Imagine what it’s like being in the minors and working your tail off for years to make the ultimate dream come true earning a spot on a NHL roster and earn more than a comfortable living playing the game you passionately love. The offer finally arrives, your big break after all those hard-working seasons riding buses and living out of a suitcase, and you decline the offer. You insist your family comes first and when you decide it’ll be on your terms when you’ll be ready, and you’ll let them know.
Unbelievable? Yes, and it happened. But on a slightly different platform.
Binghamton Senators head coach Luke Richardson was offered the Ottawa Senators top position after Paul MacLean was given his walking papers and states he is currently happy with his coaching job in Binghamton and is not interested at this time. Ottawa then decides to hire their second choice in assistant Dave Cameron and he agrees.
Poof, in an instant there it goes and no regrets. None whatsoever. Back to living the life as a coach in the minors like it never had evened surfaced.
Every single walking, breathing hockey fan outside this region takes a look at this and have to ask themselves, whoa, did I just hear that right? He declined a position in the NHL to stay in Bingo?
Well, there’s more to it. Richardson’s family comes first and daughter Morgan is currently in a college 45 minutes away tending to her 3rd year studies at Cornell University while participating in the Women’s Ice Hockey Program playing (what else?) defense wearing #21 for the Big Red. I’m sure Morgan is getting plenty of pointers from Dad having spent 21 seasons in the NHL. A possible number correlation? Likely.
I did say outside this area as those fans that are actually in Binghamton and surrounding held their breath for possibly a second or two, but came to their sense’s remembering Richardson had addressed this whole scenario before the media as I published this earlier gem this year stating exactly what Luke ended up in following through. His family will come first before any NHL offer’s, including any from Ottawa.
Gotta admire that decision, respect it, embrace it and remember as many broken families not only in this city but everywhere have gone through some adversaries along the way. He stood tall and stuck to the plan, just like he said he would.
Binghamton Senators fans are seeing a truly unique individual in Richardson as he’s off and running his third season as HC. He is well liked in the community and preaches performance on the ice in getting what is best out of his player’s as another lesson has been set in stone that surely his player’s will only take the time to admire.
Commitment, but always remember family is first.
*Front Cover Photo by Jeff Ulmer
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UPDATE: From WBNG-TV12 interview.
"“I had the fortunate playing career, so I had my time in the NHL. There’s really no rush for me to get there,” said Richardson. “I don’t want to just take a job to take a job if my head space is not in the right place, and right now for my family, for myself and for the players that I work with, it’s here. I think I can do a better job here than maybe going to the NHL and thinking it’s not the best place for my family situation right now and it’s not the best place for me. It would be unfair for those players and I have too much respect for the game and those players to do that.”"