Henri played his entire professional career with the Canadiens and won the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player, the most in NHL history.

Richard and Bill Russell of the National Basketball Association are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league.

[2] His older brother Maurice Richard played hockey for the Montreal Canadiens beginning in 1942, when Henri was six years old.

[8][2] The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in each of Henri Richard's first five seasons, the longest championship streak in NHL history.

[11] The 1971 Stanley Cup finals were a particularly controversial moment for Richard, as he was benched in Game 5 by head coach Al MacNeil on May 13, 1971.

[12] After the game, in front of reporters in the Canadiens' dressing room, Richard went on to call MacNeil "the worst coach I have ever played for.

"[13] His comments resulted in MacNeil getting death threats and requiring police protection for him and his family during the rest of the series.

[14] Despite winning the Stanley Cup, MacNeil did not have much choice except to resign as the Canadiens coach on June 10, 1971, and was replaced by Scotty Bowman.

[15] MacNeil became the general manager and head coach of their top farm team, the American Hockey League's Nova Scotia Voyageurs.

[19] Not liking the spotlight, Richard reluctantly consented to a tribute night in his honour, hosted by the Canadiens organization, before a game at the Montreal Forum on January 26, 1974.

[19] However, he insisted that the over $111,000 in donations collected for the event, be contributed towards the construction of a gymnasium for St. Arsene Orphanage on rue Critophe-Colomb.

[20][21] His brother, Maurice, made his first appearance at the Forum in almost a decade, after a feud with the Canadiens organization, and received a warm welcome from the fans.

[23] Only one other athlete in North American professional sports has achieved winning eleven championships in his respective league—Bill Russell of the NBA's Boston Celtics.

[9] In 2017, as part of the NHL's centennial celebrations, the league compiled a list of the 100 greatest players during the past century, with Richard on it.