Maurice Rocket Richard was more than a great hockey player. In 1950s Quebec, Richard was a cultural icon. So, when NHL President Clarence Campbell suspended him for the remainder of the 1955 season and the entire playoffs, it touched off the infamous St. Patrick’s Day Riot.

It All Started in Boston

The scene was the old Boston Garden on March 13, 1955. The Canadiens and Bruins were embroiled in a vintage Original 6 tussle. With the visitors trailing in the 3rd period, tempers flared.

Boston’s Hal Laycoe, reacting to a perceived injustice, wildly swung his stick. It found the Rocket’s head, opening a gash that later needed 8 stitches to close.