Editing Maurice Richard (section)

==Playing career==
===First Stanley Cup===
[[File:Maurice Richard and Toe Blake.jpg|thumb|upright|Richard (''left'') sits beside [[Toe Blake]]. 
The pair, along with Elmer Lach, comprised the "Punch line" in the 1940s.|alt=Richard, in full uniform except for his skates, sits on a locker room bench and stares at teammate Toe Blake beside him]]
Having recovered from his broken ankle in time for the 1941–42 season, Richard returned to the QSHL Canadiens, with whom he played 31 games and recorded 17 [[point (ice hockey)|point]]s before he was again injured.<ref name="NHLStats" /> He suffered a broken wrist after becoming entangled with a defenceman and crashed into the net.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=48}}</ref> Richard rejoined the team for the playoffs. The skills he demonstrated in the QSHL, combined with the NHL parent club's loss of players to the war and struggles to draw fans due to its poor record and a lack of francophone players, earned Richard a tryout with the Canadiens for the [[1942–43 NHL season|1942–43 season]].<ref name="Foran42" /><ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=55}}</ref> He signed a contract worth $3,500 for the year and, wearing sweater number 15, made his NHL debut with the team.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=43}}</ref> Richard's first goal was against the [[New York Rangers]] on November 8, 1942.<ref name="LOHBio">{{citation |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196108&type=Player&page=bio&list= |title=Maurice Richard biography |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref>

Injury again sidelined Richard as his [[rookie]] season ended after only 16 games when he suffered a broken leg.<ref name="CanadiensHistory">{{citation |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Maurice-Richard |title=An emblematic icon of the Montreal Canadiens, Maurice Richard's influence and impact transcended the game |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=March 10, 2014 |archive-date=November 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123105531/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Maurice-Richard |url-status=dead }}</ref> The string of broken bones so early in his career left observers wondering if Richard was too fragile to play at the highest levels.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers723"/> He made a second attempt to enlist with the military but was again turned down after x-rays revealed that his bones had not healed properly; Richard's ankle was left permanently deformed, forcing him to alter his skating style. Humiliated by the rejection, he intensified his training and reported to Montreal's training camp for the [[1943–44 NHL season|1943–44 season]] fully healthy.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|pp=44–45}}</ref> The arrival of his daughter Huguette prompted Richard to change his uniform to number 9 to match her birth weight of nine pounds.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=63}}</ref>

Remaining healthy throughout the season, Richard appeared in 46 of Montreal's 50 games. He led the Canadiens with 32 goals and tallied 54 points, third-best in his team.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=288}}</ref> His first full NHL season not only ended the criticism about his ability to play in the league, but established him as one of the best young players in the league.<ref name="CanadiensHistory" /> Coach [[Dick Irvin]] shifted him from [[winger (ice hockey)|left wing]] to right and put him on a [[line (ice hockey)|forward line]] with [[Toe Blake]] and [[Elmer Lach]]. The trio, known as the "[[Punch line (ice hockey)|Punch line]]", formed a dominant scoring unit throughout the 1940s.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers723" /> The Canadiens lost only six games after October, and went on to win the franchise's first [[Stanley Cup]] championship in 13 years.<ref name="CanadiensHistory" /> Richard led the league with 12 playoff goals,<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=289}}</ref> including a [[List of players with five or more goals in an NHL game|five-goal]] effort against the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] in a semi-final game. He tied [[Newsy Lalonde]]'s NHL record for goals in one playoff game (equalled by three players since), which resulted in his being named [[three stars (ice hockey)|first, second and third star]] of the game,<ref>{{citation |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/Rocket-s-Three-Stars |title=Rocket's three stars |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=March 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407094814/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/Rocket-s-Three-Stars |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as chosen by journalist [[Charles Mayer (journalist)|Charles Mayer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportshall.ca/hall-of-famers/hall-of-famers-search.html?proID=378&lang=EN|title=Charles Mayer|year=1971|website=[[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]]|access-date=December 25, 2020}}</ref> Richard was named a [[NHL All-Star team|second team All-Star]] following the season. It was the first of 14 consecutive years he was named a league all-star.<ref name="Cameron156" />

