Today marks one of the darkest days in hockey: The Rocket Richard Riots.

It was 62 years ago today, and although many who were in attendance are no longer with us, it's a day that is likely to be remembered forever in hockey's history.

On March 17th of 1955 the Rocket Richard riots took place in Montreal after fans were outraged that their hero Maurice Richard had been suspended for the remainder of both the regular season as well as the playoffs for punching a National Hockey League official.

Richard had been suspended by Clarence Campbell who at the time was the President of the National Hockey League. In a show of pure defiance in the face of outrage from the Montreal community, Campbell attended the following game in Montreal and it wasn't long before things got out of hand.

Some have criticized Campbell over the years for showing up after the game was already underway, making somewhat of a spectacle of his arrival as a result. While that may be fair, it also took tremendous courage for Campbell to stand in front of an extremely hostile crowd. That hostility however poured out into the streets after a tear gas bomb went off inside causing all hell to break loose.

Here's a CBC report on the riots:

Image courtesy The Hockey News