How could it possibly be in the original contract that he was required to stay in LA to condition over the summer.
- nails

I don't think it has to be part of the contract -- just refusing club orders on anything, at any time, apparently can lead to termination.

Refusal to play well at LW?
- Tomahawk

Refusal to remove his full face shield weeks after all visible face lacerations had healed, thus making the team less intimidating.

I don't think it has to be part of the contract -- just refusing club orders on anything, at any time, apparently can lead to termination.
- Tomahawk

I'm sure his lawyers are paging through his contract as we speak

Kings reporters are saying that Richards was told to stay in LA this summer and work on his conditioning and he refused.

TFP's Dave Pagnotta says the Kings are very comfortable that the termination will stand, regardless.
- Jsaquella

So all those years of people saying his conditioning was a problem.. were right after all...

I'm sure his lawyers are paging through his contract as we speak
- Streit2ThePoint

Hell yeah they are.

You know how much money he loses out on with a termination.

Kings reporters are saying that Richards was told to stay in LA this summer and work on his conditioning and he refused.

TFP's Dave Pagnotta says the Kings are very comfortable that the termination will stand, regardless.
- Jsaquella

Seems pretty weak for a "material breach". The NHLPA will be freaking out right now.

I don't think it has to be part of the contract -- just refusing club orders on anything, at any time, apparently can lead to termination.
- Tomahawk

Within reason. I don't think the Club can order anything they want. I don't believe a team can force a player on where to live in the off season. The fitness issue, is valid. There is specific language to all of this.

In my opinion, this situation is excellent for the league, and great for the sport as a whole. I come to that decision despite my fondness for Mike richards as a player.

I don't think it has to be part of the contract -- just refusing club orders on anything, at any time, apparently can lead to termination.
- Tomahawk

This is still quite a precedent if this is, in fact, the real reason for the termination.

What if they wanted Nurse and two second round picks? You still do that?

Sweeney wanted to deal Hamilton for the 3rd to draft Hanifin but he wanted more than just the third while AZ wanted more than Hamilton for the 3rd. Calgary looks like a fall back now.
- mayorofangrytown

Nurse and two seconds? With the forward crop I have in edmonton? probably.
The only thing is that it would have hurt their ability to do the other two moves, if not completely knock them out of both and they may be better in the long run because of it.

personally, I don't know if Hamilton is a #1 all by himself make other guys better D man or if he is really good, especially when there is a legit #1 D man in front of him.
Time will tell

The Coyotes had to buy out Riberio, but Richards did something worse that lets the Kinds terminate his contract? Hard to believe, but the facts will come out eventually.

wouldn't you say that streit signi g was in fact an ooh shiny signing and if not? how come? i say it was because he only makes them marginally better in the short term whenthey could keep that cap space available in case a better player who can make a bigger impact, becomes available.
- JoeRussomanno

I think the Striet signing was filling a need for an offensive defenseman. They had lost Pronger, and Carle, and no other player on the roster fit that bill IMO.

I think it was a good signing, and over time I think it has become an excellent signing considering Striet has done everything they signed him to do and more.

I would not look at the Striet contract as being the reason for keeping them from doing anything in terms of other players. I see the AMac, and VLC (oooh shiny) signing as being much closer to fitting that criteria. Even the Hartnell deal can be included in those questionable signings.

Plus when I take it all in to consideration, Striet would get us the most return in a deadline deal.

Sure they didn't make the playoffs last season, but I don't pin that on Striet one iota. Nor do I think having him on the team prevents them from doing anything.

Seems pretty weak for a "material breach". The NHLPA will be freaking out right now.
- Feanor

There's no way the NHLPA will allow individual clubs to simply start killing contracts because they don't believe a player is in shape.

Guys I hacked into Hextall's iPhone:

This is still quite a precedent if this is, in fact, the real reason for the termination.
- johndewar

I have heard of teams requiring you to be where they designate for rehabilitation and physicals, and players being disciplined for not being in those locations, but those were players coming off of injury

I have never heard of a healthy player being told to stay in a specific location for conditioning purposes in the offseason -- if I'm the NHLPA, as has been said, I would be going bat-poop crazy right now

certainly a way to circumvent guaranteed contracts.

Ek tweeted that it (could be) concussion related


grains of salt for everyone!

There's no way the NHLPA will allow individual clubs to simply start killing contracts because they don't believe a player is in shape.
- johndewar

I think it's safe to say that the Kings have documentation, and have addressed the situaiton with both their council and the league council

Guys I hacked into Hextall's iPhone:


- Jsaquella

Okay, that's funny right there.

There's no way the NHLPA will allow individual clubs to simply start killing contracts because they don't believe a player is in shape.
- johndewar

It's not for not being in shape, he was directed to remain in LA for training and refused to do so. The Kings are going to say that violated team rules and negated the contract

Ek tweeted that it (could be) concussion related


grains of salt for everyone!
- Scoob

We told you not to get concussions, you're fired

Even if it is conditioning related it's crap because they have a wife beater and a druggie who they are simply letting slide.

certainly a way to circumvent guaranteed contracts.
- nails

The player also has a responsibility in signing that contract. In my opinion, this is about what Richards isn't doing, instead of something he did, but I could be wrong.

Michael McCann
@McCannSportsLaw
@FriedgeHNIC Also relevant text: Mike Richards can only challenge via arbitration + Bettman would be the arbitrator. pic.twitter.com/q8Vefd7kpY
- BulliesPhan87

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC
Forget the Paragraph 14 stuff of the SPC I tweeted earlier. May not be relevant here. Complex process.

There's no way the NHLPA will allow individual clubs to simply start killing contracts because they don't believe a player is in shape.
- johndewar

no, but failure, or more importantly refusal, to follow the teams off season training regimen could be.
I wish I could nail my scholarship athletes for this.

Ek tweeted that it (could be) concussion related


grains of salt for everyone!
- Scoob

That's what LTIR is for. Not buying it Ek