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Mike Richards News & Rumors

Mike Richards, Peter DeBoer: Old friends, opposite sides
May 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Memorial Cup winner. Olympic gold medalist. World Junior champion. Stanley Cup champion. All that is missing from the glittering resume of Kings center Mike Richards is the fourth item, and he came within two victories of holding the Cup two years ago with the Philadelphia Flyers. And now, coincidentally, standing between Richards and the Stanley Cup happens to be Devils Coach Peter DeBoer, who was his coach during their successful Memorial Cup campaign with the Kitchener Rangers in 2003. "It's hard to believe it's already been seven years," Richards said, laughing, referring to his last season playing in Kitchener, in the Canadian province of Ontario. "He's getting really old. I'm old."
Mike Richards finds success away from Philadelphia
May 12
Los Angeles Times
 
"Upon further review, and the helpful distance of about three months, Kings center Mike Richards considered the wisdom of taking on someone about six inches taller and 35 pounds heavier. That would be a certain Phoenix Coyotes forward named Martin Hanzal. "I don't know what I was thinking," Richards said Thursday, chuckling about their scrap in a fight-filled game between the Kings and Coyotes at Staples Center in February. "Defense." Survival, perhaps? Anyhow, there will be a rematch … and no rematch. The Kings open the Western Conference finals at Phoenix with Game 1 on Sunday at 5 p.m., and it is highly doubtful there will be Richards vs. Hanzal, Part II. Then again, little has gone"
Los Angeles Kings' Mike Richards finds success away from Philadelphia
May 11
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Lisa Dillman
"Upon further review, and the helpful distance of about three months, Kings center Mike Richards considered the wisdom of taking on someone about six inches taller and 35 pounds heavier. That would be a certain Phoenix Coyotes forward named Martin Hanzal. "I don't know what I was thinking," Richards said Thursday, chuckling about their scrap in a fight-filled game between the Kings and Coyotes at Staples Center in February. "Defense.""
Mike Richards' resolve pays off for Kings in Game 1 against Canucks
April 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"The gaps between goals grew longer for Mike Richards than seemed possible for one of the NHL's premier two-way centers, capped by a 26-game famine from mid-January to mid-March. There's more to his game, but the Kings needed him to fortify what they tried to pass off as an offense. And he knew his struggles meant opponents could key on Anze Kopitar and more easily shut the Kings down. "You don't want to lose confidence. You start looking at the stat sheet maybe and get frustrated," Richards said."
LA Kings' Mike Richards a playoff force against Canucks
April 12
Ottawa Citizen
 
"If Mike Richards was having a tough season, you'd never have known it in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Canucks Richards had a part in three of the Los Angeles Kings' goals – including creating the late winner in a 4-2 win over the Canucks. Richards blocked Canuck defenceman Alex Edler's clearing attempt at the Vancouver blueline, passed the puck to Jeff Carter off whose skate it went to Dustin Penner for the winner at 16:46. Dustin Brown scored into the empty net to complete the scoring. The Kings centre also mixed it up with several Canucks all game and laid a thunderous hit on Alex Burrows at the Vancouver blueline late in the game with Roberto Luongo out for an extra"
Time for former Flyer Richards to get over it
February 26
CSN Philly
 columnist Lisa Hillary
"I said to myself I wasn't going to write about this, but after hearing it I felt compelled to say something. Yes, Mike Richards. The fans have gotten over his and Jeff Carter's departure, as least as far as I know. I have yet to hear a complaint on Facebook, Twitter, or even when I'm wandering the streets in Philadelphia, I don't hear anything like "why did we trade our franchise players?" For the life of me, I just can't figure out why the former Flyers' captain can't let it go either. NBC recently aired its 30-minute show, NHL 36. The show profiles a player and it happened to be Mike Richards on the night I watched. In the 30 minutes, he referred to Philly at least twice and a sense of"
Could Carter and Richards reunite in LA?
February 21
CSN Philly
 
