Authorities in Coral Springs, Florida, arrested Thaddeus “Teddy” Richards, 43, on Friday following allegations of domestic violence and misuse of emergency services, according to reports from The Athletic. Richards remained in custody at the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale through the evening of his arrest.
The detained individual serves as equipment manager for both the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers and the United States men’s national hockey team. In response to the arrest, the Panthers organization immediately suspended Richards from all team-related duties and prohibited his access to team facilities pending completion of an investigation.
As of publication time, USA Hockey had not released an official statement about the situation. The organization did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital regarding the arrest.
A Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native, Richards began his professional hockey career with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Between 2002 and 2013, he worked more than a decade with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, the team’s minor league affiliate.
His professional advancement led to a promotion in 2013 to assistant equipment manager for Pittsburgh’s NHL roster, a position he held until 2016. During his tenure with the Penguins, Richards contributed to the organization’s Stanley Cup championship victory in 2016.
Richards joined the Panthers in 2016-17 and has remained the franchise’s equipment manager since that time. He was part of the organization during its Stanley Cup championship seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Head coach Mike Sullivan, under whom Richards previously worked in Pittsburgh, facilitated his appointment to the USA Hockey equipment staff. Sullivan now leads Team USA at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and will serve as head coach for the American Olympic team at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, with Richards responsible for equipment management at both events.
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