New head coach Todd Richards has made a solid impression in his first few months on the job for the Wild but what isn’t well known is Richards might have become the Pittsburgh coach last season, according to an NHL source. Pittsburgh fired coach Michel Therrien in February and wanted to pursue Richards who was an assistant at San Jose but the Sharks wouldn’t give the Penguins permission to interview him, according to the source who requested anonymity.
Instead the Penguins hired Dan Bylsma who had been coaching Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League affiliate team. The rookie coach directed the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship, beating Detroit in seven games.
Neither Bylsma or Richards had ever been an NHL head coach until this year. Bylsma had replaced Richards as head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 2008-09 season. He had been an assistant there to Richards for two seasons. The two had working relationships with Chuck Fletcher who until becoming general manager of the Wild last spring had been assistant GM in Pittsburgh.
After the NHL season ended last spring, the Wild and all the teams with coaching vacancies were interested in Richards, according to another NHL source. A lot of research on candidates by Wild owner Craig Leipold and Fletcher convinced them to hire Richards.
Richards, 42, hopes to have his team in the Stanley Cup playoffs next spring and the team’s recent play (won six of the last seven games) indicates that might happen. Prior to the season the Wild weren’t considered among the league’s most likely playoff teams.
The Wild has shown determination under Richards. Earlier this week the Wild led the NHL with five wins when behind after the second period. The Wild has trailed opponents in nine of its 14 wins.
Richards has developed a solid relationship with his players who respect him, according to sources. Even for an NHL coach, Richards is a hard worker and his personal values have impressed inside and outside the Wild organization.
Like any team, the Wild hope their best players, led by forward Mikko Koivu and goalie Niklas Backstrom, stay healthy. “They will make a good run for the playoffs,” a source said.