For the uninitiated, Maurice "Rocket" Richard was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season, back in 1944-45, reaching the mark in style. He scored 50 goals in exactly 50 games.
Unlike many NHL awards that tap hockey media members to vote for a winner, the decision for the Maurice Richard Trophy is simple. The guy with the most goals during the regular season wins. Doesn't matter if the goal scoring champ is swift and stylish or hockey's version of a power forward who finds opportunity in and around the front of the net. Scoring goals is what wins the trophy.
Trophy Thursday: Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
Scoring 50 goals in a season puts an NHL player in contention for the goal scoring title: 'Rocket' Richard was the first player to hit the 50 mark