CHICAGO — Eleven years ago last Sunday, Brad Richards lifted both the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup trophies as the Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned champions of the NHL. If there’s anyone on the Chicago Blackhawks that knows just how hard it is to get back to the mountain top again after winning once, it’s him.
Since leaving the Lightning in 2007, Richards has been on a quest for a second Cup. He’s reached the conference finals three times — once with the Dallas Stars and twice with the New York Rangers — and went back to the Stanley Cup Final last year as the Rangers fell in five games to the Los Angeles Kings.