Michael Thomas (Mike) Richter

Last updated

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Abington, Pennsylvania, September 22, 1966.
HOME: Flourtown, Pennsylvania.
HEIGHT: 5'10"-5'11"
WEIGHT: 182-187 lbs.
UNIFORM #: 35 (NY Rangers, United States). Richter's #35 became the third number retired in Rangers' history on February 4, 2004.
CATCHES: Left.
HIGH SCHOOL: Northwood School, Lake Placid, N.Y.
COLLEGE: University of Wisconsin.
SALARY (1997-98): $3,900,000 ($3,600,000 1996-97)

STYLE: Standup.
STRENGTHS: A tremendously-fit athlete, who plays the angles very well. Excellent footwork, lightning quick, and very acrobatic. Good lateral movement, and will come out to challenge.
WEAKNESSES: Vulnerable to shots along posts, wraparound shots, pileups in front of the net. Gives up too many rebounds. Tends to lose his balance. Not a good stickhandler.
Named pronounced RIHK-tuhr.

QUOTABLE:

"I was fairly shy, but goaltending gave me a lot to do. Having so much to do was a relief in some ways. Like I never went to a prom. I never had an ordinary growing up. I always had a series of tasks in front of me - to do well in this camp or in that tournament. When one had been accomplished, there was always a second on the horizon. One after another, they got me through my childhood." (Fischler, Resch, "Hot Goalies" (1997) p. 25)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

"The question is whether Richter will show up. Richter was at the top of his game in 1993-94, not as good in '95, and very close to top form again in '95-96. But Richter's season was hampered when he suffered a torn groin muscle in December. He sat out until mid-February, played 11 minutes, then reinjured it. When Richter finally got back to health, he quickly picked up where he left off. But the feeling was that disaster was always one quick lateral move away." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 68)

"There aren't too many you'd rather have in goal with the Cup on the line." (ESPN Hockey 96, p. 67)

"The acrobatic Mike Richter has had great seasons and also had seasons in which he was less than great. The Rangers should be better defensively this year and perhaps less reliant on Richter's heroics night after night. But he must stay healthy and be playing well at playoff time." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 139)

"The Rangers' most obvious strength is in goal, where they have reliable Richter, who has turned into superman at crucial times in his career - the 1994 playoffs, the World Cup, the 1997 playoffs." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 139)

"Richter has a knack for playing well in big games (just ask Team Canada). He did that again this year in the playoffs against Florida and New Jersey, but the Rangers needed a 4'x6' sheet of plywood in front of the net against Philly." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 127)

"Turned down big free-agent offers from the Flyers and Panthers a year ago to re-sign with the Rangers. Remained steady despite the team's woes. Led the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup and the United States team to the 1996 World Cup. There's no reason to doubt that Richter won't perform like he has over his ten-year career. Great reflexes. When he's on, there are few better in the clutch. Incredibly consistent, he's still the No. 1 man in Manhattan. (The Sports Forecaster 1999-2000, p. 110)

"Richter will come a long way out of the net to challenge. If his teammates don't have coverage down low, goals can be scored on him when he's a long way out of the net...But I think he's changed his game somewhat depending on who he's playing against." (Brian Engblom, ESPN.com, 2/2/2000)

"Richter, who played in his 500th career game last season, will always be remembered as the goalie who stoned Canada during the 1996 World Cup. A lifelong Ranger, he set the club record for wins with 42 back in 1993-94 but has most recently endured three consecutive losing seasons. Richter, who began the 1999-2000 [season] on a high note, suffered seven straight losses to close out the season just before requiring reconstructive surgery to repair a torn ACL. Richter can be as hot as any other netminder alive. Can he rebound, given his age and now his knee injury? We think he can." (The Sports Forecaster 2000-01, p. 99)

"For the second consecutive season, Richter tore an ACL in kis knee. This time, it was the right knee that ended his season - after the veteran netminder was almost fully healed from hurting his left knee the previous year. The longtime Ranger gutted it out for a sub-par New York team, though, finishing with a 20-21-3 record in 45 games. When Richter is playing well, the Rangers are usually in every contest. A true warrior and team leader, the 12-year veteran now faces another comeback from a serious knee injury. Richter should be 100 per cent when training camp rolls around. Therefore, look for him to appear in no more than 45-50 games. Definite trade bait." (The Sports Forecaster 2001-02, p. 101)

"Richter's best games last season were as a member of the U.S. Olympic team. However, he did post solid numbers for the also-ran Rangers once again. Knee injuries have slowed him down the past two seasons but he is still capable of stealing a victory for his squad now and then. His wealth of experience in pressure situations is still a valuable commodity. However, he is no longer capable of handling a huge workload. With a great rapport with young Dan Blackburn, Richter returns to the only team for which he's ever played. He will serve as Blackburn's mentor in 2002-03 and continue to hand over the reins." (The Sports Forecaster 2002-03, p. 99)

TRANSACTIONS:

ACCOLADES:

VEZINA TROPHY BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1989-90100170.01
1990-911211430.11
1991-92100180.01
1993-94801560.06
1996-97200250.02

ALL-STAR TEAM BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1990-911904750.06
1991-92301070.01
1993-9442012640.16
1996-97100180.00

INJURIES:

FIRSTS:

MILESTONES:

RECORDS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

SWEATER RETIREMENT:

DID YOU KNOW?

