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Stephane Richer's career

darkhorse686

darkhorse686

Registered User
Jun 8, 2010
143
1
Toronto
How would you rate the man's career? He got off to a really promising start in Montreal and (I think) became the first Canadiens player since Guy Lafleur to hit the 50-goal mark. And yet by age 30 he seemed like a washed up has-been. I think he was an awesome talent who just lacked work ethic. Or do you suppose he was an overachiever his first few years in the league?
 
darkhorse686 said:
How would you rate the man's career? He got off to a really promising start in Montreal and (I think) became the first Canadiens player since Guy Lafleur to hit the 50-goal mark. And yet by age 30 he seemed like a washed up has-been. I think he was an awesome talent who just lacked work ethic. Or do you suppose he was an overachiever his first few years in the league?
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it wasnt bad. not a hall of famer or anything, but his career reminds me of Bernie Nicholls for some reason.
 
Didn't he have depression problems? I missed the bulk of his career so I didn't see him in his prime, but I did hear that he had been battling depression for most of his career. Not sure how much that played in.
 
I was compiling a list of notable players to collect hockey cards for and I completely forgot Richer till I saw his stats. Never was a star but man did that guy put up a tonne of pts. Majority of them came in the high scoring rather than dead puck era though.
 
GRoberts07 said:
Didn't he have depression problems? I missed the bulk of his career so I didn't see him in his prime, but I did hear that he had been battling depression for most of his career. Not sure how much that played in.
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Exactly.

Richer actually attempted suicide, AT LEAST ONCE.

http://www.985sports.ca/hockey/nouvelles/quand-j-ai-manque-mon-suicide-je-me-suis-retire-92119.html

NOTE : The hyperlink is in French, and I posted it only to avoid any suspicions of "libel".

There was also, POSSIBLY, another attempt. I won't give more details, because my recollections about this aren't that clear. Suffice to say that the other attempt (which would, chronologically, have been the first) came at a very weird timing.

Back on the player, great skater, shooter and exceptionnal athlete.... with everything that this implies. He wasn't exactly a one-way player either - much more defensively conscious than, say, Brett Hull.
 
Tremendously talented guy. But his head never really in the game. Like it was said, he suffered depression. He said on a tv show recently that when the Habs won the cup in 86, when everyone was happy celebrating his head like a a thousand miles away and he only wanted to hide and was acting like he was happy. And in Montreal it's the last place you want to be if you have confidence problems.
 
MXD said:
Exactly.

Richer actually attempted suicide, AT LEAST ONCE.

http://www.985sports.ca/hockey/nouvelles/quand-j-ai-manque-mon-suicide-je-me-suis-retire-92119.html

NOTE : The hyperlink is in French, and I posted it only to avoid any suspicions of "libel".

There was also, POSSIBLY, another attempt. I won't give more details, because my recollections about this aren't that clear. Suffice to say that the other attempt (which would, chronologically, have been the first) came at a very weird timing.

Back on the player, great skater, shooter and exceptionnal athlete.... with everything that this implies. He wasn't exactly a one-way player either - much more defensively conscious than, say, Brett Hull.
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i remember lou lamoriello thought very highly of him, and that's a tough critic. i guess the question was when he was a top ten goal scorer in the league, was that richer when his head was clear, or could he have been better?
 
As others have noted, had a good career with moments of greatness, but had the talent to be a lot more if not for his depression/mental health issues.

Was one of the most talented wingers of the late '80s/early '90s - had pretty much every skill imaginable. Great size, wicked shot, soft hands in close, could dangle defenders. Similar skillset to Todd Bertuzzi and actually looked a bit similar on the ice, only with a far harder shot but not the (occasional) mean streak.

Should have been a perennial 40-50 goal scorer.

One of the most ridiculous goals I've ever seen was by Richer, where he's getting pitchforked in front of the net with his legs being flipped over his head, and he's still stickhandling while inverted before ripping it by the goalie. Unfortunately I can't find it on youtube, maybe someone else can.
 
One question is which Richer would you rather have:

1. The inconsistent scorer and gamebreaker he was with the Habs or
2. The consistent two way player he was with the Devils when they won in 1995. He tied for playoff scoring lead that year.

This is how versatile he could be.
 
LeBlondeDemon10 said:
One question is which Richer would you rather have:

1. The inconsistent scorer and gamebreaker he was with the Habs or
2. The consistent two way player he was with the Devils when they won in 1995. He tied for playoff scoring lead that year.

This is how versatile he could be.
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The 1992-95 Richer was probably the 'best' Richer. Scoring at a 35-40 goal clip while playing a solid two-way game under Lemaire and even doing some PK work.

He fell into a deep depression after the 1995 Cup win and was never really the same player again after that.
 
MS said:
As others have noted, had a good career with moments of greatness, but had the talent to be a lot more if not for his depression/mental health issues.

