he was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 50 games he won 8 Stanley Cups
goals in 50 games he won 8 Stanley Cups
goals in 50 games he won 8 Stanley Cups and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall
and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall
and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame just one year after he retired
hi I’m Rebecca Braden and welcome to
hi I’m Rebecca Braden and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with biographer Charles foreign to learn
with biographer Charles foreign to learn
with biographer Charles foreign to learn more about Maurice the Rocket Rashard
more about Maurice the Rocket Rashard
more about Maurice the Rocket Rashard why don’t we start by having you give us
why don’t we start by having you give us
why don’t we start by having you give us an idea who Maurice Rashard was born in
an idea who Maurice Rashard was born in
an idea who Maurice Rashard was born in 1921 working-class Montreal gaspé roots
1921 working-class Montreal gaspé roots
1921 working-class Montreal gaspé roots he came of age during the Depression he
he came of age during the Depression he
he came of age during the Depression he was a machinist he tried out for the
was a machinist he tried out for the
was a machinist he tried out for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens he almost false started his career
he almost false started his career
he almost false started his career interestingly because he had this series
interestingly because he had this series
interestingly because he had this series of injuries he was rejected twice by the
of injuries he was rejected twice by the
of injuries he was rejected twice by the Canadian Army during World War Two
Canadian Army during World War Two
Canadian Army during World War Two because he was considered unfit because
because he was considered unfit because
because he was considered unfit because these injuries and he goes on to this
these injuries and he goes on to this
these injuries and he goes on to this extraordinary hockey career he leads the
extraordinary hockey career he leads the
extraordinary hockey career he leads the Habs from 1944 really to 1960 and then
Habs from 1944 really to 1960 and then
Habs from 1944 really to 1960 and then of course he ends his career at the same
of course he ends his career at the same
of course he ends his career at the same times the quiet revolution begins to
times the quiet revolution begins to
times the quiet revolution begins to transform Quebec to modernize Quebec
transform Quebec to modernize Quebec
transform Quebec to modernize Quebec where did the nickname rocket come from
where did the nickname rocket come from
where did the nickname rocket come from early in his career and it’s significant
early in his career and it’s significant
early in his career and it’s significant that it was during World War two when of
that it was during World War two when of
that it was during World War two when of course there were a lot of rockets going
course there were a lot of rockets going
course there were a lot of rockets going off if you will around the world players
off if you will around the world players
off if you will around the world players began to notice he had this
began to notice he had this
began to notice he had this extraordinary velocity he would
extraordinary velocity he would
extraordinary velocity he would accelerate on the ice he seemed to be
accelerate on the ice he seemed to be
accelerate on the ice he seemed to be moving at one speed and almost and he
moving at one speed and almost and he
moving at one speed and almost and he would just take off his English
would just take off his English
would just take off his English teammates again calling him the rocket
teammates again calling him the rocket
teammates again calling him the rocket the rocket so it was always an
the rocket so it was always an
the rocket so it was always an Anglophone English name for a
Anglophone English name for a
Anglophone English name for a french-canadian star now let’s talk
french-canadian star now let’s talk
french-canadian star now let’s talk about some of the most remarkable
about some of the most remarkable
about some of the most remarkable moments in his playing career the moment
moments in his playing career the moment
moments in his playing career the moment most people remembers the rashard riot
most people remembers the rashard riot
most people remembers the rashard riot because it transcended sport this is in
because it transcended sport this is in
because it transcended sport this is in March 1955 and mother’s Rashad was
March 1955 and mother’s Rashad was
March 1955 and mother’s Rashad was suspended for the rest of season and the
suspended for the rest of season and the
suspended for the rest of season and the playoffs for some fairly egregious
playoffs for some fairly egregious
playoffs for some fairly egregious on-ice behavior to be honest he broke
on-ice behavior to be honest he broke
on-ice behavior to be honest he broke two different sticks over the head of an
two different sticks over the head of an
two different sticks over the head of an opposing player nevertheless this
opposing player nevertheless this
opposing player nevertheless this suspension and the fact that the league
suspension and the fact that the league
suspension and the fact that the league president came to this building the
president came to this building the
president came to this building the forum triggered a riot that night so
forum triggered a riot that night so
forum triggered a riot that night so that is probably the defining moment but
that is probably the defining moment but
that is probably the defining moment but that of course that that’s an off ice
that of course that that’s an off ice
that of course that that’s an off ice moment the on ice moments are the ones
moment the on ice moments are the ones
moment the on ice moments are the ones that I guess hockey fans treasure more
that I guess hockey fans treasure more
that I guess hockey fans treasure more was the Rockets these blazing goals shot
was the Rockets these blazing goals shot
was the Rockets these blazing goals shot left but he played on the right wing so
