Brad Richards
Encyclopedia
Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey
centre
and alternate captain for the New York Rangers
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
. Richards has been friends with Vincent Lecavalier
since the age of 14, when they met at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
, a boarding school
with an excellent hockey program in Saskatchewan
, Canada. They were roommates and soon became good friends as they were both the youngest players on their hockey team. Since then they have gone on to being teammates for the Rimouski Océanic
of the QMJHL and Tampa Bay Lightning
. Lecavalier was also responsible for suggesting to the Lightning management after they had drafted him to draft Richards.
In his final season with Rimouski, Richards won nearly every honor possible for a Canadian junior player in the QMJHL: he earned the Jean Béliveau Trophy
after leading the league with 186 points, as well as the Telus Cup, given to the league's best offensive player; he won the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League
Plus/Minus Awards with a plus-80 mark, and was a First-Team All-Star in both the Quebec circuit and the CHL, as well as the CHL Player of the Year
and Leading Scorer. In the postseason, Richards took home both the Guy Lafleur Trophy
as MVP of the 'Q' league playoffs, then the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
as MVP of the Memorial Cup
, as the Océanic won both the QMJHL playoff title and the CHL
national championship.
Richards was drafted in the 3rd round, 64th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning
in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
, despite recording 82 assists and 115 points in his draft year. During that same draft, the Lightning selected Vincent Lecavalier
, Richards' teammate at the both Athol Murray College of Notre Dame and Rimouski, with the first overall pick. Richards went on to win the Conn Smythe
and the Lady Byng
Trophies in 2004. He also won the Stanley Cup
with the Lightning in 2004. Later that same year, he won the World Cup of Hockey
Championship playing on Team Canada. Richards holds the record for game-winning goals in a single playoff season with seven in 2004, overtaking Joe Sakic
's and Joe Nieuwendyk
's record of six.
Richards played for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League during the 2004–05 NHL lockout on a team with fellow NHL'ers
Ilya Kovalchuk
, Alexei Kovalev
, Vincent Lecavalier
, Michael Nylander
, Alexei Zhitnik
, Dany Heatley
, and Nikolai Khabibulin
.
Richards played for Team Canada in the 2006 Olympics
.
After the team was eliminated from the 2006 playoffs, Richards signed a 5-year contract with the Lightning worth $39 million (US).
, Richards was traded to the Dallas Stars in a blockbuster deal along with goaltender Johan Holmqvist
for goalie Mike Smith, centre Jeff Halpern
, winger Jussi Jokinen
and a 2009
4th round draft pick. Richards set a career high and made Stars franchise history by recording five assists in his first game as a Star. The Stars defeated the Blackhawks 7–4, and Richards was named the number one star of the game.
In the 2008 Playoffs
, Richards tied an NHL record by scoring four points in a single period in game 2 against the San Jose Sharks
.
During the 2008–09 season
, Richards tallied 16 goals and 48 points in 55 games before sustaining a broken right wrist following a check from Columbus Blue Jackets
forward Jakub Voráček
on February 16, 2009. Richards met with a specialist the following day and missed 15 games.
Richards returned to the Dallas Stars
lineup March 21, but the former playoff MVP then broke his other hand in the third period of Dallas' loss to San Jose Sharks
. He would not return for the rest of the 2009 season, and the Stars missed the playoffs.
In the 2009-10 offseason, the team removed GMs Brett Hull
and Les Jackson
who had traded for Richards, and fired coach Dave Tippett
who was replaced by Marc Crawford
. Despite the new regime and the team's woeful finish in the standings for the second straight season, Richards enjoyed a career year matching a personal high with 91 points playing mainly alongside Loui Eriksson
and roommate James Neal. Richards finished 7th in the NHL points standings that year, just behind former teammate Martin St. Louis
. He also finished fourth in total assists, and second in powerplay production in the league. The Stars however would fail to reach the playoffs again. After the season, Richards was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.
on July 2nd. He was also approached by the Calgary Flames
, Los Angeles Kings
, Toronto Maple Leafs
and the Tampa Bay Lightning
.
On October 8, 2011, Richards scored his first goal as a New York Ranger in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The game was played at the Ericsson Globe in Sweden.
, his childhood home. Richards has hosted the Brad Richards PEI Celebrity Golf Classic for the past six years. The event supports two charities:
Children’s Wish Foundation, Prince Edward Island Chapter and Autism Society of Prince Edward Island. He is friends with CBC's Hockey Night in Canada
host Ron MacLean
, who spends a lot of time in PEI.
