March 2, 1982: The Rocket honours The Great One

The hockey game played at the Forum on March 2, 1982 was highly anticipated, attracting a season-high crowd of 18,101 — and not only because both the Canadiens and the visiting Edmonton Oilers were atop their respective divisions. The young Wayne Gretzky was tearing up the league with his speed and finesse, and no doubt many fans were eager to see him in action. This photo, taken by the Montreal Gazette’s John Mahoney just before the game, shows Gretzky with Habs legend Maurice (Rocket) Richard, four decades his senior. The Rocket presented The Great One with a wooden statue to mark Gretzky’s having the previous week shattered Phil Esposito’s record of 76 goals in a single season. The photo appeared on the front page the next day. “The Kid didn’t know anything about the presentation until Maurice Richard stepped onto the ice amid a tumultuous, two-minute standing ovation,” Gazette Sports Editor Red Fisher wrote. Columnist Dink Carroll described Gretzky as “a young man ( just turned 21) with great poise, a seeming immunity to pressure, and a modesty that is appealing in a player of such immense talent. He may prove that the attraction of hockey is in strong skating, puck control and goal-scoring rather than fisticuffing and violence.” In the game, the Habs subjected Gretzky to some rough treatment, managing to snap his six-game scoring streak, though he still managed two assists. Gretzky remains the NHL’s alltime scoring leader; Richard had been the league’s all-time leader in goals when he retired in 1960. The Rocket was also the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games (in 1944-45), something that Gretzky also accomplished in the 1981-82 season. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.