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Clarence 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.