Henri Richard played in the National Hockey League for two decades. All of them with the Montreal Canadiens. During his last four seasons, Richard was the team's captain.
In many ways, Richard might be overlooked in favor of his older brother, one of the NHL's most iconic players. But Henri would build a significant legacy in his own right as well, as noted by NHL.com.
Considered one of the NHL's greatest players
Henri Richard passed away on Friday. In 2015, it had been announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Richard is among the most legendary figures in the history of the Montreal Canadiens.
Which is quite notable, given the franchise's immense history.
Richard made his NHL debut in the mid-1950s. He would go one to be named to 10 All-Star teams and help win 11 Stanley Cup Championships, as indicated by CBS. In 1974, he received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The award honors traits such as perseverance and sportsmanship.
In 1966, Richard was involved in what is still one of the most controversial calls in NHL history. Richard scored the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 6 against the Detroit Red Wings. Many believe that Richard pushed the puck over the goal line with his hand. Which is not allowed.
After retiring from his playing career, Richard was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.
His jersey number, 16, was retired by the Canadiens in 1975.
Half of arguably the greatest sibling combination in NHL history
Henri's older brother Maurice also played his entire NHL career with the Canadiens. He might be better known to some by his nickname of 'The Rocket'. The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy is given annually to the NHL's top goal scorer.
Younger brother Henri would be given the nickname of 'The Pocket Rocket'. The two brothers played together for several seasons, winning five Stanley Cup Championships together. Early in Henri's career, attempts were made to not have both brothers on the ice at the same time. There was concern about how the family dynamic could affect Maurice's play.
But eventually, these attempts were pushed to the side. The Richard brothers, along with Dickie Moore, made up one of the most potent lines in ice hockey history.
Maurice was as captain of the Canadiens. He was inducted as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. The previous year, his jersey number, 9, had been retired by the Canadiens. In 1992, he became a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Maurice died of abdominal cancer in 2000.
Both Richard brothers were listed among the NHL's 100 greatest players more than once. In 1998 they were both listed by The Hockey News. And in 2017, both were named so by the NHL itself.
