History Daily - Montreal’s Hockey Riot

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

March 17, 1955. The suspension of hockey player Maurice “Rocket” Richard sends the city of Montreal into uproar, sparking the Richard Riot. This episode originally aired in 2023. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

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YIT.fcqqqa turvallining Asuntocoppa It's March 13th, 1955 at the Boston Garden Arena in Massachusetts. Inside the Montreal Canadians and the Boston Bruins

are nearing the end of a heated game of ice-hoceped. The Canadians pass the puck from player to player. The team star athlete Maurice Rashard races across the ice towards the net. The Bruins defender Hal Laco intercepts him, raises his stick, and strikes Maurice in the head. Recovering from the blow, a furious Maurice skates straight up to howl, lunges, and then slashes him across the face, before breaking his stick over Howe's back with such a force that it splinters. One of his teammates tries to intervene, but Marie, can't be restrained. With a hook to the jaw, he knocks out his interfering teammate and returns

his fury back on howl. As the men brawl, officials rushed to tear them apart, but Maurice keeps on punching until finally he is torn away and forced to leave the ice, bloody and in deep trouble. By the mid-20th century, Maurice Richard is one of Montreal's greatest homegrown heroes. In a country where hockey is said to transcend even religion, Maurice, a French-Canadian, claims legendary status. For much of Quebec's French-speaking population, Maurice is more than an athlete to root for. He's an inspiration.

And when the icon's brawl in Boston earns him a season-long suspension, his punishment will be deemed more than just an excessive ruling. For many French Canadians, it will feel like an affront, awakening long-held feelings of resentment toward Canada's English-speaking majority. These decades-old frustrations will come to a head in a night of violence when the people of Montreal take to the streets to vent their anger and what will come to be known as the Richard Riot on March 17, 1955.

From Noisor and Ayrship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is March 17, 1955, Montreal's hockey riot. It's the afternoon of March 16th, 195, in downtown Montreal, three days after Maurice Richard's on-ice fight. Reporters and cameras flood the steps of the office building

where the National Hockey League's disciplinary hearing is about to take place. As NHL President Clarence Campbell steps out of his car, journalists surged toward him with questions and calls for comment. Everyone wants to know what fate will befall Montreal's star player Maurice Richard. But Clarence keeps his eyes forward and his mouth shut as he makes his way inside. Behind the closed doors of a meeting room, Clarence takes his place at a table and greets the hockey players and officials already waiting for. Among those present are several Canadian and Bruins players who witnessed the fight, along with the match's referee and the Bruins' manager. But the wounded faces of Maurice Richard and Bruins'n's player Hal Lecoe stand out amongst their peers.

Clarence shakes his head at their assortment of stitches and bandages. This isn't the first time Maurice in particular has been the source of trouble. Just two months ago, Clarence fined Maurice for slapping another player with his glove. That was just one incident. As it stands, Maurice is the most fined player in the entire league, the fact that has contributed to bad blood between Clarence and Maurice. The two men have a long and acrimonious history. In the nine years that Clarence has been NHL president,

Maurice has often criticized him in its leadership. He's even gone so far as to publicly accusing the Anglo-Canadian Clarence of discriminating against the league's French-Canadian players. But clearly Clarence's past punishments haven't been enough to dissuade Maurice from further violence. The room crackles with tension as Clarence turns toward Maurice. With a steely edge, Clarence orders the player to explain himself. But Maurice offers little in the way of explanation. He claims he doesn't remember what happened before falling silent.

For the next three and a half hours, Clarence and the other men in the room debate what happened on the ice. But for much of it, Maurice remained silent as the meeting is conducted in English, his second language. As evening falls, Clarence finally dismisses the room. Then, in a 1,200-word statement, he announces his final verdict. Hal Laco will face no punishment, but Maurice Richard will be suspended for the rest of the season and from the playoffs. The decision throws Montreal into a frenzy. Newspapers are flooded with messages from angry fans. Radio stations receive call after call

complaining about Clarence's decision. NHL headquarters fields death threats. One French language paper even publishes a cartoon of Clarence's head on a platter. For many French Canadians, Maurice's punishment feels personal. Many of the city's hockey fans feel that the punitive measure is the unjust result of a long-standing bias against the NHL's French-speaking players. And to many similar Canadians, the issue runs deeper than hockey. It gets to the core of a prejudice within Canadian society,

one in which the French-speaking minority feels like second-class citizens. To them, Maurice's harsh punishment is a reflection of their own daily struggles living in a nation dominated by the English-speaking majority. But however understandable, the uproar alarms Montreal's city officials. Many grow concerned that the anger over Maurice's suspension could boil over. And making matters worse, NHL President Clarence Campbell announces that he will attend the Canadian's home game the following day. But Montreal's police warned Clarence to stay away, fearing his presence will further escalate tensions.

But Clarence doesn't take their concerns seriously. He considers it his duty as NHL president to attend matches, and he refuses to shirk that responsibility or look like a coward hiding from angry fans. So as the evening of March 17th falls, Clarence prepares to leave the city's NHL office and head to the forum, the longtime home of the Canadians. But as he heads out the office door, the ring of his tellers, The telephone stops him. With a sigh, he goes back to his desk and answers the phone. On the other end of the line is the mayor of Montreal.

But Clarence just rolls his eyes as the mayor implores him to understand the severity of the city's anger. The mayor pleads for Clarence to stay away from the forum. But Clarence ignores the mayor's wishes. When he hangs up, he strides right out of his office and heads to the arena. There, Clarence will inflame the controversy around Morissa's suspension. His unapologetic appearance will turn heads and attract the ire of thousands of angry residents inside and outside the forum. Before the end of the night, the arena will descend into a chaos that will spill over into Montreal's streets where an angry mob will make their frustrations heard and wreak havoc on the city.

