The Washington Capitals announced Wednesday that they had signed forward Mike Richards to a one-year deal. Richards, the former captain of the Philadelphia Flyers and a two-time Stanley Cup-winner with the Los Angeles Kings, met with the NHL earlier in the day and, per the Caps' release, has been given clearance to "resume his NHL career."
The 30-year-old Richards saw said NHL career go up in smoke this offseason when a draft-day trade between the Kings and another team fell apart after Kings GM Dean Lombardi was informed of an incident at a U.S.-Canada border crossing involving Richards.
The incident turned out to be an arrest for possession of a controlled substance.
Richards' contract was terminated by the Kings and he was viewed as a longshot to return to the NHL. But throughout the ordeal, Richards and his agent were adamant that the former first-round pick would return to the ice.
Richards began skating with his former OHL team, the Kitchener Rangers, and reports in recent days had suggested that the San Jose Sharks, where former Rangers assistant coach Pete DeBoer is now the bench boss, could be a potential landing spot.
With Wednesday's announcement, Richards joins a deep, gritty, but talented Caps team that may be the best in the NHL.
