The hockey world lost one of its all-time best on Friday as Montreal Canadiens legend Henri Richard passed away at the age of 84.
Through his 20 years in a Canadiens sweater, the forward affectionately known as ‘The Pocket Rocket’ cemented his name as one of the sport’s most prolific winners.
As fans, players, coaches, managers and the hockey world at large continue to mourn Richard, we look back at some of the numbers that defined his legendary NHL career:
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1: Where Richard ranks among the game’s all-time champions. He won a staggering 11 Cups during his NHL career, more than any other player in history. Here’s how they broke down: five in a row during his first five years in the league (1955-60), another pair back-to-back in 1965 and ’66, three in a row between 1968-71, and his final Cup in ’73.
2: The number of Stanley Cup-clinching goals Richard scored (he netted the overtime winner in Game 6 of 1966 Cup Final to lift Montreal over the Red Wings and did it again half a decade later, scoring the deciding goal in Game 7 of 1971 Cup Final against the Blackhawks.
4: The number of times Richard was named an NHL All-Star during his 20-year career. He was named a First Team All-Star once, in 1958, and a Second Team All-Star three more times in 1969, 1961 and 1963. The Montreal native appeared in nine All-Star Games over the course of his career.
9: The number of 20-goal seasons on Richard’s resumé. His best campaign came in 1959-60, when he posted a career-high 30 goals.
14: The number of times Richard topped 50 points during his big-league tenure. He finished just above the 60-point plateau twice, just above the 70-point plateau twice and had his best season in 1957-58, when he put up a career-high 80 points.
18: The number of times Richard’s Canadiens made the playoffs, accounting for all but two of his seasons in the NHL. His second season missing the playoffs, in 1969-70, was sandwiched between two Stanley Cup wins.
30: The number of first-place Hart Trophy votes Richard got in 1957-58, second behind only Gordie Howe and his 47 first-place votes. Overall, Richard finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting that season. While Richard didn’t net the Hart, he did earn the 1974 Bill Masterton Trophy
53: The number of game-winning goals Richard posted in a Canadiens sweater. He ranks as one of only nine Canadiens players to score over 50 game-winners during his careers in Montreal, with Richard ranking eighth in team history in this category.
55%: The percentage of Richard’s NHL seasons that resulted in Stanley Cup wins. Incredibly, of his 18 seasons that included playoff hockey, only seven of them didn’t end with a championship.
65: The number of games Richard played in Stanley Cup Finals over his career, tied with Red Kelly for the most ever amassed by any NHLer.
80: The difference in points between he and brother, fellow Canadiens legend Maurice Richard. While Henri had the edge in points, Maurice of course had the edge in goals, posting 186 more during his career.
129: The number of points Richard amassed in the post-season, through 180 playoff games. He had 49 total goals during those playoff appearances as well, and nine post-season game-winners.
311: Cutting out the power-play numbers and looking at only even-strength goals, Richard ranks fifth all-time among all Canadiens, with 311 even-strength tallies during his career. His brother Maurice is first in team history in this category, with 397.
688: The total number of assists posted by Richard during his time as one of the game’s most prolific facilitators, ranking third-most in Canadiens history.
1,046: The final point total posted during Richard’s 20-year career, third-most among all Canadiens skaters, behind only Guy Lafleur and Jean Beliveau.
1,258: No player stepped on NHL ice in a Canadiens sweater more times than Henri Richard. His 1,258 games played for the franchise are the most of any player in team history.
3,199: And during that span, nearly no other Canadiens skater put more shots on net than Richard. Only one player, Lafleur, had more (3,204).