left but he played on the right wing so
left but he played on the right wing so a signature move was to cut in from the
a signature move was to cut in from the
a signature move was to cut in from the corner cutting across the goal and using
corner cutting across the goal and using
corner cutting across the goal and using his strength he had tremendous upper
his strength he had tremendous upper
his strength he had tremendous upper body strength those goals predated
body strength those goals predated
body strength those goals predated television so we don’t actually have
television so we don’t actually have
television so we don’t actually have them
them
them we have recreations of them the film
we have recreations of them the film
we have recreations of them the film with Laroy Duke we recreated them
with Laroy Duke we recreated them
with Laroy Duke we recreated them beautifully actually what was
beautifully actually what was
beautifully actually what was interesting about those goals as they
interesting about those goals as they
interesting about those goals as they were transmitted orally through radio
were transmitted orally through radio
were transmitted orally through radio commentators through fans through
commentators through fans through
commentators through fans through newspaper council they became sort of
newspaper council they became sort of
newspaper council they became sort of mythic huge moments defining moments of
mythic huge moments defining moments of
mythic huge moments defining moments of his own eyes glory and what about his
his own eyes glory and what about his
his own eyes glory and what about his personality I mean what kind of man was
personality I mean what kind of man was
personality I mean what kind of man was he he was a quiet man he was a famously
he he was a quiet man he was a famously
he he was a quiet man he was a famously quiet man oh man a few words he was I
quiet man oh man a few words he was I
quiet man oh man a few words he was I think deeply shy he was inward he was
think deeply shy he was inward he was
think deeply shy he was inward he was honorable he was perfect for what the
honorable he was perfect for what the
honorable he was perfect for what the Habs needed 1943 because believe it or
Habs needed 1943 because believe it or
Habs needed 1943 because believe it or not this great franchise was on the
not this great franchise was on the
not this great franchise was on the verge of folding during the Second World
verge of folding during the Second World
verge of folding during the Second World War it was only because Rocco Bouchard
War it was only because Rocco Bouchard
War it was only because Rocco Bouchard began to electrify the league that the
began to electrify the league that the
began to electrify the league that the suddenly the arena was full but all the
suddenly the arena was full but all the
suddenly the arena was full but all the while he was living a very simple life
while he was living a very simple life
while he was living a very simple life as a working-class Montrealer who had
as a working-class Montrealer who had
as a working-class Montrealer who had graduated to the middle class but he
graduated to the middle class but he
graduated to the middle class but he never made a lot of money and that was
never made a lot of money and that was
never made a lot of money and that was an issue later on and he was carrying
an issue later on and he was carrying
an issue later on and he was carrying himself with a kind of grave dignity
himself with a kind of grave dignity
himself with a kind of grave dignity that Quebecers really admired and
that Quebecers really admired and
that Quebecers really admired and related to it said that Maurice Rashard
related to it said that Maurice Rashard
related to it said that Maurice Rashard is one athlete who was able to transcend
is one athlete who was able to transcend
is one athlete who was able to transcend his sport can you explain to us exactly
his sport can you explain to us exactly
his sport can you explain to us exactly what that means even the greatest of
what that means even the greatest of
what that means even the greatest of hockey players like Wayne Gretzky
hockey players like Wayne Gretzky
hockey players like Wayne Gretzky probably wouldn’t merit inclusion in
probably wouldn’t merit inclusion in
probably wouldn’t merit inclusion in this series of books about extraordinary
this series of books about extraordinary
this series of books about extraordinary Canadians because for all his on-ice
Canadians because for all his on-ice
Canadians because for all his on-ice greatness he didn’t he was otherwise
greatness he didn’t he was otherwise
greatness he didn’t he was otherwise simply important to his sport motor char
simply important to his sport motor char
simply important to his sport motor char joins a very elite small group of people
joins a very elite small group of people
joins a very elite small group of people like Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson
like Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson
like Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson who through the force and quality of his
who through the force and quality of his
who through the force and quality of his athleticism and simply the coincidental
athleticism and simply the coincidental
athleticism and simply the coincidental interaction with social change
interaction with social change
interaction with social change transcended his sport became larger than
transcended his sport became larger than
transcended his sport became larger than his sport Motors Rashard was a catalyst
his sport Motors Rashard was a catalyst
his sport Motors Rashard was a catalyst for social change in Quebec and
for social change in Quebec and
for social change in Quebec and therefore in Canada and I don’t think
therefore in Canada and I don’t think
therefore in Canada and I don’t think there’s any other athlete you can say
there’s any other athlete you can say
there’s any other athlete you can say that up in Canada thank you very much
that up in Canada thank you very much
that up in Canada thank you very much very welcome
”
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