Richards is also a well known wine aficionado and filmed a segment about wine tasting for nhl.com. Also a big football fan, he considers the Green Bay Packers to be his favorite NFL team.
Richards rented a suite at the St. Pete Times Forum
for several Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games and invited families dealing with various forms of pediatric cancer to use it. After each game he would go and visit the children who had come to watch the game. It began during the 2002-2003 season and ended in 2008. When he was traded to the Dallas Stars he continued his charity work with the Children’s Medical Center’s Oncology Department, supplying tickets for sick children. He also donates tickets to every home game to men and women in the military.
Richards underwent arthoscopic hip surgery on April 23, 2010, to repair a small labrum tear. Rehabilitation from this surgery usually requires 8 weeks.
In September 2010, Richards donated $
500,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
International statistics
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
and alternate captain for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Early career
Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward IslandMurray Harbour, Prince Edward Island
Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island is a Canadian fishing community in southeastern Kings County, Prince Edward Island.Located in the township of Lot 64, the community is named after General the Honourable James Murray, , Governor of Quebec .With an area of 4.1 km2 and an extensive...
. Richards has been friends with Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
since the age of 14, when they met at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
- History :In 1920, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis opened the Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent and St. Augustine's residential elementary and high school for boys and girls at Wilcox, Saskatchewan; a small town on the Canadian prairies south of Regina – the provincial capital.Father Athol...
, a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
with an excellent hockey program in Saskatchewan
Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Wilcox is a small village in Saskatchewan, Canada. Located approximately 41 kilometers south of Regina, Wilcox is best known for being the home of the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The village is also home to the Notre Dame Hounds ice hockey...
, Canada. They were roommates and soon became good friends as they were both the youngest players on their hockey team. Since then they have gone on to being teammates for the Rimouski Océanic
Rimouski Océanic
The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season...
of the QMJHL and Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. Lecavalier was also responsible for suggesting to the Lightning management after they had drafted him to draft Richards.
In his final season with Rimouski, Richards won nearly every honor possible for a Canadian junior player in the QMJHL: he earned the Jean Béliveau Trophy
Jean Béliveau Trophy
The Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award is named after Quebec native Jean Beliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
after leading the league with 186 points, as well as the Telus Cup, given to the league's best offensive player; he won the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
Plus/Minus Awards with a plus-80 mark, and was a First-Team All-Star in both the Quebec circuit and the CHL, as well as the CHL Player of the Year
CHL Player of the Year
The CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from the winners of the Red Tilson Trophy , Michel Briere Memorial Trophy , and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy .-Winners:* 2010-11 Ryan Ellis,...
and Leading Scorer. In the postseason, Richards took home both the Guy Lafleur Trophy
Guy Lafleur Trophy
The Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
as MVP of the 'Q' league playoffs, then the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament...
as MVP of the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
, as the Océanic won both the QMJHL playoff title and the CHL
CHL
-Ice hockey:* Canadian Hockey League , the umbrella organization for Canadian major junior hockey* Central Hockey League, now the Central Canada Hockey League , a Junior A ice hockey league...
national championship.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
, despite recording 82 assists and 115 points in his draft year. During that same draft, the Lightning selected Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
, Richards' teammate at the both Athol Murray College of Notre Dame and Rimouski, with the first overall pick. Richards went on to win the Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
and the Lady Byng
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"...
Trophies in 2004. He also won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Lightning in 2004. Later that same year, he won the World Cup of Hockey
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
Championship playing on Team Canada. Richards holds the record for game-winning goals in a single playoff season with seven in 2004, overtaking Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
's and Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
's record of six.
Richards played for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League during the 2004–05 NHL lockout on a team with fellow NHL'ers
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
, Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Vyacheslavovich "Alex" Kovalev is a Russian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Kontinental Hockey League....
, Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
, Michael Nylander
Michael Nylander
Michael Nylander is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre who is currently a free agent.- Playing career :Nylander was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the third round in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft...
, Alexei Zhitnik
Alexei Zhitnik
Oleksiy Mykolaiovych "Alexei" Zhitnik is a retired Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey defenceman. Zhitnik has played more games in the National Hockey League than any other Soviet-born defenceman. He has represented the Soviet Union, CIS, and Russia internationally, and Ukraine during two NHL All-Star...
, Dany Heatley
Dany Heatley
Daniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
, and Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
.
