Bruce Richardson
Encyclopedia
Bruce Richardson is a former professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 player best known for his time playing for Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...

 and the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 in the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...

 and for the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

 in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

. Richardson was often a favourite with fans wherever he went, due to his aggressive style of play and determination. He is currently the head coach of the Chateauguay Patriotes Midget AAA Hockey club.

North America

Bruce Richardson started his 18 year playing career in Quebec, with the Sherbrooke Faucons in the QMJHL. He stayed there for 3 and a half years, playing over a hundred games before moving onto the Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Chicoutimi, Quebec . The team plays its home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina.-History:...

 in the same league.

Most of Richardson's time in North America was spent at the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

 in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. During his first year there he was coached by Bob Hartley
Bob Hartley
Robert Hartley is a former head coach in the National Hockey League. He coached the Colorado Avalanche from 1998–2002, period during which he won the Stanley Cup . He also coached the Atlanta Thrashers from the 2003 up until the beginning of the 2007, when he was fired after the Thrashers got off...

, who went on to become a Stanley Cup winning coach with the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

 in 2000-01. He is remembered fondly by the Bears fans, racking up a total of over 150 games in his two spells there, and was named their 'Unsung Hero' for the 1998-99 season. Hershey is also where Richardson met Tim Wedderburn and Jordan Krestanovich
Jordan Krestanovich
Jordan Krestanovich is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Braehead Clan in the British Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing career:...

, who he became friends with and signed for the Braehead Clan in his first coaching role.

Richardson also played for the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

, in Winnipeg, in the final season of the now defunct IHL.

Despite not ever playing in an NHL game, Richardson did take part in the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 pre-season in 2001. On September 17, 2001 in a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 Richardson, wearing the number 68, had a fight with Richard Scott. Richardson also got to take to the ice in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

, home of the New York Rangers, an achievement which he classes as his greatest memory in hockey.

Richardson had a fairly successful season in 2004-05 with the Danbury Trashers
Danbury Trashers
The Danbury Trashers were a United Hockey League ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut. They played their home games at the Danbury Ice Arena....

 in the UHL. The Trashers came second in the Eastern Divison, qualifying them for the play-offs. They saw off Adirondack Frostbite
Adirondack Frostbite
The Adirondack Frostbite were a professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League. They played their home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, New York....

, winning 4 games to their 2 in the Quarter-Finals. They then fell to eventual play-off champions Muskegon Fury
Muskegon Fury
The Muskegon Fury was a International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan.The Fury were established in 1992 after the original Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League's previous incarnation relocated to Cleveland, Ohio...

 in the Semi-Finals, winning only 1 game to their 4. Richardson was the Thrashers overall top point scorer for the season, with 25 goals and 62 assists in the regular season and a further 2 goals and 6 assists in the play-offs.

During his time playing hockey in North America, Richardson played alongside many future NHL players. These included Eric Perrin, Raitis Ivanans, Jason Williams, Jordan Krestanovich and many others. It is often suggested that had Bruce been slightly bigger, he may have made it there himself.

Richardson was sometimes considered injury-prone, due to suffering some major injuries in his career. He tore a knee ligament in 2000, and a broken left eye socket in 2002. This was often attributed to the fact that Bruce played with such aggression and determination, and was willing to put his body on the line for his team.

Germany

He continued to play for many different clubs all across North America until 2005, when Richardson realised that his dream of playing in the NHL may be over. With this in mind, he took on a new challenge and joined the Iserlohn Roosters
Iserlohn Roosters
The Iserlohn Roosters are a professional ice hockey team based in Iserlohn, North-Rhine-Westphalia. They are members of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga since 2000 and play their home games at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn which is also known as Eissporthalle am Seilersee. Playing nine years in the DEL the...

 in the German Hockey League, after a major summer restructuring that saw twelve players leave the club. The Roosters signed him to lead their fourth line, which included two younger players. They wanted Richardson to help their development with his experience.

Return to North America

He returned to North America after just one season in Germany, to become Player/Assistant Coach at the Fort Wayne Komets
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...

 in the UHL. This was Richardson's first coaching job, which would become a passion of his in the years to come. Upon arriving at the Fort Wayne he had praise heaped on him by a former Komet, Jeff Worlton
“He’s one of the nicest hockey guys I’ve ever met in my life, but he’s tough as nails. He’ll do anything you need for the team. He’ll fight anybody. I’ve seen him fight guys my size. The only reason he didn’t make it to the show was because of his size.’’
Richardson eventually helped lead the Komets to the Semi-Finals of the UHL Play-Offs in what could be considered a fairly successful season.

