The Washington Capitals have signed former Los Angeles Kings center and two-time Stanley Cup champion Mike Richards on a one-year, $1 million pro-rated contract. Capitals general manager and senior vice president Brian MacLellan announced the deal Wednesday afternoon and confirmed that Richards met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before the contract could be finalized.
Richards, 30, has had quite the calendar year in the NHL, struggling to maintain consistency while bouncing in and out of the league. On January 26th of 2015, the Kenora, Ontario native was waived by Los Angeles and cleared without another team claiming his services.
Mike Richards Joins Washington Capitals on One-Year Deal
Shortly after, he spent 16 games in the American Hockey League with the Kings’ affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, where he registered 14 points and earned himself a call-up in late March. Richards finished the 2014-2015 regular season with a mere 16 points (5G, 11A) in 53 games.
In late June of 2015, Kings GM Dean Lombardi announced that the team had terminated Richards’ contract due to “a material breach,” despite the fact that Richards had five years remaining on his original 12-year, $69 million deal signed in 2008 when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Two months after a grievance was filed by the National Hockey League Players’ Association to dispute the termination of the contract, it was revealed that a settlement had been reached between the Kings and Richards. He was then deemed a free agent.
Richards comes to the Capitals after amassing 482 points (179 goals, 303 assists) in 710 career NHL games with Philadelphia and Los Angeles. As for his postseason numbers, Richards has put up 87 points (26 goals, 61 assists) in 124 career playoff contests. The two Stanley Cups to his name came in 2012 and 2014 with the Kings. He’s captured silver (2004) and gold (2005) medals while representing Canada in the World Juniors as well as a gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