"It's been no secret that Jeff Carter has been unhappy since arriving in Columbus. It's also been public knowledge for the last two weeks that the Blue Jackets have been trying trade the forward and the remainder of his 11-year, $58 million contract he originally signed with the Flyers. Flyers fans will remember that Carter was traded on the same day as his close friend and former teammate Mike Richards so that the general manager Paul Holmgren could free up the salary cap space to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and chart a different course for the franchise."
Kings lose again without Mike Richards, 2-1 to Stars
December 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"For Mike Richards, there are many questions and few answers at this stage of his recovery from a head injury suffered Dec. 1. Such is the nature of a concussion. The Kings aren't using that word — just as they did not do so last season with Drew Doughty. But they, and Richards, are showing the proper measure of caution, meaning a return to the lineup could take some time. "It's frustrating watching and not being out there and obviously you want to go there, but you don't want to come back when you're not healthy and reinjure yourself," the center said Saturday morning. "As much as you want to be out there, you have to be smart about things." These were his first comments since the injury,"
Kings' Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell out at least a few games
December 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings' well-founded worries turned into legitimate concerns Friday when center Mike Richards landed on injured reserve and defenseman Willie Mitchell joined him on the sideline. Though Mitchell was not put on injured reserve, Coach Terry Murray acknowledged both players would miss at least a few games. Summing up the situation, a grim-faced Murray said: "Not good." The official team line is that Richards has an upper-body injury and Mitchell has a lower-body injury sustained during his first shift Thursday against Florida. The injuries triggered the activation of forward Dustin Penner for the Kings' game Saturday against Montreal. But the nature of Richards' injury became clearer when"
Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell out
December 2
ESPN.com
 
"The Los Angeles Kings are expected to be without leading goal scorer Mike Richards and veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell for several games after both were injured in Thursday night's game against Florida, coach Terry Murray confirmed after practice Friday. The Kings are scheduled to host the Montreal Canadiens Saturday afternoon at Staples Center. Richards, the hottest offensive player on a team that's 24th in the league in scoring, did not come out for the third period after taking a shoulder from Panthers left winger Sean Bergenheim late in the second. He's expected to go on injured reserve Saturday with an upper-body injury."
Cheered, then booed, Richards shines in return
October 16
CSN Philly
 
"A day ago, on this site, a debate emerged in the comments section of the story we ran about Mike Richards' return to Philadelphia: When Richards was introduced to the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center Saturday night, would he be cheered or booed? Richards, after all, left behind a complicated legacy in Philadelphia. He was the face of the Flyers organization for much of his six seasons in orange and black. His jersey, No. 18, was a perennial best-seller. He led the team to within two wins of the Stanley Cup. But Richards was also known for his contentious relationship with the media. Criticisms about his captaincy were about as frequent as rumors on the Internet about his nightlife. Plenty"
Richards helps Kings crown Flyers
October 16
Courier-Post
 
"A teenaged girl stood directly behind the Los Angeles Kings bench with a crown on her head and a sign in her arms: "Mike Richards always my captain, now my King." In the same row, another young girl proudly pressed a billboard against the glass: "Richie you will always be a Flyer in our hearts." Flyers fans welcomed Richards back to his old stomping grounds with a couple of big ovations Saturday night, then united to give the former captain the Crosby treatment. By the end of the night, Richards went from goat to heartbreaking hero in a 3-2 Flyers overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings that cost them their first 4-0 start since 1995-96."
Mike Richards stars as Kings beat Rangers in Sweden
October 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings' expectations soared when the team acquired center Mike Richards from Philadelphia in June. L.A. has reason for more optimism after his impressive debut Friday. Richards scored the tying goal and set up the winner as the Kings opened the season with a 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers at the Ericsson Globe arena in Stockholm. With the Kings on the power play, Richards took a pass from Anze Kopitar and fed Jack Johnson, who had driven low on the left side. Johnson spoiled Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's homecoming with a quick shot four minutes eight seconds into sudden-death play. "A four-on-three is the biggest prime opportunity in hockey," Johnson told"
Mike Richards remains miffed about trade from Philadelphia
July 28
L.A. Daily News
 
"Somewhere between the development of Claude Giroux and Danny Briere, the potential of Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, and a mysterious place called "Dry Island," lies the reason Mike Richards was traded. It seemed odd Wednesday, one month and four days after he was dealt to the Kings for Schenn and Simmonds, that Richards is still guessing what went wrong with the team he captained the past three seasons. "I'm not exactly sure why I was traded," he said. "There was a lot of stuff written in Philly. Everybody knows Philly is a sports town. A lot of different things go on there other than what's on the field but, at the same time, it was a big shock to me. "I didn't get an explanation for"
Kings' Mike Richards says L.A. 'not a bad place' to start over
July 28
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliot
"Center Mike Richards was still torn about being traded from Philadelphia to Los Angeles a month after the surprising deal was done. His perspective changed after he took a stroll along a South Bay beach. "I started thinking it's not a bad place to be and not a bad place to start a new career," he said Wednesday. Richards, projected to ease the scoring burden carried by top-line center Anze Kopitar, got his new uniform Wednesday in El Segundo and said he looked forward to joining a team that "made a lot of big steps in the last couple years." The next step for the Kings will be to re-sign restricted free-agent defenseman Drew Doughty, but that doesn't appear to be imminent. General Manager"
Richards plays down 'dry island' story out of Philly
July 27
TSN.ca
 
