Self proclaimed “rat” Tanner Richard to make NHL debut

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
December 20, 2016

TAMPA, Fla. – Two days off did little to alleviate the Lightning injury bug, which maintains a hold on some of Tampa Bay’s top players.

The Lightning will faceoff against the Detroit Red Wings (Fox Sports Sun, 7:30 p.m.) tonight still missing two key players in RW Nikita Kucherov and LW Ondrej Palat. Neither are available to play against Detroit, and with three games in four nights before the Christmas break, the Lightning face the likelihood of being without both top six forwards for the remainder of the week.

“I don’t know,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “Because I would have thought some of those guys would have been back now. So rest is what these guys need and to heal. So I have no timeline.”

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Palat did take part in Tampa Bay’s morning skate, though wearing a red no-contact jersey, which was an encouraging sign.

Kucherov, however, did not skate with the team and will miss his fourth consecutive game tonight with an undisclosed lower body injury. The team’s leading scorer came off the ice early during a practice last Tuesday before the team left town and has not played since. He did take part in an optional morning skate on the road trip, but did not skate in any of the drills.

Ryan Callahan also remains out, and though he skated with the team on the three-game road trip, he was not on the ice Tuesday morning.

One player who was on the ice and is expected to play tonight is center Tanner Richard, who will finally make his NHL debut. Richard was called up twice last season but never played. The team tried to call him up for Saturday’s game in Edmonton, but travel issues prevented him from being able to join the team.

“Let’s just hope he makes it to tonight, the poor kid has had so many opportunities and I’m so glad he’s made it here to play tonight,” Cooper said. “But he deserves this opportunity. He’s a big guy with skill. He competes, he’ll go to those dirty areas, he has that knack to get under the other team’s skin and he can win faceoffs, and we need that. So he deserves to be here and it’s always exciting to see somebody play their first game, something that is extremely special and he’ll never forget. I’m really excited to see what he does tonight.”

In 22 games with the Crunch this season, Richard has seven goals – including his first career hat trick – and 17 points, fourth on the team in scoring. The former third-round pick in the 2012 draft is more known for a feisty attitude and energy he brings to the ice.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, as long as I can remember,” Richard said. “I’m just going to go out there and play my hardest, try to help the team win and try to enjoy it.”

The anticipation of being so close to realizing the dream only to have it not come to fruition makes this moment something to savor for the 5-foot-11, 184-pound native of Jona, Switzerland.

“Saturday was a bit of a tough day, I’m not going to lie,” Richard said. “Getting your hopes up, telling you that you were going to play in the NHL for the for the first time was pretty exciting. Then I missed my connection in Minnesota, I was pretty devastated. So I was told to go back and just have a good game on Sunday in Providence and I was told there was a good chance I might come back up and play Tuesday.

“I was just happy that I got the call (on Monday), the third time is a charm, so I’m hoping it works out.”

He just wants to bring his regular style to the team when he hits the ice.

“I’ve had a lot of different roles in the AHL, I’ve matured a lot as a player,” Richard said. “I’m pretty much hated by most teams in the AHL, so I guess that tells me I’m doing an all right job of being a little rat, so I plan to do exactly that tonight, and if there are chances, try to make plays at the same time.”

G Ben Bishop is scheduled to get the start in net for Tampa Bay.

Bishop talks after morning skate

Cooper after morning skate

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