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Wednesday, May 31, 2000 Thousands line streets for funeral processionMONTREAL -- Dressed in a well-worn Canadiens jacket, Richard Weildman quietly shed tears Wednesday for Maurice (Rocket) Richard -- a hockey player he never saw in action. "He deserves this," Weildman, 37, said as he watched The Rocket's funeral procession snake its way through downtown Montreal. Weildman was named after Richard and idolized the Rocket, even though his career ended in 1960. "He represented the toughness of the Quebecois." One of Richard's legacies will be that he transcended generations, languages and gender. That could be seen by looking at the men, women and children and listening to the mixture of French and English among the thousands of people who watched the funeral procession. Jamie Sura, who brought his six-year-old son with him, said he will pass on the same stories of The Rocket that his father told him. "He's what made hockey a great thing to be part of in this city," Sura said. Small children swimming in oversized Canadiens jerseys walked with their parents, seemingly unaware of why they were there. Teenagers could be seen waving Canadiens flags. While Quebecers obviously hold a special place in their heart for Richard, his death has been felt across the country, said Ivan Trafford of New Brunswick. "Everybody across Canada knew Rocket Richard," said Trafford, who was visiting Montreal with his family from Florenceville, N.B. "It was kind of hard not to. He was special to the whole country." The admirers, who lined sidewalks and balconies to watch the funeral cortege, erupted in a final ovation for The Rocket as the hearse carrying his casket turned onto Ste-Catherine Street and headed toward the Notre-Dame Basilica for his funeral ceremony. Like the fans who enveloped Richard in heartfelt applause after each stunning goal on the ice, spectators sustained the clapping and whistling for minutes. Jean Carette, 45, pointed to the spontaneous applause as proof of their love for Richard. "We loved especially what he represented: courage, strength, success, passion," he said. Some people watched in silence, sipping coffee or smoking cigarettes as they watched the procession retrace part of the route taken by Canadiens' fans after Stanley Cup wins. Others followed the dozen funeral limousines as they made their way to Old Montreal for Richard's state funeral. "He was a good man," said Bernard Bouchard, 60, who remembers seeing No. 9 play at the Forum. He arrived at Ste-Catherine Street an hour early to make sure he had a good view of the cortege. Along Ste-Catherine Street, people stopped what they were doing to watch. "I don't think Montrealers ever forgot him," said Helen Hall, 54. "I don't think we'll ever see anything like this again. I don't think any other hockey player will command that respect." More on Rocket Richard
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