Ten fun facts about Maurice Richard
Fact 1
The “Rocket” was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50 games.
Fact 2
He retired as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.
Fact 3
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.
Fact 4
Richard won the Stanley Cup eight times in Montreal, was captain for four of the five straight cup wins from 1955-56 to 1959-60, won the Hart Trophy in 1947, was elected eight times to the first all-star team and six times to the second all-star team, and played in every National Hockey League All-Star Game from 1947 to 1959.
Fact 5
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961, the customary three-year waiting period being waived in his honor.
Fact 6
Teamed with Elmer Lach as center and Hector ‘Toe’ Blake playing left-wing, they formed the “Punch Line”.
Fact 7
Richard was an outstanding scorer. While he had a good fore-hand and back-hand shot, he was not considered to have the greatest shot or accuracy. Richard made up for it in desire and other skills to become the outstanding goal-scorer of his time.
Fact 8
Richard's career began and ended before the beginning of huge salaries. The largest yearly salary he ever made was $25,000 in 1952 ($211 thousand in 2013 dollars).
Fact 9
The Jane Siberry song “Hockey” contains the line "They rioted in the streets of Montreal/When they benched Rocket Richard".
Fact 10
The local media first nicknamed him The Comet. During an intra-squad practice, Ray Getliffe was so impressed by him, he compared him to a rocket.
More interesting reads about...
Steve Yzerman
is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and currently the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.
Wayne Gretzky
is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach.
Bobby Hull
is a former Canadian ice hockey player.
Nicklas Lidström
is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, whom he captained for the final six seasons of his career.
Mark Messier
is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center of the National Hockey League (NHL) and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers.
Reggie Miller
is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers.
Ray Bourque
is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
Gordie Howe
is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player and considered one of the best hockey players of all time.
Thierry Henry
is a French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.
MORE IN PEOPLE/CELEBRITIES
