Rocket Richard left legacy like no other

Montreal Canadiens legend
Maurice "Rocket" Richard
died of abdominal cancer on May 27, 2000 at the age of 78.
With the 20th anniversary of his death approaching, a number of legendary players and hockey executives spoke with NHL.com about the Rocket's career and legacy. Observations from others, from different sources, are also gathered here.

From left, Canadiens legends Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard.
Guy Lafleur, five-time Stanley Cup champion, along with Richard and Jean Beliveau considered the Canadiens' trinity of greatness:
"To me, Rocket was an icon. He was something very, very special. As a kid, I never thought I'd have the chance to have lunch with him or spend time traveling with him. He was the type of guy who would do anything to win. He was very intense and didn't accept less than 100 percent from anyone. When he later refereed alumni games, sometimes he'd give [heck] to guys who weren't putting on a good show. And he was right. People were paying to see the guys even if it was a fundraiser. He'd say, 'You show up, you want to play, but do your best. People come here to see your best, not half of your best.'
"The Rocket was a straight shooter. When he had something to tell you, he didn't beat around the bush. He'd sometimes come out very rough but that's the way he was. He was a very special man, even if it was a little tough to get close to him to get to know him. He either liked you or he didn't. He was black and white, there was no gray.
"From the Rocket, and from Jean [Beliveau], I learned that you can't refuse anything from your fans. 'Anything' is a big word, but it means taking the time to talk, take pictures, sign autographs. The Rocket and Jean always told me, 'The fans are the ones who are putting food on your table. Be respectful and try to never say no.' I learned that from them both. It's the best gift they ever gave me."

Canadiens' Maurice Richard crashes the goal crease of Chicago Black Hawks goalie Mike Karakas, fending off defenseman John Mariucci, in 1945-46 action.
Yvan Cournoyer, Canadiens captain, 10-time Stanley Cup champion:
"Rocket was shooting left but playing right wing, as I did. So I was sometimes compared to him and I'd say, 'Relax now, I think you have to wait a little bit. I have a few years to go.' People like Rocket and Jean taught us how to fight, how to never quit, how to win. Rocket was always himself. He was honest. If he felt something, he said it. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was hard for some people to hear. I don't know that he was always right, but that's who he was. He had a lot of character."
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Wayne Gretzky, NHL's all-time leading goal and points scorer:
"Nobody ever called him 'Rocket.' It was 'The Rocket.' That's how much respect he earned and deserved. He was a pioneer both for the game and culturally. The fire he played with was incredible. He was so determined that he was going to score and nothing was going to stop him. There was this incredible mixture of desire, skill and ferocity. That was The Rocket."

Maurice Richard at home in 1957 with a Stanley Cup miniature, First Nations clock trophy and a painting of himself scoring his 500th NHL goal.
Scotty Bowman, winner of NHL-leading nine Stanley Cup titles as coach, five with Canadiens from 1972-79:
"The first time I met the Rocket was in 1961 or '62, when I was the Canadiens' head scout for Eastern Canada. He was in his first years as a goodwill ambassador for the team. There was no draft so we'd just try to recruit players and bring them to our junior team to get their pro rights. I picked the Rocket up at the Montreal Forum and we drove three hours to a minor-hockey banquet in Kingston (Ontario). He was very enlightening but very quiet. We went to the banquet, presented some trophies, stayed overnight and drove home the next day. I was pretty nervous, just in my late 20s, but what a thrill to be able to spend all that time with him."

Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau hoist the Stanley Cup after the Canadiens' 1958 championship.
Jean Beliveau, Canadiens captain, 10-time Stanley Cup champion, in his 1994 autobiography "My Life in Hockey":
"Maurice embodied something which would rub off on many of his teammates, something which would carry us to five straight championships by the end of the [1950s] decade. Quite simply, Maurice Richard hated to lose with every fiber of his being. Everyone picked up on this -- his teammates, his opponents, the media, and the hockey public at large. …
"Maurice was much more than a hockey player. He was a hero who defined a people who were emerging from an agrarian society in the post-war era and moving to the cities to seek their fortunes. I was just one of thousands of young hockey players who sat rapt by the family radio on Saturday nights, letting my imagination magnify the Rocket's epic feats on La Soirée du Hockey, then mimicking those same actions on the local rink on crisp Sunday mornings after Mass."

Gordie Howe (9) wrestles with Maurice Richard during a 1952 game at the Detroit Olympia, in front of defenseman Red Kelly and goalie Terry Sawchuk.
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings icon, four-time Stanley Cup champion, at Richard's May 31, 2000 funeral:
"I admired him for his competitiveness. There wasn't necessarily a love factor there but there wasn't hate, either. It was respectful. He was an opponent who had to be stopped. I don't know if he enjoyed the game. If he did, he hid it. He was such a competitor. You'd say 'Rocket …' as you went by and he'd just growl at you. (Playfully, Howe would later name a pet poodle "Rocket.") I don't know if Rocket knew he had the people in his palm. They loved him and admired him so much for his dedication. …
"Rocket had that mean look on, every game we played. He was 100 percent hockey. He set the standard to chase, and that was his scoring and also his total ability. ... He was a tremendous influence in the League and for the French population of Canada. A lot of people attracted a lot of respect around the League, and he was one of them."

Maurice Richard skates at the Montreal Forum in the 1950s, and in the early 1960s at rinkside with Canadiens' Bernie Geoffrion and Chicago's Bobby Hull.
Bobby Hull, Stanley Cup champion, 610 goals scored:
"I think this little story tells it all about the great Rocket Richard, the greatest, most important goal-scorer during the Original Six era: I was watching this game being played in Montreal, the 1958 Stanley Cup Final between the Canadiens and Boston Bruins. Regulation time ended 2-2. Back then, before overtime, broadcaster Danny Gallivan couldn't have any of the players as intermission guests. So they had Canadiens GM Frank Selke Sr., who was a great Rocket fan.
"Mr. Selke thought the Rocket was the best, as did millions of other people. Mr. Selke and Danny made some small talk about the game and then Danny finally said, 'Well, Mr. Selke, your Rocket hasn't done much tonight.' Mr. Selke replied, without batting an eye, 'But Danny, the game isn't over yet.' Rocket scored five minutes into overtime.
"That's the kind of player the Rocket was. He scored so many important goals. Fabulous. Not great all over the ice but boy, from the blue line in, those black eyes of his would get sparkling and get about as big as saucers. He'd carry big 200-pound defensemen on his back and still put the puck in the net."

Maurice Richard signs his final Canadiens contract for the 1959-60 season in the office of general manager Frank Selke Sr.
Former Canadiens GM Frank Selke Sr., in his 1962 autobiography "Behind the Cheering":
"You have heard of the Rocket's escapades, his fines, and suspensions. Often the press has been harsh to him. But these were natural results of his fiercely competitive spirit. Rival hockey men, who criticized him most freely, would have given anything to have had Richard on their team. Any brilliant player is helpful to his team, but Maurice was something special. Frequently, when things went wrong on the ice, he would personally rally his faltering mates. Eventually he would score one of his cataclysmic goals, completely turning he trend of play in favor of his team and ultimate victory."
Photos: HHoF Images; Bob Fisher, Montreal Canadiens