Mike Richards happy to be with Los Angeles Kings, excited about new beginning –NHL offseason Update
It was certainly an emotional time for Mike Richards, a now former Philadelphia Flyers player and captain, who was traded to Los Angeles Kings early last month in June, which was part of a blockbuster deal that sent the National Hockey League (NHL) into
shock.
Confusion and sadness swept through the 26-year-olds life as he was forced to depart from his original draft team which selected him as their 24th overall draft pick during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, and disowned him in an instant after spending
six consecutive seasons together.
Now things have changed, and so has his mindset about the trade, which later became known as initiation for bringing on board superstar goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, and signing him to a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract.
"I'm not exactly sure why I was traded", Richards said. "There's a lot of stuff written in Philly, but it was a big shock to me”.
Some time to think and realise the benefits was all Richards needed.
"I started walking on the beach and I was kind of thinking, 'It's not a bad place to be and not a bad place to start a new career", Richards said.
Even though Mike Richards has not had a less than 60 point season during the last four years, he still believes that this trade has given him a chance to start fresh and improve himself even more.
"You start thinking, 'This is not a bad place to be, and not a bad place to restart a career", Richards said Wednesday in the Kings' locker-room. "I always used to love coming to L.A. to play. There's just a buzz in the arena, almost like it is in New York.
I can't wait to feel it from the other side".
Richards did not come cheap for the Western Conference team. He was acquired after Los Angeles gave up Wayne Simmonds, a high contributing right winger, along with young forward, Brayden Schenn and a second-round draft pick.
With a high flying teammate like Anze Kopitar, adding Mike Richards to the mix might just give Los Angeles that unstoppable shooting duo they have always needed and next season will be very exciting to see how the former Philadelphia captain adapts to a
new environment.
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