How often does an NHL team get to add a 26-year-old team captain who has won championships in junior hockey, the American Hockey League and the Olympics? It happened to the Los Angeles Kings this summer when they traded for center Mike Richards. And for the first time since Wayne Gretzky was working his magic at the old Forum, the Kings appear to have what it takes for a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers had enough of Richards’ reported lack of maturity off the ice. Vague rumors of hard-partying ways followed him throughout his tenure there, and his relationship with the local media would be called adversarial at best. After a postseason flameout last spring, the Flyers traded both Richards and teammate Jeff Carter — their two top scorers — to Los Angeles and Columbus, respectively. It was a shock wave felt around the league.
“It’s a team [Richards] thought he’d be with his whole career,” NBC analyst Mike Milbury said. “They quit on him and traded him for whatever variety of reasons. But I think you’re going to get a committed, enthusiastic leader in your locker room. A guy that can play under pressure and play to the big scene in Los Angeles. I think this is going to be a great year for Mike Richards.”
And to be fair, that lack of maturity never carried over onto the ice. Richards played at least 73 games each of the last four years with a total of 112 goals for the Flyers. On a team that has made the playoffs just six times since 1994, Richards could push the Kings over the top.
– Brian McNally
