Exhibit chronicles life of most famous Montreal Canadien

March 16, 2008 04:00 am

— MONTREAL -- Successful seasons for both men's and women's hockey teams at Plattsburgh State University are about to culminate in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournaments.
While waiting for the next major hockey event, the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs, take a ride north to Montreal for a special hockey exhibit. At Chateau Ramezay, in Old Montreal, legendary player Maurice "Rocket" Richard (pronounced ree-char) is being honored by a special installation, "Rocket Richard -- The Legend -- The Legacy."
For those who aren't hockey fans, Richard (1921-2000) was the nucleus of the Montreal Canadiens championship teams of the 1950s. Along with such players as Jean Beliveau and brother Henri Richard (the "Pocket Rocket"), he led a hockey dynasty largely equivalent to that claimed by the New York Yankees of the same era.
PRO AT 21
During his record-breaking heyday, Richard's goals were followed every bit as closely as the home runs of Barry Bonds in his pursuit of Hank Aaron's record last year. Thus, just as non-baseball fans are intrigued by the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, one doesn't have to follow hockey to enjoy this exhibit on Richard.
Photographs, trophies, newspaper headlines and scrapbooks provide the basic time line of Richard's career. Personal memorabilia ranges from uniforms he wore and sticks he used to some of his contracts (in 1958-59 he was paid $12,000 plus $100 for every goal) and his passport. Of course, there's a gold ring awarded for one of the eight Stanley Cups won by his teams.
Born in the St. Denis area of Montreal, the "Rocket" was skating by age 4. His progression through the hockey ranks brought him to the pros by age 21. Along the way, he always remembered how he was rebuffed when, as a youngster, he had asked a Montreal player for an autograph. Legend has it that he never refused such a request himself.
544 LIFETIME GOALS
A referee once commented, "God put Maurice Richard on this earth to do one thing -- score goals."
And score goals, he did. Video clips show some of his most famous plays; the excitement of announcers is palpable. His single-season record of 50 goals stood for decades until the arrival of Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky. Similarly, his lifetime total of 544 set a new professional standard. When he set the career record, he had the puck gold-plated and sent to one of his special fans -- Queen Elizabeth II.
I knew nothing about the fervent response to National Hockey League Commissioner Clarence Campbell's suspension of Richard for rough play during the 1955 season. Fan riots led to the need for Richard himself to plead for calm.
Picking up audiophones, we could listen to both Campbell's announcement of the suspension and Richard's eventual plea for harmony. One entrepreneurial fan marketed "Rocket 9" tomato soup so that no one needed to buy Campbell's! (No relation, however.)
FRANCOPHONE HERO
The legendary hockey player's exploits on the rink made him a hero, especially to French-Canadians. Playing during a time of Anglophone domination in Quebec, he gave French-speaking citizens someone to revere. A victim of discrimination at times during his career, he became a spokesperson for those sharing his heritage.
Naturally, there was a thriving business in souvenirs. Shirts with the number "9" sold well. So did Maurice Richard hockey games. My favorite among those displayed was the puck-shaped Maurice Richard transistor radio.
Richard played in the days when professional athletes didn't make enough money to rest on their laurels after their playing days ended. For a while he owned a tavern. He also sold special fishing line by mail order. For years, he served as vice-president of sales for a Montreal heating-oil company.
The fans never forgot him. After he died May 27, 2000, an estimated 115,000 of them filed past his body as it lay in state. Thousands more thronged the streets outside. Richard was "one of us," one man wrote, "Francophone, Catholic, quiet spoken, modest to the point of shyness, the perfect family man."
And there's yet another legacy. He's reputedly the reason that so many French Canadians are named either Maurice or Richard.
DOG TREADMILL
If you've never visited Chateau Ramezay (and for that matter, even if you have), spend some time looking at the historical exhibits.
The story of Montreal gets told via such displays as a diorama of an Iroquois longhouse on the St. Lawrence River during the 1500s, letters of safe conduct signed by Benjamin Franklin and detailed stories of building the Victoria Railroad Bridge and the Lachine Canal. The Salle de Nantes, a room with hand-carved mahogany walls created for a French mansion in 1725, is a highlight.
Downstairs features displays of 18th- and 19th-century Quebec life. There's information on textiles and clothing, furnishings and basic household appliances. It's sobering to realize how much effort was required just to assure adequate water for home use.
We always enjoy studying the re-created common room typical of a country home. Look high and to the right of the large cooking hearth. That strange slatted contraption encloses a treadmill upon which a dog would walk to turn the rotisserie spit.
Musee du Chateau Ramezay is at 280 Rue Notre Dame East -- (514) 861-3708. The Rocket Richard exhibit continues through April 20.
If you want to add another item to your Day Away agenda in Montreal, you might consider two other temporary exhibits.
Until June 8, the Museum of Fine Arts -- (514) 285-1600 -- hosts an extensive collection of art entitled "Cuba! Art and History from 1868 to Today." This will give a new perspective on the cultural changes in that island country that Christopher Columbus called "the most beautiful land human eyes have ever beheld."
A far different experience comes from seeing "Mummies," the current IMAX feature at Montreal Science Center -- (514) 496-4724. Running until April 20, this impressive film not only demonstrates the steps of making mummies but gives a feel for the excitement of discovering ancient Egyptian tombs. Expect beautiful shots of amazing architecture and plenty of fine scenery.
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