"Mike Richards is already looking ahead to a new future with the Los Angeles Kings, but the young centre was firing back at the past on Tuesday at a story that said he and former teammate Jeff Carter were traded out from the Philadelphia Flyers because of excessive partying. A report written in the Philadelphia Daily News by gossip columnist Dan Gross said that in December 2009, new head coach Peter Laviolette asked his players to commit to not drinking for a month and each player was to write his number on a locker room board as a pledge. According to two unnamed players, Richards' No. 18 and Carter's No. 17 were not on the board for the 'Dry Island' experiment and did not take part in it"
Mike Richards: 'Dry Island' story was blown out of proportion
July 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Center Mike Richards, acquired by the Kings from the Flyers last month, responded Tuesday to a Philadelphia Daily News story that said his hard partying contributed to the team's decision to trade him to Los Angeles and send Jeff Carter to Columbus. Richards said the story, in which two unnamed Flyers were quoted, "couldn't be further from the truth.""
Story questions partying habits of new King Mike Richards
July 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"There's an interesting piece in the Philadelphia Daily News that quotes two unnamed members of the Philadelphia Flyers about the hard-partying ways of center Mike Richards, who was traded to the Kings last month for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. According to the unidentified Flyers, Richards and then-Flyers teammate Jeff Carter — who was later traded to Columbus — were exiled in part because they refused to sign their names on a board in the locker room and pledge to refrain from drinking for a month -- or, as they called it, the Dry Island."
Unnamed Flyers blame partying lifestyle for Carter/Richards deals
July 25
Yahoo! Sports
 
"When the Philadelphia Flyers decided to overhaul their roster by trading two of their young faces of the franchise in captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, red flags went up everywhere and it had nothing to do with anything on the ice. Richards went to Los Angeles and Carter to Columbus in exchange for promising young players Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek, as well as three draft picks. It may not have been equal value for the pair, but GM Paul Holmgren did better than the initial optics made it seem. But despite the organization's insistance that the deals were hockey-related, the long-standing rumors about the party culture in the locker room, led by Carter and"
Kings trade Simmonds, Schenn for Philly captain Richards
June 24
L.A. Daily News
 
"Five hours after learning he'd been traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Kings, an emotional Mike Richards said he still was trying to picture himself in a Kings uniform. For the Kings, it was much easier. General manager Dean Lombardi reached into the Philly pipeline again Thursday and pulled out a blockbuster by acquiring Richards, the Flyers' captain and one of the Eastern Conference's premier centers, for left wing Wayne Simmonds, top prospect Brayden Schenn and a second-round pick in today's entry draft. The 26-year-old said he was "excited" to join the Kings but didn't hide his mixed emotions. "I wanted to stay in Philly for the rest of my career," said Richards, who's spent"
Flyers trade Richards and Carter, sign goaltender
June 24
Courier-Post
 
"They were drafted by the Flyers on the same day, June 21, 2003. Jeff Carter was taken with the 11th pick overall and Mike Richards at No. 24. They won a gold medal together for Canada in the 2005 World Junior Championships and later that spring sipped from the Calder Cup as rookie members of the American Hockey League's Philadelphia Phantoms. They bought homes within walking distance of each other in the Old City section of Philadelphia and hung out together after games. When Richards signed a 12-year, $69 million contract extension on Dec. 13, 2007, he thought he'd be a Flyer for life. And when Carter agreed to an 11-year, $58 million extension on Nov. 13, 2010, the two thought they would"
Kings acquire Mike Richards from Philadelphia
June 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings were at the center of the pre-draft posturing on Thursday, acquiring center Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Wayne Simmonds and prospect Brayden Schenn. Richards, who was the Flyers' team captain, finished with 23 goals and 43 assists last season. Simmonds, considered by many to be a fan favorite in Los Angeles, had 14 goals and 30 points last season. Schenn saw limited time with the Kings and spent most of last season with his junior team in the Western Hockey League."
Pronger: Richards continues to grow up
May 27
CSN Philly
 
