted by the Canadiens organization, before a game at the Montreal Forum on January 26, 1974.[19] However, he insisted that the over $111,000 in donations collected for the event, be contributed towards the construction of a gymnasium for St. Arsene Orphanage on rue Critophe-Colomb.[20][21] His brother, Maurice, made his first appearance at the Forum in almost a decade, after a feud with the Canadiens organization, and received a warm welcome from the fans.[21] The whole 30-minute red carpet ceremony was broadcast live, coast to coast, on CBC-TV's Hockey Night in Canada program, as part of the Canadiens versus the Chicago Black Hawks game.[22]

Henri Richard served as captain of the Canadiens from 1971 until his retirement on July 14, 1975.[23] He was the ninth player to reach 1,000 career points, with 358 goals and 688 assists in 1,256 games.[7] His 1,256 regular-season games played in a Canadiens uniform are a franchise record.[3] Henri won the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player, the most in NHL history.[23] Only one other athlete in North American professional sports has achieved winning eleven championships in his respective league—Bill Russell of the NBA's Boston Celtics.[24] Henri also scored two Stanley Cup-winning goals, one of five players to have done so.[9]

A few months after he announced his retirement, the Canadiens retired his jersey, number 16, at a pre-game ceremony on December 10, 1975.[25] As well, the team also honoured the person that wore it before him, his former Junior A coach, Elmer Lach.[25] He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.[1] In 1998, he was ranked number 29 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.[26] He later served as an ambassador for the Canadiens' organization.[9] In 2017, as part of the NHL's centennial celebrations, the league compiled a list of the 100 greatest players during the past century, with Richard on it.[27]

Private life and death

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Richard met his wife, the former Lise Villeard, when they were only six-years-old.[28] They were skating buddies and as he told The Gazette in a feature interview before his 1974 tribute night, "We'd be on the rink for an hour and a half or two hours and I'd never say anything. She'd do the talking, I'd do the listening."[28] They were married for 63 years, until his death.[4] They had five kids: Michèle, Gilles, Denis, Marie-France and Nathalie – as well as 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.[1]

Since he was seven, he dreamed of owning a tavern. In the early 1960s he opened one, Henri Richard's, on Park Avenue. It became a brasserie–an upscale bar and restaurant compared to a tavern–in 1973.[29] When he wanted to retire from running the business, he hoped to pass it on to one of his children, but none of them wanted to operate it, so he sold it in 1986.[2]

In 2015, it was announced that Richard had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[30] He died on March 6, 2020, at the age of 84 due to complications of the disease, in Laval, Quebec.[31] Richard's son Denis revealed that he had been posthumously diagnosed with stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy.[32]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1951–52 Montreal Nationale QJHL 49 23 32 55 35 4 1 0 1 0
1952–53 Montreal Nationale QJHL 46 27 36 63 55 7 4 5 9 4
1952–53 Montreal Royals QSHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1953–54 Montreal Jr. Canadiens QJHL 54 56 53 109 85 7 6 7 13 6
1954–55 Montreal Jr. Canadiens QJHL 44 33 33 66 65 4 3 1 4 2
1955–56 Montreal Canadiens NHL 64 19 21 40 46 10 4 4 8 21
1956–57 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 18 36 54 71 10 2 6 8 10
1957–58 Montreal Canadiens NHL 67 28 52 80 56 10 1 7 8 11
1958–59 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 21 30 51 33 11 3 8 11 13
1959–60 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 30 43 73 66 8 3 9 12 9
1960–61 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 24 44 68 91 6 2 4 6 22
1961–62 Montreal Canadiens NHL 54 21 29 50 48 — — — — —
1962–63 Montreal Canadiens NHL 67 23 50 73 57 5 1 1 2 2
1963–64 Montreal Canadiens NHL 66 14 39 53 73 7 1 1 2 9
1964–65 Montreal Canadiens NHL 53 23 29 52 43 13 7 4 11 24
1965–66 Montreal Canadiens NHL 62 22 39 61 47 8 1 4 5 2
1966–67 Montreal Canadiens NHL 65 21 34 55 28 10 4 6 10 2
1967–68 Montreal Canadiens NHL 54 9 19 28 16 13 4 4 8 4
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens NHL 64 15 37 52 45 14 2 4 6 8
1969–70 Montreal Canadiens NHL 62 16 36 52 61 — — — — —
1970–71 Montreal Canadiens NHL 75 12 37 49 46 20 5 7 12 20
1971–72 Montreal Canadiens NHL 75 12 32 44 48 6 0 3 3 4
1972–73 Montreal Canadiens NHL 71 8 35 43 21 17 6 4 10 14
1973–74 Montreal Canadiens NHL 75 19 36 55 28 6 2 2 4 2
1974–75 Montreal Canadiens NHL 16 3 10 13 4 6 1 2 3 4
NHL totals 1,256 358 688 1,046 928 180 49 80 129 181

Career statistics taken from NHL.com.[33]

Achievements

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NHL
Award Year(s)
9x All-Star Game 1956, 1957, 1958,
1959, 1960, 1961,
1963, 1967, 1974
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy 1974
First All-Star team 1958
Second All-Star team 1959, 1961, 1963
11x Stanley Cup winner 1956, 1957, 1958,
1959, 1960, 1965,
1966, 1968, 1969,
1971, 1973

