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There comes a time in every writer's life where they find themselves producing content about a topic they never thought they would write about. It turns out that today is one of those days for me.

If you read my piece, "Bolts By The Number: Two", you would have noticed that a player by the name of Stephane Richer was the first player to ever wear the number two for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A reader then asked if Richer had worn another number later on with the Bolts which got me doing a little research. It turns out that there were two players by the name of Stephane Richer who played for the Lightning and their hockey career could not look any more different.

So here is a little impromptu lesson about the two Stephane Richer's and their impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning and the National Hockey League as a whole.

Stephane Richer the Defenseman

This Stephane Richer was the first one to ever throw on a sweater for the Lightning. He had a very unimpressive NHL career as a whole. He played three games for the Bolts during the 1992-93 regular season, tallying two shots.

Over three seasons in the NHL, he spent time with Tampa Bay, Boston, and Florida, playing in a grand total of 27 games.

This Richer would go on to have a somewhat successful hockey career as both a player and coach in the German professional hockey league, DEL.

The Stephane Richer Everyone Remembers

This Stephane Richer was drafted 29th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He would wind up playing the first seven years of his career with Montreal, even winning a Stanley Cup in his first season. He played with the Habs for nine years throughout his long career.

Richer would then win his second Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1994-95, where he played for six years.

Richer played for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 1997-2000 wearing the number 44. In his 110 games with the Bolts, he recorded 28 goals and 37 assists. Richer played 1,054 games in the NHL, scoring 421 goals and adding 398 assists.

Some Similarities

Although these two gentlemen named Stephane Richer had drastically different careers in the NHL, they did have two similarities. They were both born in 1966 and they are both from Quebec.

So there is your little history lesson on the two Stephane Richer's. Feel free to share this bit of information with your buddies.

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