Image source, James Ashinder
Defenceman Mark Richardson has signed a new contract with Cardiff Devils, marking his 17th season with the elite league club.
The Devils have also signed forward Sam Duggan for a sixth season in South Wales.
Richardson will be 38 during the 2024-25 season, but he was 19 when he first played for the Devils.
“Mark is an anomaly in this game. He's 38 years old and still playing a lot of minutes and still approaches the game the right way,” Devils head coach Pete Russell said.
Richardson has represented Great Britain in three Olympic qualifiers and seven IIHF World Championships, earning over 100 caps.
“Richie leads by example, showing up to work every day, working hard on and off the ice, taking care of himself and being consistent and solid every night,” Russell added.
“We know what we're getting from him every game, which is why he's been such an asset to the Devils and national team for nearly two decades.”
When the Elite League was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Richardson travelled to Germany to play for EC Bad Nauheim in the German Hockeyliga.
He previously left the Devils to play briefly for Arlan Kokshetau in Kazakhstan from 2012-13.
He also played for Nottingham Panthers in the 2007-08 season and spent the following season with them and Basingstoke Bisons.
The move to the Panthers means Richardson will play his 17th season with the Devils while looking forward to his 19th season in the elite league.
Image source, James Ashinder
Duggan joined the Devils in 2018 at just 20 years old.
In his five seasons with the Devils, he played more than 300 games in all competitions and won the playoff championship trophy twice.
In May he played all seven matches for the British team at the World Championships in Prague.
“Dougie improved significantly as a player last season and his performance for Great Britain at the World Championships showed what a valuable player he is,” said Russell, who also coaches the national team.
“He played his best hockey this year in Prague against the best team in the world.”
Duggan played youth hockey for Bracknell before moving to Sweden at the age of 16 to play for Örebro in the U-18 elite league, where he spent four seasons, captaining the team for two of them.
He will serve as an assistant captain for the Devils in 2021-22 and will again wear an “A” uniform in 2023-24.
“He has a special role for us and he's filled it very effectively. His game is about skating hard, forechecking, playing good defense and being a solid penalty killer,” Russell added.
“Sam and his linemates are tough to play against and can change the course of a game with just one shift. He had a big summer and will return with something to prove this year.”
“I think we're going to see Sam's best game this season. He's another year older, another year stronger, and we're really happy to have him back.”
