August 27, 2015
Former Flyers captain Mike Richards got in some hot water with Canadian police back in June, and today formal charges were issued. The 30-year-old free agent is being charged with possession of a controlled substance:
Mike Richards charged for Possession of Controlled Substance while entering Canada. To appear in court Sep10/15. No further updates #rcmpmb
— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) August 27, 2015
As a refresher, here is what the Manitoba Police told Sportsnet about the incident that caused Richards to get charged:
On June 17, 2015 at about 2:00 pm, the Emerson RCMP detachment was notified that a controlled substance had been intercepted by Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Emerson Port of Entry.
The matter was turned over to the RCMP and a subsequent investigation on June 17th led to the arrest and release of a 30-year-old male.
Mike Richards, 30, from Kenora, Ontario was formally charged by the RCMP on August 25, 2015 for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Richards will be appearing in Emerson Provincial Court on September 10th, 2015.
TSN has a source that said, “It was clearly a small quantity intended for his personal use.” If you recall, the Los Angeles Kings responded to this incident by terminating the five years and $25 million that remain on Richards’ contract, citing “a material breach.” The NHLPA filed a grievance on the two-time Stanley Cup champion’s behalf.
Richards’ personal problems might be very serious and shouldn’t be minimized, but from the perspective of the NHL, a fascinating legal battle could be on the horizon. The Kings, who pretty plainly want to use Richards’ legal trouble as a loophole to get out of his burdensome contract, are still in for a fight with the NHLPA. From the Puck Daddy himself, Greg Wyshynski:
Does this formal charge change anything with regard to the NHLPA’s grievance against the Kings and the NHL? Not likely. One assumes the NHLPA was aware of Richards’ circumstances when it filed, and this case is more about the precedent being set than Richards' guilt or innocence.
It’s plain as day that the Kings are picking their spot with this termination, being that Richards is a player in steep decline and they’re trying to void his deal instead of buying it out to get around the cap implications. This is less about Mike Richards getting charged with drug possession and more about how NHL teams will react to such charges going forward.
What does he mean by “picking their spot?” Slava Voynov, a better player than the current version of Richards who is facing 90 days in jail after domestic violence charges, is still on the team.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
