1958-59 Parkhurst 2 Henri Richard Hockey Card (Front)
1958-59 Parkhurst 2 Henri Richard Hockey Card (Back)
1958-59 Parkhurst NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
It’s not unusual for 14 year olds to star in junior hockey; it’s not unusual for boys to jump into the NHL while still of junior age nor is it strange for 22 year olds to star in the NHL. What is out of the ordinary is that Henri has done all of these things against the greatest of odds – lack of size in what is supposedly a “big man’s game”. In his early junior days he weighed less than 125 pounds yet held his own with boys four and five years older and as much as 75 pounds heavier.
En Français
Il n’est pas rare que des jeunes de 14 ans soient en vedette dans le hockey junior, ni pour les garçons d’âge junior de passer à la LN, ni pour un homme de 22 ans de se mettre en vedette dans la LN. Ce qui est exceptionnel, c’est que Henri y est arrivé contre le plus grand désavantage – le manque de taille dans ce qui est supposé être un “jeu de gros hommes”. Quand il était junior, il ne pesait qu’environ 125 livres; quand même, il tenait son bout avec des garçons de quatre ou cinq ans plus âgés et en autant de 75 livres de plus que lui.
Details
The Pocket Rocket came on the NHL scene for the 1955-56 season and immediately played like a star. In Calder Trophy voting for rookie of the year, Henri finished third in overall voting behind Glenn Hall and Andy Hebenton and was second in first votes, just four behind Hall. It should be noted that Richard was just 19 years old while Glenn was 24 and Hebenton was 26.
Eleven times, including his first five years in the National Hockey League, Richard was part of a Stanley Cup championship club in Montreal. No other player has accomplished this feat. On the individual side, he won just one major award, taking the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1973-74, his last full season in the NHL. He was a First Team All-Star just once and was selected to the Second Team three times.
Between 1955-56 and 1974-75, Henri Richard appeared in 1,258 regular season and 180 playoff games in the National Hockey League, all with the Montreal Canadiens. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979. His number 16 was retired by the Habs in 1975.