Funeral
| May 28th, 2000 |
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| May 31st, 2000 |
A family member lostRichard's death touches thousandsMONTREAL -- For hours and hours they came, an endless flow of humanity, streaming down the stairs and across the ice for a final glimpse of Quebec's greatest icon. 
It was mesmerizing to watch. From morning until night, there was a
constant ripple of people down two separate aisles to a steadily moving
queue at the Molson Centre's ice level which was some 500 places long.
They inched towards the centre face-off circle and then marched two by
two past the blueline to where Maurice Richard's burnished coffin was
illuminated by a great white light.With the banner for Le Rocket's number 9 hanging straight above, the casket was flanked by two giant images of Richard -- one blazing down the wing in his heyday and one in his final years, holding out the torch to those who came behind. And once in his presence, they lingered for a moment or two, the young, the old, the babes in arms. Some dared to touch the creamy cloth he laid upon while others, bolder and more fervent, actually touched the dead man's hands. Some wept openly while a good many, perhaps half, made the sign of the cross as they said goodbye. Most then hurried away, in two different directions, disappearing back into the dim light and then out the door. The sheer volume of mourners was staggering, some 700 people at any given time, each taking 12 minutes or so to journey from one end of the arena to the other. That's 3,500 visitors an hour. Or some 50,000 on the day. Incredibly, they did not make a sound. You could hear the rustling of clothing and the shuffle of shoes on the carpet against a backdrop of classical music and the occasional wail of a child. If it seemed a touch surreal, or tinged with the macabre, (particularly when they called an afternoon break to "freshen" him for the evening crowd) it was a respectful tribute nonetheless. The silence was in sharp contrast to the festival air which ringed the arena. The streets were closed to traffic while ice cream vendors peddled their wares to the crowds lining up to get into the viewing or to sign the memorial books. There were live broadcasts and cheers from onlookers if a television personality said something particularly pithy about the great Richard. Inside the tent, there were sprays of flowers from, among others, Celine Dion and Mario Lemieux. "Our sincere condolences to the famille Richard," read Dion's, which was placed near a newspaper photo of "La Diva and Le Rocket." One couple visiting from Sheffield, England, said they felt compelled to drop by, because they were hockey fans and wanted to pay their respects. The public book-signing was reminiscent of the outpouring of affection England experienced in 1997 after the death of Princess Diana, said Sara Merry. And had they held a similar public viewing for her, the atmosphere would have been much the same, she added. Others were there for political reasons. "He's a legacy in Quebec," said 23-year-old Philippe Belanger, who met Richard on several occasions. "He was one of the forces of nationalism in Quebec." Even though, he adds, Richard was always a reluctant hero. Others, like 75-year-old Janine Clermont, came because they lived in the same working-class neighbourhood. She had a tenuous connection to the family -- she and Lucille Richard once shared the same hairdresser. "She talked to everybody," Clermont recalled of Richard's wife of 50 years. In other words, despite the family status, the Richards were never stuck-up. Hockey has been referred to as a religion in this province but, in truth, it is more like royalty. And if Richard was the King, then his court will gather here today. The cortege itself will be relatively small -- 12 limousines containing only family members will make their way down Ste-Catharine, the route of many a Stanley Cup parade. Buses will be used to whisk a veritable Who's Who of the hockey world to reserved seats in the Notre-Dame Basilica. Eight of his former teammates -- including Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore and his brother Henri -- will serve as pallbearers. They will be joined by all of the 2000-2001 Montreal Canadiens, former players and representatives from every team in the league. Gordie Howe has already confirmed his attendance and, at this writing, they were awaiting word from Wayne Gretzky. The hockey players will be joined by a constellation of political stars led by Jean Chretien, Adrienne Clarkson and Lucien Bouchard. