Maurice Richard’s career spanned from 1942 to 1960 and in that time he won the Stanley Cup eight times and won the Hart Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player in 1947. He set numerous scoring records, including being the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games. , and the first player to score more than 500 goals in his career. Maurice Richard finished his career with his last Stanley Cup win in 1960 and 544 regular season goals.

There was only one player at the time, who came close enough to breaking Richard’s career goalscoring record and, of course, that was Gordie Howe, who was still playing long after Richard had retired. In fact, it only took Gordie Howe a few years to reach that number, as it seems Gordie Howe had reached his prime in the early ’60s.

An interesting game brought this record to the fore when the Detroit Red Wings hosted the Montreal Canadiens at Detroit’s Olympia on October 27, 1963, more than four years after Maurice Richard’s retirement. However, Maurice Richard’s younger brother Henri Richard was in the game and played a pivotal role in allowing Gordie Howe to tie Maurice Richard’s record.

The Montreal Canadiens were playing at a disadvantage as John Ferguson who was sitting in the penalty area and Gordie Howe was on the power play. Henri Richard, always something of a defensive specialist, was one of four Habs to kill the penalty. During the play, Pocket Rocket was either called to the bank or assumed to have been called to the bank and therefore entered through Habs’ door. However, there was some confusion and he was not replaced on the ice, leaving the Montreal Canadiens in a five-on-three situation, falling back to their own zone. Gordie Howe had the puck and worked his way around Gilles Tremblay and scored on old friend of his Gump Worsely.

Needless to say, the fans in Detroit went wild, and I’m sure no one felt worse than Maurice’s younger brother, the Pocket Rocket: Henri Richard.