The Written Word
for May 31, 2000

Perhaps a final word on Maurice (Rocket) Richard would be in order given the huge and emotional send-off he received in Montreal by Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds.

I only saw Richard play twice, one an exhibition game back about 1947 played at Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster and the other an Exhibition Game of Oldtimers to open the new Pacific Coliseum. In the first game he scored a goal and I, a young teenager, got his autograph and was thrilled to get it. In the second game the Rocket didn’t score but he did get sent in on a breakaway and the goaltender, I think it was Sawchuk stoned him, whereupon Richard broke his stick on the ice in anger. And that spoke volumes – it was only an oldtimers exhibition yet he hated himself for failing.

Much has been written about the St Patrick’s day riot in 1955 and how that galvanized Quebeckers – and it undoubtedly did.

A few years back I was privileged to have the Rocket in my studio and unquestionably everyone knew they were in the presence of an extraordinary man.

His scoring prowess was considerable, such that Bill Chadwick, then Chief Referee in the NHL, admitted in an article that referees gave opposing players liberties handling Richard because otherwise he couldn’t be stopped. That logic didn’t apply by the time Phil Esposito and Wayne Gretzky came along.

But the ancient argument always was, who’s better, Richard or Gordie Howe? And most hockey buffs took Howe. Not me … Maurice Richard every time and I’ll tell you why.

It’s undeniable that Howe outscored Richard, though not game for game at the time both of them were playing. Howe was less fragile having only one serious injury in his long, long career. And he was a great, great player. But I take Richard on two points which I think are beyond debate.

First off, when it came to the big goal, especially in Stanley Cup play and even more especially in overtime. Maurice Richard was the man everyone would want on the ice.

Secondly, his leadership. With Gordie Howe the Red Wings won five straight league titles yet won the Stanley Cup only twice. In the five year stretch right afterwards, the Canadiens won the league title four times (the other they were second to Detroit) and won the Cup all five times under the Rocket’s captaincy. In all, Richard won 8 Stanley Cups.

This is not to derogate from Howe’s magnificent record but it is to say that during the great Red Wing days it was Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly who were the leaders, not Howe.

But all of that doesn’t really matter. What does is just how Richard was regarded as a man. Any who saw the closing of the old Montreal Forum a few years back will never forget the 12 minute standing ovation Richard got – and that nearly forty years after he’d played his last game. Any who watched the proceedings this past week could not help but feel the very special place this man held in the hearts of all Canadians.

He went out as he played the game of hockey and the game of life – with pride and class.

Adieu, ami, adieu.