Awards taken from EliteProspects.com.[34]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ The other children were, in order: Maurice, Georgette, René, Rollande, Jacques, Marguerite, and Cladue. See Richard & Normand 2020, p. 17.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Goldstein, Richard (March 6, 2020). "Henri Richard, Hall of Fame Center for Montreal Canadiens, Dies at 84". The New York Times. p. A23. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Hawthorn, Tom (March 6, 2020). "Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard won a record 11 Cups". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: The Woodbridge Company. ISSN 0319-0714. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Lindeman, Tracey (March 6, 2020). "Canadiens legend Henri Richard dies at 84". CBC News. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Postmedia Staff (March 6, 2020). "Habs icon Henri Richard was a fierce competitor who won record 11 Cups". The Gazette. Montreal: Postmedia Network. ISSN 0384-1294. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  5. ^ Hunt, Jim (January 29, 1954). "Being the Pocket Rocket has its drawbacks". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto: Torstar. p. 16. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Sports Ref Staff (2025). "Maurice Richard". Hockey Reference. Philadelphia: Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Sports Ref Staff (2025). "Henri Richard". Hockey Reference. Philadelphia: Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Frayne, Trent (March 29, 1958). "How the "Pocket Rocket" beat his kid-brother jinx". macleans.ca. Maclean's. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "Henri Richard dies at 84, won NHL-record 11 Cup titles with Canadiens". NHL.com. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Fisher, Red (May 6, 1966). "Richard's luck-tinged overtime goal brings Canadiens Stanley Cup Victory". Montreal Star. Montreal: FP Publications. p. 15. ISSN 0842-1331. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Blackman, Ted (May 19, 1971). "Our Cup (Stanley) runneth over". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 1. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Dunnell, Milt (May 19, 1971). "Scant acclaim for the coach". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto: Torstar. p. 25. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Burnett, Red (May 14, 1971). "Revolt in the ranks: Henri Richard denounces coach as 'incompetent'". The Toronto Daily Star (1-Star ed.). Toronto: Torstar. p. 18. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Coleman, Jim (March 13, 1981). "Will there be sweet seconds to erase MacNeil's bitter sip?". Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario: Windsor Star Limited. p. 16. ISSN 0839-2277. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Blackman, Ted (June 10, 1971). "Scotty gets the job officially today". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 13. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Fisher, Red (June 10, 1971). "Bowman: Canadiens' coach MacNeil: Voyageurs' boss". Montreal Star. Montreal: FP Publications. p. 33. ISSN 0842-1331. Retrieved January 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Dunnell, Milt (June 10, 1971). "The same voice after 18 years". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto: Torstar. p. 16. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Curran, Pat (September 13, 1971). "Bowman buys 'cookie dusters'". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 22. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 7, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b Burke, Tim (January 26, 1974). "Henri Richard: More than 'night' & a little sadness". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. pp. 1, 13. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Richard & Normand 2020, p. 181
  21. ^ a b CP Staff (January 28, 1974). "Orphanage is the big winner at Richard Night in Forum". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Torstar. The Canadian Press. p. B3. Retrieved January 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Dulmage, Jack (January 28, 1974). "Done right for Henri". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario: Southam Inc. p. 20. ISSN 0839-2277. Retrieved January 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b Strachan, Al (July 15, 1975). "With trembling hand, he passes the torch". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 17. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Bill Russell, Henri Richard – Famous Elevens Gallery". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2022. Bill Russell, left, and Henri Richard are two of the greatest champions in sports with 11 championships apiece.
  25. ^ a b Burke, Tim (December 11, 1975). "'Golden era' ends – no more No. 16". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 45. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Kay, Jason (April 2, 2015). "The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time, Throwback Style". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  27. ^ Coffey, Wayne (January 1, 2017). "Henri Richard: 100 Greatest NHL Players". 100 Greatest NHL Players. New York: National Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  28. ^ a b Burke, Tim (January 26, 1974). "Pocket: 'I never even thought of my size of being against me'". The Gazette. Montreal: Southam Inc. p. 13. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Guig, James (November 30, 1974). "It's Hard, Just Playing For Money". The Canadian Magazine. Montreal: The Gazette. pp. 16, 17, 18, 19. ISSN 0384-1294. Retrieved January 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Durocher, Pierre (August 29, 2015). "Une pensée pour Henri Richard". Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  31. ^ "Henri Richard, legendary Montreal Canadiens hockey star, dead at 84". Global News. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  32. ^ "Canadiens legend Richard found to have had CTE". ESPN.com. June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  33. ^ "Henri Richard #16". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  34. ^ "Henri Richard". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  • Richard, Denis; Normand, Léandre (2020), Henri Richard: La Légende aux 11 Coupes Stanley [Henri Richard: The Legend of 11 Stanley Cups] (in French), Montreal: Les Éditions de l'Homm, ISBN 978-2-7619-5531-7
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henri Richard.
Preceded by Montreal Canadiens captain
1971–75 		Succeeded by
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