Mike Richards Michael Richards ( born February 11 , 1985 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He previously played for and was captain of the Philadelphia Flyers . Playing career . Early years . Richards grew up playing minor league hockey in his hometown of Kenora , Ontario . He played level A rep hockey for the Kenora Thistles until being drafted fourth overall in the 2001 OHL Priority Selection by the Kitchener Rangers . Richards was not a noted prospect prior to the selection . After receiving a tip from a friend in Kenora , Rangers general manager Jamie MacDonald traveled to see Richards play on two occasions . Richards began his major junior career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) in 2001 – 02 . He was a member of a dominant 2003 Kitchener team that captured the Memorial Cup and led the team in scoring during the regular season with 87 points . Following the Canadian Hockey League ( CHL ) championship victory , Richards was chosen as team captain . That summer , the Philadelphia Flyers selected him 24th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft with the second of the team ' s first round picks that season . Upon being drafted , Richards returned to the Rangers for two more seasons . In his last season of junior , 2004 – 05 , he embarked on another Memorial Cup run with Kitchener , but despite a remarkable 28 - point performance from Richards in just 15 playoff games , the Rangers were eliminated by the London Knights in the OHL semi - finals . As soon as Kitchener was eliminated , the Flyers assigned Richards to the Philadelphia Phantoms , their American Hockey League ( AHL ) affiliate , for their playoff run . Averaging over a point per game , he became a key part of the Phantoms ' 2005 Calder Cup championship . NHL beginnings . Richards made his NHL debut with the Flyers the following season and scored a goal in his first game on October 5 , 2005 , against the New York Rangers . Later in the season , he scored his first career NHL hat trick , which included two shorthanded goals , against the New York Islanders on February 8 , 2006 . His hat trick was the first by a Flyers rookie since Mikael Renberg on February 15 , 1994 . Richards finished his NHL rookie season with 34 points in 79 games , third among Flyers rookies to Jeff Carter ( drafted the same year as Richards , 11th overall ) and R . J . Umberger . Following an injury shortened sophomore season – Richards was kept to 32 points in 59 games due to stomach surgery – Richards emerged as a star with the Flyers in 2007 – 08 and topped the team in scoring with 75 points . Recognizing his ascent as a leader on the team , Richards was named one of the Flyers ' alternate captains at the outset of the season and was signed to a lengthy 12 - year contract extension worth $ 69 million on December 13 , 2007 . Shortly after signing the deal , Richards was selected to represent the Eastern Conference at the 2008 NHL All - Star Game in Atlanta . In the first NHL All - Star Game of his career , Richards registered an assist . As the Flyers entered the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the third - seeded Washington Capitals , Richards scored his first playoff goal on a penalty shot against Washington goaltender Cristobal Huet in game three . In doing so , he became just the second player in NHL history to score his first playoff goal on a penalty shot ( the first was Wayne Connelly who did so with the Minnesota North Stars in 1968 ) . The Flyers defeated the Capitals in seven games and then upset the Montreal Canadiens before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals . Richards finished his 2008 playoff run with 14 points in 17 games . 2008 - 2011 : Team captain . Before the start of the 2008 – 09 season , on September 17 , 2008 , Richards was named the 17th captain in Flyers history , succeeding previous captain Jason Smith , who had signed with the Ottawa Senators in the off - season . On February 15 , 2009 , Richards became the first player in NHL history to score three career 3 - on - 5 shorthanded goal s when he beat New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in a 5 – 2 win . Six days later , on February 21 , Richards became the first Flyer in team history to score a shorthanded goal in three consecutive games and the first NHL player to do so since Joe Sakic in 1998 . He finished the season second in team scoring to Jeff Carter with 80 points to go with a league - leading 7 shorthanded goals . Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second consecutive year in the 2009 playoffs , Richards added 5 points in 6 games , but could not help the Flyers from being eliminated . After Richards ' season ended , he was announced as a finalist for the Selke Trophy , along with Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks . The next day , on April 29 , 2009 , it was revealed that Richards required surgery on both shoulders . He had reportedly felt discomfort since training camp and was on anti - inflammatory medication throughout the season . Richards narrowly missed out on the Selke , which could have been Philadelphia ' s first individual player trophy since Eric Lindros won the Hart in 1995 . Datsyuk won the vote 945 - 942 in the closest Selke Trophy race since its inception . The 2009 - 10 season started successfully