Thaddeus “Teddy” Richards, an equipment manager for the U.S. men's national hockey team and the Florida Panthers, was arrested Friday in Florida on misdemeanor charges of battery/domestic violence and unauthorized use of 911 services.
Richards, 43, was reportedly arrested in Coral Springs and held at the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Panthers have suspended Richards from all team activities and facilities pending an investigation.
The Panthers organization confirmed the arrest via their public relations account on Twitter, stating, "The Florida Panthers organization has been made aware of an incident involving the arrest of Equipment Manager Teddy Richards. Effective immediately, he will be suspended from all team activities and facilities pending investigation."
Richards has been the Panthers' equipment manager since the 2016-17 season. He joined Team USA in a head equipment manager capacity last year, a role he held during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Games, where the U.S. men's team won a gold medal.
He also served as the Team USA equipment manager for the 2026 IIHF men's world championship event. Before his tenure with the Panthers, Richards spent 14 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, including three years as assistant equipment manager and 11 years with their AHL affiliate.