Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
This week Fischler delivers one of his "Then and Now" feature, comparing superstar centers from different eras: Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens (1955-75) and current Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
There are certain traits that separate good centers from great ones in the NHL. These include on-ice vision, elite scoring prowess, leadership, championship mettle and a willingness to play a complete 200-foot game.
These are some of the assets Henri Richard and Sidney Crosby share. Not surprisingly it explains why they are rated among the greatest NHL centers of all-time.
Richard, nicknamed "The Pocket Rocket," is the only player in League history to win 11 Stanley Cup championships. He played for five straight Cup-winners from 1956-60 and finished with 1,046 points (358 goals, 688 assists) in 1,258 regular-season games and 129 points (49 goals, 80 assists) in 180 Stanley Cup playoff games.
"He was a little small (5-foot-7, 160 pounds) when he was a rookie at his first training camp," legendary Canadiens coach Toe Blake explained. "With his speed we kept telling him not to try to go through the big opposition defensemen, just go around them."
Size wasn’t the only early obstacle for Richard. He also had to play in the shadow of his uniquely gifted older brother Maurice "Rocket" Richard with the Montreal Canadiens.
Henri forged his own path, though. He became a First Team All-Star in 1957-58 and maintained his stardom well after The Rocket retired in 1960 with 544 goals and 966 points in 978 games.
"My brother's biggest thrills came when he scored so many goals," Henri said. "I was most satisfied when I played in a close game and didn't have any goals scored against me. Many people expected me to be as spectacular as Maurice, but I played a different kind of game."
Like Henri Richard, Crosby is a winner (three Stanley Cup championships) who delivers quality play at both ends of the rink. Crosby is 15th all-time in NHL history with 1,507 points (553 goals, 954 assists) in 1,195 regular season games. He’s won the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals scored in a season twice (2009-10, 2016-17) and the Art Ross Trophy for most points two times (2006-07, 2013-14).
Crosby also has 201 points (71 goals, 130 assists) in 180 playoff games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP twice (2016 and 2017) and Hart Trophy as NHL regular-season MVP two times (2006-07, 2013-14).
And like Richard, he’s excellent on face-offs and is diligent defensively, playing a complete game.
Crosby was named Penguins captain on May 31, 2007. At age 19, he became the youngest team captain in NHL history.
"I understand there's going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders but it's something that I'm ready for," Sidney said at the time. "I feel comfortable with it."
Speaking of age, Maurice Richard was not comfortable when Henri signed with the Canadiens.
"I got hurt a lot before I stuck with the big team," Maurice once revealed to me when I ghosted his autobiography, "The Flying Frenchmen." "I was concerned that Henri was too young when he came to camp in 1955."
Once during a scrimmage the brothers collided head on and both fell to the ice unconscious. When they finally revived, Maurice needed 12 stitches to close his wound and his kid brother required six stitches. Then, in a masterful understatement, Maurice intoned, "You'd better watch yourself, Henri. You might get hurt."
Crosby knows all about pain. In 2010-11, he was sidelined half the season by a concussion. He still managed to register 66 points in 41 games and led the Penguins in scoring. When concussion symptoms returned during the 2011-12 season, some observers believed that Crosby’s career just might be over.
But Crosby returned late in the 2011-12 season and had 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) in 22 games. By that time, he had the 2008-09 Cup championship under his belt. Two more would follow in 2016 and 2017.
Henri shared Stanley Cup champagne with Maurice from 1956-1960. The third man on their line, Dickie Moore, won two scoring championships, in 1957-58 and 1958-59.
"Henri was a marvelous player," Moore said. "He was a little guy compared to Maurice, but Henri was as tough and smart as they came. He could hold his own in any fight. His passes were the best and he could score as well."
Henri tallied Montreal's Cup-winning goal against the Detroit Red Wings in 1966. By that time, Blake had seen enough of the Rocket and Pocket to make this comparison.
"The Pocket became a better all-round player than the Rocket was," Blake said. "But it was asking an awful lot of any man to be the scorer that the Rocket was. He was the greatest scorer in pressure situations that I've ever seen."
Crosby is pretty good in that area, as well. And he and Henri Richard also have longevity in common. Crosby registered his 1500th NHL point at age 36 last season. Richard was 38 when he became the ninth player to reach 1,000 points in 1974.
An NHL scout who has followed the careers of both Crosby and Henri Richard put it this way: "Richard has one thing over Crosby. The Pocket is in the Hall of Fame. But you can be sure that Sidney will follow him into the Hall of Fame soon after Crosby retires. They're two of a kind.
"Best in show!"
