Mike Richards another Philadelphia Flyers player requiring surgery
Mike Richards, Captain of Philadelphia Flyers, is the latest addition to the list of Flyers players, who will be undergoing surgery, during off-season.
The list is expected to get longer and the total can increase up to eight within a matter of few days. General Manager (GM) of the Flyers, Paul Holmgren, said that Richards showed his determination, as he played a good chunk of the regular season with a
torn ligament in his wrist.
"Mike's dealt with this wrist injury really since training camp", Holmgren said. "It hasn't kept him out of the lineup, but I think it has inhibited certain aspects of his play. It's affected his performance in the face-off circle and I think it's affected
his shot to some degree".
Last season was the best season in Richards’s career as he posted 31 goals during the course of the regular season and guided his team all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.
However, this time out, things have changed and he was able to score only 23 goals in the regular season. Fatigue may be the reason for his drop in form, as he has played 81 games during the course of the regular season missing only one game.
The stress has been long coming, as he has played the most number of games in the last three years piling up a total of 204 games including games beside the National Hockey League, while representing his country at the Olympics.
Both, the GM and coach of the Flyers talked of him in the following words:
"I think Mike Richards is a good captain for our team", said Holmgren. "I think he's a tremendous player in our League. Trust me -- there are 29 other teams that would love to have Mike Richards”.
"He (Richards) is just a quiet guy, but there is no issue in terms of Mike's relationship with Peter, or, Mike's relationship with any of his teammates".
He is one of those players, who are expected to return to the team soon. With some important players out due to surgeries, the Flyers will be hoping that he returns soon so that they can join their practices and preparations for next season.
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