Todd Richards (ice hockey)

Todd Richards
Richards in 2013 coaching the Blue Jackets
Born (1966-10-20) October 20, 1966
Crystal, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Genève-Servette HC
Orlando Solar Bears
Las Vegas Thunder
Springfield Indians
Hartford Whalers
Fredericton Canadiens
Sherbrooke Canadiens
NHL Draft 33rd overall, 1985
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1989–2002

Todd Michael Richards (born October 20, 1966) is an American ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. Todd is the brother of Travis Richards.

Playing career

Richards was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the University of Minnesota for four seasons.

He began his professional career with the Sherbrooke Canadiens during the 1989–90 AHL season. After being traded early the next season to the Hartford Whalers organization, he helped the Springfield Indians win the 1991 Calder Cup. Richards also made his NHL debut during that season, playing two games and recording four assists for the Whalers. Richards spent two more seasons with the Indians before beginning to play in the IHL, spending two seasons with the Las Vegas Thunder, and six seasons with the Orlando Solar Bears. He ended his playing career in 2002 with the Genève-Servette HC of the National League A in Switzerland.

Coaching career

After retiring from playing, Richards spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Admirals. The Admirals advanced to the playoffs each year. In 2004, Milwaukee won the Calder Cup, after sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in four games.

On August 3, 2006, Richards became the fifth head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. During his first season, he guided Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 51-24-2-4 record and a second-place finish in the AHL’s East Division. The Penguins advanced to the East Division Finals before falling to the Hershey Bears.

Richards signed as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL for the 2008–09 season.

Richards became the second head coach in the history of the Minnesota Wild in June 2009, and the first native of Minnesota to hold the job. After two seasons as head coach and posting a record of 77-71-16, Richards was fired on April 11, 2011. In both seasons, the Wild were in playoff contention most of the season, but ended up missing the playoffs. [1] In June 2011, Richards had been hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach under head coach Scott Arniel.[2] After a poor first half of the season, Arniel was fired on January 9, 2012, and Richards was named as interim head coach.[3]

On May 14, 2012, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced the signing of Todd Richards to a two-year contract, making him the sixth full-time coach in team history.[4]

On April 19, 2014, Richards led the Blue Jackets to their first ever Stanley Cup playoff victory, a 4-3 double overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.[5]

On April 23, 2014, Richards coached the Blue Jackets to their first ever Stanley Cup playoff home victory, winning 4-3 in overtime over the Pittsburgh Penguins.[6]

On May 27, 2014, the Blue Jackets signed Richards to a two-year contract extension through the 2016-17 season.[7]

On October 21, 2015, after starting the season 0-7, the Blue Jackets relieved Richards of his duties as head coach.[8]

On June 7, 2016, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that Richards had been hired as an assistant coach.[9]

NHL coaching record

TeamYearRegular SeasonPost Season
GamesWonLostOTLPointsFinishWonLostResult
MIN2009–10 8238368844th in Northwest——Missed playoffs
MIN2010–11 8239358863rd in Northwest——Missed playoffs
CBJ2011–12 4118212(38)5th in Central——Missed playoffs
CBJ2012–13 4824177554th in Central——Missed playoffs
CBJ2013–14 8243327934th in Metropolitan24Lost in First Round
CBJ2014–15 8242355895th in Metropolitan——Missed playoffs
CBJ2015–16 70700(fired)———
Total 41720417637.5350 Division
Championships		24 0 Stanley Cups


Awards and honors

Award Year
All-WCHA Second Team 1986–87 [10]
All-WCHA Second Team 1987–88 [10]
All-WCHA Second Team 1988–89 [10]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1988–89 [11]
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team 1989 [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Wild hire Todd Richards as head coach". Associated Press. 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  2. ↑ "Richards Hired as Assistant". The Columbus Dispatch. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  3. ↑ "Blue Jackets fire coach Arniel, Assistant Richards takes over". TSN.ca. 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  4. ↑ "Blue Jackets keeping Richards as coach". NHL.com. 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  5. ↑ ""Columbus Blue Jackets - Pittsburgh Penguins - April 19th, 2014"".
  6. ↑ "Pittsburgh Penguins - Columbus Blue Jackets - April 23rd, 2014".
  7. ↑ "Blue Jackets sign coach Todd Richards to two-year contract extension through 2016-17 NHL season". bluejackets.nhl.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "John Tortorella replaces Todd Richards as coach of Columbus (0-7-0)". ESPN. October 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Lightning hire Todd Richards to serve as assistant coach".
  10. 1 2 3 "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Joe Mullen		 Head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
2006–2008		 Succeeded by
Dan Bylsma
Preceded by
Jacques Lemaire		 Head coach of the Minnesota Wild
2009–11		 Succeeded by
Mike Yeo
Preceded by
Scott Arniel		 Head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets
2012–15		 Succeeded by
John Tortorella
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