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Clarence CampbellClarence S. Campbell (July 9, 1905 - June 24, 1984) was a former National Hockey League President (1946-1977). Born in Fleming, Saskatchewan, Campbell graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in law and arts in 1924 and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. As NHL President, Campbell is perhaps best remembered for suspending Montreal Canadiens superstar Maurice Richard for the remaining three games of the 1955 regular season and for the entirety of the playoffs. His action came as a result of Richard's punching of linesman Cliff Thompson during a March 13 game with the Boston Bruins (Thompson was trying to break up a fight between Richard and Boston's Hal Laycoe). On March 17, Campbell attended a game at the Montreal Forum between the Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. Throughout the first period he was taunted and pelted with debris by outraged Montreal fans, who saw him as a prime example of the city's English-Canadian elite oppressing the French-Canadian majority. After a tear gas bomb was released in the arena, Campbell exited the building, the game was forfeited to the Red Wings, and the Forum was evacuated. What ensued was a full-fledged riot in which 60 people were arrested and $500,000 in damage was done (see the "Richard Riot" section of the Maurice Richard article for more details). Campbell was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. The NHL also named one of its two conferences after him (now known as the Western Conference), and even today the trophy given to the Western Conference champion in the Stanley Cup playoffs is named the Clarence Campbell Trophy. Campbell, Clarence Campbell, Clarence Campbell, Clarence Campbell, Clarence Campbell, Clarence
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