Stephane Richer

Stéphane Jean-Jacques Richer (born June 7, 1966, in Ripon, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.

Career
Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. Richer won the Calder Cup in 1985. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 and with the New Jersey Devils in 1995.

After his Stanley Cup run in New Jersey, he found himself bouncing from team to team through trades including Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, a second stint in Montreal, and even a trip back to the minors before ultimately retiring.

He was openly criticized by other players for his comments during the NHL Lockout of 1995 leading to 1/2 the normal season when he stated "...we should be playing hockey", when asked about the strike and his feelings about the negotiations.

Richer is among the all time leaders in playoff overtime goals, with four. The breakdown:

April 8, 1989 - At 5:01 of overtime, the Canadiens defeat the Hartford Whalers in Game 3 of the Adams Division Semifinals

April 19, 1991 - A mere 27 seconds into overtime, Richer ends Game 2 of the Adams Division Finals with a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.

May 7, 1994 - At 14:19 of overtime, Game 4 ends of the Eastern Conference Semifinals ends with a 5-4 Devils victory over the Bruins.

May 15, 1994 - Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals concludes with a 4-3 New Jersey win over the New York Rangers at 15:23 of the second overtime.

Richer scored 50+ goals for the Montreal Canadiens in 1987-88 and 1989-90, becoming the only player to do so since Guy Lafleur's heyday. Richer confirmed during the 2001-02 season that he has been battling depression during the majority of his career.

The ensuing year after winning the Cup, New Jersey missed the playoffs. Richer was blamed for the collapse and was subsequently traded back to Montreal Canadiens in 1996-97 season.

Playing style
Richer was known to have one of the hardest shots in the NHL during his playing days, coupled with an extremely quick release. Unlike many other players, Richer only had to wind up his stick to about waist height to achieve full power on his shot. Recognition of his hard shot was noticed even more when Fleer trading cards included Richer in their "Slapshot Artists" limited set for the 1994-95 season. During the 1994 New Jersey Devils team-only skills competition prior to the All-Star Game, Richer recorded multiple slapshots that exceeded the 100mph mark.

In a well documented legend, during one pre-game warm up session in New Jersey, Richer fired a slapshot at his own goalie, Martin Brodeur, which shattered the cup in Brodeur's jock strap, leaving him bruised and nauseous. Brodeur had to leave the ice and change equipment moments before the game started.

A fast skater with a big body (approx. 6'3", 225lbs.), Richer used skill and his shot to beat opponents as opposed to a hard-hitting power forward style which was prototypical of an NHL player of his proportions.