1954–55 Montreal Canadiens season

The 1954–55 Montreal Canadiens season saw the Canadiens finish in second place in the National Hockey League (NHL) with a record of 41 wins, 18 losses, and 11 ties for 93 points. In the playoffs, they defeated the Boston Bruins in five games in the semi-finals before falling to the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This season was notable for the suspension of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Montreal's star player, by NHL president Clarence Campbell due to a vicious fight with Boston defenceman Hal Laycoe. The suspension sparked a riot by angry Canadiens fans on March 17, 1955, during a game against the Red Wings (see below).

Offseason

Regular season

Season standings

National Hockey League	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	PIM
Detroit Red Wings	70	42	17	11	95	204	134	827
Montreal Canadiens	70	41	18	11	93	228	157	890
Toronto Maple Leafs	70	24	24	22	70	147	135	990
Boston Bruins	70	23	26	21	67	169	188	863
New York Rangers	70	17	35	18	52	150	210	690
Chicago Black Hawks	70	13	40	17	43	161	235	733

The Richard Riot

On March 13, 1955, Canadiens star Maurice Richard was given a match penalty for deliberately injuring Hal Laycoe in a game against the Boston Bruins. When linesman Cliff Thompson tried to restrain Richard, the "Rocket" punched him in the face. As this was Richard's second attack on an official that season alone, a hearing was held, at the end of which NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the rest of the season and the playoffs; at the time, this was the longest suspension for an on-ice incident in NHL history. Public outrage from Montreal soon poured in, but Campbell stood firm, and moreover announced that he would be attending the Canadiens' next home game against the Red Wings on March 17.

Midway into the first period, Campbell arrived with his fiancée. Outraged Canadiens fans immediately began pelting them with eggs, vegetables, and various debris, with more being thrown at him each time the Red Wings scored, building up a 4-1 lead on Montreal. The continuous pelting of various objects stopped when a tear gas bomb was set off inside the Forum not far from where Campbell was sitting. The Forum was ordered evacuated and Campbell ruled the game forfeited to the Red Wings. That was the last straw, as a riot ensued outside the Forum, causing $500,000 in damage to the neighbourhood and the Forum itself. Hundreds of stores were looted and vandalized within a 15-block radius of the Forum. Twelve policemen and 25 civilians were injured. The riot continued well into the night, with police arresting people by the truckload. Local radio stations, which carried live coverage of the riot for over seven hours, had to be forced off the air. The riot was eventually over at 3 am, and left Montreal's Rue Ste-Catherine a mess.

Richard's suspension also cost him the Art Ross Trophy, the closest he ever came to winning it. When Richard's teammate Bernie Geoffrion passed him on the last day of the regular season, he was booed by Montreal faithful. Geoffrion, a right wing, was struggling to gain recognition of his considerable talents because Gordie Howe of Detroit, Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers, and, of course, the Rocket, were the outstanding right wings of the Original Six, the 1950s' NHL.

The Canadiens would lose the Cup final to Detroit in seven games, but would win the Cup in the year after, which came, fittingly, over the Wings — and the four years after that. Richard retired in 1960 after the Canadiens' fifth straight Stanley Cup, a record that still stands.

Player stats

Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	AST	PTS	PIM
Bernie Geoffrion	70	38	37	75	57
Maurice Richard	67	38	36	74	125
Jean Béliveau	70	37	36	73	58
Bert Olmstead	70	10	48	58	103
Ken Mosdell	70	22	32	54	82
Dickie Moore	67	16	20	36	32

Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	AST	PTS	PIM
Doug Harvey	70	6	43	49	58

Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against

Player	GP	W	L	T	SO	GAA

Playoffs

Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins 4–1 to reach the finals.

Stanley Cup Finals

Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 3	Montreal	2	Detroit	4
April 5	Montreal	1	Detroit	7
April 7	Detroit	2	Montreal	6
April 9	Detroit	3	Montreal	5
April 10	Montreal	1	Detroit	5
April 12	Detroit	3	Montreal	6
April 14	Montreal	1	Detroit	3

Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Awards and records

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Bernie Geoffrion
• James Norris Memorial Trophy: Doug Harvey
• Jean Beliveau, Centre, NHL First Team All-Star
• Bernie Geoffrion, Right Wing, NHL Second Team All-Star
• Doug Harvey, Defence, NHL First Team All-Star
• Ken Mosdell, Centre, NHL Second Team All-Star
• Maurice Richard, Right Wing, NHL First Team All-Star

References

• Canadiens on Hockey Database