Henri Richard
The ultimate winner in professional sports, he lifted the Stanley Cup eleven times as the fiery heart of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty.
1936–2020 (age 84)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: February 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Playing in the shadow of his famous brother Maurice 'Rocket' Richard, Henri 'Pocket Rocket' Richard forged a legacy defined not by individual scoring titles but by an unparalleled will to win. The younger Richard was a whirlwind of speed and tenacity at center, a playmaker and defensive stalwart whose competitive fire burned just as hot as his brother's. His career with the Montreal Canadiens, spanning from 1955 to 1975, coincided with one of sports' greatest dynasties, and his eleven Stanley Cup championships remain a record for any player in North American major leagues. While often underrated outside Montreal, teammates and opponents knew he was the engine in the middle of the ice, a leader who captained the team to two of those titles.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Henri was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Henri Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Henri's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2020Died at 84
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player with the Montreal Canadiens, the most championships by any player in NHL history.
- Served as captain of the Montreal Canadiens from 1971 to 1975, leading the team to two Stanley Cup victories.
- Played his entire 20-season, 1,256-game NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'Pocket Rocket,' was a reference to his smaller stature (5'7") and his older brother Maurice's 'Rocket' nickname.
He scored the Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal for the Canadiens in both 1966 and 1971.
He and NBA legend Bill Russell are tied for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American major sports league.
“I didn't play for records; I played to see my name on the Stanley Cup.”
