In 1954, legendary Canadian hockey player Maurice Richard was suspended from the NHL for a season, triggering a riot in Montreal that is widely viewed to have been a precursor to the province’s Quiet Revolution of the 1960s.

That same year, a few hundred kilometres away in Shawville, Maurice “Rocket” White was born.

White, who was fortunate to meet his namesake and idol on two occasions, has played ice hockey since the age of 11.

When his family home in Bryson burnt down in October of last year, his teammates on the Pontiac senior hockey team rallied around him.

“Our hockey team, we’re all brothers,” said White’s biological brother Jim. “We all decided to do something.”

The team put on the Rockets for Rocket fundraiser Saturday evening at the Bryson Recreation Centre.

The event featured the live musical talent of team members Marc Latreille and Reg Carker on guitar and Shane Presley on voice and percussion. It was also complete with raffles and door prizes, the proceeds of which will go towards the building of White’s new house.

“It’s tough, you don’t know how it is until you go through it yourself,” said White of losing his home.

“A couple months ago I don’t think I would have been able to come [tonight]. I just wasn’t me.”

The house was built by White’s great-grandfather in 1853 and has stayed in the family ever since.

It was also one of just three houses that survived a historical fire in Bryson that burnt most of the town to the ground in 1914.

White said that he has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support since October, which has helped him and his girlfriend Jocelyne Farrell get by.

“From day to day you never know who’s going to call you, help you out in so many different ways. It’s something to see, how the Pontiac people come through,” he said.

“We have good friends who even called us up and asked us to stay at their farm, Kevin Murphy and Jen McCollum. Couldn’t ask for better people,” he added.

White plans to rebuild on the same property.

“I’ve been there for 45 years, I won’t leave,” he said.

In the meantime, he is still playing hockey.

According to White’s daughter, Trish, “He’ll be 99 years old with broken bones everywhere and still be playing.”

From left, Jocelyne Farrell, Maurice “Rocket” White and Jim White at the Pontiac senior hockey team’s fundraising event at the Bryson Recreation Association for team member Maurice, who lost his family home in Bryson to a fire in October.

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