ARLINGTON, Va. - Mike Richards once was among the bright young athletes in Philadelphia, a Stanley Cup finalist with the Flyers in 2010, an Olympic gold medalist with Canada earlier that year.
Following a trade and two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, Richards' life unraveled last year, first with a demotion to the minor leagues and then an arrest at a Canadian border stop in June when he was later charged with possession of the controlled substance oxycodone.
Richards signed with the Washington Capitals in January, and on Feb. 24 his drug charges were stayed, meaning the prosecution has been discontinued.