Luke Richardson

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 250px
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 220
team = Ottawa Senators
former_teams = Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Columbus Blue Jackets
Philadelphia Flyers
Edmonton Oilers
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1969|03|26
birth_place = Ottawa, ON, CAN
career_start = 1987
draft = 7th overall
draft_year = 1987
draft_team = Toronto Maple Leafs

Luke Richardson (born 26 March, 1969 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL.

Playing career

Luke Richardson was selected 7th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He had come off of two stellar seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. Halfway through his rookie season, on January 6, 1988 he was the victim of a vicious attack when Dino Ciccarelli of the Minnesota North Stars clubbed him in the head several times with his stick (Ciccarelli was convicted of assault, serving one day in jail and paying a fine of $1000 [Canadian] ). However, the assault had no discernible effects on the play of Richardson, who lasted four years in Toronto, until in the summer of 1991, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers with Vincent Damphousse, Scott Thornton, Peter Ing, future considerations and cash for Grant Fuhr, Glenn Anderson and Craig Berube.

Richardson never became a spectacular defenceman, he was just a tough stay-at-home blueliner who was quite aggressive. He would be consistent in that regard, with Edmonton, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was traded back to Toronto on March 8, 2006, and spent the 2006–07 NHL season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Richardson didn't rack up that many points in 2006–07, but he still did fairly well in the 27 games he played while getting 3 assists and only 16 penalty minutes. Richardson was a healthy scratch for the end of the 2006–07 season and playoffs, and became an unrestricted free agent that summer.

On August 7, 2007, Richardson signed a 1 year, $500,000 two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators after most of the hockey world thought he would announce his retirement from the NHL. On February 15, 2008, Richardson was named the Senators nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, though the award eventually went to Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs. [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=215709&hubname=]

Richardson has played the 3rd most games among active players in the NHL, only trailing Chris Chelios and Brendan Shanahan. As well, he is the active player who has played the most games without winning the Stanley Cup, or even reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. The closest he came to a Cup Finals appearance was in 2000, when the Flyers lost 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the New Jersey Devils.

On September 27, 2008, Richardson re-signed with Ottawa to a 1 year, two-way contract.

Awards

*1999–2000: Pelle Lindbergh Memorial (Philadelphia Flyers)

Foligno Connection

Played in Toronto with Mike Foligno, currently plays in Ottawa with Mike's son Nick Foligno.

Career statistics

International play

*Played for Team Canada in the 1987 World Junior Championships.
*Played for Team Canada in the 1994 World Championships.
*Played for Team Canada in the 1999 World Championships.

International Statistics

ee also

*Captain (ice hockey)
*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons

References

*hockeydb|4556