===50 goals in 50 games===
The [[1944–45 NHL season]] was a record-setting one for Richard. He first set a new mark for points in one game when he made five goals and three assists in a 9–1 victory over the [[Detroit Red Wings]] on December 28, 1944; his eight points broke the previous record of seven held by three players,<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19441229&id=jYlAAAAAIBAJ&pg=5429,82343 |title=Maurice Richard holds new National League scoring mark |work=Nashua Telegraph |date=December 29, 1944 |access-date=March 12, 2014 |page=9}}</ref> and stood for 32 years until surpassed in 1976 by [[Darryl Sittler]].<ref>{{citation |last=Campbell |first=Neil |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uL0yAAAAIBAJ&pg=1150%2C3014040 |title=Sittler's 10 points bring bundle of records |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=February 9, 1976 |access-date=March 12, 2014 |page=15}}</ref> Richard achieved the feat despite arriving for the game exhausted from moving into his new home that afternoon.<ref name="McKinley141">{{harvnb|McKinley|2006|p=141}}</ref> He continued scoring at an unprecedented rate, and by February 1945 was approaching [[Joe Malone]]'s 27-year-old NHL record, set [[1917–18 NHL season|in 1918]], of 44 goals in one season.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19450213&id=q_8uAAAAIBAJ&pg=5321,2006342 |title=Maurice Richard sets torrid pace in NHL scoring |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=February 13, 1945 |access-date=March 12, 2014 |page=9}}</ref> Richard broke the record on February 25, 1945, in a 5–2 victory over Toronto. Malone was on hand to present Richard with the puck used to score the 45th goal.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ioVhAAAAIBAJ&pg=6031%2C4130506 |title=Rocket gets 45th as Habs humble Leafs, 5–2 |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=February 26, 1945 |access-date=March 13, 2014 |page=11}}</ref>
[[File:Hockey. Maurice Richard BAnQ P48S1P12157 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Richard in 1945. His feat of scoring 50 goals in 50 games was unmatched until [[Mike Bossy]] in 1980–81.<ref>{{citation |last=Kreiser |first=John |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=544419 |title=Stamkos hoping to join the NHL's 50-in-50 club |publisher=National Hockey League |date=November 24, 2010 |access-date=April 1, 2014}}</ref>|alt=Richard poses for a photographer while wearing his full Canadiens uniform]]
As Richard approached [[List of NHL players with 50-goal seasons|50 goals]] for the season, opposition players resorted to increasingly violent efforts to prevent him from scoring. He had to fight past [[slashing (ice hockey)|slashes]], [[hooking (ice hockey)|hooks]], and even players who draped themselves across his back.<ref name="McKinley141" /> Richard went eight games without scoring and began Montreal's final regular season game, March 18, on the road against the [[Boston Bruins]] with 49 goals.<ref name="McKinley141" /> He finally reached the milestone by scoring with 2:15 remaining in the game, a 4–2 Montreal win.<ref>{{citation |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/50-In-50 |title=50-in-50 |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=March 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015065358/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/50-In-50 |archive-date=October 15, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He became the first player to score 50 goals, a record that would stand until the 1960–61 season, when fellow Canadien, [[Bernie Geoffrion|Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion]] scored [https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/geoffbe01.html 50 goals in 64 regular season games] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026154428/https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/geoffbe01.html |date=October 26, 2021 }}. Richard's mark was not surpassed until [[Bobby Hull]] scored 54 goals in 65 games while playing for the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] during the 1965–66 season. His mark of [[50 goals in 50 games]] also became a standard that remains one of the most celebrated achievements in NHL history, unmatched until 36 years later when [[Mike Bossy]] did it [[1980–81 NHL season|in 1981]] &ndash; the first of only four players to match Richard's 50-in-50, in the more than 70 years since Richard set the mark.<ref>{{harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=57}}</ref> Richard finished the season with 73 points, seven behind Lach and six ahead of Blake, as the Punch line finished first, second and third in league scoring.<ref name="Diamond 2013 154">{{harvnb|Diamond|2013|p=154}}</ref> Richard finished second in the voting for the Hart Trophy as the league's [[most valuable player]], behind Lach.

