LA Kings, Mike Richards & the NHLPA

At about nine o’clock this morning, the NHLPA tweeted some not-so surprising news: they are coming to the defense of Mike Richards.

“The NHLPA has filed a grievance on behalf of Mike Richards contesting the termination of his contract by the LA Kings”

Now, for those of you who are not familiar with the NHLPA and why this is a big deal, here is what you need to know.

The NHLPA is like a workers union, but in this case, the workers are our beloved pro-hockey players who make the NHL that much better.

“Created in 1967,” the NHLPA website states, “The union negotiates and enforces fair terms and conditions of employment for NHL players.”

Still, if this seems like it is no big deal, let me remind you of the time we all sat back and waited for that dreadful lockout to be over.

That’s right. These guys played a big role in ending that dreaded time.

I hope you get the big picture about why the NHLPA matters now.

Now back to our news.

There are some people who are upset that Richards’ contract was terminated earlier this summer.

I know I was. Richards had helped us to our two precious Stanley Cup victories after all. But time passes, the game changes, and inevitably so do the players so we must go on.

Jun 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards (10) and center Anze Kopitar (11) hoist the Stanley Cup after defeating the New York Rangers game five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The NHLPA seems to be upset about it too; they are launching an investigation as to why Richards was let go.

The contract between Richards and the LA Kings organization was terminated because of a “material breach of the requirements of his Standard Player’s Contract.”

What exactly did Richards do?

Well, we really do not have a definitive answer.

There is speculation that the contract was terminated because of the incident he had earlier this year at the US-Canadian border.

However, should everything remain the same, the LA Kings will still face a cap recapture, according to SportsNet.

At this time, the LA Kings have not commented on the NHLPA’s tweet, but the day is still young!

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