Washington Capitals forward Mike Richards received good news Wednesday regarding the drug charge he faced following his being stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border in Manitoba in June. The single charge of possession of a controlled substance -- reportedly Oxycontin -- has been stayed, thus ending the prosecution process.
According to CBC.ca, a stayed charge means that the courts could bring the charge back within a year, but that tends to be rare. It appears Richards' legal trouble is now behind him.
Richards was not formally charged with a crime until August. The case had also been remanded multiple times in Canadian courts, but was due to be heard Thursday. The incident also cost Richards his spot with the Los Angeles Kings, who terminated his contract last summer, citing a "material breach." Richards eventually grieved the termination and settled with the Kings.
After sitting out most of the first half of this season, Richards signed a pro-rated one year, $1 million contract with the first-place Capitals in early January and has been part of the team ever since.
His attorneys released a statement on his behalf, stating that Richards will be able to fully focus on his career with the charge likely behind him (via CSNMidAtlantic.com):
Mike Richards was charged with a single count of simple possession of a controlled substance. As the Crown had elected to proceed summarily, this was the Canadian equivalent of a misdemeanor.
Mr. Richards always maintained that he would plead not guilty and would defend the case vigorously. After the Crown brief was disclosed to the defence, Mr. Richards’ counsel advised the Crown of fatal defects in the prosecution case. The Crown and defense agreed that follow-up investigation was warranted. That investigation has been completed and the Crown decided to stay the charge, thereby ending prosecution.
Mr. Richards is gratified that the Crown fairly reviewed the case and reasonably recognized that prosecution was not warranted.
With his attorneys citing "fatal defects" in the prosecution's case and the single charge Richards was facing, it raises more questions about the Kings' decision to terminate his contract. The team endured some scrutiny for the decision at the time, as it looked like a convenient excuse to rid themselves of a player that had been vastly underperforming. That said, the issue is settled already, with Richards receiving slightly less than half of the $22 million he was owed over the remaining five years on his contract. The Kings will carry a cap hit of varying sizes tied to Richards' contract every year through the 2031-32 season.
Richards has appeared in 15 games with the Capitals this season. He has scored one goal and is averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game in a depth role.