Richard's critics argued that his scoring record was the result of talent dilution brought about by the war; when many players returned in [[1945–46 NHL season|1945–46]], he won his second Stanley Cup with Montreal, but his goal output was nearly halved to 27. Richard again reached lofty scoring totals in [[1946–47 NHL season|1946–47]], leading the league with 45 goals in a 60-game season and winning the [[Hart Memorial Trophy|Hart Trophy]] as the league's most valuable player for the only time of his career.<ref name="Pincus74">{{harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=74}}</ref><ref name="Cameron158">{{harvnb|Cameron|2013|p=158}}</ref> He finished second or third in the Hart Trophy voting a further five times in his career. Opponents continued their attempts to drive Richard to anger or frustration, as they had learned he could be goaded into taking himself out of the game by violently retaliating and [[fighting in ice hockey|fighting]].<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=50}}</ref> One such incident occurred in the [[1947 Stanley Cup Finals]] when Richard received a [[match penalty]] for striking Toronto's [[Bill Ezinicki]] over the head with his stick in a game two loss.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19470411&id=90QpAAAAIBAJ&pg=3111,1040394 |title=Maurice Richard finds himself in real trouble |work=Lewiston Evening Journal |date=April 11, 1947 |access-date=March 13, 2014 |page=19}}</ref> Richard was suspended for the third game of the series, which the Maple Leafs won.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=62}}</ref>

As the reigning most valuable player, Richard sought a pay raise prior to the [[1947–48 NHL season|1947–48 season]]. General manager [[Frank Selke]] refused, even after Richard and team captain [[Émile Bouchard]] both sat out the Canadiens' preseason before capitulating and returning to the team when the season began.<ref name="Foran63">{{harvnb|Foran|2011|pp=63–64}}</ref> The Punch line was broken up after Blake suffered a career-ending leg injury.<ref name="Pincus74" /> Richard's season also ended early as he missed the final games of the season due to a knee injury.<ref name="Foran63" /> He finished second in team scoring with 53 points in 53 games, but Montreal missed the playoffs.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=295}}</ref> After recording only 38 points in [[1948–49 NHL season|1948–49]], Richard posted a 65-point campaign [[1949–50 NHL season|the next season]] and his 43 goals led the NHL for the third time.<ref name="NHLStats" /><ref name="Cameron158" /> In [[1950–51 NHL season|1950–51]], Richard scored 42 goals,<ref name="NHLStats" /> including his 271st career goal, making him Montreal's all-time goal leader.<ref name="melancon-20-22">{{harvnb|Melançon|2009|pp=20–22}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===All-time scoring leader===
[[File:Henry and richard.jpg|thumb|upright|A bloodied Richard shakes hands with Boston's goaltender [[Jim Henry (ice hockey)|Jim Henry]] after the Canadiens' 1952 Stanley Cup semi-finals win.|alt=Richard, with blood on his face, shakes hands with goaltender Jim Henry, who is hunched forward in a slight bow]]
Richard missed over 20 games of the [[1951–52 NHL season|1951–52 season]] due to injury,<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=194}}</ref> but overcame another ailment in the playoffs.<ref name="Carrier196">{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=196}}</ref> In the seventh and deciding game of the semi-final against Boston, Richard was checked by [[Leo Labine]] and briefly knocked unconscious after he fell and struck his head on [[Bill Quackenbush]]'s knee.<ref name="Carrier196" /> Though dazed, Richard returned to the game late in the third period after a large cut above his eye was stitched up. Canadiens coach [[Dick Irvin]] sent Richard back onto the ice in the final minutes of the contest, despite knowing Richard had suffered a [[concussion]]. Richard scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory that sent Montreal to the [[1952 Stanley Cup Finals]].<ref name="Foran75">{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=75}}</ref> Following the game, a bloodied and still disoriented Richard was photographed shaking the hand of Boston goaltender [[Jim Henry (ice hockey)|Jim Henry]], who was also showing symptoms of injuries from the series and who appeared to be bowing to Richard following the Montreal player's "unconscious goal".<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/rocket/rokt512e.shtml |title=The bloody meeting |publisher=Canadian Museum of History |access-date=March 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102629/http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/rocket/rokt512e.shtml |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The photograph by Roger St.&nbsp;Jean is among the most famous images of Richard and one of the most iconic images in the league's history.<ref name="Foran75" /> In the final, Montreal lost to Detroit in four straight games.<ref>{{citation |last=Degeer |first=Vern |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1zErAAAAIBAJ&pg=7088%2C2334394 |title=Detroit sets record in capturing Stanley Cup |date=April 16, 1952 |access-date=March 20, 2014 |page=18}}</ref>

