The Richard Riot

71 years ago today, sixteen people were arrested from rioting in the streets over a hockey player. Maurice "Rocket" Richard, star player for the Montreal Canadiens, had been involved in a scrap four days earlier with the Boston Bruins. Hal Laycoe, the Bruins defenseman who had previously played for the Canadiens, high-sticked Richard in the head (a cut that required five stitches). A delayed penalty as the Canadiens had possession of the puck, when the play ended, Richard struck Laycoe in the face and shoulders with his stick. Even as Bruins linesman Cliff Thompson attempted to restrain him, he broke loose and punched Thompson unconscious. Clarence Campbell, NHL president at the time, responded to this incident by suspending Richard for the remainder of the season as well as the playoffs, which threatens the Canadiens' chance of winning the Stanley Cup as well as Richard's scoring title (a feat he never achieved in his NHL career) Around the NHL, players, owners and sportswriters were disgusted at the act and thought that the punishment should've been more severe. Future Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay is quoted saying "In baseball, football, or almost anything else that much would be almost automatic. I say they should have suspended him for life." Jack Adams, president of the Detroit Red Wings thought Richard should "be suspended until January 1 of next saeason." A Boston newspaper ran a story under the headline "Richard Goes Insane". Obviously, the suspension did not sit right with Canadiens fans. In fact, the decision took on a political overtone, a picture of the relations between the Quebecois and the English Canadians, the francophone star (Richard) at odds with the anglophone elite (Campbell), relations that would be a precursor to the ensuing Quiet Revolution that transformed Quebec in the 1960s. In his book, The Rocket: A Cultural History of Maurice Richard, Benoît Melançon compares Richard to Major League Baseball's Jackie Robinson by stating that both players represented the possibility for their minority groups to succeed in North America. However, really, what you are reading here for is the riot. Clarence Campbell, after getting numerous death threats by enraged fans, decided to attend a Red Wings-Canadiens game on March 17, 1955. As the puck dropped, garbage and food was pelted at him from the stands. A tear gas bomb set off in the arena and the Montreal Forum was evacuated. A riot ensued outside the Forum as fans smashed windows and overturned cars, some chanting "Down With Campbell". As the incident turned into national news, Richard had to make a statement, asking for peace and vowing to help the club to win the Cup next year. He proceeded to do just that, and then four more after. In short, the Richard Riot is a riot that changed both sports and politics, and as even bigger riots and civil unrest have happened in the NHL (just look over to Vancouver, twice), it undoubtedly had an effect on Montreal and Quebec as a whole, which really makes us remember how much sports has a hold on our lives.

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