Maurice Richard

First to score 50 goals in 50 games; a cultural icon who led Montreal to eight Stanley Cups.

Joseph Henri Maurice Richard (August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens. Nicknamed the 'Rocket', he became the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season, achieving this feat in exactly 50 games during the 1944–45 campaign. He was also the first to reach 500 career goals and retired in 1960 as the league's all-time leader with 544 goals. A member of eight Stanley Cup championship teams, including a record five straight between 1956 and 1960, he served as team captain for the final four years. Richard won the Hart Trophy in 1947, played in 13 All-Star Games, and was named to 14 post-season NHL All-Star teams, eight on the first team.

Quick Facts

Hall of Fame: 1961
Born: 4 August 1921
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died: 27 May 2000
Position: Right wing
Shoots: Left
Played for: Montreal Canadiens

Lore & Background

Richard's journey began in poverty during the Great Depression as the oldest of eight children. Initially viewed as fragile, a string of injuries, including a broken ankle and wrist, forced him to alter his skating style after x-rays revealed bones that never healed properly. This physical adversity fueled an intense training regimen and a renowned violent playing style. He formed the legendary 'Punch line' with Elmer Lach and Toe Blake in 1943–44, a dominant unit throughout the 1940s. His career was marked by a pivotal incident in the 1954–55 season when he struck a linesman, leading to a suspension for the remainder of the season and playoffs. This decision precipitated the Richard Riot in Montreal, an event that took on mythical quality and is often viewed as a precursor to Quebec's Quiet Revolution.

Reader's Guide

Richard's impact extended far beyond statistics. He changed his uniform number to 9 in 1943–44 to match his daughter Huguette's birth weight of nine pounds. His legacy was cemented when the Hockey Hall of Fame waived its five-year waiting period, inducting him in 1961 immediately after retirement. In 1975, he entered Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. The Canadiens retired his number 9 in 1960, and in 1999, the team donated the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy to the NHL, awarded annually to the league's leading goal-scorer. He was also named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017. His legend is a primary motif in Roch Carrier's short story The Hockey Sweater, an emblematic work of Canadian culture, and he remains a cultural icon among Quebec's francophone population.

Did You Know?

He broke Joe Malone's 27-year-old NHL goal record on February 25, 1945, with Malone present to present him the puck.
He scored 133 of his team's 144 goals during the 1938–39 season while playing in organized leagues under pseudonyms.