Cardiff Devils' Richardson breaks British record

Cardiff Devils' longest-serving player Mark Richardson has broken the British record for the most appearances in ice hockey's Elite League.

The 39-year-old reached 1,178 games when he faced Fife Flyers on Sunday, surpassing the record he shared with Sheffield Steelers legend, Cardiff-born Jonathan Phillips, who was at the Vindico Arena to make the presentation.

Last year Richardson broke another Phillips record when he became the most capped player for Great Britain, reaching 117 games.

"If there's anyone who's going to do it, I'm most pleased that it is Richie," Phillips said.

"He really is the ultimate professional. He's an absolute one of a kind.

"The success Cardiff have had over the last 10 years or so, Richie has been a huge part of that.

"The way he presents himself, he plays hard, he plays tough, but in that respectful way.

"He's the voice of reason. He's someone who could pick up a group just with his presence. Being there to spread positivity without doing much, just his presence.

"You just can't say enough good things about him."

Richardson moved into top level hockey aged 18 in 2005, signing for the Devils where Phillips was in his last season before joining Sheffield.

Phillips, who was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year, said: "You could see how good he was then. He worked his socks off every single time he touched the ice. You could see then that he was trying to be a student of the game.

Two years later Richardson left to join Nottingham Panthers and in 2009 returned to the Devils.

Apart from a five-month stint in Kazakhstan in 2012 and spending the Covid cancelled 2020-21 UK season in Germany, Richardson has been with Cardiff throughout.

"Richie has been an incredible player for this club for nearly two decades," Cardiff Devils managing director Todd Kelman said.

"He has played a vital role in every championship we have won and has been a great ambassador for us off the ice.

"We are lucky to have had him play nearly all of his EIHL games for the Devils and we expect to be celebrating more milestones before he decides to hang up his skates.

"He is the ultimate pro and the ultimate team-mate."

In his 20 seasons as an Elite League player Richardson has won 10 trophies. One came with Nottingham - the 2008 Challenge Cup - and the other nine with Cardiff.

As well as winning two Elite League championships, three Challenge Cups and three play-offs, in January this year Richardson lifted the club's first European trophy when the Devils triumphed in the IIHF Continental Cup.

For Great Britain, Richardson and Phillips played together from the time when the national side were in the lower levels of the international game up to competing in the top division of the World Championships.

Phillips said: "When you played with him for GB, you just felt safe with him on the ice every single time.

"His positioning is always bang on. He can just read players and read what to do.

"You just couldn't get past him. His technical ability is just unbelievable. Richie concentrates on the small details. He's not someone who is overly fancy.

"I'm not sure a lot of fans would even pick up on some of the things that he is doing on a constant basis.

"I do some work with the under-16s and under-19s up in Sheffield and all I talk about is watching people like Richie and watch how simple he makes the game look.

"This is a tough league to play in. In other leagues around the world everything revolves around the play-offs, so some regular season games aren't as tough as others.

"In the Elite League you're playing for or against a Cardiff, Sheffield, Belfast or a Nottingham - teams that are constantly fighting for the league title, so it's a 54-game play-off.

"Every single night you are playing play-off hockey.

"And for Richie to do that for so long and so consistently is just remarkable."