LA Kings, Mike Richards reach agreement on his contract termination

The Kings reached a settlement agreement with former player Mike Richards on Friday on his grievance against the team in the wake of the club’s termination of his contract during the off-season. “The terms are agreeable to all parties,” the Kings said in a statement without releasing any details.

The NHL Players Association sent out a similar email to reporters.

The Kings severed ties with Richards in June, after he was arrested at a Canadian border crossing with a controlled substance, reportedly Oxycontin. The move enabled the Kings to cut an unproductive player who had five years and $22 million remaining on his contract. The NHLPA filed on a grievance on behalf of Richards, and a hearing was scheduled for this month.

Richards was a member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup teams in 2012 and ’14. He is currently a man without a team, an unsigned free agent. The Kings were expected to buy out Richards after he scored only five goals and 16 points in 53 games last season, both career lows. He also played 16 games in the minors, the first of his career for the 30-year-old former first-round draft pick.