Brad Richards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brad Richards
Richards with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014
Born	(1980-05-02) May 2, 1980 (age 45) Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Tampa Bay Lightning Dallas Stars New York Rangers Chicago Blackhawks Detroit Red Wings Ak Bars Kazan
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	64th overall, 1998 Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career	2000–2016

Bradley Ray Richards (born May 2, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a center. Brad was picked by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Draft. He played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). These teams included the Lightning, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings.

Brad won the Stanley Cup twice. He won in 2004 with the Lightning. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of those playoffs. He won again in 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks. He is also special because he played in eight Game 7s in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He won every single one, which is a record!

Brad Richards' Early Hockey Days

Brad Richards was born and grew up in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island. Since he was 14, Brad has been good friends with Vincent Lecavalier. They met at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. This was a boarding school with a famous hockey program. They were roommates and became close friends. They were also the youngest players on their hockey team.

Later, they became teammates for the Rimouski Océanic in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They also played together for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lecavalier even suggested to the Lightning that they should draft Richards.

In his last season with Rimouski, Brad won almost every award for a junior player. He led the QMJHL with 186 points. He also won awards for being the best offensive player. He was a top player in both the QMJHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). He was named the CHL Player of the Year. In the playoffs, Brad was the MVP of the QMJHL playoffs. He was also the MVP of the 2000 Memorial Cup. His team, the Océanic, won both championships that year.

Brad Richards' NHL Career (2000–2016)

Playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–2008)

Richards with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2006

The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Brad Richards in 1998. He was the 64th player picked overall. In his draft year, he had 82 assists and 115 points. The Lightning also picked Vincent Lecavalier first overall in the same draft. Lecavalier was Brad's teammate in school and in junior hockey.

During the 2003–04 NHL season, the Lightning won their first Stanley Cup. Brad was a huge part of their success in the playoffs. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player. He set a record with seven game-winning goals in those playoffs. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy that season. Later that year, he won the World Cup of Hockey with Team Canada.

On September 26, 2004, the Rimouski Océanic retired Brad's jersey number. This was a great honor for him.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Brad played for Ak Bars Kazan in Russia. He played with other NHL stars there. Brad also played for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics. After the 2006 playoffs, the Lightning signed Brad to a new five-year contract. It was worth $39 million.

Time with the Dallas Stars (2008–2011)

On February 26, 2008, Brad was traded to the Dallas Stars. This was a big trade. He went with goalie Johan Holmqvist. In return, the Lightning got Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen, and a draft pick. Brad set a new record for the Stars in his first game. He had five assists, which was also his career high. Dallas won that game 7–4 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Brad tied an NHL record. He scored four points in one period against the San Jose Sharks.

During the 2008–09 NHL season, Brad had 16 goals and 48 points. But he broke his wrist in February 2009. He missed 15 games because of this injury. When he came back, he broke his other hand. He missed the rest of the season. The Stars did not make the playoffs that year.

In 2009, the Stars changed their management and coach. Even with these changes, Brad had a great year. He scored 91 points, which matched his personal best. He played mostly with Loui Eriksson and James Neal. Brad finished seventh in NHL points that year. He was just behind his former teammate Martin St. Louis. He also finished fourth in total assists. However, the Stars missed the playoffs again. After the season, Brad was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.

Playing for the New York Rangers (2011–2014)

Richards with the New York Rangers in October 2011

After his contract ended, Brad signed with the New York Rangers. He signed a nine-year, $60 million contract on July 2, 2011. This reunited him with John Tortorella, his coach from the 2004 Stanley Cup team. Another teammate from that team, Ruslan Fedotenko, also joined. Other teams like the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings also wanted to sign him.

On October 8, 2011, Brad scored his first goal as a Ranger. He had 25 goals and 41 assists in his first season. He also had 6 goals and 9 assists in 20 playoff games. The Rangers were eliminated in the third round of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On April 19, 2013, Brad scored his first career NHL hat-trick. This happened in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

On March 5, 2014, the Rangers got Martin St. Louis. This brought Brad and St. Louis back together. They were teammates when the Lightning won the Cup in 2004. Both players were very important in the Rangers' run to the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. They lost the finals in five games to the Los Angeles Kings.

On June 20, 2014, the Rangers ended Brad's contract early. This made him a free agent.

Winning with the Chicago Blackhawks (2014–2015)

On July 1, 2014, Brad signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He wore number 91 for the Blackhawks. This was a first for the team. His usual number 19 was already worn by captain Jonathan Toews. Brad played his 1,000th NHL game on November 16, 2014. This game was against his old team, the Dallas Stars. In 76 regular season games, Brad scored 12 goals and had 25 assists. He played on the second line with Bryan Bickell and Patrick Kane.

The Blackhawks, with Brad, faced his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. Chicago won in six games. This gave Brad his second Stanley Cup title. He helped on Patrick Kane's goal in the last period of Game 6. This sealed the series win.

Final Season with the Detroit Red Wings (2015–2016)

On July 1, 2015, Brad signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. His traditional number 19 was retired for Steve Yzerman. Brad chose to wear number 17 for the Red Wings. He was the third player from Prince Edward Island to wear that number for the team.

The Red Wings just barely made the playoffs for the 25th time in a row. Brad's efforts late in the season included a game-tying goal against his former Rangers teammates. He finished the season with 10 goals and 18 assists in 68 games. In the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Brad scored one goal. The Red Wings were eliminated in five games by the Lightning in the first round.

On July 20, 2016, Brad Richards announced he was retiring from professional hockey. He said that winning the Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay and Chicago was the best part of his career. He said he would never forget those moments.

Brad Richards' Coaching Career

On December 12, 2023, Brad Richards was chosen to be a consultant for the St. Louis Blues. This happened after the team fired their former head coach.

Brad Richards' Life Off the Ice

During the hockey off-season, Brad goes back to his hometown of Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island. Brad has hosted a celebrity golf tournament there for many years. This event helps two charities: the Children's Wish Foundation and the Autism Society of Prince Edward Island. He is friends with Ron MacLean, a host from Hockey Night in Canada. Ron spends a lot of time in PEI too. When Brad played for the Rangers, he lived in an apartment in Manhattan.

Brad used to rent a special suite at the arena in Tampa Bay. He invited families dealing with pediatric cancer to use it for Lightning games. After each game, he would visit the children who came to watch. This started in 2002 and ended in 2008. When he was traded to the Dallas Stars, he continued his charity work. He gave tickets to sick children. He also donates tickets to every home game for military members.

In September 2010, Brad donated $500,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, PEI.

Brad and his wife Rechelle have two children. Brad speaks both English and French.

Brad Richards' Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International Games

Medal record
Representing  Canada
World Cup
Gold	2004 Canada
World Junior Championships
Bronze	2000 Sweden

Awards and Honors for Brad Richards

Records

• Most game-winning goals in a single playoffs seasons (7; 2004)

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played