Maurice, the nickname Alex Belzile gave Anthony Richard in Laval

Anthony Richard became the third Richard to don a Montreal Canadiens uniform in the club’s history this season. Needless to say, he’ll have to climb Everest, and then some, to live up to what Maurice and Henri have meant to the Quebec nation.

Richard, who spent most of the season with the Rocket (the team), participated in the AHL All-Star Game earlier in the season. Alex Belzile wore a microphone on his jersey during the skills competition.

Belzile can be heard calling Anthony by the nickname Maurice. “Skate, Maurice!” he calls out to him.

This isn’t the first time Anthony has been called that. In an article in Le Nouvelliste last December, the Rocket forward mentioned that his friends and younger brother called him Little Maurice.

“For me, carrying Richard’s name in this organization, I don’t pay too much attention to it, but I’ve been talked about it a few times. My friends and my brother, when I was younger, called me little Maurice. I got teased about it. There’s no pressure. It would be a great story if I could play with the Canadiens and add a Richard to their roster.”

-Anthony Richard

Obviously, we won’t make a big deal out of a nickname given by a friend in such a context. It’s funny, it’s jovial.

Now, it’s probably fair to say that the nickname probably won’t be adopted in Montreal, in the media and among fans. After all, Maurice is certainly one of the three greatest players in Canadiens history, and the nickname Maurice should not be taken lightly.

It’s all very well in Laval, between chums … But it’ll probably stop there.

In a gust

– Jon Cooper reacts.

– Brayden Point back for next game?

– Morgan Rielly, a good person, but that doesn’t take anything away from the incident.