Unbreakable Records: Henri Richard's 11 Stanley Cups

[ScottM]

 

The Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup for five straight years from 1956 until 1960. For the great Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who retired in 1960, it was a great way to end a career. For his younger brother, Henri, who was a rookie in the 1955-56 season, it was a great way to begin a career. The Habs' streak of five consecutive titles is an NHL record that seems unlikely to be broken in its own right, but it was only the beginning for the Pocket Rocket. Winning the Cup would become a habit for the younger Richard brother. In fact, he would win it more often that not during his Hall of Fame career, raising the trophy 11 times in a 20 year career.

 

If you include his years in the Montreal front office, when Montreal won seven championships, "Les Gros Bill," Jean Beliveau, has the most Cup wins with 17, but no one has won hockey's Holy Grail on the ice as often as Henri Richard. In fact, in the history of major North American professional sports, only Bill Russell, the standout center for the Boton Celtics dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s, can claim as many championships as Richard can.

 

Richard played for the Candiens for much of the peak period of their history. Over a 24 year span from 1955-56 until 1978-79, Montreal won a ridiculous 62.5% (15) of the NHL's championships. The entirety of Richard's career fell into that time frame. After the five-peat of 1956-60, the Habs scored two repeat championships in the 1960s. They defeated the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings in 1965 and 1966 respectively, and downed the fledgeling St. Louis Blues in back to back years in 1968 and 1969. Two years later, they once again defeated the Black Hawks for the 10th Cup of Richard's career. In two of those years -- 1966 and 1971 -- Richard scored the Cup winning goal.

 

After Jean Beliveau retired in 1971, it left a vacant captaincy in Montreal. Beliveau's career is storied, and he spent nine seasons as the captain of the prestigious franchise. Whoever was given the position certainly had big shoes to fill. Henri Richard was the man chosen for the task. At the time, the two men were tied for the most career Cups, playing on the same 10 title-winning teams. The tie would soon be broken, as in 1973, once again defeating the Black Hawks, Henri Richard hoisted the Cup, this time as captain.

 

There are several reasons why the Pocket Rocket's record will never be broken. In Richard's day, the NHL was a much smaller league. When he entered the NHL, the league was in its Original Six era. With three teams dominating that era, it was relatively easier for teams and players to pile up championships. At the time of his 1975 retirement, there were still only 16 teams -- barely more than half of today's total. Add the salary cap era into the equation, and the increased parity makes it even harder to win the Cup. Even so, the odds would seem to suggest that from time to time there should be a repeat champion, but in reality, it has been 17 years since the last back-to-back Cup winner. It all combines to make Henri Richard's 11 Stanley Cups untouchable.

[yave1964]

11 cups, wow. Absolutely never again will that happen. Guys like Kane and Toews and Keith may end up with 5 or 6 or be done where they are.

Like you pointed out, there is a big difference between six teams and thirty, all things being equal in a thirty team league you have a seventeen percent chance of winning the cup and in thirty team league you have a three percent chance. Of course things aren't equal and they were a far sight less equal back in the fifties and sixties, the Habs probably entered any given year with a fifty percent chance at winning a cup. Now, the elite like the Hawks may have a ten percent chance at best.

[ScottM]

11 cups, wow. Absolutely never again will that happen. Guys like Kane and Toews and Keith may end up with 5 or 6 or be done where they are.

Like you pointed out, there is a big difference between six teams and thirty, all things being equal in a thirty team league you have a seventeen percent chance of winning the cup and in thirty team league you have a three percent chance. Of course things aren't equal and they were a far sight less equal back in the fifties and sixties, the Habs probably entered any given year with a fifty percent chance at winning a cup. Now, the elite like the Hawks may have a ten percent chance at best.

 

Your Blackhawks reference makes another point about today's game too. I mentioned the salary cap, but it does more than prevent a team from stacking the deck in their favor by bringing in a huge amount of stars. Sometimes, it keeps the guys that win a Cup from staying together. I believe Chicago will be a contender again next year, but in some respects, they've had to blow things up to stay under the cap. The old Habs, Leafs, and Wings never had to worry about that.

[blocker]

There was a period for the Canadiens in which Jean Beliveau was the number one center.  Number two was Henri Richard, and the third center was Ralph Backstrom.  A perfect combination.  If you were an opposing coach, how do you defend against that?

 

We were at the old forum.  I think Canadiens were playing Chicago.  Anyway, one of the other team had a breakaway.  Henri Richard caught the guy, took the puck and turned play around.  An awesome move.  But, the crowd didn't react much.  I think people expected Henri Richard to make such moves routinely.

 

He was a hell of a hockey player.