Richards adds to Championship Resume

By Paul Krotz/OHL

 

The celebration that filled the Staples Centre ice when the Los Angeles Kings were crowned Stanley Cup Champions was his first in the NHL, but Mike Richards has delivered championship performances throughout his career.

 

“He’s won an OHL title, Memorial Cup, World Junior Gold, Calder Cup, Olympic Gold, and now a Stanley Cup,” said Kitchener Rangers General Manager and Head Coach Steve Spott.  “The guy’s a winner.”

 

Richards was chosen fourth overall in the 2001 OHL Priority Selection, one spot behind Kings teammate and close friend Jeff Carter.  His skill and determination helped lead the Rangers to an OHL title and MasterCard Memorial Cup Championship in 2003 before being selected by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 24^th overall pick of the entry draft that June.

 

“I can still remember when Pete DeBoer and I were first watching our first round pick in training camp,” Spott said.  “We noticed that he is not a real big guy and not very quick, but when the scrimmages began he was easily the most competitive guy on the ice.”

 

Richards served as the Rangers captain for two more seasons following their championship titles and also captained Canada to the first of five straight World Junior gold medals in 2005.  When the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs that year, Richards joined Flyers affiliate the Philadelphia Phantoms producing 15 points in their final 14 games to win an American Hockey League title.

 

During the 2011-12 NHL Playoffs Richards netted 15 points in 20 games to help the Kings capture their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history with an impressive 10 OHL graduates on the roster.

 

“This is amazing,” Richards told the Toronto Sun after the final.  “It was a frustrating year, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of highs and lows, but this is the best experience I’ve ever been a part of.  I love this team.  The camaraderie we have, it was just awesome.  I’m just so happy for everyone.”

 

At just 27-years-old, the native of Kenora, ON, has a championship resume that is one of a kind and rivals that of fellow 2010 Olympic gold medalist Scott Niedermayer who may not have captured a Calder Cup during his professional career but was part of a Canadian gold medal World Championship team.

 

“For Mike it’s always been about the team,” Spott said.  “He just has a passion for the game, and when the games are big you know he’s going to be there.”