Brad Richards
| Brad Richards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
May 2, 1980 Murray Harbour, PEI, CAN | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Dallas Stars Tampa Bay Lightning | ||
| NHL draft |
64th overall, 1998 Tampa Bay Lightning | ||
| Playing career | 2000–present | ||
Bradley Glenn Richards (born May 2, 1980 in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Dallas Stars.
Playing career
Richards is of Metis decend. Richards was drafted in the 3rd round (64th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, the same draft that produced future teammate and first overall pick, Vincent Lecavalier. He won the Conn Smythe and the Lady Byng Trophies in 2004. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004. Later that same year, he won the World Cup of Hockey Championship playing on Team Canada. Richards holds the record for game winning goals in a single playoff season with 7 in 2004, overtaking Joe Sakic's and Joe Nieuwendyk's record of 6. Joe Sakic was his favorite player growing up.
Richards dad brother of Darcy Richards did not make it to the NHL but they both came close to making it big. Darcy Richards son Mason Richards is on his way to the MLB says Sports writers. By the way Mr. D this isnt real :) Richards played for Team Canada in the 2006 Olympics.
After the team was eliminated from the 2006 playoffs, Richards signed a 5-year contract with the Lightning worth $39 million (US).
On February 26, 2008, roughly 3 hours before the NHL trade deadline, Richards was traded to the Dallas Stars in a blockbuster deal along with goaltender Johan Holmqvist for goalie Mike Smith, centre Jeff Halpern, winger Jussi Jokinen and a 2009 4th round draft pick. Richards set a career high and made Stars franchise history by recording five assists in his first game as a Star. The Stars defeated the Blackhawks 7–4, and Richards was named the number one star of the game.
Awards
- 1999–00: CHL Player of the Year
- 1999–00: CHL Leading Scorer
- 1999–00: CHL Plus/Minus Award Winner
- 1999–00: CHL First All-Star Team
- 1999–00: QMJHL Michel Brière Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player)
- 1999–00: QMJHL Jean Béliveau Trophy (Leading scorer)
- 1999–00: QMJHL Plus/Minus Award Winner
- 1999–00: QMJHL Guy Lafleur Trophy (Playoff MVP)
- 1999–00: QMJHL First All-Star Team
- 1999–00: Memorial Cup Stafford Memorial Trophy (MVP)
- 1999–00: Memorial Cup All-Star Team
- 2000–01: NHL All-Rookie Team
- 2001–02: NHL YoungStars Game Participant
- 2003–04: NHL Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP)
- 2003–04: NHL Lady Byng Trophy (Sportsmanship)
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL | 68 | 33 | 82 | 115 | 44 | 19 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 59 | 39 | 92 | 131 | 55 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 6 | ||
| 1999–00 | Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 63 | 71 | 115 | 186 | 69 | 12 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 16 | ||
| 2000–01 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001–02 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 80 | 17 | 57 | 74 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 26 | 53 | 79 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Aq Bars Kazan | RSL | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005–06 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 23 | 68 | 91 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| NHL Totals | 490 | 132 | 306 | 438 | 118 | 41 | 14 | 28 | 42 | 20 | ||||
Brad has been best friends with Vincent Lecavalier since the age of 14, when they met at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school with an excellent hockey program in Saskatchewan, Canada. They were roommates and soon became good friends as they were both the youngest players on their hockey team. Since then they have gone on to being teammates in the Rimouski Oceanic and Tampa Bay Lightning. Lecavalier was also responsible for suggesting to the Lightning management after they had drafted him to draft Richards. Richards currently resides in Tampa's Harbour Island. He was traded to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, in exchange for goaltender Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern and a 4th round draft pick in 2009.
International play
Played for Canada in:
- 2000 World Junior Championships (bronze medal)
- 2001 World Championships
- 2004 World Cup of Hockey (gold medal)
- 2006 Winter Olympics (failed to medal)
International statistics
| Year | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | WJC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 | WC | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | WCH | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Oly | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| Senior Int'l Totals | 19 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 6 | ||
External links
- 1980 births
- Canadian ice hockey centres
- Conn Smythe Trophy winners
- Dallas Stars players
- Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey personnel from Prince Edward Island
- Lady Byng winners
- Living people
- Memorial Cup winners
- Olympic ice hockey players of Canada
- People from Kings County, Prince Edward Island
- Rimouski Oceanic alumni
- Tampa Bay Lightning players
- Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks
- Stanley Cup champions