for Richards , scoring five goals in his first three games including his second career hat trick in the second period of the Flyers ' home opener against the Washington Capitals on October 6 , 2009 . Against the Florida Panthers on October 24 , Richards delivered a shoulder hit to David Booth ' s head . Knocked unconscious , Booth fell awkwardly on his head and neck and had to be carried of the ice on a stretcher . Richards was given a game misconduct , but was not suspended by the NHL . From the outset of the season , Richards was involved in an ongoing feud with the Philadelphia media . He issued a verbal boycott against the media in October 2009 after he was asked if the trade of forward Joffrey Lupul to the Anaheim Ducks was the result of a partying lifestyle that many players on the team were accused of sharing . Accusations of team players drinking and partying excessively continued throughout the season , specifically with Richards and Carter . As the team began to lose , Richards criticized the local media in an interview with " The Hockey News " for " throwing the team under the bus . " He also told the " Philadelphia Daily News " that the drinking accusations were fabricated . Following a loss to the Washington Capitals on January 17 , 2010 , Richards reportedly got into a verbal exchange with reporters outside the Flyers ' locker room , telling them he was unhappy with how the team was being covered in the media . On February 1 , 2010 , Richards scored his 100th career NHL goal . The Flyers barely scraped into the playoffs , winning in a shootout in their last game of the season to secure their place . However , they then embarked on a remarkable run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals , a run in which Richards cemented his captaincy and scored some important goals leading to renewed comparisons to Bobby Clarke , which eventually ended in the Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost 4 - 3 in OT of game 6 to the Chicago Blackhawks . Richards scored 23 goals to go along with 43 assists during the 2010 - 11 NHL season as the Flyers earned the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference , and played the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs . After eliminating the Sabres in 7 games , Richards and the Flyers were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in a 4 game sweep . Richards recorded one goal and six assists during the playoffs . Los Angeles Kings . Richards and Flyers prospect Rob Bordson were traded to the Los Angeles Kings on June 23 , 2011 . In return , the Flyers received Wayne Simmonds , Brayden Schenn , and Los Angeles ' 2012 second round pick . Richards reacted to the major deal by saying , " “ I was very shocked . At first I was shocked and then excited – I ’ m excited to move out to L . A . and be a part of a team that has a ton of great players . I ’ m just looking forward to helping them out . ” A Dan Gross article suggested that Richards ' " hard - partying ways " influenced the Flyers ' decision to trade Richards . However , Flyers ' General manager Paul Holmgren stated that it was " preposterous " that partying had anything to do with the trade . International play . Richards made his international debut with Team Canada at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Finland . Despite a third period lead in the gold medal game , Canada lost to the United States 4 - 3 . The following year , Richards returned to the World Juniors as team captain and led Canada to its first gold medal at the tournament since 1997 . Richards tallied 5 points in 6 games . After Richards ' rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers , he was chosen to his first senior tournament with Team Canada at the 2006 World Championships . Richards scored 5 points in 9 games , but Canada was defeated by Finland in the bronze medal game , failing to medal . On December 30 , 2009 , Richards was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . Playing style . Mike Richards is considered to be one of the top two - way centers in the league today . Because of his shot and vision , Richards is able to quarterback the power play , being a threat to the opposition due to his ability to shoot and pass . Richards is also a terrific penalty killer because of his willingness to block shots , his vision to read the play and position himself appropriately , and his ability to win key faceoffs in the defensive zone . Along with his defensive ability on the penalty kill , he is also an offensive threat , having 23 shorthanded goals over 6 seasons . He also currently holds the NHL record for most 5 - on - 3 shorthanded goals . Richards is also unique because of his ability to play a Power forward style of game , which is usually reserved for players with a much bigger physical stature . Personal life . Richards was born in Kenora , Ontario to Norm and Irene . He has two brothers , Mark and Matt . His cousin , Jeff Richards , is also an OHL graduate who plays in Germany . He recently appeared on Making the Cut , a Canadian reality show about aspiring hockey players . Growing up , he attended Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora , until being drafted to the Kitchener Rangers at which point he attended Eastwood Collegiate Institute . Awards . Junior Professional International