Oh Captain, My Captain

It wasn't long into Mike Richards' NHL career that people began predicting that he would one day wear the C for the orange and black. Sure enough, on September 17, 2008, that prediction came true as Richards became the 17th captain in Flyers history.

Since then however, it seems anytime the Flyers go into a bit of a slump, #18 becomes the center of criticism...and the recent slump is no exception. When ever the Flyers play poorly, members of the media and Flyers fan base begin to question whether or not Richards is a capable captain...and in reality it's all a bunch of nonsense. The only thing the anti-richie movement has going for it is that the Flyers do have several capable captains on the team, such as Timonen, Briere, and of course Pronger...but other than that Richards has more than proven himself as a capable captain.

The biggest thing the media likes to nitpick about Richards is his attitude towards them. Yes, towards them, not his team or his play. Lets face it, Richards isn't the most outgoing person in the world...and does not always have the slick answers the media is looking for. After a tough loss, Richards can tend to come off as frustrated and kind of a jerk when asked certain questions...which the media gladly runs with and questions his captaincy. What they don't tell you however is that being able to smooth talk the media is not a necessary characteristic of a good captain in the NHL.

Generally, one of three kinds of players are chosen to wear the C for their team.

1.) The Superstar - This is where a player is hands down the best player on his team and the face of it, and there for gets the C by default...AKA Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

2.) The Grizzled Vet - This is where a teams captain is the guy thats been around for a while...and may not be the best player, or even one of the best, but has a proven track record and the respect of his teammates. This is a captain of the Jason Smith, Eric Desjardins category.

3.) The Lead by Example - This is the captain who just plays the game the right way. He goes out every night and brings it, and even if he isn't the most vocal guy, the team follows him. This is the kind of captain Richards is.

Now, many captains fall into more than one of these categories, but this is generally how it goes.

As I said, Richards has earned the C based on his play. At his best, Richards takes a role on the ice where he takes control of the game and makes things happen...or as I like to call it, plays 'FU Hockey'. A big hit, a big goal, a fight, or just a shift at full throttle are things Richards does that make his team rally around him...whether he is wearing the C or not. After all, the man has a Memorial Cup, a World Juniors Championship, a Calder Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal, and a Prince of Whales Trophy to his name...and all by the age of 25. The Stanley Cup is the next step for Richards...and his track record shows nothing that would leave us to doubt that happening.

So don't believe everything you hear, Richards is this teams leader, and regardless of how he communicates to the media, he will countinue to be. Guys like Pronger play crucial roles in the teams leadership as well, but that does not undermine Richards, it is good for a team to have multiple leaders.

I leave you with my favorite Mike Richards moment from last years playoffs...