Stéphane Richer

Stéphane Richer
Stéphane Richer
Born	Stéphane Joseph Jean-Jacques Richer; June 7, 1966 (age 60); Outaouais, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey player (retired)
Years active	1984–2000
Known for	Two-time Stanley Cup winner, powerful slapshot

Stéphane Joseph Jean-Jacques Richer (; born June 7, 1966) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger.

Playing career

Selected 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Richer participated in 1,054 NHL contests, amassing 421 goals and 398 assists for a total of 819 points. He secured the Calder Cup title in 1985 and contributed five points over 16 playoff games during Montreal’s 1986 Stanley Cup championship run.

On September 20, 1991, Richer and Tom Chorske were traded from Montreal to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Kirk Muller and Roland Melanson. Richer earned another Stanley Cup ring with New Jersey in 1995, recording six goals and 15 assists across 19 postseason games. After the Devils missed the playoffs the following season, Richer was sent back to Montreal for Lyle Odelein on August 22, 1996. Subsequently, on January 15, 1998, Montreal traded Richer along with Darcy Tucker and David Wilkie to the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for Igor Ulanov, Patrick Poulin, and Mick Vukota.

His career also included tenures with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and a second spell with New Jersey before he retired from professional play.

Richer shares second place all-time for playoff overtime goals scored, with four:

April 8, 1989 – Overtime goal versus the Hartford Whalers
April 19, 1991 – Overtime goal against the Boston Bruins
May 7, 1994 – Overtime goal versus the Bruins
May 15, 1994 – Double overtime goal against the New York Rangers

He achieved the rare feat of netting 50 goals in both the 1987–88 and 1989–90 campaigns, joining Guy Lafleur as the only Canadiens players with multiple seasons reaching that mark. To date, Richer remains the last player from Montreal to reach this milestone.

Playing style

Richer was distinguished by one of the NHL’s most powerful shots, featuring an exceptionally rapid release that required only a minimal waist-level windup. His formidable shooting ability earned him inclusion in Fleer's exclusive "Slapshot Artists" set for the 1994–95 season. At New Jersey’s team skills competition in 1994, Richer recorded several slapshots surpassing speeds of 100 mph.

A memorable moment involved one of Richer’s shots breaking Martin Brodeur’s protective cup during pre-game warm-ups, which forced Brodeur to exit the ice to change equipment prior to the match.

Measuring approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 225 pounds, Richer blended size with skill and speed rather than adopting a traditional power forward approach. Despite his physical attributes, scouting assessments frequently criticized him for not fully capitalizing on his potential and occasionally described him as "coasting" through regular seasons. Nevertheless, his average points per game during regular seasons (0.78) surpassed his playoff rate (0.73).

Retirement

In October 2009, Richer participated as a pairs figure skater alongside Marie-France Dubreuil on CBC's reality television series Battle of the Blades.

Personal life and mental health struggles

Following his retirement, Richer and his wife Lisa settled in Naples, Florida. He later disclosed that he had struggled with clinical depression for much of his playing career. After winning the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 1995, he experienced a suicide attempt while driving. On February 8, 2012, Richer appeared with Darryl Strawberry in a documentary produced by Michael Landsberg where he openly discussed his battles with mental health issues.

Records and accomplishments

Youngest player in Montreal Canadiens history to net 50 goals during a single season at the age of 21
Youngest Canadiens athlete to achieve 100 career goals, reaching this milestone at 22 years and 205 days
One of just two players from the Canadiens to record multiple 50-goal seasons (Guy Lafleur holds six such seasons)
Two-time Stanley Cup winner (1986, 1995)

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1982–83	Laval Insulaires	QMAAA	48	47	54	101	86	—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Granby Bisons	QMJHL	67	39	37	76	62	3	1	1	2	4
1984–85	Granby Bisons	QMJHL	30	30	27	57	31	—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Chicoutimi Saguenéens	QMJHL	27	31	32	63	40	12	13	13	26	25
1984–85	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	1	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Sherbrooke Canadiens	AHL					9	3	6	9	10
1985–86	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	65	21	16	37	50	16	4	1	5	23
1986–87	Sherbrooke Canadiens	AHL	12	10	4	14	11
1986–87	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	57	20	19	39	80	5	3	2	0
1987–88	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	72	50	28	78	72	8	7	5	12	6
1988–89	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	68	25	35	60	61	21	6	5	11	14
1989–90	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	75	51	40	91	46	9	7	3	10	2
1990–91	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	75	31	30	61	53	13	9	5	14	6
1991–92	New Jersey Devils	NHL	74	29	35	64	25	7	1	2	3	0
1992–93	New Jersey Devils	NHL	78	38	35	73	44	5	2	2	4	2
1993–94	New Jersey Devils	NHL	80	36	36	72	16	20	7	5	12	6
1994–95	New Jersey Devils	NHL	45	23	16	39	10	19	6	15	21	2
1995–96	New Jersey Devils	NHL	73	20	12	32	30	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	63	22	24	46	32	5	0	0	0	0
1997–98	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	14	5	4	9	5	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	26	9	11	20	— \|— \|— \|— \|—
Tampa Bay Lightning \| NHL \|64 \|12 \|21 \|33 \|22 \|— \|— \|— \|— \|—
Tampa Bay Lightning \| NHL \|20 \|7 \|5 \|12 \|4 \|— \|— \|— \|— \|—
Detroit Vipers \| IHL \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|— \|— \|— \|— \|—
St. Louis Blues \| NHL \|36 \|8 \|17 \|25 \|14 \|3 \|1 \|0 \|1 \|0
Pittsburgh Penguins\| NHL\|58\|13\|12\|25\|14\| —\| —\| —\| —\| —
New Jersey Devils\|NHL\|10\|1\|2\|3\|0\|3\|0\|0\|0\|0
Sorel-Tracy Mission\|LNAH\|8\|2\|6\|8\|0
NHL totals			1,054	421	398	819	614	134	53	45	98	61

International

Year	Team	Tournament	Achievement		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1985	Canada	WJC	Template:Gold1		7	4	3	7	2
Junior career totals					7	4	3	7	2

External links