In the 2007/8 season, he left Fort Wayne and moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

, to return to a normal playing role at the Wichita Thunder
Wichita Thunder
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team plays in the Central Hockey League. From 1992 until January 2010 the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City...

. He was Wichita's top point scorer for the season, with 57. It was here that he would meet Kyle Bruce
Kyle Bruce
Kyle Bruce is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Braehead Clan of the Elite Ice Hockey League.-Playing Career:...

, a Canadian Winger who he eventually signed for Braehead Clan in his first coaching role.

United Kingdom

In 2008, Richardson made his second trip to Europe in his career, this time to Britain to become Player/Assistant-Coach at the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 in the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...

 under Corey Neilson. He quickly became a fan favourite at the Panthers, winning the clubs 'Team Spirit Award' and was rewarded by being re-signed for a second season. In the 2009-10 season he won the Challenge Cup with Nottingham. This was Richardson's first and only major career trophy. He continued to rack up personal awards too, being named Nottingham's most entertaining player of the year. He was also shortlisted for the Elite League's most entertaining player of the year award.

On May 5, 2010, it was announced that Bruce Richardson was to become Player/Coach of the newly formed, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 based Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...

 for their first season in Elite League Ice Hockey. Richardson was given full control to build his own team, his captain being former team-mate at the Nottingham Panthers, Brendan Cook. Other ex team-mates of his Kyle Bruce, Tim Wedderburn and Jordan Krestanovic were also key members of his squad. Richardson led his team to a 5th place finish in the Elite League, ahead of long-time established Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze
Coventry Blaze are an ice hockey team based in Coventry, England. They currently compete in the British Elite Ice Hockey League .-Club history:...

 and Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays
Hull Stingrays are a British ice hockey club from Kingston upon Hull. They were formed in 2003 and play their home games at Hull Arena.The Stingrays replaced previous clubs Hull Thunder 1999–2002, Kingston Hawks 1996–1998, Humberside Hawks 1993–1995, and Humberside Seahawks 1988–1992...

, an impressive feat for a team in its debut season. Richardson made his fair contribution on the ice also, with 55 points, making him the Clan's 3rd top point scorer for the season. Braehead also won their first silverware, the Aladdin Cup, under Richardson. They defeated his former club, the Nottingham Panthers, in the final. The fifth place finish qualified Braehead for the play-offs and this, coupled with the Aladdin Cup win, earned Richardson the Elite League Coach of the Year Award. In the play-offs, Braehead were up against the Nottingham Panthers, Richardson's old club. In the first game at home, in front of a Clan record home crowd of 2506 in Braehead Arena, Richardson scored a 3rd period goal to put the Clan into the lead 4-3, but the Panthers fought back and eventually won the game 5-4. The Panthers then cruised past Braehead in the second game 3-0, which was to be Richardson's last game in charge of the Clan.

Despite having a great connection with the fans in Glasgow, in June 2011, Bruce left the Clan to pursue a coaching career in North America.

In a farewell message Richardson said:
"I often spoke to the fans about my goals and ambitions so most of you will know that my main goal in my career was to move up the coaching ranks. After talking to many high-end people in the world of hockey, they suggested to me that I needed to come back to North America and get my name out there. Many coach’s have started their careers in this league.


Another factor which pushed me to make this decision was my family. For the last 16-years we have been moving across the world and my wife and kids have always been there to support me. When the opportunity to coach here in Canada came about, and the chance to stay in my own home without uprooting my family, I just couldn’t say no.


I hope the fans understand my decision and will respect it. I will always have Braehead in my heart, and I will always remember the fans and how they helped me over this past year."


Although he never announced this as his retirement, Richardson appears to have given up on playing to put all his focus on gaining experience and becoming a successful coach.

Coaching career

Richardson took the role of player-coach for the Braehead Clan in the 2010/11 season. It was announced on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 that he would take the role after ex-Coventry star Adam Calder apparently walked out on the Clan.

