Stéphane Richer
Stephane Richer (born 7 June, 1966 in Buckingham, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey left winger.
Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 1,054 career NHL games, scoring 421 goals and 398 assists for 819 points. He won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995.
Noted for his slap shot and ability to 'dangle' with the puck despite his size and longer than average stick, he was always a threat to score from outside the normal shot zone for most wingers. After his Stanley Cup run in New Jersey, he found himself bouncing from team to team through trades including Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and even a trip back to the minors before ultimately retiring after being traded back to the New Jersey Devils where he saw his greatest success.
He was openly criticized by other players for his comments during the NHLPA strike of 1995 leading to 1/2 the normal season when he stated "...we should be playing hockey", when asked about the strike and his feelings about the negotiations.[citation needed]
Richer is among the all time leaders in playoff overtime goals, with four. The breakdown:
April 8, 1989 - At 5:01 of overtime, the Canadiens defeat the Hartford Whalers in Game 3 of the Adams Division Semifinals
April 19, 1991 - A mere 27 seconds into overtime, Richer ends Game 2 of the Adams Division Finals with a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
May 7, 1994 - At 14:19 of overtime, Game 4 ends of the Eastern Conference Semfinals ends with a 5-4 Devils victory over the Bruins.
May 15, 1994 - Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals concludes with a 4-3 New Jersey win over the New York Rangers at 15:23 of the second overtime.