Kings terminate Richards' contract over 'breach'

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Kings said Monday they terminated the contract of former All-Star center Mike Richards over what the team called a "material breach."

They Kings said they would have no comment beyond a news release that said Richards' deal was terminated "for a material breach of the requirements of his standard player's contract."

"We are not prepared to provide any more detail or to discuss the underlying grounds for the contract termination at this time," the Kings said.

Richards, 30, was placed on waivers this past season and then sent to the minors for the first time in his career, largely over salary-cap issues.

The former first-round draft pick signed a 12-year, $69 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007 and carried a salary cap hit of $5.7 million for the Kings.

Richards spent his first six NHL seasons with the Flyers, who traded him to Los Angeles in June 2011. He had 46 goals and 87 assists in 257 games for the Kings over the past four seasons and won two Stanley Cups with the team.