Richard lost the rest of the Season and the Playoffs because he hit an Official, oh, and a player. The Montreal fans reacted badly to that starting a riot. We've got our heroes but Richard was being defended for an act similar to that which McSorley has just recently done. Its probably because Richard was a National Icon of the French Canadians and McSorley is just an enforcer that has played violently his whole life (although if I were him, I would have retired before they could hand me over the suspension because I'm sure he realised he'd done something wrong... But I guess that's too Nixon-like right?). I'm sure the Richard Riots were more than defending your idol. More like a fight against the English. It was all directed at Clarence Campbell (English) who had suspended Maurice Richard (French) earlier. Campbell went to the Habs games often and had his own seat. And while it was advised that he not attend the March 17th game against Detroit he did anyway and the crowds threw stuff at him, smoke bombs went off.
Hockey is our religion or it is for most of us. I don't think that league hockey is real. Shinny is the best hockey, most entertaining and fun. Its not about points its about fun. You go to the pond or the artificial City-runned rink to play for hours and hours just shooting the puck, dekeing the opposition... Damned winter is already over (at least in Toronto). Not to say that the NHL or even CHL hockey's not fun. But Seasons are too long games in March should already be playoff games. Expansion is the reason for this and players are less good. Stanley Cup winners used to be able to beat a NHL all-star team. Yeah fat chance that happens again. But I'm just saying that money is getting to be too much of the game. Why do I notice that all the old great players like Maurice Richard or Jacques Plante never really cared what the number was on the Contract which they didn't read: "Where do I sign". Hockey should remain an underpayed sport. That's what made it so great. It wasn't money. It was the love of the game.
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