The [[1952–53 NHL season|1952–53 season]] began with Richard in close pursuit of [[Nels Stewart]]'s all-time NHL record of 324 goals.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=200}}</ref> Richard tied the record in Toronto on October 29, 1952, by scoring two goals against the Maple Leafs; his achievement earned a rousing ovation from Montreal's [[Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry|rival]] fans.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OoEtAAAAIBAJ&pg=7122%2C4642720 |title=Rocket ties N.H.L. goal record but Leafs win 7–5 |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=October 30, 1952 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |page=19}}</ref> He failed to score in his following three games as frenzied fans followed each contest in anticipation of the record-breaking marker.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=202}}</ref> In his fourth try, a November 8 game against Chicago, Richard scored his 325th goal at the 10:01 mark of the second period. According to the ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', the ovation Richard received from his fans "shook the rafters" of the [[Montreal Forum]].<ref>{{citation |last=Carroll |first=Dink |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dYMtAAAAIBAJ&pg=7335%2C1446729 |title=Rafters shake as Rocket bags record goal |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=November 10, 1952 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |page=20}}</ref> He finished the season with team-leading totals of 61 points and 28 goals&nbsp;– becoming the first player in NHL history to score at least 20 goals in his first ten full seasons.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=300}}</ref> Aided by Richard's 7 goals in 12 playoff games, the Canadiens defeated Boston in the [[1953 Stanley Cup Finals]] to capture Montreal's first Stanley Cup championship since 1946.<ref name="NHLStats" /><ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=209}}</ref>

Richard led the league in goals for the fourth time in his career with 37 in [[1953–54 NHL season|1953–54]], then for a fifth time in [[1954–55 NHL season|1954–55]] with 38 (shared with [[Bernie Geoffrion]]).<ref name="Cameron158" /> He scored his 400th career goal on December 18, 1954, against Chicago.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19541219&id=WKshAAAAIBAJ&pg=6834,2245905 |title=Maurice Richard scores 400th goal |work=Reading Eagle |date=December 19, 1954 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |page=38}}</ref>

