In his 18 years with the Montréal Canadiens (1942-1960), Maurice Richard's story appeared everywhere from novels to songs, and his name marked streets and public squares. In this entertaining and lavishly illustrated biography, cultural historian Benoît Melançon traces the Rocket's elevation from mortal to myth. The book's opening pages revisit Richard's greatest feats and most memorable moments, from his 1955 suspension for hitting a referee to his standoff with NHL president Clarence Campbell that became a symbol of Quebec nationalism. Melançon then explores the Rocket's legend and mystique -- his burning eyes, wild temper, physical strength, and sudden tendency to break down in tears. The Rocket draws on a rich mix of print sources, photos, and illustrations to show how sportswriters, artists, playwrights, politicians, and ordinary citizens all played a part in immortalizing this extraordinary man and athlete.

Maurice Richard was the greatest hockey player of the 20th century. He was also the most popular and respected hero of French-speaking Canadians. His career paralleled the dramatic changes that occurred in Quebec after the Second World War, when the Quebecois people asserted their equality and their rights. This new biography of Richard records his incredible career as a hockey player. It traces the connections between his successes on the ice and the growing self-confidence of the French-speaking people of Quebec.

Born in 1921 into a working-class family, Maurice Richard came of age as a French Canadian and athlete during an era when the majority population of Quebec slumbered. A proud, reticent man, Richard aspired only to score goals and win championships for the Montreal Canadiens. But he represented far more than a high-scoring forward who filled seats in NHL arenas. Beginning with his 50-goal, 50-game season in 1944-45 and through his battles with the league over bigotry toward French-Canadian players, Richard's on-ice ferocity and off-ice dignity echoed the change in Quebec. The March 1955 “Richard Riot,” in which fans went on a rampage to protest his suspension, contained the seeds of transformation. By the time Richard retired in 1960, Quebec had begun to reinvent itself as a modern, secular society. Author Charles Foran argues that the province's passionate identification with Richard's success and struggles emboldened its people and changed Canada irrevocably.

French Canadian hockey player Maurice Richard, The Rocket,Ó was the greatest player of his era & he remains an enduring icon of hockey excellence. Fans in Quebec province revered him & enthusiastically followed his matchless accomplishments. This book captures a world in which a brooding, taciturn athlete, who hated to speak publicly & rarely expressed opinions on anything, became a powerful, enduring symbol for French Canadians at a time when they felt painfully vulnerable amid Canada's English majority. The book is also about a young boy, Roch Carrier himself (the author), whose youthful worship of Richard was tempered by politics & personal life, & evolved into an entirely different sort of appreciation for an extraordinary man.

A biography of Maurice Richard, whose tenacity in the face of many injuries helped him become one of Canada's finest hockey players.

Born in 1921 into a working-class family, Maurice Richard came of age as a French Canadian and athlete during an era when the majority population of Quebec slumbered. A proud, reticent man, Richard aspired only to score goals and win championships for the Montreal Canadiens. But he represented far more than a high-scoring forward who filled seats in NHL arenas. Beginning with his 50-goal, 50-game season in 1944-45 and through his battles with the league over bigotry toward French-Canadian players, Richard's on-ice ferocity and off-ice dignity echoed the change in Quebec. The March 1955 "Richard Riot," in which fans went on a rampage to protest his suspension, contained the seeds of transformation. By the time Richard retired in 1960, Quebec had begun to reinvent itself as a modern, secular society. Author Charles Foran argues that the province's passionate identification with Richard's success and struggles emboldened its people and changed Canada irrevocably.

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, k, p, e.

In the days of Roch’s childhood, winters in the village of Ste. Justine were long. Life centered around school, church, and the hockey rink, and every boy’s hero was Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Maurice Richard. Everyone wore Richard’s number 9. They laced their skates like Richard. They even wore their hair like Richard. When Roch outgrows his cherished Canadiens sweater, his mother writes away for a new one. Much to Roch’s horror, he is sent the blue and white sweater of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, dreaded and hated foes to his beloved team. How can Roch face the other kids at the rink?