Behind the Boards with Todd Richards

Todd Richards joined the Nashville Predators as an assistant coach before the 2020/2021 NHL season, coming off of a Stanley Cup Championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He brings 12 years of NHL coaching experience to the Predators organization, having coached with San Jose, Minnesota, Columbus and Tampa. Richards has previous ties to the Predators organization, having began his professional coaching career with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admiral as an assistant coach and winning the Calder Cup in 2004. He then moved on to become the head coach of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before making the jump to the NHL.

On an international stage, he has most recently represented the United States as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2016 World Championship. He also earned a bronze medal as head coach of Team USA at the 2015 World Championship and served as an assistant coach at the 2010 World Championships and at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

As a player, Richards’ professional career spanned 13-seasons. Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1985 NHL Draft, Richards suited up for more than 850 professional games, the bulk of which came in the International Hockey League with Las Vegas and Orlando. He began his pro career in 1989-90 with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Sherbrooke and closed it out during the 2001-02 season with Geneva of the Swiss league. Before turning pro, Richards played four seasons at the University of Minnesota, captaining the Golden Gophers as a senior in 1988-89 and leaving as the school’s all-time leader in points by a blueliner with 158 (30g-128a).