WITH 11 STANLEY CUP RINGS TO HIS CREDIT, HENRI RICHARD HAS WON MORE CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER ATHLETE IN NORTH AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SPORT HISTORY.

Henri Richard began his career as the Rocket’s little brother but he didn’t stay in Maurice’s shadow for long. Initially deemed too small to survive the rough-and-tumble NHL of the 1950s, Henri proved critics wrong, retiring after an illustrious career that places him among the game’s legends.

The 5-foot-7, 160-pound center’s invitation to training camp in 1955 was initially perceived as nothing more than a favor to his famous older brother. Insiders soon realized that the 19-year-old kid was a legitimate prospect. Playing against full-grown men, young Henri controlled the play in scrimmages. His masterful stick-handling and ferocious competitive spirit prompted veterans to suggest – only partly in jest – that scrimmages ought to feature two pucks, one for the newcomer and one for the rest of the team.

Forum fans took to the diminutive speedster, instantly recognizing that he had earned his place on the 1955-56 roster, but there were still critics around the NHL who believed he didn’t belong in the big league. They soon learned that they were mistaken. Subjected to a welcome more brutal than that reserved for most newcomers, “The Pocket Rocket” was often called upon to drop the gloves. Taking on guys a head taller and 40 pounds heavier, he dished out as much punishment as he received, proving his mettle to enforcers around the league.

The fearless Richard worked the corners, battling along the boards and crashing the net while still finding the back of the net with ease. As potent an offensive threat as his older sibling, Richard proved that he was a highly skilled two-way player, his speed allowing him to play as doggedly in a defensive role as he did offensively.

Under new head coach Toe Blake, the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in Richard’s first season. His sophomore campaign culminated in a similar result and Richard hoisted the second Cup of his career. Henri Richard had five years of NHL experience under his belt before he finished a season without a Stanley Cup Championship parade.

A quiet man who let his performances on the ice do the talking for him, Richard carved out a reputation as one of the league’s best playmakers. He led the NHL in assists twice and topped the 20-goal mark nine times, scoring a career-high 30 in 1959-60. That year, he led all NHLers with 12 postseason points on the way to capping off Montreal’s drive to a fifth straight Stanley Cup.

Leaving everything he had on the ice and expecting no less of his teammates, Richard became a leader on the team and his dedicated example inspired his teammates to surpass their own expectations night after night.

When the postseason came around, as it did in all but one season he wore a Canadiens sweater, Richard played like a man possessed. An essential cog in the greatest hockey machine of all time, Richard won an incredible league-record 11 Stanley Cups, making him the greatest individual champion in NHL history. While records are made to be broken, this one will stand for as long as the Cup does.

One of a handful of men with more than one Cup-winning goal on their resume, Richard’s stick provided both the 1966 and 1971 Cup-clinching markers.

The now silver-haired veteran was elected team captain to begin the 1971-72 season and he proudly wore the “C” for the next four campaigns, leading the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1973.

In 1973-74, Richard won the only individual award of his lengthy career when he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy. Presented to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, it could not have had a more fitting recipient.

Richard played the last of his team-record 1,256 games in a Montreal uniform in 1974-75 and moved on to concentrate on running Henri Richard’s Tavern, a longtime local landmark. With 366 goals and 688 assists in regular season play accompanying a postseason total of 49 markers and 80 helpers, he is among the team’s all-time Top 10 in every major offensive category.

On December 10, 1975, the number “16” that Henri Richard wore with unparalleled distinction and dedication was retired and raised to the rafters of the Forum. In 1979, he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, once again reuniting Henri with his big brother.