News Article: Mike Richards After His First AHL Game

[CNS]

Mike Richards After His First AHL Game

After winning the Stanley Cup last season, Kings GM Dean Lombardi had a debate on his hands – what should he do with Mike Richards? Last off-season was the last chance to use an amnesty buyout, which would not take up any cap space by buying out Richards’ contract. Instead, after several intimate chats, Lombardi kept Richards, who vowed to come into camp in the best shape of his life.

Now midway through the season, after failing to find a trading partner, Richards was placed on waivers and sent to Manchester of the AHL after he cleared. He spoke to MayorsManor after playing his first ever AHL regular season game…

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[Ron*]

"I'm putting you on waivers. See you later."

 

[KingsHockey24]

"I'm putting you on waivers. See you later."

 

[SLang]

"I'm putting you on waivers. See you later."

Yeah. What? Seriously doubt it went down exactly like that. That interview makes it sound lie MR is harboring some resentment, when in reality he has only himself to blame.

I blame Voynov too!!!

 

[bob77]

After watching the game on the AHL Live, I would agree with Mike's own statement.

 

[Telos]

I think Richards is more disappointed than anyone or anything else. He's never been very open with the media, I expect he just doesn't want to talk about it. It's a very emotional thing, especially to be at his age and with the accomplishments he has. I'd think most of us would just want to get away from the microphones being pointed at us if we were in his shoes.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Dean's been watching Moneyball

 

[SLang]

Agreed Telos.....the whole thing is just sad and let's hope he's able to use it as motivation to get his career back on track.....assuming his body is able to do it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I hope that pissiness in his answers is motivation to do right rather than feeling he was wronged. That answer about doing stuff outside the rink rubbed me completely the wrong way.

 

[Choralone]

"I'm putting you on waivers. See you later."

Yeah, it's like

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Yeah, it's like

Well played Don Choralone, well played.

 

[moosehead81]

I hope that pissiness in his answers is motivation to do right rather than feeling he was wronged. That answer about doing stuff outside the rink rubbed me completely the wrong way.

Well, in fairness, I don't believe he's had a lot of time to think about how he might change his off-season training regime or anything else at this point. I mean your GM calls you out of the blue on Sunday evening (and frankly the "see you later" is probably how it went down cause there's really no other way to put it), you clean out your locker on Monday morning, cancel your living arrangements in LA on Monday afternoon, wait your 24 hours until noon on Tuesday, fly across the country on Wednesday, find accommodations in Manchester and skate on Thursday and play on Friday. He said he did what he was told to do in LA, he was told to go play in Manchester and that's what he did. Sorry but I would probably show a little pissiness too and if you felt his answers did that, well he's probably entitled to a bit.

 

[MollerManor]

I have an incredibly hard time believing, of all people on this planet, Dean Lombardi only had 9 words to say to Richards before shipping him off.

What I do think happened was Mike heard those first 9 words then muted the phone for the next 999.

 

[damacles1156]

It wouldn't surprise me if Lombardi said nothing. Lombardi didn't even contact Frolov's agent, to let him know the Kings would not offer him a contract.

 

[Chain]

I hope that pissiness in his answers is motivation to do right rather than feeling he was wronged. That answer about doing stuff outside the rink rubbed me completely the wrong way.

Feel the same here. Maybe he just sounds like that because he doesn't care to address the media, but if I were in his shoes I'd be saying something like "It's clear at this point I need to make some adjustments and really commit to off-season training, eating better, whatever I can control to improve and show I've got a lot of game left in me."

 

[Chain]

Well, in fairness, I don't believe he's had a lot of time to think about how he might change his off-season training regime or anything else at this point. I mean your GM calls you out of the blue on Sunday evening (and frankly the "see you later" is probably how it went down cause there's really no other way to put it), you clean out your locker on Monday morning, cancel your living arrangements in LA on Monday afternoon, wait your 24 hours until noon on Tuesday, fly across the country on Wednesday, find accommodations in Manchester and skate on Thursday and play on Friday. He said he did what he was told to do in LA, he was told to go play in Manchester and that's what he did. Sorry but I would probably show a little pissiness too and if you felt his answers did that, well he's probably entitled to a bit.

Sorry but I disagree on all counts.

He's not entitled to be pissy at all, imo. I think we all want Richards to get some of his game back and come back to the team. I know I do. Still, he was getting paid $5 million a year and not playing anything like a $5 million player. DL took a chance on him in the off-season too and there wasn't much of a difference in his play. What's DL supposed to do? Especially if the reports of Richards not coming into camp in peak shape were true (who knows)? I can definitely understand him being bummed about it, but being pissy, if we're not just talking semantics, then thinking it's anyone else's fault is just unjustified. that's true for any pro athlete. If you're getting paid millions and you're not preparing your butt off every off-season, you better keep your game up to justify it.

There's been plenty of time for him to think about what he could do to try and improve. He's had 5 days between being told and now. He's got a 5 hour plane flight for one. It's not like it's rocket science, especially after he was already supposed to be looking into what was wrong with his game and what he could do to improve it after last season when he talked with DL several times and told DL he wasn't in shape like he should be. It's not like his decrease in performance is surprise news to him he's never had time to think about before.

 

[Face Wash]

Doesn't read like a guy using this as motivation...Reads like a guy who says...I'm a hockey player...I play where they tell me and so long as the checks don't bounce, I'm fine. Like to play a little better...I was okay tonite.

I hope I'm wrong...

 

[Scottkmlps]

It wouldn't surprise me if Lombardi said nothing. Lombardi didn't even contact Frolov's agent, to let him know the Kings would not offer him a contract.

Sorry, but Dean has huge respect for Richards. He isn't going to say nothing to Richards. To me, that read like Richards was just getting the question out of the way because he was still disappointed about the demotion, but really, Richards has nobody to blame but himself.
Now with Frolov, he didn't deserve a contract and Dean didn't have to call his agent to let him know that he wouldn't be offering a contract to a UFA.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

I have an incredibly hard time believing, of all people on this planet, Dean Lombardi only had 9 words to say to Richards before shipping him off.

What I do think happened was Mike heard those first 9 words then muted the phone for the next 999.

When Dean got married, it took him 100 words to say I do.

 

[Jeff18]

"I'm putting you on waivers. See you later."

Feel bad for laughing but it's kinda hilarious if it actually went down that way.

 

[MynameisKing]

I have an incredibly hard time believing, of all people on this planet, Dean Lombardi only had 9 words to say to Richards before shipping him off.

What I do think happened was Mike heard those first 9 words then muted the phone for the next 999.

More like he heard the 9 words and then dropped the phone! Dean was talking for hours to no one on the other end.

 

[Chain]

More like he heard the 9 words and then dropped the phone! Dean was talking for hours to no one on the other end.

Why does that make me picture Steinbrenner from Seinfeld?

 

[KINGS17]

Well, in fairness, I don't believe he's had a lot of time to think about how he might change his off-season training regime or anything else at this point. I mean your GM calls you out of the blue on Sunday evening (and frankly the "see you later" is probably how it went down cause there's really no other way to put it), you clean out your locker on Monday morning, cancel your living arrangements in LA on Monday afternoon, wait your 24 hours until noon on Tuesday, fly across the country on Wednesday, find accommodations in Manchester and skate on Thursday and play on Friday. He said he did what he was told to do in LA, he was told to go play in Manchester and that's what he did. Sorry but I would probably show a little pissiness too and if you felt his answers did that, well he's probably entitled to a bit.

Out of the blue?

And no one is entitled.

 

[Reclamation Project]

When Dean got married, it took him 100 words to say I do.

 

[kingsholygrail]