Grant Richison

Grant Richison (born May 5, 1967) is an American former ice hockey defenceman who played in the minor leagues, and in the United Kingdom.

Grant Richison
Born (1967-05-05) May 5, 1967
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defenceman
Shot Left
Played for Moncton Hawks
Fort Wayne Komets
Muskegon Fury
Quad City Mallards
Orlando Solar Bears
Kansas City Blades
Houston Aeros
London Knights
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 19892001

Playing career

Richison played collegiate hockey with the Calgary Dinosaurs in 1988, where he registered 14 points in 16 games.[1] He subsequently turned pro.

Upon turning professional, Richison signed with AHL outfit Moncton Hawks for the 1989-90 season. The team would struggle, finishing 6th out of seven teams in their division, whilst Richison would score 12 points in 50 games. He returned to New Brunswick the following season, registering 13 points in 39 games. The team would make it to the playoffs, before losing to the Springfield Indians in the Division Finals.

In the off-season, Richison moved to the Fort Wayne Komets of the IHL, beginning his long association with the club. In his first season in Indiana, Richison registered 16 points in 48 games as the Komets qualified for the playoffs, losing in the opening round to the Kalamazoo Wings. The following season was a successful one; the stay-at-home defenceman had a career best season,[2] with 23 points in 52 games, and the Komets had an unprecedent 12–0 record in the playoffs, culminating in them winning the Turner Cup, beating the San Diego Gulls in the finals.[3] The 1993–94 season was also a successful one, Richison tallied 20 points in 59 games, and the Komets again made it to the Turner Cup finals, before ultimately losing to the Atlanta Knights.

Richson would return for his fourth season in Fort Wayne for the 1994–95 season, and would register 19 points in 72 games as the Komets would go out in the opening round of the playoffs, losing to the Peoria Rivermen. He would only play 3 times with the Komets during the 1995–96 season, after being involved in motorcycle crash. The accident resulted in a dislocated hip, broken pelvis and a severe concussion, among other injuries, with some doctors stating that he'd never skate again.[2]

Despite the injuries he suffered, Richison returned to hockey for the 1996–97 season, again with the Komets. In his first season back, he scored 8 points in 51 games in the IHL, and also registered 3 points in 6 games with the Quad City Mallards whilst playing in the CoHL.[1] The following season Richison again played for the Komets, as well 3 games with the Muskegon Fury of the UHL. Since returning from injury, the Komets had decided not to offer him a permanent contract, instead signing him to consecutive 25 game PTO contracts.[2] Unhappy with this situation, Richison signed for the Orlando Solar Bears midway through the season. He played two games with the Solar Bears before breaking a bone in his hand; despite this setback, the team offered him a full-time contract and he finished the season in Orlando.[2] The team made it to the playoff semi-finals, ultimately losing them to the Detroit Vipers.

His stay in Florida will ultimately be a short one, as he signed with the Kansas City Blades, also of the IHL for the 1998–99 season, where he played 65 games and registered 8 points. He also had a short stint with the Muskegon Fury, playing 2 games and scoring a goal.[1] He returned to Kansas for the following season, and had his best season since his accident, posting 17 points in 58 games. For the 2000–01 season, Richison began with the Houston Aeros, before moving to Europe in order the play for the London Knights of the BISL,[4] where he played with former Blades teammates Brendan Yarema and Pat Ferschweiler.[5][6] Whilst performing well in the league, the Knights would also find continental success, beating both the Munich Barons and HC Slovan Bratislava in the IIHF Continental Cup. Although Swiss side ZSC Lions would ultimately win the Cup, the Knights would take the silver medal and their performance in the competition was considered to be the best by a British team at the time.[7] Richison registered 8 points in 32 games in the capital, and the Knights made it to the playoff final, narrowly losing to the Sheffield Steelers. Following his season overseas, Richison retired from professional professional hockey.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1988–89 Calgary Dinosaurs CWUAA 162121459
1989–90 Moncton Hawks AHL 502101228
1990–91 Moncton Hawks AHL 49491357
1991–92 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 486101684 50229
1992–93 Muskegon Fury CoHL 20110
1992–93 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 525182373 1217820
1993–94 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 593172050 1703328
1994–95 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 723161962 40332
1995–96 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 30116
1996–97 Quad City Mallards CoHL 60332
1996–97 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 5117857
1997–98 Muskegon Fury UHL 30110
1997–98 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 2301120
1997–98 Orlando Solar Bears IHL 2414531 1723516
1998–99 Muskegon Fury UHL 21012
1998–99 Kansas City Blades IHL 6508858 30004
1999–00 Kansas City Blades IHL 584131789
2000–01 Houston Aeros IHL 80008
2000–01 London Knights BISL 3226849 80006
IHL totals 463 23 95 118 538 58 3 18 21 79

References

  1. "Grant Richison". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  2. "Solar Bears finally get a Defenceman". Orlando Sentinel. March 8, 1998. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  3. "Komets' 12-0 run in playoffs was unreal". The Journal Gazette. May 20, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  4. "Knights give debuts to Richison and Morrisette". Evening Standard. November 28, 2000. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  5. "Knights snap up Richison". BBC. November 21, 2000. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  6. "Knights sign Grant Richison". London Knights. November 21, 2000. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  7. "Superleague needs a higher profile". BBC. April 2, 2001. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
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