Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard was one of the best players to ever play
hockey. His full name is Joseph Henri Maurice Richard. Maurice Richard
was born on Aug 4, 1921. The people in Quebec copy Richard's number
because he is such a good player. They usully call Maurice Richard
"The Rocket Richard" because of his great speed as a player. The
Rocket got his very first skates when he was a teenager. Then
he started to play for some school teams. After he got asked up in
two years for the juniors then to the Canadians. In 1940 he had a
broken ankle and a broken wrist the next year. Rocket
Richard is five foot -10 , 180 pounds. After 16 games into the NHL
season a broken ankle with the Canadians. They wanted to change his
number from15 to number 9. He scored 32 goals the second highest
on the Canadians. The Canadians lept from fourth place to first in
19 years. The Rocket scored 12 more goals in the playoffs and the
Canadians took their first Stanley Cup since 1931. In one game in
the final series against Toronto, Richard scored all Montreal's goals in
a 5-1 victory. It was in 1944-45 that Richard scored his 50 goals
in 50 games.
Another Cup came in1946, by which time Richard was a
full-blown sensation, not only for his eye-popping goals,but for the ferocious
fights he often one won against opponents sent out to harass him.
There were no goons or "policemen" to protect star players in those days.
Richard, Howe and others fought their own battles and the Rocket regularly
ran up to more than a 100 penalty minutes per person. "Once he was
challenged,he'd lose it-he'd go nuts", said Red Fisher of the Montreal
Gazette,who began covering the Rocket in 1955-56. What really drove
Richard crazy was that the referees wouldn't call many hacks and slashes
from his checkers and the league would often mete out harsher fines to
him than the marginal players sent out to put him off his game.
People of that time recall neighbourrhood rinks filled with young
boys, all wearing red, white and blue Canadians jerseys with Richard's
number 9 stitched on the back.
I think Rocket Richard is a hero because he carried 225-pound Detroit defenceman
Earl Sibert on his back from the blue - line
and deked goaltender Harry Lumley and scored.
I like The Rocket because of his great speed and he is
one of my favourite players.
Time Line
Aug 4 , 1921- Born in Qubec
1925-The Rocket got his first skates at four years old.
1943-44-His first season in the NHL he scored 32 goals
with the Canadians.
1944-45-that Richard scored 50 in 50 games.
1955-Maurice Richard got suspended and everybody went
rioting.
1960-Maurice Richard retired.
TO QUIZ
By Justin