Richards played for Team Canada in the 2006 Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
.
After the team was eliminated from the 2006 playoffs, Richards signed a 5-year contract with the Lightning worth $39 million (US).
Dallas Stars
On February 26, 2008, roughly 3 hours before the NHL trade deadlineNHL trade deadline
The National Hockey League's trade deadline is a date set by the NHL league office after which no trades are allowed for the remainder of the season. The deadline for the 2011–12 NHL season is set for February 27, 2012 at 3 pm EST. Prior to the current CBA, the trade deadline date had been in...
, Richards was traded to the Dallas Stars in a blockbuster deal along with goaltender Johan Holmqvist
Johan Holmqvist
Johan Erik Daniel Holmqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Brynäs IF in Elitserien.-Career:...
for goalie Mike Smith, centre Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, winger Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen
Jussi Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
and a 2009
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
4th round draft pick. Richards set a career high and made Stars franchise history by recording five assists in his first game as a Star. The Stars defeated the Blackhawks 7–4, and Richards was named the number one star of the game.
In the 2008 Playoffs
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
, Richards tied an NHL record by scoring four points in a single period in game 2 against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
During the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Richards tallied 16 goals and 48 points in 55 games before sustaining a broken right wrist following a check from Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
forward Jakub Voráček
Jakub Vorácek
Jakub Voráček is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
on February 16, 2009. Richards met with a specialist the following day and missed 15 games.
Richards returned to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
lineup March 21, but the former playoff MVP then broke his other hand in the third period of Dallas' loss to San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He would not return for the rest of the 2009 season, and the Stars missed the playoffs.
In the 2009-10 offseason, the team removed GMs Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
and Les Jackson
Les Jackson
Les Jackson was an English cricketer. A fast or fast-medium bowler renowned for his accurate bowling and particular hostility on uncovered wickets, he played county cricket for Derbyshire from 1947 to 1963, and was regularly at, or near the top of, the English bowling averages...
who had traded for Richards, and fired coach Dave Tippett
Dave Tippett
David G. Tippett is a National Hockey League head coach, currently of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is the 6th person to be the head coach of the Coyotes, and the 21st coach in the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He is the former head coach of the Dallas Stars...
who was replaced by Marc Crawford
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...
. Despite the new regime and the team's woeful finish in the standings for the second straight season, Richards enjoyed a career year matching a personal high with 91 points playing mainly alongside Loui Eriksson
Loui Eriksson
Loui Eriksson is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger and an alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and roommate James Neal. Richards finished 7th in the NHL points standings that year, just behind former teammate Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. He also finished fourth in total assists, and second in powerplay production in the league. The Stars however would fail to reach the playoffs again. After the season, Richards was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.
New York Rangers
After becoming an unrestricted free agent, Richards signed a nine-year contract worth $60 million with the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on July 2nd. He was also approached by the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
.
On October 8, 2011, Richards scored his first goal as a New York Ranger in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The game was played at the Ericsson Globe in Sweden.
Personal
During the offseason, he goes back to Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, his childhood home. Richards has hosted the Brad Richards PEI Celebrity Golf Classic for the past six years. The event supports two charities:
Children’s Wish Foundation, Prince Edward Island Chapter and Autism Society of Prince Edward Island. He is friends with CBC's Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
host Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
, who spends a lot of time in PEI.
Richards is also a well known wine aficionado and filmed a segment about wine tasting for nhl.com. Also a big football fan, he considers the Green Bay Packers to be his favorite NFL team.
Richards rented a suite at the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
for several Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games and invited families dealing with various forms of pediatric cancer to use it. After each game he would go and visit the children who had come to watch the game. It began during the 2002-2003 season and ended in 2008. When he was traded to the Dallas Stars he continued his charity work with the Children’s Medical Center’s Oncology Department, supplying tickets for sick children. He also donates tickets to every home game to men and women in the military.
Richards underwent arthoscopic hip surgery on April 23, 2010, to repair a small labrum tear. Rehabilitation from this surgery usually requires 8 weeks.
In September 2010, Richards donated $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
500,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Prince Edward Island
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a 274 bed acute care hospital located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, making it the largest hospital in the province....
in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Awards
- 1999–2000: CHL Player of the YearCHL Player of the YearThe CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from the winners of the Red Tilson Trophy , Michel Briere Memorial Trophy , and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy .-Winners:* 2010-11 Ryan Ellis,...