"Chris Pronger wanted to know if a certain reporter was on the line during a conference call Thursday morning. The Flyers' top defenseman had just been asked to respond to the recent finger-pointing at team captain Mike Richards, and as it turns out, he had taken offense to one story that questioned whether Richards would be better off by giving up the "C" on his jersey. The reporter wasn't on the call, which, considering Pronger's response to the story, was probably a good thing. "What good does that do?" Pronger asked, about the idea of Richards stepping down. "That is the most ridiculous thought I have heard yet." "This is on-the-job training for Mike," he continued. "I was brought in to"
Will Flyers, Richards 'C' the light?
May 18
Philly.com
 columnist Sam Donnellon
"THEY HAVE to do it now, don't they? Even if they want Mike Richards to remain captain, even if their internal discussions conclude that this team's fading finishes in two of the last three seasons were no fault of his, haven't the Flyers introduced a virus into their system with their tepid endorsements of the man over the last 10 days? Haven't they put themselves in the position to either trade him or strip his captaincy? First, head coach Peter Laviolette was all over the place during a prolonged discussion with the media about what went wrong. At first, he termed questions about Richards' captaincy "a witch hunt," asserting that he took the team to within two wins of a Stanley Cup the"
Richards should drop the 'C'
May 16
Philly.com
 columnist John Gonzalez
"It seemed like things couldn't possibly get worse for Mike Richards. Not after the Flyers captain scored just one goal in 11 disappointing playoff games. Not after he hurt his wrist and struggled to overcome the injury. And certainly not after he was forced to have surgery following the Flyers' inglorious postseason. That's a lot, but it's also just a portion of his troubles these days. Depending on which of the many recent media reports you believe, Richards may or may not have issues with his coach, some of his teammates (including, possibly, Chris Pronger) and, naturally, the dastardly media. There are battle rappers and competitive eaters who couldn't handle that much beef. There"
At least five Flyers headed for surgery
May 11
Courier-Post
 
"Now that the Flyers have been eliminated from the playoffs, the procession to the operating room is about to begin. Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren revealed Tuesday that five players will undergo offseason surgery and three more may face the same fate after further evaluation. Center Mike Richards is scheduled to have surgery today to repair a torn wrist ligament injured during training camp. Right wing Kris Versteeg will need surgery to repair a sports hernia, center Blair Betts will undergo finger surgery and defenseman Andrej Meszaros will have wrist surgery. Forwards Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter are being evaluated for hip issues that may require surgery and defenseman Chris"
Flyers defend captain Richards
May 11
Courier-Post
 
"On Monday, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called it a "witch hunt." On Tuesday, general manager Paul Holmgren called it "a bunch of crap." The daily saga over whether Mike Richards should retain his captaincy in the wake of the Flyers' disappointing four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will take a day off today while the 26-year-old center undergoes surgery to repair a torn ligament in his wrist. Holmgren staunchly defended Richards on Tuesday, saying he has no plans of stripping him of captaincy or in trading him before his no-movement clause kicks in on July 1, 2012. "I think Mike Richards is a good captain for our team,""
Holmgren disputes issues with Richards' leadership
May 11
Philly.com
 
"Paul Holmgren did not mince words. After perusing the Flyers' daily newspaper clippings, Holmgren knew the questions were coming - about his plans for the offseason, his team's injuries, and, most importantly, his team's mental makeup and leadership. Holmgren tried to set the record straight yesterday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J., in his annual breakup meeting with reporters. The only problem was that his subject, captain Mike Richards, remained radio silent for the second day in a row. One day after coach Peter Laviolette said his relationship with Richards still "needs developing," Holmgren fervently defended his captain. "I don't know where this [stuff] is coming from," Holmgren"
At least 5 Flyers need surgery; Holmgren defends Richards
May 10
Philly.com
 
"Five Flyers will have off-season surgery, general manager Paul Holmgren announced Tuesday _ and that doesn't include defenseman Chris Pronger, whose back condition is still being evaluated by doctors and isn't expected to be known until later in the day. The five: Mike Richards (wrist), Andrej Meszaros (wrist), Kris Versteeg (sports hernia); Michael Leighton (hip) and Blair Betts (finger). Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter are also being evaluated for possible hip surgery, Holmgren said, adding he hopes to know their medical status on Friday. It will probably be known later Tuesday if Pronger will need surgery, Holmgren said. The GM said Richards dealt with an injured wrist"
Flyers defend captain after lackluster series
May 10
Courier-Post
 