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the day after NHL President Clarence Campbell suspended Maurice Richard. When Clarence arrives at

the arena, an angry horde of protesters is already waiting for him outside. Before he exits his car, Clarence steals himself for the barrage of insults he knows is waiting for him.

Once he feels prepared, he opens the door and steps out into the frenzy. Immediately, the crowd turns on him, shouting rebukes and waving signs denouncing Maurice's suspension. Police officers try to push back the crowd as Clarence carries inside the stadium, but their angry shouts still ring loud in Clarence's ears. He tries to brush off the jeers as he makes his way toward his normal aisle seat in the corner of the arena. but spectators inside quickly clock his arrival, and before too long it becomes clear to Clarence that the night's troubles are only beginning.

All around the stands, Clarence sees the sullen and angry faces of Canadian supporters. It feels like they're watching him more than the game unfolding on the rink. Thousands of spectators stand up, hurl insults, and then objects at the man who suspended Montreal's favorite player. Peanuts, tomatoes, crumpled newspapers, old shoes, and orange and even a hard-boiled egg all sail through the air and strike Clarence. But the NHL president refuses to let this barrage shake him. To the crowd chagrin, he remains firmly in his seat and even flashes a wry grin.

Police officers assigned to the arena do their best to keep the angry spectators at bay, but they're unable to keep everyone away. One fan approaches Clarence and smashes a tomato on his chest. As two policemen escort the assailant away, another makes it through security and walks up to Clarence with a smile on his face and his hand outstretched. Clarence hesitates because he doesn't recognize the man, but then he decides to extend his own hand and accept a greeting. But as Clarence reaches out, the man lifts his hand and slaps him instead. Clarence reels back as nearby officers drag the assailant away before he can strike Clarence again.

But it doesn't matter because he is soon replaced. Clarence barely has time to recover before or he's startled by a large bang. A tear gas canister explodes nearby. Smoke fills his corner of the arena, burning Clarence's throat and eyes and those of everyone near him. As people run for the exits, Clarence flees down the stairs, finding refuge in the trainer's clinic beneath the stands.

With the stadium in full chaos, Montreal's fire chief halts the game. Clarence opts to declare a forfeit in the visiting team's favor the first time the NHL has ever issued such a role. ruling. Already angered by Maurice's suspension, this forfeiture only fuels the ire of Canadians fans. As the forum's 15,000-person crowd leaves the arena, many decide to join the mass of protesters on the street outside, and soon the demonstrations descend into mayhem.

One group of men try to break back into the forum, another throws bricks and chunks of ice at the arena's large windows. Chance of Kill Campbell ripple throughout the crowd. Media coverage of the havoc causes even more to join in the action. And within a few hours, the crowd is over 10,000 strong. As the riled-up mob moved through the streets, they bring destruction to everywhere they pass. They topple road signs, smash car windows, tip over telephone booths and light newspaper kiosks on fire. As they enter Montreal's shopping district, many shatter store windows and loot whatever they can carry. Others take their anger out with their fists on unlucky passers-by. Finally, round three in morning, their ire dies down and the crowd eventually disperses. The Richard riot, as this

incident will come to be known, remains one of the worst hockey-related episodes of violence in history. By the end of the night, 12 policemen and 25 civilians will be injured. Damage estimates will total $100,000, the equivalent of almost $1.1 million today. And city officials will fear that the destruction is just beginning. Though 100 protesters will be arrested, the anger of the mob will remain unextinguished, leading the government to reach out to the only person they think can end the chaos. It's the evening of March 18, 1955, the day after the Richard riot. Inside the Montreal Forum, Maurice Richard sits at a table surrounded by microphones and reporters eager to record his first statement on the recent riot. Last night, Montreal officials watched helplessly

as protesters left whole blocks of the city in shambles. Fearing tonight, we'll see a repeat of the destruction, authorities appeal to the man at the center of the unrest, Maurice Richard. Since the riot broke out, Maurice has been following the story on his radio at home. News of the violence troubled the Canadians player. Even though he doesn't agree with the severity of his punishment, he doesn't want it to tear his city apart. And he was reluctant to make a statement for fear that he would only inflame the conflict. But this afternoon, Maurice decided he had to speak out. Now he's ready to appear on the radio and address the people of Montreal to He clears his throat, nervously tugs at his tie.

He takes a moment to make sure he has his words straight before leaning into the microphones and calling an end to the violence. Morise's words have the desired effect. As night falls, no signs of another riot emerge. No windows are broken, no blows exchanged. City officials rejoice at the calm. But the tensions underlying the previous night's riot are far from gone. Instead, the Richard riot is a portend of upheaval to come.

Many will cite the uproar as one of the first explosions of French-Canadian nationalism that continues to shape Canada even today. In the coming years, Quebec will undergo rapid political and social change as it fights to empower French Canadians and redefine the role of French-speaking society in Canada. This shift will come to be known as the quiet revolution, an unlikely name for something many believe was catalyzed by the raucous Richard Riot that shook Montreal on March 17, 1955. Next on History Daily, March 18th, 1314.

The last grandmaster of the mysterious Knights Templar is burned at the stake on charges of heresy. From Noisor and Ayrship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham. Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzeep. Sound designed by Molly Bond. Music by Lindsay Graham. This episode is written and researched by Alexandra Curry Buckner.

Executive producers are Stephen Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.