Maurice Richard
Hockey
1957
Marsh Trophy for the Rocket
Tuesday, February 18, 1958
He’s Unanimous Pick over James, Balding
By Jim Hunt
Hockey’s greatest scoring machine – Maurice (The Rocket) Richard – is the 1957 winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy, it was announced today.
The Montreal Canadiens’ winger, who passed the 500-goal milestone last October, was the unanimous choice of the board of judges for the award which goes annually to Canada’s outstanding athlete – amateur or professional.
There wasn’t really much doubt about this year’s winner. It was Richard all the way. In his 16th season in the NHL, the Rocket was headed for one of the greatest when an injury cut him down in Toronto, Nov. 13, but not before he had scored his 500th goal in regular NHL play.
Only Howe has Chance
It’s a new record that may never be equaled. Only Gordie Howe, among players active in the game, has passed the 300-goal milestone.
Gerry James, the running star of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was the runner-up for the award. Gerry came back to the football wars this season after two years of toil with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He broke the Canadian pro scoring record, the Western Conference rushing mark and was one big reason his team was in Varsity stadium on Grey Cup day.
Al Balding, the Toronto golfer who was a stroke away from golf’s biggest payoff – the $100,000 world’s championship at Tam O’Shanter – was placed third. Al won $30,000 this year on the golf trail – the best showing ever by a Canadian.
Lindy Lindmoser, the Vancouver fighter who won the U.S. amateur light heavyweight championship, received honorable mention.
The Rocket had scored 11 goals in Montreal’s first 13 games when he was injured. But the big one was Oct. 19 against the Chicago Black Hawks.
The goal came at the Forum – scene of some of the Rocket’s greatest triumphs. The partisan Montreal crowd – most exuberant in all of hockey – went wild when their hero put the puck behind goalie Glenn Hall for the magic goal.
In addition to the 504 regular season goals, the Rocket has scored 70 in playoff competition. The post-season games seem to bring out the best in the Rocket- probably as great a competitor as sport has seen.
Richard scored five goals in one playoff game against Toronto and almost duplicated the feat again last year with four against the Boston Bruins.
Rocket has missed only one playoff series since he joined the Habs. That was in 1955 when NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended him.
With Richard in the lineup, the Canadiens were leading the NHL. Minus their top scorer the Habs lost the NHL title and the Stanley Cup to the Detroit Red Wings.
A Turning Point
The suspension seemed to be a turning point in Rocket’s career. Prior to it, he was one of the most controversial and most penalized players in hockey.
Since then, the Richard career has been free of incidents. When the injury side-lined him in November, Richard was on of the least penalized players in the NHL.
The Rocket will be 37 next August. Time appears to have had little effect on his ability to score goals. He says he will quit the season he can’t score 20. At the rate he started this season that day may be a long way off.
Richard joins some of the greats in Canadian sport who have won the Marsh trophy – Marlene Stewart, Joe Krol, Marilyn Bell, Barbara Ann Scott and Bob McFarlane. Few will deny the trophy ever has had a more deserving winner. Marlene was last year’s winner.
Oscar Pearson is chairman of the board of judges. Other members are Charles Ring, Charles Higginbottom, Don Ross and Harry (Red) Foster.
The trophy was donated by Mr. Ring in memory of the former sports editor of The Star who died in 1936.