Mike Richards, NHL free agent, charged for oxycodone possession at border
Richards, born in Kenora, Ont., had contract terminated by L.A. Kings while RCMP investigated
The RCMP charged Mike Richards, a centre and NHL unrestricted free agent originally from Kenora, Ont., with possession of a controlled substance while he crossed into Canada from the United States.
Court documents confirm that the controlled substance in question was oxycodone.
The Los Angeles Kings terminated Richards's contract in late June for what they called "a material breach of the requirements" of his contract.
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RCMP in Emerson have been investigating Richards, 30, since he was arrested and released on June 17, when they were notified that a controlled substance had been intercepted by the Canada Border Services Agency at the Manitoba town's port of entry.
He was formally charged on Aug. 25, and will appear in Emerson provincial court on Sept. 10.
Mike Richards charged for Possession of Controlled Substance while entering Canada. To appear in court Sep10/15. No further updates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rcmpmb?src=hash">#rcmpmb</a>
—@rcmpmbThe NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) has filed a grievance on behalf of Richards against the Kings to contest the contract termination.
On Thursday, Jonathan Weatherdon, a spokesperson with the NHLPA, said the NHL and NHLPA are working on a date for a grievance hearing for Richards. That date has not been set.
Richards, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, had a 12-year, $69-million US contract. He had five years, worth $22 million, remaining on it when it was terminated.
With files from The Canadian Press