When the Los Angeles Kings and Mike Richards came to a settlement on his contract last week after the Kings tried to terminate it, the NHL was quick to jump in and say his case set no precedent.
That is like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube, say many NHL agents and players who worry that Richards’ story has opened up new territory that teams in all sports might use to get out of paying under-performing, high-paid players.
“Are you kidding? Of course it set a precedent,” one longtime agent told Bleacher Report. “Another team is definitely going to try this again based on what the Kings did with Richards because they got away with it.”
Whether the Kings got away with anything has been the hot topic at NHL rinks over much of the last week.
To review: Richards, 30, was cited by the Kings for material breach of his contract after he was arrested in Emerson, Manitoba, on June 17 for alleged possession of OxyContin, a controlled substance that was banned throughout much of Canada in 2013. He was formally charged ...
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Article written by Adrian Dater