Luke Richardson signed to three-year contract extension

One day after finalizing a contract with head coach Dominique Ducharme, the Montreal Canadiens signed Luke Richardson to a three-year contract extension.

The length of the contract is the same as Ducharme’s, and both were brought into the team the same year as assistant coaches. Richardson, of course, replaced Ducharme while he was out due to a positive COVID-19 test during the team’s playoff run.

Richardson has been in charge of the defence and the penalty kill since his arrival to the team. It has had ups and downs throughout his tenure, but the team excelled on the penalty kill in the playoffs, as well as the team’s defensive zone coverage.

Players love playing for Richardson, and it’s clear that there is chemistry between him and Ducharme as well. Ducharme said on Tuesday that he expected Richardson and Alexandre Burrows to be back behind the NHL bench. He also said that if there are any changes, they would be looking to add someone to the team’s bench.

Ducharme and Richardson are the only remaining members of Claude Julien’s staff. Kirk Muller made the bench a four-man unit.