Todd Richards is a former professional ice hockey player and coach. He was born on October 20, 1966, in Crystal, Minnesota. Richards played college hockey at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he was a standout defenseman. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft but never played for the team.
Richards began his professional career in 1987 with the International Hockey League's Indianapolis Ice. He played for several minor league teams over the next few years, including the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, the Milwaukee Admirals, and the San Diego Gulls. Richards also played in Europe for a season, suiting up for the Frankfurt Lions in Germany.
In 1992, Richards finally got his chance in the NHL when he signed with the Hartford Whalers. He played in 41 games for the Whalers that season, scoring two goals and six assists. Richards spent the next few years bouncing between the NHL and the minor leagues, playing for the Whalers, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Richards retired as a player in 2002 and immediately began his coaching career. He started as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Admirals, the team he had played for earlier in his career. In 2006, he was named head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Richards led the team to the Calder Cup Finals in his first season as head coach.
In 2008, Richards was hired as an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks. He spent two seasons with the Sharks before being named head coach of the Minnesota Wild in 2009. Richards coached the Wild for two seasons, leading them to the playoffs in his first year. However, he was fired after the team missed the playoffs in his second season.
Richards was quickly hired as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he was promoted to head coach in 2012. He coached the Blue Jackets for three seasons, leading them to the playoffs twice. However, he was fired after the team missed the playoffs in his third season.
After leaving the Blue Jackets, Richards spent a season as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning before being hired as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, in 2016. He coached the Roadrunners for one season before being hired as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning once again in 2017.
In summary, Todd Richards had a long and varied career in professional ice hockey. He played in the NHL for several teams and then transitioned to coaching, where he has had success at both the AHL and NHL levels. Richards is currently an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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