A can't lose situation: through the regular season and the playoffs, when Brad Richards scored, the Lightning were unbeaten

ON A TEAM WITH THE HART Trophy winner, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, and a 600-goal scorer, it's been easy for Brad Richards to stay out of the limelight.

Not any more.

Richards stepped out of the shadows this spring, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the first Stanley Cup in the team's 12-year history and earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in the process. He led all scorers in points with 26, was tops on the Lightning with 12 goals while setting a playoff record with seven game-winning goals. He saved his best work for the Stanley Cup Finals, when he scored four goals and had five assists in seven games, meaning he was directly involved in nine of his team's 13 goals.

Not bad for a kid from Murray Harbor, Prince Edward Island, one of Canada's Maritime Provinces and hardly a hotbed of NHL talent.

"When you're from a small place like that--there's not many of us in the NHL," Richards says. "I'm proud of where I'm from. They're behind me every day. This was for them."

No player in the NHL was a better barometer of his team's success than Richards was. Including the regular season and the playoffs, Richards scored 38 goals in 33 game--and in those games, the Lightning went 31-0-2 (22-0-2 in the regular season and 9-0 in the playoffs).

"It's just one of those things," Richards says of the Lightning's record when he turns on the red light.

Richards was a junior teammate of Vincent Lecavalier, taken No. 1 overall by the Lightning in 1998. But despite being named Canadian Junior Player of the Year and MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament in 2000, Richards wasn't drafted until the Lightning chose him with the 64th pick in the 2000 Entry Draft. He made the All-Rookie Team in 2000-01 on a non-playoff team and helped the Lightning to only the second playoff berth in team history in 2002-03.

But Richards struggled in his first NHL postseason, managing no goals and only five assists in Tampa Bay's 11 games, ending with a five-game loss to New Jersey. The struggles continued during the early part of 2003-04, until going home for the holidays gave his game a boost.

"It seemed like all our top players were in a slump," Richards says of the Lightning's December doldrums. "I think I had four goals, three goals, and thought the world was falling apart. I went home for Christmas for the first time in six or seven years. I was only home for 24 hours, but I really enjoyed my family. It made me realize how fortunate I am to be in the NHL."

At about that time, coach John Tortorella had discussions with several of his top players, including Richards, about the need to raise the level of their play.

Tortorella and assistant coach Craig Ramsay centered much of their attention on Lecavalier and Richards, the team's top two centers. "I think Vinny got a little slap, too," Richards says of the discussions. "His was more publicized than mine, but they went at us both and wanted us to pick up our game. I think we both realized it from then on and we played a lot better hockey in the second half. They really made us realize what it takes to win."

Richards finished the regular season with 26 goals and 79 points, both career highs before going on to average more than a point a game in the playoffs en route to the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Tortorella says the lessons Richards learned in last year's playoffs were a big part of his performance this year.

"I felt Richie was one of the guys who really fought it in the Jersey series," says Tortorella, who won his own honor by being named coach of the year. "Richie and I talked during the off-season and talked about certain things for his game. To see the things he did in just a quick year--it's him pulling it up mentally. As I've said about Brad, he's a student of the game, he respects the game, and he continues to work at the game. For him to do this after last year, which I know ate him up during the summer--it's just good stuff. And he's just a kid."

No one was happier for Richards than Lecavalier, his longtime friend and teammate.

"It means a lot," he says. "We've been together since we were 14 years old, playing in high school and juniors and getting drafted into the NHL. What were the odds? We came here and we were in last place for three years, four years. Now we're winning, so it's unbelievable. It's great."

COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group