===Richard Riot===
{{main article|Richard Riot}}
{{Quote box| quote ="What did Campbell do when [[Jean Béliveau]] was deliberately injured twice by [[Bill Mosienko]] of Chicago and [[Jack Evans (ice hockey)|Jack Evans]] of the Rangers? No penalty, no fine, no suspension. Did he suspend [[Gordie Howe]] of Detroit when he almost knocked out [[Dollard St. Laurent]]'s eye? No! ... Strange that only Dick Irvin and I have the courage to risk our livelihood by defending our rights against such a dictator."|align=right |width=30%|source=—Campbell forced Richard to cease writing for ''Samedi-Dimanche'' following these comments.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|pp=80–81}}</ref>}}
Opposition players continued to try to stop Richard through physical intimidation, and he often retaliated with equal force. The situation led to a running feud with NHL President [[Clarence Campbell]].<ref name="Foran77">{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=77}}</ref> Richard had been fined numerous times by Campbell for on-ice incidents and at one point was forced to post a $1,000 "good-behaviour bond" after he criticized Campbell in a weekly column he helped author for ''Samedi-Dimanche''.<ref>{{citation |last=Wheatley |first=W. R. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19541204&id=84EtAAAAIBAJ&pg=6115,808824 |title=Canadiens' Maurice Richard seeks no. 400. It may come Sunday against New York club |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=December 4, 1954 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |page=11}}</ref> Richard was among many in Quebec who believed that Campbell treated French Canadian players more harshly than their English counterparts.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=211}}</ref> The simmering dispute erupted after an incident in the Canadiens' March 13, 1955, game against Boston, when [[Hal Laycoe]] struck Richard in the head with his stick.<ref name="Pincus86">{{harvnb|Pincus|2006|p=86}}</ref> Richard retaliated by slashing viciously at Laycoe's head, then punched linesman [[Cliff Thompson]] when the official attempted to intervene.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q4ItAAAAIBAJ&pg=7240%2C2069187 |title=Rocket goes wild at Boston, clouts Laycoe, linesman |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=March 14, 1955 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |page=23}}</ref> Boston police attempted to arrest Richard for assault following the incident, but Montreal coaching staff and teammates refused police entry in protest.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=89}}</ref>

Following two days of deliberation, Campbell announced that he had suspended Richard&nbsp;– who was leading the NHL's overall scoring race at the time&nbsp;– for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.<ref>{{citation |last=Wheatley |first=W. R. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RoItAAAAIBAJ&pg=7068%2C2524808 |title=Richard out for season and playoffs |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=March 17, 1955 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |page=1}}</ref> In English Canada, Campbell was praised for doing what he could to control the erratic Richard. Unknown to most at the time, Campbell had long wanted to impose a lengthy suspension on Richard over his previous outbursts. As NHL president however, Campbell ultimately answered to the league's owners and they were reluctant to see such severe discipline imposed against one of the league's star players on account of their value in increasing game attendance.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|pp=82–83}}</ref> In French Quebec the suspension was viewed as an injustice, an unfair punishment given to a Francophone hero by the Anglophone establishment.<ref name="PodnieksPlayers723"/> Richard's supporters reacted angrily to Campbell: he received several death threats and, upon taking his customary seat at the next Canadiens game, unruly fans pelted him with vegetables, eggs and other debris.<ref name="Pincus86" /> One fan threw a [[tear gas]] bomb at Campbell, which resulted in the Forum's evacuation and the game's forfeiture in Detroit's favour. Fans fleeing the arena were met by a large group of demonstrators who had massed outside prior to the game's start.<ref name="Pincus86" />

The mob of over 20,000 people developed into a [[riot]]. Windows and doors were smashed at the Forum and surrounding businesses. By the following morning, between 65 and 70 had been arrested.<ref>{{citation |last=MacDonald |first=D. A. L. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R4ItAAAAIBAJ&pg=7266%2C2684993 |title=Mob rule wrecks Forum, game |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=March 18, 1955 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |page=1}}</ref> Over 50 stores were looted and 37 people injured. Damage was estimated at $100,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|CA|100000|1955}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}} dollars).{{inflation-fn|CA}}<ref name="Pincus86" /> Richard had also attended the game, but left immediately following the forfeit. Frank Selke attempted to persuade him to return to try to disperse the crowd, but Richard refused, fearing that he would instead further inflame the passions of the mob.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=98}}</ref> He took to the radio the next day asking for calm: "Do no more harm. Get behind the team in the playoffs. I will take my punishment and come back next year and help the club and the younger players to win the Cup."<ref name="Pincus86" />