"Flyers defend captain after lackluster series Could Mike Richards have played his final game as the Flyers' captain? Could he have played his final game as a Flyer? A year ago, those questions would have been considered preposterous, and even today they may draw the ire of Flyers' general manager Paul Holmgren and head coach Peter Laviolette. But there is a quiet, growing concern about the leadership skills of the team's 26-year-old center, who last week completed his sixth season with the Flyers and third as captain. It is no secret that with boisterous alternate captain Chris Pronger out of the lineup with a fractured hand, the Flyers stumbled down the stretch, winning just seven of"
Laviolette: Richards not to blame for Flyers' collapse
May 10
Philly.com
 
"Grilled for 40 minutes by reporters on subjects ranging from his use of goalies to Mike Richards' captaincy, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette smiled wryly when the session ended Monday at the team's Voorhees practice facility. "Well, that was enjoyable," he said, sarcasm dripping. During the interview, Laviolette acknowledged that he and Richards "continue to work on our relationship. I respect him. I like Mike as a person, and we continue to work on that." He defended the center's job as captain of a team that grossly underachieved in the playoffs. The Flyers, who blew their chance at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by winning just seven of their last 21 regular-season games, were"
Flyers await diagnoses of Pronger, Richards
May 8
Philly.com
 
"The Flyers will learn Monday whether defenseman Chris Pronger and center Mike Richards need offseason surgery, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed Saturday. An injured back and leg kept Pronger sidelined for the last three games of the Boston series. Richards played the latter part of the season with an injured wrist, the GM added. "We'll know more when we get the medical reports, probably on Monday night," Holmgren said on Saturday, one day after the Flyers' season ended with a stunning four-game sweep at the hands of the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "There's no exact diagnosis yet." Richards managed 23 regular-season goals - eight fewer than the previous season - and"
All Flyers' Richards can do is keep shooting
May 4
Philly.com
 
"SOMETIME on Monday, between his pregame nap and his pregame meal, Mike Richards tried to put himself in the right frame of mind. "You go over things that you want to do in your head," Richards said. "Certain plays that you go through in your head and what you want to do." On Saturday, in Game 1, Richards posted eight shots on net to tie a game high and finally broke through with his first goal of the playoffs. He swore if he got another eight shots on net that he would make the most of them. On Monday, in Game 2, Richards led all skaters with 10 shots on goal. He accounted for 10 of the Flyers' season-high 54 shots, which included 14 minutes of overtime action. It isn't often that one"
Richards: Law of averages is on Flyers' side
May 4
Philly.com
 
"At two of the most critical points in the Flyers' 3-2 overtime loss to Boston on Monday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Mike Richards was exactly where he wanted to be. With little more than four minutes remaining in the third period, and again early in overtime, the Flyers captain had the puck on his stick and was close enough to Bruins goalie Tim Thomas to count the beads of sweat dripping off his forehead. But in both of those battles between ultracompetitive players, Thomas came out on top, using his impressive quickness and athleticism to deny Richards what likely would have been the decisive goal in the third and the game-winner in overtime. Richards' lost"
Reports: No suspension or hearing for Richards
April 26
Philly.com
 
"The hit that Flyers captain Mike Richards delivered on the Sabres' Tim Connolly in Sunday's Game 6 will not warrant a suspension, or even an NHL disciplinary hearing, according to reports from Craig Custance of the Sporting News and Nick Kypreos of Rogers SportsNet. The Flyers likely would have heard about a hearing last night if it were scheduled for today. Connolly was rammed into the boards headfirst from behind by Richards with a little over 6 minutes left in the second period. Connolly, who has a concussion history, was helped from the ice and did not return. Richards was given a 2-minute boarding minor, which put the Flyers down two players for 1 minute, 10 seconds, and down a man"
Sabres cry foul over hit on Connolly
April 25
Buffalo News
 
