New York Rangers signed undrafted, unrestricted free agent center Justin Richards(14) to a two-year entry level deal after he completed his third season at University Of Minnesota-Duluth, where he helped the team win consecutive NCAA Championships in 2018 and 2019.
He scored a career high 14 goals in 24 games in 2020/2021.
The 5’10” 188 lbs. forward was originally reassigned to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.
In his AHL debut, he introduced himself to his new club with a pair of assists and went on to grab 4 goals and 7 assists in 24 appearances with a +3 rating before his recall.
He was little different in his first game up posting a 1st NHL point, an assist after winning a face-off, through 18 shifts for 10:11 total ice time in a 5-4 win to close out the season with no playoff push.
For his rookie season, he would spent it entirely in the minors.
Left without a qualifying offer, he next signs with Cleveland Monsters on a minor league deal that gets boosted by agreeing to terms with parent club, Columbus Blue Jackets.
He appears in a pair of games and grabs a 2nd assist.
Next up, he would head to Rochester Americans for 2023/2024.
For 2024/2025, he’s made probably one of his best decisions, moving forward, signing a 1-year deal with Dusseldorfer EG of DEL.
He’s maybe a little light on the scoresheet through 44 games, but has a terrible minus rating that has him looking elsewhere for his next pro hockey and he signs Fehervar AV19 of IceHL, which is a great landing spot.
