INTERVIEW: Catching Up With Mike Richards

While rumors continue to swirl about his future (this article is a must read), Mike Richards has continued to go about his business as a member of the Manchester Monarchs. In six games with the team, he has collected two goals and six assists, totaling eight points. Two of those points came on Saturday, as he once again contributed to a Monarchs’ victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Off the ice, Richards has recently gotten engaged and turned 30 years old this past Wednesday. After the game, he sat down with us about a wide array of topics, including some off the ice…

On picking up the victory:

“It was good. Like you said, we didn’t start great. I thought our goalie [Patrik Bartosak] kept us in it – kept us within one anyways, and gave us a chance to get our legs [going]. He played well tonight. Once we got our legs under us, we were playing well [and] got a couple on the power play, which is always a momentum builder. It was good to see us have the lead in the third.”

On how he felt he personally played:

“It was good. I actually felt really good tonight. I had a couple chances that obviously didn’t convert, but overall, I actually thought that was one of the better games I felt leg wise. My hands weren’t great, but my legs felt really good, so hopefully at some point, I’ll put it all together.”

On if, after six games, he feels adjusted to AHL hockey:

“A little bit. I think just being more comfortable coming to the rink again and playing with the same people for an extended period of time gets some familiarity. The power play is the biggest thing. You start knowing where people are on the ice, and [can] make different plays. Any power play that sticks together for a long time, no matter what level you’re at, is always going to benefit.”

On playing nearly double the ice time he was playing with the Kings:

“I think any hockey player embraces that and wants to play as much as they can. The first couple games maybe you’re not used to it, but that’s why you have those tough skates in practice. They suck while you’re doing them, but they’re definitely beneficial. I think just overall, [being] more comfortable with how much you’re playing, what you’re playing, what you’re doing, and that just comes with being here and time on ice.”

On how it felt turning 30:

“It was a big step. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 10 years I’ve been in pro hockey.” [Reporter: Did you do anything special to celebrate?] “No. I did not. My fiancee was down for a bit before that, but on the actual day, whatever it was, Wednesday, I didn’t do a whole lot.”

On if his former Kings teammates messaged him to wish him a happy birthday:

“Yeah. A lot of guys texted me, [as well as] a lot of friends from back home. It’s amazing how many friends you build up over hockey over the years, from junior right up until current teammates, and teammates with the Kings. It’s pretty cool to see how close hockey brings a lot of people.”

On if he’s watched Road To The NHL Stadium Series, featuring his old teammates:

“I haven’t seen any of it. I don’t even know when its on. The Radisson doesn’t have a whole lot of channels, so I haven’t seen any of it.”

While it remains to be seen if the Kings and Leafs can come to an agreement on a Richards trade over the next few weeks, there is at least a new piece to the puzzle that revealed itself this weekend – one of the Kings’ prospects Toronto is said to be eyeing is heavily discussed in the first article linked below.

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