skip navigation

During exile from hockey, Mike Richards turned to a beer league

By Isabelle Khurshudyan, 02/03/16, 7:00PM MST

Share

Before the Washington Capitals signed Richards to a one-year deal last month, he had essentially been exiled from professional hockey for nine months.

Mike Richards scoffed at the idea at first, but when sitting on the couch got old, he finally gave in. It became apparent that he wouldn’t start the season on an NHL roster, but he had been recruited to play in a different league. He just had to pay the $300 fee.

Before the Washington Capitals signed Richards to a one-year deal last month, he had essentially been exiled from professional hockey for nine months. He knew he needed to keep skating to stay in shape for a probably return, so he got creative.

Two nights a week, the two-time Stanley Cup champion would go to the Kenora Recreation Centre on 18 Mike Richards Way and suit up for the Kenora Kings, his brothers’ team in the local beer league. He played defense, silenced trash talk with seven-goal performances and occasionally got grumpy requests to slow down.

Read More