Maurice Richard

Maurice Richard's first name is actually "Joseph Henri Maurice Richard," and he was nicknamed "The Rocket." Maurice Richard was born on August 4, 1921 in Montreal, Quebec. His brother Joseph Henri Richard also played on the Montreal Canadians, his nickname was "Pocket Rocket." Richard played organized hockey as a schoolboy and on junior and senior teams.

Maurice Richard was a professional hockey player who played from 1942-1960. Richard was number 9. Richard was the first national hockey player to score 50 goals in a season. Maurice Richard scored 50 goals in a season in the year 1944-1945. Maurice Richard got his nickname "Rocket Richard" because of how fast Richard could skate on the ice. Richard played his whole career with the Montreal Canadians. Richard finished with 544 goals, 421 assists, and a total of 965 points, at the end of his career. Richard won the Hart trophy in the year 1947.

Maurice Richard joined the Canadians in the year 1942. In the playoffs Richard had 82 goals, 44 assists, all in just 133 playoff games. Richard and the Canadians won 8 league titles and 8 Stanley Cups. Richard set many career records including 83 game winning goals, 28 tying goals, and he was the first player in national hockey league history to score 5 goals in a game in the year 1944. Richard ended his career retiring as a player in the year 1960. Richard entered the hockey Hall of Fame in the year 1961.

All of Richard's great moments in sports history came with the Montreal Canadians. At the age of 70 Richard fought Parkinson's disease. Richard was 78 when he discovered his cancer. It was the day of the playoffs, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the day that Richard died. Richard died on May 27, 2000. There was a trophy named after Maurice Richard "The Rocket Richard trophy." There also is a movie created base on a true story about Richard himself. The movie was made in the year 2005, 5 years after Richard died.

Richard's career as an NHL hockey player started and ended so fast. He was able to record many NHL records along the way, win the Stanley Cup a few times, and be entered into the hockey Hall of Fame. Richard discovered he had cancer but it was too late for the NHL hockey legend. Richard passed away on May 27, 2000.