Mike Richards continued his whirlwind 24-hours by calling into the Preston & Steve Show this morning on 93.3 WMMR to discuss his impending move to Los Angeles and his thoughts on so suddenly leaving the Flyers organization. Link to the full audio after the jump...
Richie reiterates in the interview that he found out like the rest of us—via the internet—that he was on his way to Los Angeles and reveals that he has spoken to Jeff Carter on multiple occasions since yesterday afternoon. Now referring to the Flyers as "their hockey team" and no longer "his," listening to such a line brings forth a certain level of finality that, yes, we did indeed trade this guy Thursday afternoon. Mike also answers questions related to his relationship with the city, the fans, and whether he could ever see himself back in the orange and black.
Though we still lack any clear-cut answers as to why these moves were made, Preston and Steve are always good for asking the tough questions you know you're wondering, including "Did you drink last night?" and "Are you pissed? Can you swear for us?" Joking aside, it was good to hear him with is guard down, fielding questions about what it was like to be dealt from the team he thought he'd retire a member of. Mike also reveals he's looking forward to meeting Kobe Bryant and furthering, albeit from afar, his man-crush on Roger Federer.
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Still, as alluded to above, one of the more interesting responses came when Richards characterized the front offices' actions as "a decision that's probably going to help their hockey team."
It's somewhat hard to say whether he meant exactly what he said, stating that his dismissal would "probably help" the club rather than qualifying that the Flyers "[think] it will probably help their hockey team." In all likelihood, it was just slip of the tongue not meant to imply much of anything, though on the other hand, as our own Matt P. was quick to point out, Richards may see that this wasn't just about shipping him and Carter out of town.
One thing is for sure, it's nice to hear Richie get along so well with some members of the local media. I honestly feel like I learned more about Mike Richards from this brief interview than I was ever able to glean since we drafted him in 2003, which, frankly, is a shame. Link to the full audio from the former-captain's appearance on the Preston & Steve Show can be found here.
Related:
>>Just Like You, Mike Richards Found out He Got Traded on the Internet