RICHARDSON HITS 1,000 GAMES AS A DEVIL

Tonight will be Mark Richardson’s 1,000^th game as a Cardiff Devil.

The Devils’ captain has already played over 1,100 games in Elite League competitions, but this is a special moment as he is the first player to hit the 1,000 mark with the Devils in the Elite League era. Pictured above: Richardson and his teammates ahead of the gameRichardson grew up playing in his hometown of Swindon but moved to Bracknell to start his professional career for the 2003-04 season at the ripe old age of 17.  He spent two seasons in the BNL, the league below the Elite League at that time before making the move up to the Cardiff Devils for the 2005-06 season. 

He spent two seasons with the Devils before signing in Nottingham ahead of the 2007-08 season.  He split the next season between Basingstoke and Nottingham before returning to Cardiff for the 2009-10 season. 

Other than a brief 13 game stint in Kazakhstan at the start of the 2012-13 season and a season in Germany during the Covid year of 2020-21, he has spent the last 16 years with the Cardiff Devils.As a Devil, he has lifted 1 Knock-Out Cup, 2 League titles, 3 Challenge Cups and 3 Playoff Championships.  He has also been a mainstay on the GB National Team for the past 21 years. Pictured above: Richardson with the Playoff Trophy in 2022 (photo James Assinder)

He is currently third on the most games played in Elite League history behind Jonathan Phillips (1,177), and Devils’ assistant coach Matthew Myers (1,115).  Richardson currently sits at 1,109 competitive Elite League games played. 

This record includes competitive Elite League games, which means all league, Challenge Cup, Knock Out Cup and Playoff games.  It does not include pre-season games, Champions Hockey League, Continental Cup or Playoff 3v4 games.