Richard, Maurice, 1921-2000 : Maurice Richard was born in Montréal on August 4, 1921. He signed his first National Hockey League contract on October 29, 1942, as a left wing for the Montreal Canadiens. On October 30, 1943, he donned jersey number 9 for the Canadiens, and he wore that number until retiring on September 15, 1960. Maurice Richard set many records, including being the first to score 50 goals in a regular season in 1945. At the Montréal Forum on November 8, 1952, he broke Nels Stewart's record of 324 goals.
Richard became a national hero. His suspension during the 1955 playoffs by National Hockey League President Clarence Campbell because of a fight at a game in Boston led to the worst sports riot in Canadian history, at the Montréal Forum.
By the time Maurice Richard's life story was broadcast by Radio-Canada in 1999 in the Maurice Richard - Histoire d'un Canadien TV series directed by Jean-Claude Lord, he had received countless honours, either during his hockey career or after his retirement: the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player of the National Hockey League (1947); the Canadian Press male athlete of the year (1952, 1957 and 1958); the Lou Marsh trophy as Canadian athlete of the year (1957); induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame (1961) and the Panthéon des sports du Québec (1991); Officer, and then Companion, of the Order of Canada (1967 and 1998); Officier de l'Ordre national du Québec (1985) ; Member of the Queen's Privy Council (1992)
Maurice Richard died in Montréal on May 27, 2000. More than 115,000 people viewed his casket at the Molson Centre. A state funeral was held on May 31 at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal.