How it unfolded
The spark came four days earlier in Boston. On 13 March at Boston Garden, Maurice Richard took a stick to the head, retaliated against Hal Laycoe, and punched linesman Cliff Thompson. NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the rest of the regular season and the entire playoffs — unprecedented for the league's scoring leader with games still to play. The Forum atmosphere turned hostile before Detroit arrived. When Campbell took his seat during the first period, fans threw tomatoes, eggs, and shoes; one man feigned a handshake and struck him. Tear gas followed; firefighters ordered evacuation, and Campbell awarded Detroit a forfeit at 4–1. Crowds rioted along Sainte-Catherine Street into the early hours; dozens were arrested. Richard appealed for calm on radio in French and English the next day. Bernie Geoffrion edged him for the scoring title by one point — 75 to 74 — and Forum fans booed Geoffrion. Detroit beat Montreal in seven in the Final.
Why it still matters
The night crossed from sport into politics. French-Canadian fans saw an English-speaking league president erase their hero; the riot is often read as foreshadowing Quebec's Quiet Revolution. For the league it confirmed zero tolerance for assaults on officials — a rare case where a sports event connects so directly to political awakening.