Henri Richard

At 84 years old, Henri Richard has this physical status:

Joseph Henri Richard (born February 29, 1936) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who competed for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Maurice Richard, a Canadiens legend and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer, is the brother of Canadiens legend and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Maurice Richard.

He was dubbed "The Pocket Rocket" because he was fifteen years old and three inches shorter.

Richard was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017 in New England.

Early life

Henri Richard was born in Montreal on February 29, 1936, the seventh of Alice's eight children (Laramée) and Onésime Richard's seventh child. His father worked as a Machinist for the Canadian Pacific Railway, particularly at the Angus Yards. Maurice Richard, his older brother, played hockey for the Montreal Canadiens beginning in 1942, when Henri was six years old. Maurice Richard rose to fame for the Canadiens, earning the nickname Rocket Richard, and Henri Richard wanted to imitate his brother and play hockey. Henri, a 15-year-old boy, captained the QMJHL in scoring for two seasons before being promoted to the NHL.

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Playing career

Henri Richard started his professional career with his older, more popular brother, and comparisons between him and his brother were simple to make. When a youth, he was dubbed "Pocket Rocket" in honor of his brother's name "Rocket Richard," as well as the fact that Henri Richard was shorter than his brother.

The two Richard brothers' style of play was quite different. Maurice Richard was known for driving at the net with brute force, but Henri Richard, on the other hand, preferred tactical playmaking and outthinking the opponent. Maurice fired left; Henri shot right; Henri fired right. Maurice was the first to score 50 goals in 50 games and led the league in goals on five occasions; Henri led the league in assists twice in 1957–58 and 1962–63. Maurice was strong, and Henri was quick. However, they had one thing in common: they were all determined to be physical on the ice.

Toe Blake, the two Richard brothers' brother, was kept apart on the ice for the first time, afraid that Maurice Richard, his star, would give up goalscoring opportunities to his younger brother. However, Blake and the Richard brothers came together in the third period, and Henri assisted Maurice on a goal in the third period, and from there on, he served the brothers together on a line with hall-of-famer Dickie Moore. Maurice would initially look out for his brother and go after anyone who pushed his younger brother around; but, after Henri lost a fight while Maurice was tied in the penalty box, Maurice learned that his brother would take care of himself and stopped worrying about him. Toe Blake said later that playing with Henri pushed Maurice to become a better player and helped prolong Maurice's career. Toe Blake moved Marcel Bonin to Maurice's seat in 1958, when Maurice Richard was injured, and Henri Richard's line continued to succeed, demonstrating that Maurice Richard was not only protecting his little brother.

In each of Henri Richard's first five seasons, the Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in NHL history. Maurice Richard retired after the last of these titles in 1960, but Henri Richard was still regarded as a hero in his own right long before then. In 1957-1958, he was named to the first All-Star team and in 1959 he was named to the second All-Star team; he was also named to the second All-Star team in 1961 and 1963. He scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal at 2:20 minutes of game six against the Detroit Red Wings, when a pass bounced off Henri Richard's body into the net, but Detroit's goalie Roger Crozier was still sprawled out on the ice. Richard scored the game-tying and Stanley Cup-winning goals against the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals.

Henri Richard, like his older brother, was a vocal critic of suspected discrimination against French Canadians. Nonetheless, although Maurice Richard was disciplined on more than one occasion for his activism, the Quiet Revolution in earnest in the years after the Rocket's demise. Anglophones were compelled to take pride in their francophone grievances much more seriously. Henri Richard was banned in Game 5 after accusing coach Al MacNeil of discriminating against French-speaking participants in an interview. Accuse led to MacNeil's death and the need for a bodyguard for him and his family during Game 7. Henri Richard continued to say MacNeil "the worst coach I've ever played for." Despite winning the Stanley Cup, MacNeil was demoted to coaching the Canadiens' junior hockey team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs; after captain Jean Beliveau retired, Henri Richard was promoted to team captain. MacNeil and Richard were later reconciled.

Career statistics

NHL.com has career statistics.

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