Was one of the most talented wingers of the late '80s/early '90s - had pretty much every skill imaginable. Great size, wicked shot, soft hands in close, could dangle defenders. Similar skillset to Todd Bertuzzi and actually looked a bit similar on the ice, only with a far harder shot but not the (occasional) mean streak.

Should have been a perennial 40-50 goal scorer.

One of the most ridiculous goals I've ever seen was by Richer, where he's getting pitchforked in front of the net with his legs being flipped over his head, and he's still stickhandling while inverted before ripping it by the goalie. Unfortunately I can't find it on youtube, maybe someone else can.
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It's in the video in that great highlights package thread, about 4:40 in.
 
People forget him because he fell of so quickly. His prime was great but hes youth was tarnished with arrogance and diva moments, thats why habs traded him iirc. Then there were his depression in his twillight.
 
Was my favourite player for a few years while he was with the Habs (I was devastated when I first heard they traded him to the Devils, but I learned to like Muller pretty quickly).

As many have said here, he was a very gifted offensive player, who was capable at both ends of the ice, even when he was with the Habs. One of the best slap shots for a forward in his day. I believe he was the only player who appeared in both the Fastest Skater and Hardest Shot competitions at the first All-Star Game Skills Comp in Pittsburgh. When in Montreal, he was consistently dogged due to his perceived lack of desire, though it is obvious that his depression was a big factor in that. I don’t think him and Burns ever really got along, but again, in the Macho world of the NHL, people didn’t suffer depression, they were “weak minded†or “lazyâ€.
 
HabsByTheBay said:
It's in the video in that great highlights package thread, about 4:40 in.
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I was actually wondering who that was as I watched the video a few days ago. Richer had almost slipped my mind, the goal had completley. Thanks. Love the little kick to get the puck to the blade. A little surprised this didn´t come up more when Ovechkin scored his famous goal in 06 (?).

For those to lazy to switch threads, 4:36 in:
 
feffan said:
I was actually wondering who that was as I watched the video a few days ago. Richer had almost slipped my mind, the goal had completley. Thanks. Love the little kick to get the puck to the blade. A little surprised this didn´t come up more when Ovechkin scored his famous goal in 06 (?).

For those to lazy to switch threads, 4:36 in:
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That's not Richer. He was #44 and a right-handed shot.
 
feffan said:
I was actually wondering who that was as I watched the video a few days ago. Richer had almost slipped my mind, the goal had completley. Thanks. Love the little kick to get the puck to the blade. A little surprised this didn´t come up more when Ovechkin scored his famous goal in 06 (?).

For those to lazy to switch threads, 4:36 in:
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Thanks but that's not the goal I was talking about.

The one I'm referring to he was near-stationary in the slot and I think took a pass from a teammate in the corner. Just as the puck is about to get to him he gets slow-motion pitchforked by a defender putting his legs over his head, but still accepts the pass, stickhandles once, and shoots it all while essentially upside down. Ridiculous amount of focus and skill to still get a shot away in that situation.
 
He spoke on Off the Record about a year ago in great detail about his depression. He shows a picture of him winning the Cup with New Jersey in 1995 during the parade. He says that 3 days later he tried to kill himself. Just one extreme to another. I don't think he ever explained what was at the root of his depression so I am not sure about is upbringing or anything like that.

That being said it all makes a lot of sense. He had two 50 goal seasons in Montreal. He then had a 61 point season right after his 51 goal year which is strange. Then there are other parts in his career, for example getting 32 points in a full season in 1996 while he was still young.

I don't think he was close to Bernie Nicholls though like someone mentioned. Nicholls was a consitent scorer for a long time and while I wouldn't bring his name up for the HHOF the truth is I'd have him on my team over Richer at any point.

Richer did certainly have Hall of Fame talent though, which is a shame that he didn't get the best out of himself.
 
Depression often doesn't have roots. It's a mental illness that just comes, and it's often made worse when you start beating yourself up over how lucky you are in life yet you still feel blue.
 
I don't think he was close to Bernie Nicholls though like someone mentioned. Nicholls was a consitent scorer for a long time and while I wouldn't bring his name up for the HHOF the truth is I'd have him on my team over Richer at any point.
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yes, obviously.
 
MS said:
Thanks but that's not the goal I was talking about.

The one I'm referring to he was near-stationary in the slot and I think took a pass from a teammate in the corner. Just as the puck is about to get to him he gets slow-motion pitchforked by a defender putting his legs over his head, but still accepts the pass, stickhandles once, and shoots it all while essentially upside down. Ridiculous amount of focus and skill to still get a shot away in that situation.
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Haha. My bad for jumping the gun when there was too little memory or thought put in. My next thougt actually was that then I guess it´s Brylin (on the goal I "picked"...), wise by my newly made mistake a few taps on the keyboard revealed it to be Scott Pellerin. Another player I guess I wouldn´t have remembered if it wasn´t that I remember liking his name late 90´s... The 90´s memories are getting foggy I guess.
 
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