Stéphane Richer
Two-time Stanley Cup champion with a legendary hard shot.
Stéphane Joseph Jean-Jacques Richer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Over 1,054 NHL games, he recorded 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. He won the Stanley Cup twice: first with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986, scoring four goals and an assist in 16 playoff games, and later with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, where he put up six goals and 15 assists over 19 postseason contests.
Montreal drafted Richer 29th overall in the 1984 NHL entry draft. He also won the Calder Cup in 1985. In September 1991, the Canadiens traded him and Tom Chorske to New Jersey for Kirk Muller and Roland Melanson. After the Devils missed the playoffs the year following their Cup win, they sent Richer back to Montreal for Lyle Odelein in August 1996. Montreal later dealt Richer, Darcy Tucker, and David Wilkie to Tampa Bay for Igor Ulanov, Patrick Poulin, and Mick Vukota in January 1998. He also played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and a second stint in New Jersey before retiring.
Richer is tied for fourth all-time in playoff overtime goals, with four. He scored one in April 1989 to beat Hartford in Game 3 of the Adams Division Semifinals, then ended Game 2 of the 1991 Adams Division Finals against Boston just 27 seconds into overtime. In 1994, he netted two more: one in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston, and another in double overtime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers.
He scored 50 goals for Montreal in 1987–88 and 51 in 1989–90, making him—alongside Guy Lafleur—the only Canadiens player with multiple 50-goal seasons for the team. Richer was the last Montreal player to reach 50 goals in a season until Cole Caufield did so in 2025–26.
Richer was known for one of the hardest and quickest releases in the league. He could generate full power on his slap shot with only a waist-high windup. During the 1994 Devils team skills competition, he recorded multiple slapshots over 100 mph. Fleer included him in their "Slapshot Artists" trading card set that season. In a famous incident, he shattered the protective cup in goalie Martin Brodeur’s jockstrap during a pregame warm-up, leaving Brodeur bruised and nauseated and forcing him to change equipment just before the game.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 2
- Weight Lb
- 218
- Played For
- New Jersey Devils / Montreal Canadiens / Tampa Bay Lightning / St. Louis Blues / Pittsburgh Penguins
- Birth Date
- 1966-06-07
- Birth Place
- Ripon, Quebec, Canada
- Career Start
- 1984
- Career End
- 2005
- Draft
- 29th overall
- Draft Team
- Montreal Canadiens
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL entry draft. He won the Calder Cup in 1985 and the Stanley Cup with Montreal the following year, scoring four goals and one assist in 16 playoff games. He was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1991 and won a second Stanley Cup with them in 1995, recording six goals and 15 assists in 19 playoff games. After a brief return to Montreal, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998, and later played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and a second stint in New Jersey before retiring.
Richer was known for having one of the hardest shots in the NHL, with an extremely quick release that required only a waist-high wind-up for full power. During a 1994 Devils team skills competition, he recorded multiple slapshots exceeding 100 mph. In a well-documented incident, he shattered the cup in Martin Brodeur's jock strap with a slapshot during a pre-game warm-up, leaving Brodeur bruised and nauseated. Despite his size (approx. 6'3", 225 lbs.), Richer relied on skill and his shot rather than a hard-hitting power forward style. Scouting reports sometimes criticized him for coasting during the regular season, though his career regular-season points per game (0.78) was higher than his playoff average (0.73).
Reader's Guide
Richer's significance lies in his rare combination of size, speed, and a devastating shot that made him one of the most feared scorers of his era. He is among the all-time leaders in playoff overtime goals, tied for fourth with four such goals, including two in 1994 that helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final. He is one of only two Montreal Canadiens players to record multiple 50-goal seasons with the team (1987–88 and 1989–90), joining Guy Lafleur. He was the last Canadien to score 50 goals in a season until Cole Caufield in 2025–26. After retirement, Richer disclosed his battle with clinical depression, including a suicide attempt after winning the 1995 Stanley Cup. He appeared in a 2012 documentary to discuss his mental health struggles. In 2009, he competed as a pairs figure skater on the CBC reality show Battle of the Blades.
Did You Know?
- Richer scored 50 goals for the Canadiens in 1987–88 and 51 in 1989–90, joining Guy Lafleur as the only Montreal players with multiple 50-goal seasons.
- He is tied for fourth all-time in NHL playoff overtime goals, with four.
- During a pre-game warm-up, Richer's slapshot shattered the cup in Martin Brodeur's jock strap.
- After retiring, he competed on the CBC reality show Battle of the Blades as a pairs figure skater.
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