Todd Richards returns to Florida as Lightning assistant coach

Todd Richards played six seasons for the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League from 1995 to 2001 and won a Turner Cup during his final season in Orlando.

Both of Richards’ children were born in Florida.

Richards recently bought a house in Naples.

To say the former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach has connections to the state of Florida would be a bit of an understatement.

Now he’ll have one more: as an assistant coach on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Richards will return to the Sunshine State to join Jon Cooper’s staff for the 2016-17 season. Richards most recently was the main man behind the bench at Columbus, where he compiled a 127-112-21 record over parts of five seasons…