Flyers' Richards Proved His Worth

The 2008 NHL Playoffs Allowed Mike Richards to Show What He Can Do

Jun 16, 2008 Justin Harrington

It's rare that professional sports players get signed to many long-term contracts. So when Philadelphia signed Richards to 12 years this season it made waves

On December 13th, 2007, the Philadelphia Flyers made it very clear who they want to carry them into the next decade when they signed third-year forward Richards through the 2019-2020 season. Richards didn't possess eye-popping statistics through his first couple of seasons but his past track record indicated tremendous potential for future success.

The Formative Years of Richards

Richards was born on February 11, 1985 in Kenora, Ontario and began his hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2001-02. He helped lead them to a Memorial Cup victory in 2003 as one of the team's top scorers and was promptly selected by the Flyers with the 24th pick of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (teammate Jeff Carter was selected 13 picks earlier). He remained in the OHL for another couple of years before he captained the 2005 Canadian World Junior Hockey team to its first gold medal in 8 years. He joined the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, in that same season for their playoff run. He helped the Phantoms win the Calder Cup that year, finishing second in playoff scoring. The next season, Richards made his first appearance for the Flyers.

Richards Makes the Big Leagues

Richards scored his first goal on October 5, 2005 and recorded a hat-trick four months later, the first Flyers rookie to do so in almost 12 years. He finished his rookie season with 34 points but was only able to record a lone assist in the Flyers' six-game, first-round playoff loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The following season, Richards finished with 32 points while playing in 20 less games than the previous year due to injury. His team finished the season, its 40th, with a franchise-record 48 losses to go with only 22 wins and 12 ties. In just one season they went from a playoff team to the worst in the league. But in just one more season, Richards would lead a remarkable turnaround.

The Flyers Regain Their Form

Richards led the new-look 2007-08 Flyers - courtesy of several trades and acquisitions - in scoring with 75 points in 73 games (28 goals & 47 assists) and the team won 20 more games than the seasnon before. The alternate captain and his team entered the playoffs as the sixth seed and proceeded to eliminate the third seed Washington Capitals in seven games. Richard scored his first playoff goal on a penalty shot in game 3 and finished the series with 2 goals and 5 assists. The next round had them up against the number-one seed in the Montreal Canadiens. Most pundits had picked the Flyers to be easily dispatched by the Canadiens, but Philadelphia surprised them in five games and Richards was a big reason why. His impact on the ice was evident as he killed penalties and even intercepted a pass to score a shorthanded goal - a penchant of his - in game three. He finished the series with 2 goals and 2 assists. The Flyers were outmatched in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Richards continued to impress with his inspired play, scoring 3 goals (1 of them shorthanded) in 5 games.

Looking Ahead

Richards finished the 2008 playoffs with 14 points, third most on the team. With a nucleus that includes not only Richards, but also players such as Daniel Briere, Martin Biron, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Carter - who will likely be re-signed by the team this summer - the future for the Flyers looks bright. Richards was asked after this season if he'd like to captain the team if the position becomes available. He responded by saying that he's not quite ready. Apparently he's the only one who thinks so.

Sources:

www.hockeydb.com

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