Luukko: Flyers were unaware of Richards' problems

SUNRISE, Fla. - Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi called the Mike Richards situation a "tragedy," said the former Kings center was caught in a "destructive spiral," and claimed he was "played" by the ex-Flyers captain.

In an explosive reaction to the latest developments surrounding Richards, Lombardi made his comments to the Los Angeles Times on Friday.

On Saturday, former Flyers club president Peter Luukko said the team was unaware of any off-ice issues when Richards was traded to L.A. in 2011.

The Kings terminated Richards' contract on June 29, citing a "material breach." Twelve days earlier, Richards was arrested at a Canadian border-entry stop and later charged with possession of the controlled substance oxycodone after a two-month investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

"I tried everything with Mike - meeting with him constantly, sending him to concussion specialists, traveling in the offseason to visit with him at his summer home - and everything failed," Lombardi wrote to the Times. "I heard the rumors that Mike might have some off-ice issues, but I refused to believe that they were true despite some obvious signs.

"The reality is that I was 'played.' My only regret, though, is that I wish Mike had been able to come to me with his problem."

On Friday, the Kings and the NHL Players Association avoided going to arbitration in the Richards matter by reaching an undisclosed agreement. Some of Richards' salary-cap charge will stay on the Kings' books until 2031. There were five years and $22 million left on his contract.

"Without a doubt, the realization of what happened to Mike Richards is the most traumatic episode of my career," Lombardi wrote. "At times, I think that I will never recover from it. It is difficult to trust anyone right now _ and you begin to question whether you can trust your own judgment. The only thing I can think of that would be worse would be suspecting your wife of cheating on you for five years and then finding out in fact it was true."

Luukko, speaking before Saturday's Flyers-Panthers game in Florida, said the Flyers front office was unaware of Richards' problems when they traded the center to Los Angeles in 2011. Luukko, the Panthers' executive chairman, was with the Flyers at the time.

But early in Peter Laviolette's Flyers tenure, the coach reportedly asked players not to drink for a month in what became known as "Dry Island." Richards was among the Flyers who didn't commit to the program.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was a Kings assistant when L.A. acquired Richards. Hextall said the Kings did research on Richards' off-ice activities, like they would on any player they were acquiring.

Hextall said Richards was a "good kid, a "very good hockey player," and that "he cared. All the other stuff that happened, I really don't know enough about."

Lombardi, who scouted for the Flyers earlier in his career, said he "loved Mike Richards. I believed when I had acquired him, I had found my own Derek Jeter. But the fact is that he was never close to the player that he was after his best seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10 in Philadelphia."

Last season, the Kings sent Richards to their minor-league affiliate after the all-star break because of his deteriorated play.

"I certainly believe that Mike Richards must be held accountable for his actions, but when a player who at one time symbolized everything that was special about the sport can become caught in such a destructive spiral, then I believe the institution of sport must begin to examine its level of culpability," Lombardi said.

Last week, in an interview with TSN, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said cocaine use in the league had risen. Daly said he didn't think it was a crisis involving more than 20 players.

"That's disturbing," Hextall said, adding it was "something the organization would monitor."