#6 - Maurice Richard

Maurice Richard (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #6)

Adjusted Stats

1942-1943 Mtl          26 GP   7 goals   8 assists   15 points   0.56 PPG
1943-1944 Mtl*        75 GP   39 goals 28 assists 67 points   0.89 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl          82 GP   69 goals 31 assists 100 points 1.22 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl*        82 GP   41 goals 31 assists 72 points   0.88 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl          82 GP   60 goals 34 assists 94 points   1.15 PPG
1947-1948 Mtl          72 GP   40 goals 36 assists 77 points   1.06 PPG
1948-1949 Mtl          81 GP   31 goals 27 assists 59 points   0.73 PPG
1949-1950 Mtl          82 GP   56 goals 29 assists 85 points   1.04 PPG
1950-1951 Mtl          76 GP   56 goals 32 assists 88 points   1.15 PPG
1951-1952 Mtl          56 GP   37 goals 23 assists 61 points   1.08 PPG
1952-1953 Mtl*        82 GP   42 goals 49 assists 91 points   1.11 PPG
1953-1954 Mtl          82 GP   55 goals 44 assists 101 points 1.23 PPG
1954-1955 Mtl          78 GP   54 goals 52 assists 105 points 1.34 PPG
1955-1956 Mtl*        82 GP   54 goals 47 assists 101 points 1.23 PPG
1956-1957 Mtl*        74 GP   44 goals 39 assists 83 points   1.13 PPG
1957-1958 Mtl*        33 GP   19 goals 25 assists 43 points   1.32 PPG
1958-1959 Mtl*        49 GP   21 goals 26 assists 47 points   0.95 PPG
1959-1960 Mtl*        60 GP   23 goals 20 assists 42 points   0.71 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1943-1944 Mtl*        9 GP     12 goals   5 assists   17 points   1.91 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl          6 GP     7 goals     2 assists   9 points     1.53 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl*        9 GP     6 goals     3 assists   10 points   1.06 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl          10 GP   6 goals     5 assists   12 points   1.18 PPG
1948-1949 Mtl          7 GP     2 goals     1 assist     3 points     0.49 PPG
1949-1950 Mtl          5 GP     1 goal       1 assist     3 points    0.52 PPG
1950-1951 Mtl          11 GP   12 goals   5 assists    18 points  1.61 PPG
1951-1952 Mtl          11 GP   6 goals     3 assists    9 points    0.78 PPG
1952-1953 Mtl*        12 GP   7 goals     1 assist     8 points    0.68 PPG
1953-1954 Mtl          11 GP   4 goals     0 assists   4 points    0.36 PPG
1955-1956 Mtl*        10 GP   5 goals     9 assists   14 points  1.41 PPG
1956-1957 Mtl*        10 GP   8 goals     3 assists   11 points  1.10 PPG
1957-1958 Mtl*        10 GP   10 goals   4 assists   14 points  1.36 PPG
1958-1959 Mtl*        4 GP     0 goals     0 assists   0 points    0.00 PPG
1959-1960 Mtl*        8 GP     1 goal       3 assists  4 points    0.52 PPG

Career - 1254 GP, 748 goals, 581 assists, 1331 points, 1.07 PPG
Career-Highs - 69 goals (44-45); 52 assists (54-55); 105 points (54-55); 1.34 PPG (54-55)
Avg. (18 seasons) - 70 GP, 42 goals, 32 assists, 74 points, 1.07 PPG
Peak Avg. (49-57) - 77 GP, 50 goals, 39 assists, 89 points, 1.17 PPG, 3 Cups

Playoff Career - 133 GP, 87 goals, 45 assists, 136 points, 1.02 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 12 goals (43-44); 9 assists (55-56); 18 points (50-51); 1.91 PPG (43-44)

Accolades - 1 MVP award
All-Star Teams - 8-time 1st-team, 6-time 2nd-team
8-time Stanley Cup Champion

Placing Maurice Richard was one of the hardest tasks of finishing off my pyramid. There is a good case to be made that Bobby Hull and Patrick Roy could be placed ahead of Richard. Even after adjustment, Richard's point totals still don't leap out at you. His 1.07 career PPG is certainly respectable, but not really in line with the great numbers tallied by modern-day stars. What clearly hampers Richard, though, are his low assist totals, and it is here that my "adjustment formula" falls short, because the NHL didn't start loosening their standards for second assists until the mid-50s. Maybe some day I'll try to figure out an equivalent assist total for the 1940s, but for now, we'll have to make do.

Even in spite of his modest point totals, Maurice Richard is remembered for being an elite goal scorer, and by that standard, he holds up. His career GPG ratio ranks among the highest, and with 748 total adjusted goals, he places fourth all-time, behind only Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull. His career-high of 69 goals is also one of the highest totals in league history (the actual number of that year was the famous 50 goals in 50 games).

The rest of the credentials speak for themselves: 748 career goals, an average of 50 a season over his eight-year peak, eight Stanley Cup rings, and an appearance as the top right-winger (in an era when he was battling with Howe) eight times, with six second-team appearances. Still, when factoring in that Richard was playing in a six-team league for his entire career, it's tempting to place him behind Hull and Roy. So why does he get the 6th spot? Because when you think of the Canadiens, the best franchise of all-time, you think of Richard (even though Beliveau was the better Hab, I believe). He was the inspiration for the cartoon "The Sweater", which pretty much every Canadian child has seen. His fiery personality and goal-scoring prowess are legendary, and he galvonized the sport in a way that few ever have (what other hockey player has had a riot started because of him?). Richard is a true legend, and for that, his accomplishments (which by themselves still easily place him in the top ten of all-time) bump him right behind Beliveau for the 6th spot.