lb33knight 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2007 I have a oil on wood painting of Maurice "Rocket" Richard that was painted back in the 1950's. I purchased it from his estate auction after he passed a few years ago and it has since hung proudly in my hockey shop overlooking about 5000 sq. ft. of hockey gear. I just had an older gentleman that came in to get his skates sharpened and noticed it hanging on the wall. He puffed out his chest proudly and said to me "I saw him play back in '58." "Really?", I said, a little surprised since that was almost 50 years ago. He goes on to tell me the story, "I had just gotten off a plane in Montreal at 7:00pm and the Canadiens were playing at 7:30. The airport was about 20 miles from the old Montreal Forum and I was worried that I wouldn't get there in time. I got in a taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go and he said in a heavy French accent, "the Rocket play tonight, I get you there on time" and he proceeded to expertly navigate his way through the streets of Montreal as fast as his taxi would let him and sure enough, we pulled up to the Forum at 7:30 on the dot." The man goes on to say that Bobby Orr was the best player that he ever saw play but "the Rocket was the best player from the blue line in. He would wait for the puck near the offensive zone and he would skate in and score at will."What a great story, and myself being much younger than he is, can only imagine what it was like to experience a game from that era. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkStar50 679 Report post Posted July 23, 2007 Over the years at the CSGA trade show in Montreal, I have seen and met a lot of former greats from the 50s and 60s. The list includes Howe, Orr, Hull, and others. In the mid 90s, one company had Maurice Richard in their booth to sign autographs. He was just a presence sitting there. The man truly had an aura. Of all the guys I ever saw there, meeting Rocket Richard was the best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RadioGaGa 162 Report post Posted July 23, 2007 I love the fact that, to the day he died...when he signed something it clearly read Maurice "Rocket" Richard #9...not the un-readable scribble guys do today.Sadly, I don't have anything signed by him, but I've seen lots of stuff at various stores and online.He used to give guys shit for the way they signed. He'd say somethign to the effect of: "These kids stood in line to get that, the least you can do is make sure they can read it" I think there's a part in Lions in Winter about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
habsmaniac 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2007 what a great play and man Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fultonreed 1 Report post Posted July 23, 2007 No doubt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gp3r 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2007 Maurice Richard is, to me, THE Greatest hockey player of all time. Not because of the points he put up but for what he did for the game and what he did for french-canadians. There has never been, and never will be another player like him, nobody will ever raise the crowds like he did. He was more than just a great hockey player, he was a national hero. Having supper with him was one of the most meaningfull moments of my life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JR Boucicaut 3803 Report post Posted July 24, 2007 Brandon - I'd like to see a pic of the painting in the shop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bdj 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2007 Won it at as a prize from a tournament raffle. Over 2000 tickets were bought for it, this was already after his death. It's got a certificate of authenticity and everything with it, but I wish it said Rocket and #9 too, but hey im happy to have it.I also sat beside his brother on the train my last trip to Toronto, he had some interesting stories and it really made my trip go by alot faster. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lb33knight 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2007 Brandon - I'd like to see a pic of the painting in the shop.Sure thing. I'm at the rink right now and my camera is at home but I'll have a pic up tomorrow. It was painted when he had the "A" on his sweater which I don't believe was for very long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D3nZ 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2007 He once came to coach a bunch of NHL Alumni at my little local arena and he was really nice to talk to, I still have his autograph on my program. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edge 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2007 Cool story!I love watching videos with him and wish I had the chance to watch him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iceholes 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2007 wow great memories... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lb33knight 0 Report post Posted July 26, 2007 Brandon - I'd like to see a pic of the painting in the shop.I haven't forgotten about posting a pic, JR, just been a little busy. One of our Zamboni drivers left the hose for filling the water tank on in the rink and it flooded everywhere. In the lobby, arcade, rental skate room, under the bleachers. What a mess. Well over a 1000 gallons of water. So, as you can see, I've been a little busy, lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lb33knight 0 Report post Posted July 27, 2007 Ok, Thanks to the help of the Fire Dept, a carpet cleaning crew, and the help of a lot of our employees we got the mess cleaned up. Not the highest quality photos but you get the idea. Here is the painting as promised.And a closer look. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
