THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Aug. 4
1921: Maurice Richard, arguably the NHL's greatest star in the 1940s and '50s, is born in Montreal.
Richard signs with the hometown Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 29, 1942, though he misses most of the season with a leg injury. He scores 32 goals in a 50-game season in 1943-44, then becomes the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season when he gets 50 in 50 games in 1944-45. He remains one of the NHL's consistent goal-scorers for more than a decade, scoring at least 20 goals in 14 consecutive seasons and leading the League in goals five times. Richard also becomes an icon in Montreal, earning the nickname "The Rocket" for his speed when going to the net.
He wins the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1946-47, is a First- or Second-Team NHL All-Star in 14 consecutive seasons, and helps the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup eight times, including a record five in a row from 1956-60. He retires in September 1960 as the NHL career leader in goals (544), and his record of six overtime goals in Stanley Cup play lasts until Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche breaks it on April 24, 2006.
Richard eventually works for the Canadiens as an ambassador and remains beloved by fans in Montreal. Before the final game at the Forum on March 11, 1996, he receives a 16-minute standing ovation that moves him to tears. The NHL awards the first Maurice Richard Trophy, given to the top goal-scorer in the regular season, in 1999, one year before his death.
MORE MOMENTS
1977: The Los Angeles Kings hire Ron Stewart as coach, replacing Bob Pulford. Stewart, a longtime NHL forward, lasts one season; he's replaced by Bob Berry after the Kings go 31-34-15 and are swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs in their Preliminary Round series.
1982: The Detroit Red Wings hire Nick Polano as coach, replacing Billy Dea, who finishes out the 1981-82 season after Wayne Maxner is fired. The Red Wings go 79-127-34 in three seasons before Polano is replaced by Harry Neale and becomes an assistant general manager.
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