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
83-84 Philadelphia Jr. Fly. NEJHL 36   2160  23  10   3    94   2.61                    0
84-85 Northwood Huskies HS        24   1374                52   2.27                    2
      United States WORLD JUNIOR   3     43                 6   8.37                    0
85-86 Univ. of Wisconsin WCHA     24   1394  14   9   0    92   3.96                    1   0   0     0
      United States WORLD JUNIOR   4    208   3   1   0     9   2.60                    0
      United States WORLD          1     53   0   0   0     5   5.66                    0
86-87 Univ. of Wisconsin WCHA     36   2136  19  16   1   126   3.54                    0   0   1     0
      United States WORLD          2     80   0   2   0     8   6.00                    0
87-88 United States National Team 29   1559  17   7   2    86   3.31                    0
      Colorado Rangers IHL        22   1298  16   5   0    68   3.14                    1   0   0    10
      United States OLYMPIC        4    230   2   2   0    15   3.91                    0
88-89 Denver Rangers IHL          57   3031  23  26   0   217   4.30                    1   0   5     8
89-90 New York Rangers NHL        23   1320  12   5   5    66   3.00     686   .904     0   0   3     0    31.18  955.76
      Flint Spirits IHL           13    782   7   4   2    49   3.76                    0   0   1     0
90-91 New York Rangers NHL        45   2596  21  13   7   135   3.12    1392   .903     0   0   1     4    32.17  956.64
91-92 United States CANADA CUP     7    420   4   3   0    22   3.14     230   .904     0
      New York Rangers NHL        41   2298  23  12   2   119   3.11    1205   .901     3   0   0     6    31.46  953.68
92-93 New York Rangers NHL        38   2105  13  19   3   134   3.82    1180   .886     1   0   5     2    33.63  942.50
      Binghampton Rangers AHL      5    305   4   0   1     6   1.18     167   .964     0   0   0     0    32.85 1018.83
      United States WORLD          4    237   1   1   2    13   3.29                    0
93-94 New York Rangers NHL        68   3710  42  12   6   159   2.57    1758   .910     5   0   0     2    28.43  956.94
94-95 New York Rangers NHL        35   1993  14  17   2    97   2.92     884   .890     2   0   0     2    26.61  934.63
95-96 New York Rangers NHL        41   2396  24  13   3   107   2.68    1221   .912     3   0   1     4    30.58  963.33
96-97 United States WORLD CUP      6    370   4   2   0    15   2.00                    0
      New York Rangers NHL        61   3598  33  22   6   161   2.68    1945   .917     4   0   0     4    32.43  971.28
97-98 New York Rangers NHL        72   4143  21  31  15   184   2.66    1888   .903     0   0   1     2    27.34  948.11
      United States OLYMPICS       4    237   1   3   0    14   3.54      90   .844     0   0   0     0
98-99 New York Rangers NHL        68   3878  27  30   8   170   2.63    1898   .910     4   0   0     0    29.37  959.37
99-00 New York Rangers NHL        61   3622  22  31   8   173   2.87    1815   .905     0   0   0     4    30.07  954.79
00-01 New York Rangers NHL        45   2635  20  21   3   144   3.28    1343   .893     0   0   0     0    30.58  943.75
01-02 New York Rangers NHL        55   3195  24  26   4   157   2.95    1675   .906     2   0   0     4    31.46  958.69
      United States OLYMPICS       4    240   2   1   1     9   2.25     132   .932     1   0   0     0    33.00  986.82
02-03 New York Rangers NHL        13    694   5   6   1    34   2.94     329   .897     0   0   0     0
FOURTEEN (14) NHL SEASONS        666  38183 301 258  73  1840   2.89   19219  0.904    24   0  11    34

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
87-88 Colorado Rangers IHL        10    536   5   3   35   3.92                    0   0   1     2
88-89 Denver Rangers IHL           4    210   0   4   21   6.00                    0   0   0     0
      New York Rangers NHL         1     58   0   1    4   4.14      30   .867     0   0   0     0    31.03  918.39
89-90 New York Rangers NHL         6    330   3   2   19   3.45     182   .896     0   0   0     0    33.09  950.76
90-91 New York Rangers NHL         6    313   2   4   14   2.68     182   .923     1   0   0     0    34.89  981.22
91-92 New York Rangers NHL         7    412   4   2   24   3.50     226   .894     1   0   0     0    32.91  948.66
93-94 New York Rangers NHL        23   1417  16   7   49   2.07     623   .921     4   0   0     2    26.38  965.31
94-95 New York Rangers NHL         7    384   2   5   23   3.59     189   .878     0   0   0     0    29.53  927.53
95-96 New York Rangers NHL        11    662   5   6   36   3.26     308   .883     0   0   0     0    27.92  929.64
96-97 New York Rangers NHL        15    939   9   6   33   2.11     488   .932     3   0   1     0    31.18  984.35
EIGHT (8) NHL POSTSEASONS         76   4515  41  33  202   2.68    2228  0.909     9   0   1     2    29.61  958.68

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