Teddy Richards has been the Panthers’ equipment manager since the 2016-17 season. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
The equipment manager for the Florida Panthers and the U.S. men’s national hockey team has been suspended after he was arrested Friday on misdemeanor charges of battery/domestic violence and unauthorized use of 911 services.
Jail records indicate Thaddeus “Teddy” Richards was arrested in Coral Springs, Fla., and was being held at the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as of Friday night.
In a statement, the Panthers noted they are aware of Richards’ arrest and said Richards is suspended from all team activities and facilities pending the investigation.
Richards, 43, has been the Panthers’ equipment manager since the 2016-17 season. He worked for Team USA during the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
A Wilkes-Barre, Pa. native, Richards previously worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, from 2002-2013. He was promoted to assistant equipment manager for Pittsburgh from 2013-16, including the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup run, then left for Florida that summer.
Richards’ Pittsburgh connection helped land him the Team USA equipment manager job ahead of the Olympics, as coach Mike Sullivan was the coach in Pittsburgh and Richards was a popular figure within the team.
Jul 18, 2026
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