Posted by By Jon Gabrielle, The Hockey Writers
Brad Richards played for the Canadian team in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He scored 2 goals and added two helpers for 4 points in 6 games.
As the 2010 Winter games approach this February, there is little mention of Brad Richards making his countries squad. If you google his name associated with the 2010 Canadian Olympic team, there is nary a place you will find him. Not from a pundit nor a blogger.
In fact, if you turn to page 107 in the Dallas Stars official souvenir program, from Monday, November 23rd, 2009 you won’t see Richard’s name mentioned there either. That’s the page where the team highlights past Olympic participants as well as candidates playing for the Stars now, that may have a chance to represent their respective countries come 2010 in Vancouver.
Not surprisingly, Mike Modano(USA), Niklas Grossman, Fabian Brunnstrom and Loui Eriksson(Sweden), Brenden Morrow and StephaneRobidas(Canada), Jere Lehtinen(Finland) and Karlis Skrastins(Lativa) are all mentioned as potential Olympians this winter. No number 91, no former Conn Smythe winner, and no former Stanley Cup champion, Brad Richards. Not a whisper. And that’s an in-house publication, written and produced by the “Stars Publications Department.”
In fairness to the Dallas Stars organization, Brad Richards was not invited this past summer to the Olympic orientation camp, where 45 of Canada’s “best” players were gathered. When I sat down with Richards himself and brought up the 2010 Olympics and his chances, he offered, “I wasn’t invited to camp in the summer, so I don’t know what that means?”
After a trade to Dallas late in 2007-2008 and then an injury plagued campaign in 2008-2009, a season in which the Stars failed to make the playoffs, Richards had apparently fallen off Team Canada’s “radar.”
Former Olympian, Brad Richards(photo courtesy/wikipedia)
This year, however, Brad Richards is front and center once again, with a team that has aspirations of going far into the playoffs. And why not? After missing the playoffs for the first time in 6 years, the organization has made some major changes, including hiring a new Head Coach(Marc Crawford) and General Manager(Joe Nieuwendyk).
As of this writing the Stars sit in a tie for 6th place in the Conference standings.
But quite possibly the biggest change has come in Brad Richards reasserting himself as one of premier playmakers and power play quarterbacks in the NHL.
In Saturday night’s win over his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Richards had two assists with the first unit and was on the ice for a third power play goal. He has scored 10 points in his last five games, prompting his G.M., Joe Nieuwendyk to tell me, high above ice level at the A.A.C. that, “Richey’s definitely in the mix.”
Currently sitting alone in 4th place in the NHL scoring race, with 32 points, and trailing only Joe Thornton in assists, I asked Richards, the way you’ve been playing, do you deserve to be on the team? He responded with a wry smile only to say, “you’re asking the wrong guy.” I pressed further asking, is it possible they could leave you off the team if you wind up in first or second place in league scoring come December 31st(scheduled roster announcement)? His smile broadened and he reiterated, “you’re asking the wrong guy.”
Figures a veteran with Richard’s class would tell me more with his facial expression than he would with his words. And I get the feeling that that’s the way this former Olympian, Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion prefers it. In his unassuming way, this 29 year old from Murray Harbour, PE, has always let his play tell the story.
As the interview concluded, Richards told me, “it would be an honor for me to play for my country and represent Canada, especially on our home soil. I have played before in the Olympics and done well.”
Hopefully Stevie “Y” is listening but more importantly, watching!
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I suppose the fact that Richards seems to be off of Team Canada’s radar illustrates the embarassment of depth at center for the host nation. But you make a great case for him to be on the Olympic roster. Surprising that with Richards’ history of representing Canada at the international level that he hasn’t drawn even a niff of attention. It’s likely a long shot Brad will make the cut, but given the rash of injuries throughout the NHL this year, I’d say anything can happen at this point.
Seems like the news has travelled, and quite fast.
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/hockey/news/newsid=21113.html?cid=rsstsn
I’ll just remember that I heard it here first.