Mike Richards

[mm11]

Hello folks, can anyone give me a scouting report of Mike Richards when he played for Kitchner of the OHL?? HE put up very respectable numbers of 292 in 233 games and was drafted 24th overall by the Flyers and I do believe Kitchner was a dominate junior team capturing the Memorial cup and I would have to believe Richards was the leader on and off the Ice.

could anyone believe he would become a 30 goal 50 assist guy at the NHL level or was he going to become a blood and guts type of leader that topped at a 3rd line agitating center role that elevated his game in big moments.

Yesterday I compared a young 17/18 year blue chip prospect drafted in 2010 that seems to elevate his game in huge moments to Richards style and was chastised for doing so.

so my question is what kind of player was Richards labeled after he was drafted I believe in the great 2003 NHL entry draft? I think it went Jeff Carter early for the fly boys then Richards at 24. Talk about nailing that first round eh?

thoughts??

Click to read more...

 

[Blind Gardien]

It was definitely not predicted that he'd be an offensive player or a team cornerstone type. I liked him a lot personally, and was thrilled to pick him in my FHL, but most scouting reports I can recall had him down purely for the blood-and-guts 3rd line checking part of his game. His skating was an issue. He didn't have great size for a checker either, although people couldn't help admiring his tenacity. I would say he has turned out waaaaaaay better than most people were predicting.

 

[HemskyToHall*]

I agree with the post above and Richards was heavily criticized for being picked 1st overall for Kitchener, seemed like a great pick!

 

[gifted88]

Richards was amazing to watch with and without the puck in Kitchener. But I think most people had him labeled as a project due to his skating and size.

on a side note, I thought McGrath would have turned out to be similar to Richards points wise...Detroit killed that kid with 4th line minutes in the AHL though imo.

 

[MojoJojo]

I dont have a link to his central scouting checklist, but I recall he was rated Excellent or Very good in almost every category except defensive awareness. A year after he was drafted this already seemed positively ludicrous.

 

[TheBigTicket]

I agree with the post above and Richards was heavily criticized for being picked 1st overall for Kitchener, seemed like a great pick!

kitchener picked mike 4th overall in the OHL entry draft not 1st but yes they did get criticized and i believe their head scout was fired

 

[magic school bus]

I dont have a link to his central scouting checklist, but I recall he was rated Excellent or Very good in almost every category except defensive awareness. A year after he was drafted this already seemed positively ludicrous.

wow.

 

[thefeebster]

Wow, i bet that scout is having his laugh right now. What a fickle career to be in...

Anyways, i dragged some up.

An Article from HF post draft - June 2003 - also has a Carter write up as well

1st Round/ #24 overall
Mike Richards (C)
5-11, 185 lbs
Shoots: L
Born: February 11, 1985
Birthplace: Kenora, Ontario
Rankings: #30 North American Skater (Central Scouting), #31 (THN)
2002-2003 Team: Kitchener (OHL)
Regular Season Stats: 67 GP, 37 G, 50 A, 87 PTS, +35, 99 PIM, 10 PPG, 5 SHG
Playoff Stats: 21 GP, 9 G, 18 A, 27 PTS, +2, 24 PIM, 2 PPG, 1 SHG
Memorial Cup: 4 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, +5, 8 PIM, 1 PPG, 0 SH

In selecting Mike Richards, the Flyers made a rather conservative pick with their second first round pick. There is little doubt that if the player stays healthy, he’ll be an NHL player. The question is how good of an NHL player? Will he be a checking line center or a scoring liner?

In picking Richards, the Flyers went for for a mature young two-way center and bypassed two more highly hyped, hit-or-miss prospects in the more offensively dynamic Patrick O’Sullivan, who has been plagued by well-documented family-related problems and lacks Richards' all-around game, but has arguably a higher offensive upside, as well as powerfully-built Kingston winger Anthony Stewart.

A teammate of Carter on the Canada under-18 team, Richards actually outpointed him this past season but does not have the same compliment of natural skills. Nevertheless, Richards is a very smart, crafty player with above-average skills in every area except skating.

Richards was a mainstay for the Ontario League and Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers, belying the fact that the player is barely past his 18th birthday. To watch him excel in all manpower situations in the Memorial Cup, you’d have thought Richards was an experienced veteran, rather than a second year player. Questions about his size and straight-ahead knocked him down to the late first round but it is telling that Richards is highly respected around junior hockey and is regarded as a winner, who doesn’t back down under pressure. His Memorial Cup performance, of course, certainly helped him gain that reputation.

No one questions Richards' hockey sense, work ethic or his ice vision. Although he doesn’t have the naturally soft hands of Carter, Richards has a special knack for coming up with loose pucks around the net and he never gives up on the play.

As a forechecker, Richards is the kind of player who goes into the corner with a bigger player and emerges with the puck. He’s absolutely fearless when it comes to taking a hit and he’ll give it back, too. Defensively, as he showed in the Memorial Cup, he seems to bear down especially hard on draws in his own end and more than holds his own against bigger players. Offensively, he has a deft passing touch to go along with his nose for the net.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/6083/flyers2003_nhl_entry_draft_review/

And Sports Illustrated write ups are all i've come across...

Mike Richards, C
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 187 Born: 2/11/85
2002-03 with Kitchener (OHL): 67 GP, 37 G, 50 A, 87 PTS, 99 PIM
NHL Central Scouting Rank: 30th among North American skaters
Won a Memorial Cup with Kitchener and was considered by some the best two-way player in the OHL. Ranked 30th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, he has an outside chance of cracking the first round. An above-average skater and playmaker, he has been compared to Mike Ricci. Scouts like his work ethic and intensity. He was used on the power play and in penalty-killing situations and is above average on faceoffs.

MANY more players here... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2003/06/19/prospect_capsules/

They also did a mock draft that year, which had Carter going 23rd, Richards going 30th...

 

[magic school bus]

they were right about Carter's skills. O'Sullivan's family problems should have taken him off of team's boards entirely. Mental stuff with athletes is tough to overcome.