The first time I was in the presence of the great Rocket Richard, we were in jail. Both of us. He was a few paces ahead of me (that’s royalty) as the big iron door clanged shut behind us. The jail was Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary, in suburban Montreal, and we were there for perhaps the only thing we had in common — to participate in a banquet for the prison’s hockey league.
Sports writers aren’t supposed to be in awe of professional athletes, but I was. The Rocket had been retired for 13 years but my visions were of a kid watching the Stanley Cup playoffs on TV, begrudgingly admiring his penchant for leading Les Canadiens past the Toronto Maple Leafs (I was a Leafs fan). While I wanted to chat with The Rocket at the banquet, the words choked me and I suspected that, with his penetrating eyes, he’d see through my awe.
Fast forward another 13 years. It was the night of the last game at the Montreal Forum. Having flown across the country to be there, at the insistence of my son to join him, the Canadiens invited us to a pre-game reception of former players, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The Rocket was there. This was my “instant replay” and I wasn’t going to blow it. He and I spent 15 minutes talking about many things, among them the building where he was so revered as the heart of the Canadiens. This would be their last night together, and Richard was uncomfortable. “I am not healthy tonight,” he said, grinning. “It is too much.”
An hour or so later, it really was too much. He was the last one introduced and the ovation came in waves, for more than seven minutes. Players new and old applauded. Fans cheered and cried. The Rocket waved both hands, pleading for it to cease, wiping his teary eyes. Of all the nights he brought Habs fans to their feet, there had never been one like this.
Today, Rocket Richard is a name on a trophy that this month will surely be won by Auston Mathews. The last Leaf to lead the NHL in goals was Gaye Stewart — before Canada had television. That it has taken a Maple Leaf 75 years to win his trophy just might bring a smile to The Rocket’s face.
