Richmond back with a Gold Medal

‘I don’t know how fans will react’

rThe London Knights’ Danny Richmond is back from the world junior wars and he’s wearing gold.

rRYAN PYETTE, Free Press Sports Reporter

rThe first London Knight to win a world junior hockey gold medal in 11 years isn’t sure how local puck fans will receive him tonight at the John Labatt Centre. “I don’t know how they’ll react to this,” said 19-year-old American defenceman Danny Richmond, who had two assists in a 4-3 U.S. win over Canada in the championship game Monday in Finland. r

“I know everyone was cheering for Canada but I’ve been a Knight for six months now. I’m sure they’ll be happy that a guy living in London won the gold medal.r

“But if they boo me, I’ll understand.”r

Proudly wearing his medal, Richmond turned up yesterday at the JLC following a practice and shook his teammates’ hands.r

London has three other Americans on its roster — rookie Tommy Mannino, forward Robbie Schremp and goalie Gerald Coleman. But even the Canadian players were curious to see Richmond’s medal.r

“U-S-of-A, Canada sucks,” a grinning Schremp joked to his mates.r

The medal wasn’t Richmond’s only souvenir. He brought back his game-worn, white USA home jersey, signed by all of his teammates, and a videotape of the gold-medal game.r

“I watched it over and over the past few days. I still get chills,” said the six-foot, 185-pounder from Buffalo Grove, Ill. “When we got that fourth goal” — after Canadian goalie Marc-Andre Fleury banked it in off his own defender, Braydon Coburn — “I was on the bench and we almost jumped over the glass, we were so happy.r

“Winning this gold medal was a great moment in American hockey.”r

Richmond, who will appear on TSN’s Off the Record program on Monday, is the first Knight to grab world junior gold since Jason Allison helped lead Canada to victory in 1993.r

The talented defender nearly cracked the Carolina Hurricanes lineup this year and has been a key addition to the powerful Knights.r

During the world junior tournament, he saw a lot of ice during his team’s round-robin games, but he played only three shifts, all on the power play, in the Americans’ semifinal win over Finland.r

“But I had a sense that I’d play a lot in the final against Canada because I faced a lot of these guys before — and I did play a lot.r

“It was a tremendous experience, a great game.”r

However, there were times this season that Richmond thought he might not get the chance to lace up for the U.S. squad again. He felt he might have burned that bridge when he left the University of Michigan for the Knights.r

“Politics do play a role. It’s kind of the reverse of Canada — if you’re from the States, they want you to stay at a U.S. college,” he said.r

“In Canada, it’s the same thing for guys who go to a U.S. college over the Canadian Hockey League.”r

“But I was given the chance and it’s always an honour to play for your country. My dad (Steve, a former NHLer with the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings) never had too many chances to play international hockey and he made me realize how special it was.”r

Richmond is taking precautions to keep his medal safe.r

“It’s going home with my dad this weekend,” he said.r

“I tend to lose things.”r

Trade talkr

With the OHL trade deadline looming tonight at 6 p.m., Knights GM Mark Hunter made a minor deal yesterday, trading Dennis Dewar (who plays for the junior B Listowel Cyclones) to the Belleville Bulls for a ninth-round pick in next summer’s OHL draft.r

The Knights are looking to move 18-year-old Belarus forward Vadim Karaga, who has not returned to the team since Nov. 23, the day he left to play for his country in the world junior group B championship in France. Hunter has been offered draft picks for the import forward but wants someone who can play for the Knights now.r

The defending Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers orchestrated a big deal yesterday, moving goalie Tyson Kellerman to Brampton for fourth-year puckstopper Brad Topping, a Strathroy native.r

KNIGHTWATCHr

Tonight: London vs. Saginaw Spirit, 7:30 p.m. at John Labatt Centrer

Saturday: Knights at Saginaw, 7:30 p.m.r

Sunday: Knights at Sault Ste. Marie, 2 p.m.