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Mike Richards on demotion: 'I do what I'm told'

Eric Hartline / USA TODAY Sports

A long-term contract in the NHL means security, but it also means a degree of captivity. 

Mike Richards is the latest to experience this pitfall, having been subjected to his first regular-season professional game outside the NHL on Friday in Manchester after being placed on waivers this week by the Los Angeles Kings.

He was forthright in his assessment of the situation after the game, accepting the fact that he's at the mercy of his contract and Kings general manager Dean Lombardi. 

"It's not easy. That's for sure. But, at the end of the day, I'm a hockey player. I (did) what I was told in L.A. Whether it was third line, second line, fourth line, I do what I was told," he told reporters, via MayorsManor.

"I got told to come down here and play, so I do what I'm told. It's what being a hockey player is all about."

Though he still believes he's capable of contributing for the Kings, Richards's mindset has stayed consistent with the fleeting circumstances of an NHL hockey player. His focus is on himself and Manchester's room, not what's happening in Los Angeles.

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