In a press release this afternoon, the Ottawa Senators announced that “Binghamton Senators head coach Luke Richardson will not return next season after coming to a mutual agreement with the organization to vacate the position to pursue a new opportunity.”
Richardson spent the past four seasons coaching Ottawa’s AHL affiliate to varying degrees of success.
In the early going, success came easy for Richardson.
In his first two seasons behind the bench, Richardson led the B-Sens to consecutive 96 point seasons and an impressive .632 point percentage. It was this initial success that helped perpetuate the belief that Richardson was a blue chip coach who not only was viewed as someone on the rise, but someone who would one day find himself behind the bench here in Ottawa.
That opportunity would never arrive.
With Richardson’s intent to coach and be near his daughter Morgan while she attended Cornell University, it was almost as if he was never truly considered as a viable candidate whenever one of Ottawa’s head coaches were relieved of their duties.
The longer Richardson served in Binghamton however, the worse the results became.
After reaching the postseason in each of those first two seasons — albeit, they failed to escape the first round (sound familiar?) — Binghamton did not qualify for the playoffs in either of his last two seasons. After recording 76 points during the 2014-15 season, the B-Sens’ 69 point 2015-16 campaign was the North Division’s worst mark.
Binghamton’s decline is not all on Richardson however.
Thanks to the graduation of the organization’s best prospects to the parent roster, a few trades, coupled with some ineffective drafting following the 2011 NHL Draft, the Senators have struggled to replenish the depth and talent within the organization.
Coupled with the fact that the organization promised their next head coach full autonomy when it comes time to naming his staff, everything added up to Luke Richardson moving on to pursue other opportunities. Early speculation points towards Richardson joining the Columbus Blue Jackets’ staff as an assistant head coach, but who knows?
I only wish Richardson and his family the best. As they move on, I hope that this community continues to promote mental health awareness and Richardson’s Do It for Daron (D.I.F.D.) initiative.
Richardson will be joining a‘s ‘The Drive’ to shed light on this agreement later this afternoon. Listen for that interview at 3:05 ET.
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