The suspension cost Richard the [[Art Ross Trophy]] as the leading point scorer in the league, which he lost to teammate Geoffrion by one point.<ref name="Diamond 2013 154"/> Richard never won the point title, finishing second five times in his career. Montreal fans booed Geoffrion when he surpassed Richard on the final day of the regular season.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=ART&year=1954-55 |title=Art Ross Trophy winner – Geoffrion, Bernie |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407055520/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=ART&year=1954-55 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The fans continued to jeer Geoffrion into the following season.<ref name="Carrier234">{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|pp=234–235}}</ref> Montreal reached and lost the [[1955 Stanley Cup Finals]] four games to three without Richard.<ref name="Foran100">{{harvnb|Foran|2011|p=100}}</ref> The defeat was a bitter loss for Richard, who struggled to control his anger.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=229}}</ref>

===Captain of a dynasty===
Richard fulfilled his promise to Canadiens' fans, made in his post-riot radio address, by leading Montreal to a Stanley Cup championship in [[1955–56 NHL season|1955–56]] &ndash; the start of a still unprecedented 5 consecutive Stanley Cup victories by one team.<ref name="Foran100" /> The season began with the arrival of his young brother and future fellow NHL Hall of Famer [[Henri Richard|Henri]], a [[center (ice hockey)|centre]] given the nickname the "Pocket Rocket" to the Canadiens roster.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p197903&type=Player&page=bio&list= |title=Henri Richard biography |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909230249/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p197903&type=Player&page=bio&list= |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It also marked the return of his former Punch line teammate, Toe Blake, as head coach.<ref>{{harvnb|Carrier|2001|p=232}}</ref> Along with general manager Frank Selke, Blake worked with Richard on moderating his temper and responding to the provocation of his opponents by scoring goals rather than engaging in fisticuffs.<ref name="Carrier234" /> Richard finished the season with 38 goals and 71 points, second on the team in both respects to [[Jean Béliveau]]'s 47 goals and 88 points.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=304}}</ref> Richard added 14 points in 10 playoff games as Montreal defeated Detroit to claim the Stanley Cup.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=305}}</ref> He scored the second and ultimately Cup-clinching goal in the fifth and final game, a 3–1 victory.<ref>{{citation |last=Carroll |first=Dink |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M40jAAAAIBAJ&pg=6565%2C1894485 |title=Canadiens defeat Red Wings, 3–1, win Stanley Cup |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=April 11, 1956 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=1}}</ref>

