University of Minnesota Athletics
Former Gopher Richards Named Wild Head Coach
6/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Former Gopher hockey player Todd Richards will return to the Twin Cities as the second head coach of the Minnesota Wild.
Richards, who played for the Gophers from 1985-89 was hired on June 16 to replace Jacques Lemaire. Richards was most recently an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks. Lemaire was the only previous head coach in the Wild’s nine-year history.
A native of Crystal, Minn., Richards is the highest-scoring defenseman in Gopher history, totaling 30 goals and 128 assists for 158 points in 167 games. His 128 assists are the most by any defenseman in school history. He was the team’s Rookie of the Year in 1985-86 and served as team captain as a senior in 1988-89.
Richards spent one season with the Sharks after two years as head coach of Pittsburgh’s top farm club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. while new Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher was an assistant GM for the Penguins.
Richards spent several seasons in minor league hockey and played in eight games over two seasons with the Hartford Whalers, notching four assists during the 1990-91 season. He was a second-round draft choice and the 33rd player taken overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.
