Long before Maurice Richard became the first player to score 500 goals in the
NHL in 1957, and even before he became the NHL's all-time scoring leader in
1952, Richard was honored with a special tribute night at the Montreal Forum.
On Feb 17, 1951, in front of a record crowd of 15,780 fans, he was showered
with over $6,000 worth of gifts, a small fortune in those days. The event was
like nothing ever before in hockey. It took place between the first and second
periods and was carried Canada-wide by CBC radio. According to an issue of The
Hockey News dated at the time, gifts included a new car (1951 DeSoto), an
electric sewing machine, a huge liquor cabinet, a 200- piece kitchen ware set,
a vacuum cleaner, expensive silverware, a combination radio, a special trophy
to honor his greatness, shares in a publicly-owned golf course and a giant
refrigerator.

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