After leaving the Braehead Clan as Player/Coach in 2011, he moved to Quebec to coach the Chateauguay Patriotes Midget AAA Hockey club. He made this move in the hope that he could use the Chateauguay Patriotes as a stepping stone to eventually coaching in the NHL.

On August 17th, 2011, Richardson led his team to victory in his first match as coach with a 4-1 home win over Lac St-Louis. This kicked off a four game winning streak, which was followed by some very poor form in the league.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
1993-94 Sherbrooke Faucons QMJHL 3 0 1 1 7 0 0 0 6
1994-95 Sherbrooke Faucons QMJHL 32 1 13 14 25 4 0 1 1 0
1995-96 Sherbrooke Faucons QMJHL 67 19 42 71 206 7 0 2 2 25
1996-97 Sherbrooke Faucons QMJHL 42 14 22 36 165 - - - - -
1996-97 Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Chicoutimi, Quebec . The team plays its home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina.-History:...

QMJHL 21 5 3 8 134 21 7 9 16 84
1997-98 Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

AHL 10 0 0 0 87 - - - - -
1997-98 Chesapeake Icebreakers
Chesapeake Icebreakers
The Chesapeake Icebreakers are a defunct minor league ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1997-1999. The Icebreakers were an expansion team that was granted to Upper Marlboro, Maryland for the start of the 1997–98 ECHL season.Home games were played at a converted...

ECHL 2 0 0 0 26 - - - - -
1997-98 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QMJHL 43 7 20 27 264 6 2 4 6 11
1998-99 Hershey Bears AHL 44 4 7 11 132 3 0 0 0 15
1998-99 Quad City Mallards
Quad City Mallards
The Quad City Mallards were a professional ice hockey team competing in the AA level United Hockey League. The Mallards played their home games at The MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois. Their team colors were forest green and burgundy. They won the Colonial Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2001,...

UHL 16 4 7 11 75 - - - - -
1999-00 Hershey Bears AHL 17 2 2 4 61 - - - - -
1999-00 Pensacola Ice Pilots
Pensacola Ice Pilots
The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a minor league ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders , and the Chicago Blackhawks. They have also had a working agreement with the Houston Aeros of the...

ECHL 29 7 13 20 83 3 0 2 2 8
2000-01 Hershey Bears AHL 4 0 1 1 4 - - - - -
2000-01 Louisiana IceGators
Louisiana IceGators
The original Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild and the AHL Houston Aeros....

ECHL 22 10 21 31 83 - - - - -
2000-01 Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

IHL 51 8 9 17 131 12 0 2 2 26
2001-02 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, at the Cincinnati Gardens.-History:...

AHL 57 5 12 17 113 3 1 1 2 4
2002-03 Lousisana IceGators ECHL 40 19 42 61 131 - - - - -
2002-03 Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...

AHL 4 3 0 3 2 - - - - -
2002-03 Hershey Bears AHL 33 4 4 8 60 5 1 0 1 4
2003-04 Hershey Bears AHL 51 2 3 5 89 - - - - -
2003-04 Louisiana IceGators ECHL 7 1 5 6 18 9 4 5 9 11
2004-05 Danbury Trashers
Danbury Trashers
The Danbury Trashers were a United Hockey League ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut. They played their home games at the Danbury Ice Arena....

UHL 76 25 62 87 138 11 2 6 8 12
2005-06 Iserlohn Roosters
Iserlohn Roosters
The Iserlohn Roosters are a professional ice hockey team based in Iserlohn, North-Rhine-Westphalia. They are members of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga since 2000 and play their home games at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn which is also known as Eissporthalle am Seilersee. Playing nine years in the DEL the...

DEL 27 0 10 10 24 - - - - -
2006-07 Fort Wayne Komets
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...

UHL 57 15 32 47 135 10 0 4 4 4
2007-08 Wichita Thunder
Wichita Thunder
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team plays in the Central Hockey League. From 1992 until January 2010 the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City...

CHL 62 16 41 57 88 - - - - -
2008-09 Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

EIHL 54 12 46 58 119 4 2 0 2 6
2009-10 Nottingham Panthers EIHL 51 14 28 52 107 3 1 3 4 4
2010-11 Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan
Braehead Clan are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. They were formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the Glasgow and West of Scotland market, and are based at the 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire, around two miles outside the Glasgow City limits...

EIHL 54 15 40 55 112 2 1 0 1 4

External links

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