NHL Rumours: Brad Richards not returning to Dallas Stars rather eyeing return to Tampa Bay Lightning
It has been confirmed that Brad Richards will not be returning to Dallas Stars after many months of negotiations between the 31-year-old centre and the teams’ managements. Richards finalised his decision a long time ago but went mainstream just recently,
this week. Until and unless Dallas gets a proper owner, he will not play for them.
The National Hockey League (NHL) franchises, other than Dallas, will have the chance to pick Richards as soon as he is officially a free agent, starting from July 1st.
The free agency will open with a number of other players and Richards is happy to be joining them. Since, Dallas’s team management knew he would not sign until they agreed on a new owner, they did not offer to re-sign Richards.
"Obviously, I have to move on", Richards said. "I had fun in Dallas, and I like the city. But the [ownership] situation is unclear, so I really didn't have a chance to stay there. I will move on and look forward to the opportunity to [be] a free agent. I've
never had that chance in my career. It's a real big moment in my life to say the least".
General Manager of Dallas Stars, Joe Nieuwendyk, told ESPN.com in an interview that since Stars would not possibly have a new owner in place by the first of July, there is no point in further negotiating with Brad Richards.
Richards, from Murray Harbour, PE, Canada, will certainly be a loss for Stars, which struggled this season. He was ranked 10th in the league for his assists and overall points, 49 and 77, respectively.
Letting go of such a player will only roll Stars downhill even more.
Richards, on the other hand, is excited about the opportunity of becoming a free agent. Having played seven seasons with Tampa Bay Lightning prior to joining Dallas Stars, Richards will not mind returning to the team he won the Stanley Cup with, back in
2004.
There is no final decision yet regarding which team Richards will be headed out to but one thing is certain, it will not be Dallas Stars without any doubt.
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