Thaddeus "Teddy" Richards, an equipment manager for both the U.S. Men's National Hockey Team and the Florida Panthers, was arrested Friday night in Coral Springs, Florida. He faces misdemeanor charges of battery/domestic violence and unauthorized use of 911 services, according to online records.
The Florida Panthers organization confirmed they were aware of the incident and stated that Richards has been suspended from all team activities and facilities pending investigation. USA Hockey has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Richards, 43, was reportedly held at the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. His arrest was first reported by The Athletic.
Richards has a long history in hockey operations. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, working with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, from 2002 to 2013. He was then promoted to assistant equipment manager for the Penguins, serving from 2013 to 2016, and was part of the staff during their 2016 Stanley Cup victory.
Following his tenure with the Penguins, Richards joined the Florida Panthers as their equipment manager starting with the 2016-17 season. He has been with the team for both of its recent Stanley Cup championships in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Richards also served as the equipment manager for Team USA in both the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. His connection to head coach Mike Sullivan, whom he worked with in Pittsburgh, was instrumental in securing the Team USA roles.