"The way the Buffalo Sabres see it, they shouldn't have to deal with Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards in Game Seven. Richards got a two-minute boarding penalty for drilling Sabres center Tim Connolly into the boards with 6:03 left in the second period Sunday. Connolly did not return and will miss Game Seven. The Sabres think Richards should be suspended and miss it, too. Richards, remember, is the pesky center who accused the Sabres of "getting away with murder" following Game Four after he was assessed a major for elbowing against Patrick Kaleta. Unprompted about the hit on Connolly, goaltender Ryan Miller broke away from talking to reporters about the game's result and turned the"
Flyers' captain Richards should have used a little restraint
April 21
Philly.com
 columnist Sam Donnellon
"He should have known better. In a game in which Dan Carcillo was punched in the face by a goalie and pounded to the ice by a defenseman without retaliation, a game in which so many of his teammates took numerous unreciprocated hits to the back trying to tie the game, the captain should have known better than to throw an elbow at Patrick Kaleta along the boards in a one-goal contest on the road, at the end of a period in which the Flyers seemed on the precipice of turning things around. "I thought maybe 2 minutes," Mike Richards said in the losing locker room last night. "To make a call like that, it's personal maybe. Not sure." Personal? All the more reason not to do it. If Richards"
Richards willing to do dirtiest work for Flyers
April 18
Philly.com
 columnist Rich Hofmann
"IF YOU HAVE EVER coached a little-kids soccer team, you know that you spend about 85 percent of the time yelling two words: "Spread out!" (The other 15 percent of the time is spent making sure somebody brought the oranges.) Before every practice, you put the kids in positions, mostly based upon whim or rotation or whatever. But if you ever do any reading on the subject, you will find a body of opinion that says the thing to do with little kids is not assign them to a position at all. Rather, you just throw them out there and allow their instincts to take over. The nature of some kids will be to attack and take chances. Others will hang back and play with caution, worried about protecting"
Richards downplays absence
April 15
Courier-Post
 
"Allen Iverson and Mike Richards may have more in common than many think. One day after missing practice with what he called a head cold, Flyers captain Mike Richards downplayed his much-publicized absence following Thursday's morning skate. "Just a little bit of a headache when I woke up (Wednesday) morning, so no need to come in," Richards told reporters before the Flyers' playoff opener against the Buffalo Sabres. "I don't need to practice, just have to focus more on the games and get to 100 percent. "I'm feeling good, ready to play tonight. I'm excited." Wednesday, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said he saw Richards at the Skate Zone but that the 26-year-old center did not skate. Flyers"
Flyers not worried about Richards
April 14
Courier-Post
 
"Mike Richards had fans, writers and the Internet buzzing Wednesday when the Flyers conducted their final practice before the playoffs without their captain on the ice. "It's unusual to not have Mike here because he's here every other day of the year," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "We would have liked to have him out there and (Chris) Pronger and everybody else." Richards confirmed he missed Wednesday's practice with a head cold and expects to be in the lineup tonight when the Flyers open the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Buffalo Sabres at the Wells Fargo Center. "Knowing Mike, I'm not worried about him at all," Flyers center Danny Briere said. Apparently, Richards"
Richards makes everyone better
November 30
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"The debate about which Flyers line resides at the top of Peter Laviolette's depth chart could rage on for days. Is it Danny Briere's line with Ville Leino and Scott Hartnell? Is it Claude Giroux's line with Jeff Carter and Nik Zherdev? On most nights, it varies from period to period or goal to goal. For the last six games, it has been any line that includes Mike Richards. "I think Richards has played terrific," Laviolette said yesterday as the Flyers returned to practice after a well-deserved day off on Sunday. "I think a lot of times that flies under the radar - that he has been outstanding. "He is now our leading scorer. He draws the toughest opponents, on a nightly basis. He's called to"
Giroux, Richards spark Flyers to another easy win
November 16
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"IT ENDED, on the scoreboard, with a similar result. But while the route the Flyers took in last night's 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators included the familiar power-play and shorthanded goals, and the familiar faces on the score sheet, it was different from their last two wins, which included 13 total goals. Ottawa actually made the Flyers earn the victory - over a full 60 minutes. It was the Flyers' first win among the last three in which they entered the third period with the outcome still in question. Or, at least, a little bit in question. "I thought it was a real consistent effort," coach Peter Laviolette said. "Defensively, other than one opportunity, we were pretty tight."
Giroux, Richards lead the way in Flyers' win
November 16
Philly.com
 
