Canadiens announce Henri Richard’s funeral will be closed to public

Stephen Brunt reflects on the life and career of Henri Richard and how he was able to carve out his own place in hockey history.

The funeral for Montreal Canadiens legend Henri Richard will be closed to the public amid concern over the spread of COVID-19, the team announced on Friday.

“The exceptional situation currently affecting Quebec leaves the family no other choice but to hold a private funeral, involving only immediate family members,” the Canadiens said in a statement. “No representatives of the media or members of the general public will be admitted on site.”

Richard died on March 6 at the age of 84 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Hockey Hall of Famer won an NHL-record 11 Stanley Cups during his 20-year career, captaining the Canadiens from 1971 to 1975.

Known as the Pocket Rocket, Richard played 1,256 regular-season games, scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in Canadiens history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Jean Beliveau (1,219).

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— With files from The Canadian Press

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