Stars center Brad Richards is a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given each season to the player that exhibits “the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
Richards, who won the award in 2004 as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and was runner-up in 2006, led the Stars with 91 points, including a team-high 67 assists. He added 24 goals, third-most behind James Neal and Loui Eriksson, who both played on the same line with Richards for most of the season. Richards’ 91 points were two shy of Mike Modano’s record of 93 points (1993-94) since the franchise moved to Dallas. The 67 assists were the third-most by any player in franchise history.
Richards, 29, came to the Stars in a trade deadline deal during the 2007-08 season. He missed 25 of the final 26 games during the 2008-09 season because of a broken right wrist (Feb. 16) and a broken bone in his left hand (March 21). But this past season, Richards played 80 games (missing just two games with a groin injury) and was a consistent performer.
For Richards to win the award, he’ll have to beat out Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, who is also a finalist and has won the award the last four seasons. Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning is also a finalist.
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