Maurice Richard: Histoire d'un Canadien Page #3

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That's no good! No goal!

That's a penalty!

That's a penalty!

Goddamn! What's wrong

with you people in Montreal?

Richard! Richard!

You're no good.

You're just a bum!

Smythe, go play big shot in Toronto!

Richard?

You damn French pea soup!

You damn yellow!

Why don't you just go back to Toronto?

Madame Richard?

Madame Richard,

I'm Conn Smythe.

I'm manager of the Maple Leafs.

I will personally

write you a cheque

for $125,000

if you get your husband

to sign a contract with Toronto.

You could play defence.

Last game he wasn't so mean.

Dill's from a famous boxing family.

Mr Desroches!

Will "Killer" Dill play tomorrow?

The commissioner sees no reason

to stop Dill from playing.

Dill was banned for life

in the U.S. league.

The commissioner says another

league's ruling doesn't apply.

He nearly killed a player!

Mr Gorman sent a letter of protest:

"Players are sent

on to the rink to trip,

hook, slash - in a word,

to demolish Richard. "

He wants the refs to protect him.

Gentlemen...

Good luck!

In New York everyone's talking.

Everyone knows that a Habs player

is going to get beaten up

at the Garden.

December 17, 1944

- Why don't we just not play him?

- And what do we tell the press?

He's hurt.

He's got a broken whatever.

Definitely something to believe.

No, Tommy!

If we do that, they win.

I will not let them win.

Dill is gonna kill him.

Tommy, I will not let

the other team's coach

tell me who I can play

and who I can't play.

Maurice, stay away from Dill.

Loser!

Let's go.

He can't even skate.

Blake, Lach, Mosdell.

Let's go.

Eddolls, Fillion, Richard.

Maurice, come back!

Blake, Lach.

Richard.

Get him off the ice!

Maurice!

Durnan!

Get him off the ice!

Get him off now!

No!

Come on,

you goddamn Frenchman!

Hey, pea soup, I'll give you

what you want! Come here.

Come on.

Lucky shot!

I've seen many battles.

I saw Armstrong KO Eddy Shore...

and "Peg" Cleghorn,

one of the meanest

players in history,

in 50 scraps.

This is the first time

I've seen a player knock out

his adversary with one punch.

Maurice has given

a severe lesson to the guy

called the Killer.

Let all third-rate players

who try to stop the Habs

by harassing Richard take note:

The Rocket doesn't like

being pushed around.

December 28, 1944

I have the keys.

Aren't your teammates helping?

Elmer, Toe, Butch...

Fillion.

Lucille?

What's wrong?

Let's go.

Will we be alright?

Why wouldn't we?

Maybe we should stay here.

Why wouldn't we be alright?

If something happens,

and you're hurt?

It won't, but...

Hey, brother-in-law!

How's it going?

Program!

He moved?

All day.

I bet $2 on Detroit.

And $5 that Maurice won't score.

$10 says he scores!

$10 it is.

8 points!

5 goals, 3 assists.

8 points in one game!

You said you were beat.

You weren't sure you could play.

- I was beat.

- Beat?

That's a record.

My wallet's hurting tonight.

I not only bought my ticket,

I lost a bet.

What bet?

You spent the day moving!

What did you bet?

I bet you wouldn't score.

- You bet against me!

- First time.

I could get fired for that.

- I lost the bet.

- What if you'd won?

No sweat, I always lose.

No more betting!

If I sat in a section

where they don't bet...

8 points...

Will we be looking

for a bigger flat now?

Lucille?

Take the wheel.

Lucille?

Lucille?

What did I do now?

- You're not the problem.

- Then what?

They hit you with their sticks!

If you quip, "I'm hard-headed,"

I'll kill you!

You have a family.

You shatter records, fill arenas,

but the league

doesn't protect you. Why?

They protect every star player

but you!

It'll be alright.

February 17, 1945

Were you going

for the record tonight?

Not at all.

I played the best I could,

and the club won.

That was spectacular hockey.

The Canadiens won.

You put two in.

How'd you do it?

Uh, I, uh...

Strong player... I mean...

If these strong player

check me,

I should be good pareil.

Maurice... you tied Joe Malone's

benchmark 44 goals in one season.

With your next goal, you'll own

a league record

that's been standing for 27 years.

Now, what's a record like that

mean to you?

It is good.

They talk about the game,

the record...

and your lousy English.

They say I'm dumb?

Hi, Maurice.

You know what they're trying

to do to you, Maurice.

Now what are you gonna

do about it?

Mr Richard, I've seen

all of your games in Toronto.

You are the most exciting player

I have ever seen.

But seriously, do you absolutely

have to set all the records

against Toronto?

I would appreciate...

What steams me

is that their arenas are full

'cause of one guy.

This guy here.

We have to be ten times better.

I have four brothers.

They can all outskate Frank.

Keep it down.

What gets me is the reporters,

even in Montreal,

who say that if the best players

weren't overseas,

you'd never have beat Malone's record.

No one mentions that Malone

set his record during World War I!

I wonder why!

Conn Smythe in Toronto

has never hired a French player!

Not one!

What do the bosses speak?

Like in factories -

they speak English to us.

It's normal, they're English.

It's a free country.

But when they give instructions

in English,

we answer in English. Why?

French is barred on the bench!

Lo?

Let's stop pretending

things are fine.

You have to take a stand.

You're notjust bad at interviews

in English.

You're bad in French too.

- Butch...

- No, you stink!

mile!

Why?

If Babe Ruth hits five homers,

he says, "Next time I'll hit 10."

What you say,

"It's not me, it's my stick. "

Hey, hey, Maurice.

Montreal Forum

February 25, 1945

He scores!

What a goal!

Here's Toe Blake.

What's he doing?

He grabs the puck from the net.

He waves it to Joe Malone,

who's with us tonight.

I'm all choked up.

Maurice! Maurice!

Maurice! Maurice!

Maurice! Maurice!

Maurice! Maurice!

We're witnessing

a record ovation

that's lasted 10 minutes.

The spectators

stamped their feet in joy.

I never worked as hard

and was never shadowed as closely.

Maybe luck was smiling on me.

"Luck was smiling on me?"

No, you were extraordinary,

you earned it.

I've never seen

a game like tonight's.

In front of the biggest crowd

in the regular season.

People from all over Quebec

came to see

this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

That's very nice.

I'm very happy,

because...

I'm proud of this 45th goal.

I set a record

that, I believe...

brings honour

to all French Canadians.

That's great.

You're the hero of

a spectacular achievement

seen by over 14,000 people...

the hero of sports fans

across this city and province.

We're proud of you.

On behalf of all of us,

I thank you.

Seven years later...

LAST GAME OF THE SEMl-FINALS

- April 8, 1952-

Boys, go tidy your room.

Maurice?

Yes.

My dad will take me to the Forum.

That reporter,

Paul St-Georges, called

to ask if I gave you his messages.

Could he stop calling here?

I need grocery money.

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