Tampa Bay Lightning‘s 4th year center Tanner Richard(38) scores his first NHL recall after a career season in 2015/2016 with affiliate Syracuse Crunch and a hot start to the current campaign.
He played a new high 71 AHL games scoring bests 43 assists and 54 points, both team leading.
Signing a new one-year contract before the conclusion of last season may have further sparked his performance.
He was also a late training camp cut.
Through 22 contests with the farm squad this season he already has 7 goals and 10 assists.
For his big league debut, he skated 16 shifts for 12:23 total ice with 1 shot on net, 2 hits, 1 takeaway and 1 play breakup in a 4-1 victory.
With the injury bug biting the parent club hard, the 23-year old could see some extended time up, especially if he can start connecting with the score sheet as he’s doing in the minors.
Tanner Richard(71) Syracuse Crunch
Tampa Bay Lightning‘ 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft (#71 overall) Canadian/Swiss center Tanner Richard(71) is off to a decent start in his rookie season with a team that knows they’re under-performing in 2013/2014.
In 57 AHL games with minor league affiliate Syracuse Crunch he only has a couple of markers but a decent 15 assists and plays a gritty tough to play against style, which on the downside often ends him up doing time in the penalty box.
When the 6′ 187 lbs. finds his spots on the ice he is going to add potentially dangerous offensive threat to his game like he did in two years of juniors in the OHL with Guelph Storm. He was a better than point-per-game player before he signed a contract to turn pro a season after he was selected.
He also had four years of elite hockey experience as a youngster in Switzerland, where he grew up as his father Mike Richard was playing hockey for Rapperswil of the NLA.
As a 17-year old he got to play 4 games with his dad’s former team and played world juniors competition for the country.
Currently almost a 21-year old, he is signed to a 3-year entry level deal through 2016.