Blue Jackets sign forward Justin Richards to one-year NHL contract
Dec 19, 2022The Cleveland Monsters announced Monday that the Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Justin Richards to a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Richards, who signed a one-year AHL contract with Cleveland on August 29, 2022, posted 6-11-17 with 16 penalty minutes and a +11 rating in 23 appearances for the Monsters this season.
A 5’11”, 190 lb. right-shooting native of Orlando, FL, Richards, 24, supplied 0-1-1 with a +1 rating in one NHL appearance for the New York Rangers during the 2020-21 season. In 110 career AHL appearances for the Hartford Wolf Pack and Clevleand spanning parts of three seasons from 2020-22, Richards contributed 16-26-42 with 49 penalty minutes and a -14 rating.
Prior to his professional career, Richards helped the University of Minnesota-Duluth claim the 2017-18 and 2018-19 NCAA National Championships and the 2018-19 NCHC Tournament Championship, supplying 26-40-66 with 38 penalty minutes and a +40 rating in 120 career NCAA appearances spanning three seasons from 2017-20. Richards was named to the 2018-19 NCAA All-Tournament Team and the 2018-19 NCHC Second All-Star Team, and was named the NCHC’s Best Defensive Forward in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In 2016-17, Richards logged 10-20-30 with 63 penalty minutes and a +2 rating in 59 appearances for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars.
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