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney will attend while Pierre Trudeau has sent his regrets on account of illness. It is hard, exactly, to explain completely how one man could have affected so many. But part of the answer, I believe, can be found in the scribblings in the condolence books. There are 12 books, changed every three hours or so, and at midday yesterday, there were people lined up at every one. Leaf through them and you'll find a common theme -- family. "When I was a small girl in Halifax, I was a fan of yours," wrote Jane Nicholson. "I sent you a letter and asked for your autograph. My father said you would be too busy to send it. But you did." Three different members of the Nabi family shared reminiscences of their mother. "Many childhood memories of watching Hockey Night in Canada in black and white. Mom would tell stories of the great Rocket Richard's scoring prowess," wrote Alan Nabi. One of his siblings added: "You were my mother's hockey hero and the reason she came from England to Canada -- she watched hockey seven days a week at the old Forum ... thanks for creating the hockey fire in our family." And Sandra Zola wrote: "My father passed away less than a year ago. He taught me the love of hockey and about the real players of the game, the legends. This is for him as well as myself." One measure of Maurice Richard can be found in the record books -- the number of goals he scored or how many times he hoisted the sacred Cup. But his heroics were of a different sort; he was a dotted line between the generations. He connected us to the places - and the people -- in our lives who always mattered the most. |
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| May 31st, 2000 |
Bidding adieu to No. 9 Tens of thousands of people of all ages
filed through the Molson Centre yesterday to say goodbye to Canadiens
legend Maurice (Rocket) Richard in one of the greatest public
outpourings of love this city has seen. Officials had to extend the closing of
the Molson Centre to 11 p.m. to accommodate the crush of people,
estimated to have totaled 115,000. By contrast, when the Molson Centre
opened three years ago, the crowd of visitors was about 50,000.
The memorial was as simple as Richard
would have wanted it to be. Classical music played softly as mourners
filed by his open coffin.
His body, dressed in a dark suit and a
black tie, lay in the place he occupied so often in life - between the
blue line and the goal crease. A large blowup of a classic photo of
the Rocket, showing his fiery glare, hung alongside a more recent photo
of him holding the torch that was passed around at the closing of the
Forum, when he received an emotional standing ovation that lasted for
more than 10 minutes. In between the two was a banner of Richard's
retired No. 9. Some mourners wept when they saw
Richard's body, reaching out to touch him or spending several moments in
quiet reflection. Others made the sign of the cross and quickly passed
by. "It's the best sendoff we could
have given him," Montreal Mayor Pierre Bourque said. "We will
leave Maurice joyfully, and that's fantastic. (The funeral) will be more
of a religious affair, but the people really spoke out today."
Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson and
Premier Lucien Bouchard attended but did not speak to reporters.
The Canadiens said a spokesman for
Pierre Trudeau, who had indicated he would turn up yesterday, called to
say the former prime minister could not attend because he was not
feeling well.
Fame Was Widespread
Serge Savard, former Canadiens
defenceman and general manager and current president of the Maurice
Richard Foundation, said the Rocket's fame and popularity did not stop
at the Quebec border.
"I had the opportunity to travel
with him over the last five or six years to go sign autographs outside
Quebec, in places like Detroit," Savard said.
"I was always surprised to see his
popularity outside the province and the country. In Detroit, we were two
or three ex-hockey players signing autographs, and his lineup was always
two or three times longer than ours."
A surprising number of people too young
to have seen Richard play showed up to pay their respects. Many said he
was a link to their parents.
"My father, who's 75, met him once
and he told me (Richard) was a simple, ordinary man who was very
nice," said Stephanie D'Attilio, a 19-year-old Laval resident.
"I wanted to see him because I had never seen him in person. But I
also wanted to support him, support my family and support all Quebecers
because he was so loved here."
For Ginette Houde, of Lorraine, Richard
was a reminder of her relationship with her own father.
'Magic of Saturday Night'
"For me, it was the magic of
Saturday night," she said. "It was probably the only night of
the week our fathers would be home; they stayed to listen to the hockey
game. My fondest memories with my father were watching the Canadiens
hockey games.
"My uncles, my father, they all
played hockey. Their idol was Maurice Richard. It's as if a member of
the family died, so I came to say a final goodbye."
In East Rutherford, N.J., last night,
players and 19,000 fans paid a brief tribute to the Rocket before the
opening game of the Stanley Cup final series between the Dallas Stars
and the New Jersey Devils.
