Luke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach, currently serving as a head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on March 26, 1969, Richardson had an impressive 21-season career as a defenseman in the NHL before becoming a coach. Richardson was selected as the seventh overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1991. Throughout his career in the NHL, he played for multiple teams including Maple Leafs, Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Notably, Richardson reached the Eastern Conference Finals with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000 and returned to his debut team the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006.
The defenseman signed with the Ottawa Senators in the following year where he was nominated for the Masterton Trophy nomination in 2008. Despite many achievements, Richardson officially retired in November 2008, playing only two games for that season. He decided to pursue a career as a coach in the NHL.Transitioned to coaching, he joined the Ottawa Senators as an assistant coach in 2009.
Luke Richardson’s Journey to Becoming an NHL Coach
He worked under the head coach Cory Clouston in 2009, the team faced obstacles including player injuries and strategic shifts, resulting in the head coach Cory's termination from the team. However, Richardson continued to be an assistant coach under the new head coach Paul MacLean for the 2011–12 season. With the new head coach, the Senators managed to reach the playoffs twice but never progressed to the second round. Transitioned to AHL, Richardson took the role of head coach for the Senators AHL affiliate team the Binghamton Senators. Richardson contributed his significant efforts to the team and earned a contract extension. Despite an offer to be an assistant coach in the NHL, Richardson decided to continue with Binghamton.
Later in 2017, Richardson joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach and then moved to the Montreal Canadiens the following year. In 2022, he took the role of head coach for them in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights. In the same year, his career took a significant move, he was named as a head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
His coaching skills are not only limited to the NHL but he also contributed to Team Canada's coaching staff, winning the Spengler Cup in Switzerland in December 2016. With his diverse playing and coaching career, Richardson has contributed a lot to his teams. He has gained valuable experience out of his coaching. Richardson is serving as a head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks as of June 27, 2022, to present.
Luke Richardson's Salary
The 54 year Canadian coach signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in June 2022. The value of the contract is $6,000,000 for four years. His salary for the 2022-2023 is $1,500,000 and the same amount of a salary he will be making till the 2025-2026 season. Richardson ranks at 593 in the NHL in terms of earnings and his total hockey fortune is estimated to be $26,861,516.
FAQs
A. Born on March 26, 1969, has an impressive 21-season career as a defenseman in the NHL
A. Transitioned to coaching, he joined the Ottawa Senators as an assistant coach in 2009 and head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in June 2022.
A. Richardson has Canadian citizenship.
A. Throughout his career in the NHL, he played for multiple teams including Maple Leafs, Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
A. He served as an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadians, and head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
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