Mike Richards, still recovering after taking a hit to the head by Florida’s Sean Bergenheim on Dec. 1, didn’t skate Saturday but did emerge from an off-ice workout with a sweat-drenched shirt, and appears to be making progress. Richards remains on injured reserve and won’t fly with the team to Boston tomorrow, but left open the possibility that he might join the team at some point during the nine-day road trip. On Thursday, Richards visited with a team doctor and was encouraged to continue his rehab, and Richards skated briefly Friday, but today, Richards didn’t have much of an update on his status.
RICHARDS: “Not too much. Just continue on, and when I’m healthy, I’ll be back playing.’’
Question: Will you go on the road trip?
RICHARDS: “I’m not going to start with them. I hope to join them at some point during the trip. I’d like to elaborate on it, but there’s not much to really say.’’
Question: It must be frustrating too, everyone asking you how you’re feeling all the time…
RICHARDS: “It’s frustrating, because I’m watching and not being out there, and obviously you want to be out there but you don’t want to come back when you’re not healthy and re-injure yourself. As much as you want to be out there, you have to be smart about things.’’
Question: Have you been through something like this before?
RICHARDS: “I’ve been injured like this before. It’s just time. It’s nothing you can rush back from. It’s just a `hurry up and wait’ sort of thing.’’
Question: But there’s just not a lot you can do…
RICHARDS: “Obviously it’s something where you’re used to going out and playing every day and having fun. It’s just not the same when you’re not with the guys in the dressing room. You always feel like you can be doing more, but like I said, you don’t want to push things. It’s not the same, not being with the guys and being on the ice and having fun.’’
Hey MR hope for a speedy recovery. But my question is, when does TM get released from his coaching duties???????
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AZ King Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
@insider001,
My question is, can we please have one post where someone doesn’t ask this….
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fsd1 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@AZ King, Apparently not on this blog…..I too tire of it
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Sancho Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
@AZ King, I agree 100%
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CB14 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
@AZ King, Yes we can. Once TM is fired, I doubt anyone will ask “when is TM going to get fired?”.
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AZ King Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@CB14,
haha, I’m sure someone will still manage to squeeze one in…
insider001 Reply:
December 11th, 2011 at 10:16 am
@AZ King, MMMMM, you must be a TM fan, to bad….
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Reminds me of the Doughty concussion last year. Drew missed 6 games. Richards has missed 3 so far.
Both players have something else in common as well.
They have been known to play without a mouth guard at times. Richards in particular, puts his mouth guard in his glove and has even lost it on the ice during shifts.
I wonder if Richards perhaps didn’t have it in during that hit from Bergenheim. Upon Doughty’s return, it was reported by Rich that he was going to wear a new mouth guard. http://lakingsinsider.com/2010/11/04/doughty-on-guard/
I’d think Richards, who had a concussion before, would wear it at all times. Hopefully he starts to.
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Kings x Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
@wavesinair, Great news reporting and all but a elbow square through the jaw and side of the head would not make much of a difference with or without a mouthpiece. Open ice collision going 30mph to zero in one second. Mouthpiece yes.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
@Kings x, A good one definitely helps in either situation. A lateral hit on the jaw with your mouth open (no guard) gives the head a lot more torque from the leverage.
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Brent Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@wavesinair, Guards are made for all rostered players during camp. Whether the players wear them or not is definitely the issue.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
@wavesinair,
Great call!
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Dr. Glancy Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@wavesinair, His current mouthguard is not ridgid enough , he needs a laminated mouthguard. If he doesn’t like the thickness of that guard, try UA Armour.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 6:17 pm
@wavesinair, Doughty still doesn’t wear one, unless his tongue counts.
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Kayla Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 4:24 am
@wavesinair, very true. I rarely see Drew with a mouth guard. You would think he would after that last concussion.
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/habs-forward-lars-eller-fined-2500-for-boarding-doughty/article2267042/
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Tit for tat
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get well soon richards! we need some help
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There is not much else to say, but get well soon, Mike…a healthy Richards is the key to any success this team is going to have
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Talk about hockey IQ, -if ever the term applied to anyone in the game, Mike Richards has the quintessential hockey IQ. The awareness, the ability to read the play BEFORE it happens, that sixth sense if you will, best describes a world class player like Mike Richards.
And speaking of hyper-awareness, IMO we have the antithesis of that behind the bench right now.
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Stuart Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@jess, I’ve really been kicking around who the highest hockeyIQ’s on the team are…
What say you Jess?
I think we lost of IQ points when Zues and Smytty left, and even Harrold too (even though he barely got any TOI I think he’ll pulla Bylsma and be a good coach one day)…
MR for sure and I’d like to think AK too… But then who? WM, VV, SG? I think we need more smarts right now…
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KC23 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
@Stuart, Richard has the highest hockey IQ we’ve seen on this team since the great one. Second on the team? Probably Mitchell.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
@jess, And he treats his players like Mongo, just running back and forth chained to a cable. Last year I compared our offense to rod hockey. I’ve seen some examples of more expression this year, but not much real flow to it and just glimpses anyway. Mostly the same predictable stuff.
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Richards seems to have already become essential to the Kings’ success…hopefully he’ll be back very soon and stay healthy after that….
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Get well…..heading down to Boston for the game Tuesday and we really hoping Richards would be in the lineup, but certainly better off not to rush back.
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HA!!! Well at least there is almost half of what ails this team. Who’d have thought you’d find it in a Mike Richards interview about being injured.
“It’s not the same, not being with the guys and being on the ice and having fun.’’
Thats a guy who Loves playing the game and you see it in his game. Maybe the rest of the team would look a bit freer on the ice if they were enjoying it more.
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Been a Kings fan since 69, but I’ve never seriously considered getting a King’s jersey with a players name on it, but I’m actually thinking about getting a Richard’s jersey. Absolutely love his game.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
@KC23,
So you are the reason for the curse, eh?
Go get your jersey,, please!
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I, as im sure all in the kingdom cannot wait till we play the kitty cats again! I hope the boys show burgerhymen a lil bit of west coast love!!!! ill take a suspension or two from that game anyday!
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