"Claude Giroux continues to make the NHL's head honchos look foolish for ignoring him on their 100-player all-star ballot. The Flyers' 22-year-old center had three points - the seventh time in the last 10 games he has had at least two points - to key a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers are 9-0-1 in their last 10 games; it's the first time they have had points in 10 consecutive games since an 8-0-2 streak in 2005-06. Giroux had a power-play goal and two assists, while Mike Richards (three points) scored two third-period goals - including a shorthanded breakaway that made it 4-1 and broke the Senators' backs - as the Flyers handed"
Richards, Flyers make it 5 straight
November 5
Courier-Post
 
"Mike Richards must have thought he was living through one of those out-of-body experiences, so when he skated back to the Flyers bench he immediately looked up at the Wells Fargo Center scoreboard for a replay. What he saw defied logic. Claude Giroux was 50 feet away with his back to Richards when he wheeled a blind backhand pass onto his stick for snapshot goal. "I saw there were four white (jerseys) around me and Richie did a good job of yelling," Giroux said. "I just tried to pass it as hard as I can. If he doesn't roof that, it's not a goal." Richards' goal was the first crack in King Henrik Lundqvist's dam and led to a flood of goals in a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers that"
Richards gets new line, instant results
October 25
Courier-Post
 
"Flyers coach Peter Laviolette struggled with the idea of giving slumping captain Mike Richards a pair of new linemates over the weekend, but when he did the 25-year-old center produced instant results. Playing on a new line with wingers Darroll Powe and Claude Giroux, Richards scored his first goal since Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals and picked up two assists in Saturday night's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs. "You know, I wrestled with it a little bit to be honest with you because I thought last game we generated a lot of even strength chances," Laviolette said. "Ultimately, we decided to change it. I thought that the lines were good and I thought that Mike had a terrific game." Tonight,"
Goal-scorers: Richards' line needs to produce
June 9
Philly.com
 columnist Phil Sheridan
"Mike Richards and his line haven't shown up on the score sheet during the Stanley Cup Finals. That doesn't mean the Flyers' captain hasn't shown up. Richards has played with the same intensity that helped carry the Flyers through the first three rounds of the playoffs. Instead of ending in goals, though, his best efforts in this series have gone wide of the net, been mishandled by teammates, or been nullified by the Blackhawks in some way. In Game 5 the other night, Richards hustled after the puck into the Chicago zone on a play very much like his unforgettable goal against Montreal. This time, the goalie stayed back and let the puck come to him instead of attacking and creating a"
Flyers captain Richards needs to step up
June 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Sam Donnellon
"HE'S GASSED. He's hurt. There's nothing wrong with Mike Richards that a couple of healthy, skilled linemates wouldn't solve. So go the most popular theories surrounding the effort of the Flyers' 25-year-old captain in the Stanley Cup finals. They are cousins, really, to the rationale surrounding Chase Utley's funks, including his current one. Substitute hitters for linemates and you get the gist. Richards is minus-6 for the series. Of his 23 playoff points, two have come in the finals. An assist in Game 2. An unassisted goal in Game 4, when he swiped the puck from Niklas Hjalmarsson and backhanded it past Antti Niemi. He has won fewer than 50 percent of his faceoffs. They are our golden"
Captains courageous: Teams expect Toews and Richards to rise to occasion
June 9
Chicago Tribune
 
"Two weeks ago, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was hailed as one of the NHL's best two-way players and a prime candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Around the same time, Flyers captain Mike Richards was touted as a modern-day Bobby Clarke for his one-goal, two-assist performance in the team's Eastern Conference clincher against Montreal, a showcase of his grit, timely scoring and playmaking. Surprisingly, neither center has approached that level during the Cup final. Their success at changing that Wednesday night in Game 6 will be crucial in determining whether the Blackhawks leave the Wachovia Center with the Cup or the Flyers"
Richards' assessment: An even matchup
May 29
Philly.com
 columnist Sam Carchidi
"The Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks finally get the Stanley Cup Finals under way Saturday night at the United Center, and the visitors' Mike Richards expects a long, hard-fought series. "We'll have to play consistent hockey and play them for 60 minutes, and maybe it takes seven games," Richards said after the Flyers' practice Friday. "But we obviously have confidence in our team and the system we play." In the playoffs, the Flyers have averaged 3.18 goals per game and allowed 2.12. Chicago has averaged 3.31 per game and surrendered 2.50. "We're going to have to play extremely well defensively and not try to get into a track meet with them and create chances," said Richards, who leads the"