“Pocket Rocket” is a man of few words

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2022 (884 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just three weeks after the death of his legendary brother, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Henri “Pocket Rocket” Richard was the guest of honour at the second annual Rat River Celebrity Golf Classic at St Pierre.

A fundraiser for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), the first annual event last year featured Yvan Cournoyer, who along with Richard, Guy Lafleur and Jean Beliveau works as an ambassador for the Canadiens, who still have a large following of fans in southern Manitoba.

Henri Richard, the captain of the Canadiens from 1971-75, won 11 Stanley Cups during his storied 20-year career, more than any other player in the history of the National Hockey League.

Known as a very quiet man, Richard, 63, did not give a speech at the banquet, but did entertain a couple of questions. This was in contrast to Cournoyer, who was much more comfortable speaking to a group, or the eloquent Jean Beliveau, who gave a lengthy speech at the La Broquerie Habs’ 50th anniversary celebrations last year.

Richard was more comfortable mingling with the golfers on the course than he was at the banquet podium. However, he did make a few brief comments. He said his two favourite Stanley Cup victories among the 11 were the first one in 1956 (the first of five in a row) and the last one in 1973.

Richard also said his favourite moment in hockey came in his rookie season in 1955, when he stepped onto the ice for the first time with his brother Maurice at the Forum.

“I never thought I would play with him, he left home when I was only six.”

Richard was a pallbearer at Maurice Richard’s funeral, which was televised nationwide, said he was surprised at how much interest there was in his brother’s passing from hockey fans across the country.

As for the state of the game today, with the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques already fleeing the country, he fears the only three teams that may be left in Canada in the future might be Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

He also said the hockey climate in Montreal is so different in 2000 than it was when he played.

“When I played many of the Canadiens’ came from Quebec; today they come from around the world. And of course, another factor in the changing hockey climate in Montreal can be attributed to the out-of-character losing seasons the hockey team has experienced in recent years.

Richard’s visit to St Pierre provided a rare opportunity for ordinary fans to meet a hockey legend. Rat River’s Real Cure is already working on next year’s event.

“I would love to get Jean Beliveau out,” but he says that will depend on a number of factors, including Beliveau’s health.

The tournament raised about $8,000 for the CNIB.