In Montreal today, 3,000 mourners are
expected to fill ornate Notre Dame Basilica for a funeral the Richard
family has struggled to keep simple.
A pre-funeral procession is also to be
held on Ste. Catherine St. The cortege will begin at Mountain St. at
9:30 a.m. and arrive at St. Denis St. at 10:20.
Despite his recent stay in the hospital
to remove a malignant tumour in his neck, Jean Beliveau is to serve as a
pallbearer for Richard. He will be joined by Emile Bouchard, Elmer Lach,
Gerry McNeil, Dickie Moore, Ken Mosdell, Ken Reardon and the Rocket's
younger brother, Henri Richard.
The Canadiens expect at least 800
invited guests to attend the service, to be broadcast live on several
networks.
The CBC and Radio-Canada and their
all-news affiliates, Newsworld and RDI, are broadcasting today's
services. The all-sports cable channels, TSN and RDS, will also offer
coverage. The CBC and Radio-Canada broadcats will begin at 9 a.m. TSN
and RDS are scheduling a 10 a.m. start.
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Fans assemble to say fond farewell to The RocketMONTREAL (CP) -- Several hundred people gathered outside the Notre-Dame Basilica hours in advance of today's funeral services for Maurice (Rocket) Richard, whose prodigious talents thrilled hockey fans for 18 years.Hundreds of others also arrived early on downtown Ste-Catherine Street to ensure they would be able to view the procession leading to Richard's funeral at the 3,000-seat basilica. Among those who continued to mourn Richard today was Elmer Lach, who along with The Rocket and Toe Blake formed the potent Punch Line for the Canadiens. "My right arm is gone," said Lach. "It's a funny feeling. There used to be three. Now, there's only one. I'm the last one left. "I'd rather be doing other things than today." Former Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau, who also played with Richard, said he believes Richard would have approved of the huge outpouring of emotion. Beliveau, who found out recently he has a malignant tumour in his neck, spoke emotionally about visiting the hockey hero in hospital. "It was so sad to see such a strong man in that condition," he said Richard died of abdominal cancer Saturday at the age of 78. His death has dominated Quebec newspapers and TV and radio stations for four days. Newspapers from coast to coast played the story on their front page. Today's ceremonies were televised on several TV networks. On Tuesday, an estimated 115,000 people filed by Richard's open casket at the Molson Centre to pay tribute to their hero, who was dressed in a dark suit. People wearing Richard's No. 9 sweater have been a common sight in Montreal since the death. Many of them weren't even alive when Richard won his last Stanley Cup in 1960. Richard's popularity surpassed any boundaries of age, language or politics. Federalists and separatists, young and old, men and women -- Richard won them all over with his determination and will to win. Richard was not the first Montreal Canadien to lie in state on the team's home ice. About 10,000 fans came to the Forum to pay tribute to Howie Morenz in 1937. Morenz, who played with the Canadiens during the 1920s and '30s, was regarded as one of the greatest players ever and had been a hero to the French-Canadian population.
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| May 31st, 2000 |
Rocket to be laid to rest today
CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Thousands of people are lining the streets of downtown Montreal this morning to see NHL legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard travel down rue Ste. Catherine one final time.
