Tanner Richard

History

2009-10: Tanner Richard split the season between the U20 and U17 teams for Rapperswil in Switzerland. He scored 3 goals with 6 assists and had 4 penalty minutes in 12 U20 games. Richard was the leading scorer for Rapperswil U17. In 15 games he scored 12 goals with 30 assists and had 63 penalty minutes. In six relegation games he scored 4 goals with 8 assists and had 10 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Richard made his pro hockey debut in Switzerland and led Rapperswil's U20 team in scoring. He represented Switzerland at the 2011 U18 World Junior Championship. Richard had 1 assist in eight games, including four relegation contests,  for Rapperswil in the Swiss National A League. Rapperswil avoided relegation after finishing 11th in the 12-team league in the regular season. Richard skated in nine games for Wetzikon in one of the lower Swiss leagues and had 2 goals with 4 assists and 66 penalty minutes. In U20 play he scored 11 goals with 32 assists and had 72  penalty minutes. Rapperswil U20 finished third in the regular season and reached the playoff semifinals. In 10 playoff games Richard scored 2 goals with 11 assists. He was the leading scorer for seventh-place Switzerland at the U18 WJC, scoring 4 goals with 1 assist, and was plus-one with 2 penalty minutes in six games. Richard was selected by Guelph (OHL) in the first round (28th overall) of the 2011 CHL Import Draft.

2011-12: Richard skated in 43 games for Guelph in his first OHL season – getting off to a good start before suffering an "upper body injury" that kept him out for a month late in the season. He played for Switzerland at the 2012 U20 World Junior Championship. Richard scored 13 goals with 35 assists and was plus-four with 46 penalty minutes for the Storm. Guelph finished fourth in the OHL's Midwest Division and faced Plymouth in a  six-game first round playoff series. Richard scored 1 goal with 4 assists and was minus-four with 6 penalty minutes in the Plymouth series.  Richard scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was plus-one with 6 penalty minutes in six games for eighth-place Switzerland at the U20 WJC. He was invited to the NHL Draft Combine and, in his second year of draft eligibility, was ranked 41st amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting's final rankings prior to the 2012 NHL Draft.

 

Talent Analysis

If Richard is to make the jump to the next level, it will be based mostly on his two-way play with an emphasis on defense.  Although Richard has shown some offensive ability at the junior level, it may not translate in the pro game.  But his stock in trade will be defense and playing the body, with Richard projecting as a third- or fourth-line forward.  He will have to work on his consistency to make it to the next level, however.

 

 

Future

Richard is likely to compete for another season beyond 2012-13 in the OHL before potentially turning pro.