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Wednesday, May 31, 2000 Players turn out in droves for funeralMONTREAL -- The greats of hockey came together on Wednesday for the player they had no trouble describing as the greatest. Hockey legends spanning seven decades made Maurice (Rocket) Richard's funeral look more like a Hall of Fame gathering. There was Gordie Howe, his elbows a lot lower than when he and The Rocket went into many a corner in the 1940s and '50s. The tradition of brilliant French-speaking champions who wore a Canadiens jersey was well-represented by people such as Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur. Richard, who scored 544 goals in his 18-year career, would also surely have been pleased to see pure snipers like Mike Bossy and Luc Robitaille in attendance. Some of the players were moving a little slower than in years past but still commanded awe as they solemnly trooped into Notre-Dame Basilica. Everyone had a story to tell about Richard, who was blasting pucks past goalies long before Wayne Gretzky was even born. Neither Gretzky nor Mario Lemieux, who both dominated hockey in the 1980s and '90s, was present. But home-town heroes like Beliveau and Lafleur and even the once-hated Howe made fans forget about their absence. "We didn't like him because he beat us, but we still respected him," said Howe, who as a Detroit Red Wing often faced The Rocket's red glare. "He was certainly tied up in the game 24 hours a day," Howe said as he emerged from the funeral service. "I could never figure out how a man could put that much into it. I know I couldn't. I went home and forgot about it. "The Rocket would live it, right to the bitter end. That's what made him a great competitor." Elmer Lach, who along with The Rocket and Toe Blake formed the potent Punch Line for the Canadiens, was among the pallbearers. "My right arm is gone," said Lach. "It's a funny feeling. There used to be three (linemates). Now, there's only one. I'm the last one left." Bossy, the first player to tie Richard's 1944-45 record of 50 goals in 50 games, recalled that Richard was surprised at the accomplishment -- but proud another French-Canadian had equalled the mark. "Chasing after a record set by Maurice seemed impossible to me at the time," said the former New York Islander. "When I did it (in '80-'81), I was very proud. On the other hand, after I had reached the 50-50 mark, I had the chance to score another goal. I said to myself, 'That's enough. Let it stand at being equalled.'" Beliveau, who is also undergoing treatment for cancer, said he believes Richard would have been pleased with the outpouring of emotion that followed his death last Saturday. The former Canadiens captain last saw the 78-year-old hockey hero in hospital shortly before he died. "It was so sad to see such a strong man in that condition," he said Lafleur, who received chants of "Guy, Guy, Guy," from some of the crowd as he left the funeral, said Richard touched more than one generation of his family. "He was my father's idol," he said. "For me, he was a friend." But that didn't mean Richard wasn't an icon. "There's no comparison," he said. "There's only one Maurice Richard." More on Rocket Richard
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