A funeral cortege, with 12 limousines carrying Richard's immediate family, will wind its way from the Molson Centre to the street where Richard paraded with the Stanley Cup many times in the past. It's also where fans rioted in 1955 after he was suspended for fighting. Richard's state funeral will be held at Notre Dame Basilica this morning. More than 3,000 guests from politicians to hockey greats are expected to attend. All eight of Richard's pallbearers are former teammates, including Jean Beliveau, who is battling cancer himself. The ceremony will be carried live on CBC. As many as 100,00 people paid their last respects to Maurice "Rocket" Richard Tuesday. His body was lying in state at the Molson Centre in Montreal and some fans lined up outside as early as 1:30 a.m.for the opportunity to see the legendary right-winger. The casket was placed halfway between the blue line and the goal crease, where Richard dominated play to score hundreds of goals. There were two large photos of The Rocket, one of him coming in on the net and another of him at the closing ceremonies of the Montreal Forum in 1996. "I used to live at the Forum," said Jim Seed, who drove five hours Monday from his home in Stroud, Ont. to say goodbye to his childhood idol. "To me, guys like Maurice Richard were really hockey players. They played just for hockey, because they loved it." Gov. Gen Adrienne Clarkson and Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard paid their respects
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Hockey greats assemble in Montreal for funeral
Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, archbishop of Montreal, praised Richard at the funeral service in the ornate Notre-Dame Basilica. "Maurice Richard was an intense man, passionate, true to his values and convictions," Turcotte told more than 2,000 mourners as hundreds of others watched on a giant screen outside. "His passing was felt by people across the country. It was like losing a friend." Turcotte said Richard was a man of few words. "His eyes spoke for him," Turcotte said of the steely stare that made opponents shake with fear. "We won't forget his eyes." Maurice Richard Jr., one of The Rocket's sons, told the congregation that the family has felt nothing but love over the last few days. He added that his father, who died Saturday after battling abdominal cancer, would have approved of the huge outpouring of affection. "I'm sure that if he's watched from above what's happened over the last two or three days, he would be very proud," Maurice Jr. said, who was applauded after his brief remarks. The Rocket has been described as a simple, unpretentious man. But his death sparked extensive media coverage, with today's funeral services being broadcast live on several TV networks across the country. Some of Richard's teammates on the 1950s Montreal Canadiens dynasty, including Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore and Dollard St. Laurent, were among the crowd who paid their final respects. Others who filtered into the basilica included Gordie Howe, a bitter rival of Richard's in the 1940s and '50s; Detroit Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who used to coach the Canadiens; Los Angeles Kings forward Luc Robitaille; and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. The political world was represented by Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard and former prime minister Brian Mulroney. "He was a very determined person," said Chretien. "A good example for everybody that if you want to do something in life you can achieve it if you have the will to do it." Beliveau, who learned recently he has a malignant tumour, was among the pallbearers who carried Richard's coffin after it had arrived at the basilica. Richard's brother, Henri, also was a pallbearer. Thousands of people earlier lined Ste-Catherine Street to get a close look at the dozen-or-so limousines taking Richard's family and close friends to the basilica. Helen Hall, 54, showed up early to make sure she got a good view of the cortege. She said she never saw Richard play but respected him as a man of strong morals. "I don't think Montrealers ever forgot him," she said. "I don't think we'll ever see anything like this again. I don't think any other hockey player will command that respect." Other mourners included Elmer Lach, who along with The Rocket and Toe Blake formed the potent Punch Line for the Canadiens. "My right arm is gone," said Lach. "It's a funny feeling. There used to be three (linemates). Now, there's only one. I'm the last one left. "I'd rather be doing other things than today." Beliveau said he believes Richard, 78, would have approved of the huge outpouring of emotion. Beliveau spoke movingly about visiting the hockey hero in hospital. "It was so sad to see such a strong man in that condition," he said Richard's death has dominated Quebec newspapers and TV and radio stations for four days. Newspapers from coast to coast played the story on their front page. On Tuesday, an estimated 115,000 people filed by Richard's open casket at the Molson Centre to pay tribute to their hero, who was dressed in a dark suit. People wearing Richard's No. 9 sweater have been a common sight in Montreal since the death. Many of them weren't even alive when Richard won his last Stanley Cup in 1960. Richard's popularity surpassed any boundaries of age, language or politics. Federalists and separatists, young and old, men and women -- Richard won them all over with his determination and will to win. Richard was not the first Montreal Canadien to lie in state on the team's home ice. About 10,000 fans came to the Forum to pay tribute to Howie Morenz in 1937. Morenz, who played with the
Canadiens during the 1920s and '30s, was regarded as one of the greatest
players ever and had been a hero to the French-Canadian population. |
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MONTREAL
(CP) -- Bells pealed for hockey legend Maurice (Rocket) Richard today as
NHL stars spanning several generations came together for the funeral of
the man who thrilled fans with his inspirational play.
Today's mourners included
players from several decades, including the 1950s when Richard scored
most of his goals which regularly lifted hockey fans out of their seats.