- 1999–2000: CHL Leading Scorer
- 1999–2000: CHL Plus/Minus Award Winner
- 1999–2000: CHL First All-Star Team
- 1999–20001999–2000 QMJHL seasonThe 1999–2000 QMJHL season was the 31st season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league grants the Montreal Rocket an expansion franchise, returning a team to the most populous city in Quebec. The QMJHL splits into four divisions, retaining the names Lebel and Dilio for...
: QMJHLQuebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
Michel Brière Memorial TrophyMichel Brière Memorial TrophyThe Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It is named for former QMJHL and NHL player Michel Briere, who was killed in a car accident....
(Most Valuable Player) - 1999–2000: QMJHL Jean Béliveau TrophyJean Béliveau TrophyThe Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award is named after Quebec native Jean Beliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
(Leading scorer) - 1999–2000: QMJHL Plus/Minus Award Winner
- 1999–2000: QMJHL Guy Lafleur TrophyGuy Lafleur TrophyThe Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
(Playoff MVP) - 1999–2000: QMJHL First All-Star Team
- 1999–2000: Memorial CupMemorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Stafford Smythe Memorial TrophyStafford Smythe Memorial TrophyThe Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament...
(MVP) - 1999–2000: Memorial Cup All-Star Team
- 2000–01: NHL All-Rookie TeamNHL All-Rookie TeamThe NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
- 2001–02: NHL YoungStars GameNHL YoungStars GameThe NHL YoungStars Game started in 2002, to replace the Heroes of Hockey Old-Timers game during the All-Star Weekend activities. The first four games were played as separate games to the actual All-Star Game, but starting in 2008, it was changed to become part of the NHL Super Skills Competition,...
participant - 2003–04: NHL Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
- 2003–04: NHL Conn Smythe TrophyConn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
(Playoff MVP) - 2003–04: NHL Lady Byng Trophy (Sportsmanship)
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
+/- | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | ||
| 1996–97 | Notre Dame Hounds Notre Dame Hounds The Notre Dame Hounds are a Junior "A" team based out of Wilcox, Saskatchewan. They play out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Hounds also had a Junior "B" team that played out of the South Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League, but the team folded after the 2005-06 Season. The team... |
SJHL Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences... |
63 | 39 | 48 | 87 | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 QMJHL season The 1997–98 QMJHL season was the 29th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Quebec Remparts name is revived after twelve years when the Beauport Harfangs change identities... |
Rimouski Océanic Rimouski Océanic The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season... |
QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
68 | 33 | 82 | 115 | +12 | 44 | 19 | 8 | 24 | 32 | — | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 QMJHL season The 1998–99 QMJHL season was the 30th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league continued its trend of teams relocating into the Atlantic Canada market, when Laval moved to Bathurst, New Brunswick. Fifteen teams played 70 games each in the schedule... |
Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 59 | 39 | 92 | 131 | +18 | 55 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 21 | — | 6 | ||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 QMJHL season The 1999–2000 QMJHL season was the 31st season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league grants the Montreal Rocket an expansion franchise, returning a team to the most populous city in Quebec. The QMJHL splits into four divisions, retaining the names Lebel and Dilio for... |
Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 63 | 71 | 115 | 186 | +80 | 69 | 12 | 13 | 24 | 37 | +6 | 16 | ||
| 2000–01 | Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
82 | 21 | 41 | 62 | -10 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | -18 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 80 | 17 | 57 | 74 | +3 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 5 | -3 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 26 | 53 | 79 | +14 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 14 | 26 | +5 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Ak Bars Kazan | RSL | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | +2 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 23 | 68 | 91 | 0 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -5 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 25 | 45 | 70 | -19 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -4 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 62 | 18 | 33 | 51 | -25 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL | 12 | 2 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 12 | 15 | +1 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Dallas Stars | NHL | 56 | 16 | 32 | 48 | -4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 80 | 24 | 67 | 91 | -12 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Dallas Stars | NHL | 72 | 28 | 49 | 77 | +1 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 772 | 220 | 496 | 716 | -72 | 177 | 63 | 21 | 41 | 62 | -6 | 36 | ||||
International play
Played for Canada in:- 2000 World Junior ChampionshipsIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
(bronze medal) - 2001 World ChampionshipsIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
- 2004 World Cup of Hockey2004 World Cup of HockeyThe 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...
(gold medal) - 2006 Winter OlympicsIce hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
(failed to medal)
International statistics
| Year | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | WJC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | WCH World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Oly 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 19 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 6 | ||