Mike Richards (ice hockey)

Mike Richards
Richards with the Washington Capitals in 2016
Born	(1985-02-11) February 11, 1985 (age 39) Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers Los Angeles Kings Washington Capitals
National team	Canada
NHL draft	24th overall, 2003 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2005–2016
Medal record Representing  Canada Ice hockey Olympic Winter Games 2010 Vancouver World Junior Championships 2005 United States 2004 Finland

Michael Richards (born February 11, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Richards played 11 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons, spending time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals.

Richards was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Flyers, 24th overall, and made his NHL debut in 2005. He was named captain of the Flyers in 2008 at just 23 years old, leading Philadelphia to a Stanley Cup finals appearance in 2010. In 2011, the Flyers traded Richards to the Los Angeles Kings, where he was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams with Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014. The Kings terminated his contract in 2015 after Richards was arrested for possession of oxycodone, a controlled substance, without a prescription.^[1]

In addition to his two Stanley Cups, Richards won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Richards' career also included championships in the Memorial Cup (Kitchener Rangers of the OHL), World Juniors (Canada), and Calder Cup (Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL).