He might have entered the NHL as Maurice's brother but he certainly became a legend in his own right. Nicknamed the Pocket Rocket because of his small size (5 ft 7in), Henri Richard wore the bleu, blanc, rouge for 20 years from 1955-56 to 1974-75 and during that timespan, he captured 11 Stanley Cup the most ever won solely as a player. To this day, Richard is still the leader for games played in franchise history with 1258, 8th in goal with 358, 3rd in assist with 688 and 3rd in points with 1046. He wasn't all about the points though and even though he was small, he played a big game. In his 1258 career games he racked up 932 penalty minutes and he never backed down from a confrontation. Larry Robinson was just on TSN 690 telling the story of how, in one single night, Richard fought with 3 Bruins players; Leo Labine, Fern Flaman and Jack Bionda in January 1958. He severely cut Labine (8 inch cut) and broke Bionda's nose that night. From then one, no one questioned his toughness or said that he was under his brother's protection.
The Canadiens captain from 1971 to his retirement in 1975, Richard didn't have to wait a long time for the Habs' to retire his jersey. They did so in December of 1975 and Richard was induced in the Hall of Fame in 1979. The last time he really was in the public eye was when the Canadiens celebrated their centennial in 2009. It was announced in 2015 that he was battling dementia, a condition that prevented him from attending Jean Beliveau's public visitation at the Bell Centre when he died over 5 years ago.
While it is incredibly sad to see such a monument leave us, there is no doubt that this will come as a relief to his friends and family. You never stop loving a relative who suffers from dementia but you literally watch them disappear in front of your very eyes. It starts slowly with the occasional forgetting of trivial stuff but then it progresses...soon they don't remember a person they've known for years, they start repeating the same stuff over and over in a conversation, they ask you a question, listen to your answer and then ask you again 2 minutes later because they don't remember asking it the first time around. Eventually, they just withdraw within themselves because they cannot handle a conversation and you can see in their eye that while they know that they should know you, they just don't recognize you anymore and that, breaks you heart. You still go visit them, you care for them but every single visit tears you up inside until eventually, blissfully, the sweet relief of death comes.
I know, it might sound cold to say but I think anyone who's seen Alzheimer's disease strengthen its grip on a loved one will agree, sooner or later, they aren't living anymore, they're just awaiting death. According to news reports, his health had really deteriorated lately and any memory of his glorious career was long gone... It was becoming rarer for him to appear to recognize anyone even though his wife spent time with him every day and his kids and grandkids would pay him regular visits. At this stage, all that remains to say is rest in peace Pocket Rocket, you've earn it and thank you for so many memories and championships. Your legend will live on forever, fear not...
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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