Entering his 15th NHL season in [[1956–57 NHL season|1956–57]], Richard's teammates named him [[captain (ice hockey)|captain]] of the Canadiens, succeeding Émile Bouchard, who had retired prior to the season.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19560927&id=5-YxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5900,3090182 |title=Rocket" captain |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=September 27, 1956 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=13}}</ref> With 33 goals and 62 points, Richard again finished second on the team to Béliveau.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=306}}</ref> In the playoffs, he scored the overtime-winning goal in the fifth game of the semi-final to eliminate New York, then scored four goals in a 5–1 victory over Boston in the first game of the finals en route to a five-game series win and second consecutive championship for Montreal.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=307}}</ref>
[[File:Maurice Richard scoring his 500th goal 1957.jpg|thumb|left|Richard scoring his 500th goal, 1957]]
Richard reached a major scoring milestone early in the [[1957–58 NHL season|1957–58 season]]. During the first period of a 3–1 victory over Chicago on October 19, 1957, he became the first player in NHL history to [[List of NHL players with 500 goals|score 500 goals]] in his career.<ref>{{citation |last=Carroll |first=Dink |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s0wwAAAAIBAJ&pg=6934%2C4239121 |title=Rocket gets 500th goal, Canadiens defeat Hawks 3–1 |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=October 21, 1957 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=25}}</ref> As Richard celebrated with his teammates, it was announced to the Montreal Forum crowd: "Canadiens' goal, scored by Mr. Hockey himself, Maurice Richard".<ref>{{citation |last=Curran |first=Pat |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s0wwAAAAIBAJ&pg=5200%2C4240567 |title=Happy like a rookie |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=October 21, 1957 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=25}}</ref> He played only 28 regular season games that season, scoring 34 points,<ref name="NHLStats" /> as he missed three months due to a severed [[Achilles tendon]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19580212&id=4tlYAAAAIBAJ&pg=4872,2463479 |title='Rocket' Richard to return |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |date=February 12, 1958 |access-date=March 31, 2014}}</ref> Returning in time for the playoffs, Richard led Montreal with 11 goals and 15 points as the team won its third consecutive Stanley Cup. He scored the overtime-winning goal in the fifth game of the finals against Boston. It was the sixth playoff overtime-winning goal of his career, and the third during the finals, both NHL records.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=309}}</ref>
[[File:Maurice Richard jersey.JPG|thumb|upright|Sweater that was worn by Richard during his final season|alt=A Montreal Canadiens sweater with the Canadien's "CH" logo on the front with a smaller C denoting Richard as the captain and the number 9 on the arms]]
At 37, Richard was the oldest player in the NHL in [[1958–59 NHL season|1958–59]].<ref name="OldestPlayer">{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19590121&id=sG4pAAAAIBAJ&pg=4593,3287800 |title=Rocket Richard out 6 weeks |work=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |date=January 21, 1959 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=11}}</ref> He scored 38 points in 42 games,<ref name="NHLStats" /> but missed six weeks due to a broken ankle.<ref name="OldestPlayer" /> Injuries again plagued Richard during the [[1959–60 NHL season|1959–60 season]] as he missed a month due to a broken cheekbone.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19591128&id=CH0oAAAAIBAJ&pg=6433,4836096 |title=Rocket Richard out for month |work=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |date=November 28, 1959 |access-date=March 31, 2014 |page=7}}</ref> Montreal nonetheless won the Stanley Cup in both seasons. Richard scored no points in four games in the [[1959 Stanley Cup Finals]], but recorded a goal and three assists in [[1960 Stanley Cup Finals|1960]].<ref name="NHLStats" /> The titles were the seventh and eighth of Richard's career,<ref name="Cameron158" /> and Montreal's five consecutive championships remain a record.<ref>{{harvnb|Lavigne|2013|p=313}}</ref> The 1956–60 Canadiens rank as one of eight [[Dynasty (sports)|dynasties]] recognized by the NHL.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=31167 |title=Dynasties: Standings |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=March 31, 2014}}</ref>

The playoff goal was Richard's last, as on September 15, 1960, he announced his retirement as a player.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b48tAAAAIBAJ&pg=6805,2744054 |title=Maurice (the Rocket) Richard Retires |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=September 16, 1960 |access-date=August 3, 2016 |page=25}}</ref> Richard had reported to Montreal's training camp that autumn, but Selke compelled Richard to end his playing career, fearing he was risking serious injury. In Richard's retirement speech, he said he had been contemplating leaving the game for two years, and stated that at age 39, the game had become too fast for him.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19600916&id=N-kxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5389,121161 |title=Gave fans more thrills than any star in history |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=September 16, 1960 |access-date=March 31, 2013 |page=25}}</ref> Upon learning of Richard's retirement, Gordie Howe offered praise for his former rival: "He sure was a drawing card. He brought in the crowds that helped pay our wages. Richard certainly has been one of the greatest players in the game and we will miss him."<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b48tAAAAIBAJ&pg=3473,2744936 |title=One of greats says Gordie |work=The Gazette|location=Montreal |date=September 16, 1960 |access-date=August 3, 2016 |page=25}}</ref>