Maurice Richard (pronounced ri-SHAR or ree-SHAR) was the first to score 50 goals in one season (the 1944-45 NHL season), doing so in 50 games and the first to score 500 goals in a career. "50 goals in 50 games" continues to be a marker of scoring excellence to this day, and few players have surpassed that mark. Richard also played on eight Stanley Cup teams in Montreal, and was elected eight times to the first all-star team and six times to the second all-star team, and played in every National Hockey League All-Star Game from 1947 to 1959.
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The Richard Riot

As a physical force on the ice, it was common for Richard to be antagonized outside of Montreal. Teams would reportedly send one or two players with the purpose of annoying him, believing that the penalties that would eventually be called against these players would be worth their while, and throughout his career Richard was fined and suspended several times. One such incident would spark one of the worst hockey-related incidents in history.

On March 13, 1955, Richard was given a match penalty for deliberately injuring Hal Laycoe in a game against the Boston Bruins, an incident exacerbated by Richard repeatedly breaking away to attack Laycoe with hockey sticks, and then assaulting a linesman who attempted to restrain him. Given that it was Richard's second assault on an official in that season alone, a formal inquiry took place after which NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the remainder of the regular season and the playoff, a move considered by many in Montreal to be unjust and severe.

This decision came when the Rocket was leading the NHL in scoring and the Canadiens were battling for first place. Richard's suspension also cost him the scoring title, the closest that he had ever got to winning it, when teammate Bernie Geoffrion passed him on the last day of the regular season. Public outrage soon poured in, with many Montrealers blaming Campbell. Local radio call-in shows became so inundated with calls that radio stations were begging people not to call in. For his part, Campbell did not budge, and announced that he would be attending the Habs' next home game against the Detroit Red Wings in four days. Security was increased at the game, with twice as many officers guarding the Montreal Forum compared to usual.

The game itself was uneventful. However, it saw many protesters with signs that read "A bas Campbell" or "Vive Richard", with much of the crowd noise directed at Campbell, and few paying attention to the game or to the fact that Richard had also taken a seat at the game. As Montreal coach Dick Irvin pointed out, "the people didn't care if we got licked 100-1 that night." After the first period, the Red Wings had taken a 4-1 lead. Throughout the game, outraged Habs fans pelted Campbell with eggs, vegetables, and various debris, with more being thrown at him each time the Red Wings scored. The continuous pelting of various objects stopped when a tear gas bomb had set off outside the Forum. All this time, Richard had deplored the incident, calling it a disgrace. At the same time, the crowd became so unruly the Forum had to be evacuated, and Montreal General Manager Frank Selke had the game forfeited to the Red Wings.
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Honours

In 1999, the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens hockey club to the NHL to be awarded annually to the goal-scoring leader during the regular season.

Although long retired by the time of his death in 2000, an estimated 115,000 people of all ages paid their respects while his body lay in state at the Montreal Canadiens' Molson Centre. He was given a state funeral broadcast live across Canada, the first time such an honour was accorded an athlete. Among those who attended were Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau, various politicians (Jean Chrétien, Lucien Bouchard), and current team captain Saku Koivu. He was buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges in Montreal.

A junior hockey team is also named after him, the Rocket de Montreal, playing out of the Maurice Richard Arena (in 2003-04 this team moved to Prince Edward Island). On June 27, 2001, the Canadian government unveiled a monument in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Hull, Quebec honouring Maurice Richard. He has been inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

In 1967 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (one of the first distributions of the Order) and was promoted to Companion in 1998.

In 1992, he was made a member of the Privy Council of Canada. However, his appointment by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was somewhat controversial.

Richard was married to Lucille Norchet from September 17, 1942 until her death on July 18, 1994. They had 7 children.