Maurice Richard Riot
The night Montreal rioted for the Rocket.
The Richard Riot took place in Montreal on March 17, 1955 (Saint Patrick's Day). It was named after Maurice Richard, the Canadiens' star player, whom NHL president Clarence Campbell had suspended for the rest of the 1954-55 season, including the playoffs, after a violent altercation on March 13 in which Richard hit a linesman.
Quick Facts
- Date
- March 17, 1955
- Arrests
- 100
- Injuries
- 37
The riot
Montreal fans protested that the suspension was too severe, and the team's largely Francophone fan base claimed its length was motivated by Richard's French Canadian ethnicity; outside Montreal the suspension was seen as justified or even too short. On March 17 Campbell attended the Canadiens' first game after the suspension at the Montreal Forum. His presence provoked a riot at the Forum that spilled into the streets, causing an estimated $100,000 in property damage, 37 injuries and 100 arrests. Tensions eased after Richard made a personal plea accepting his punishment and promising to return the next year.
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