Rich joined Coquitlam in a multi-player trade in early June and in his first game took on a leadership role in a crucial win including his first goal for the Adanacs. One of the most reliable, imposing and hard-checking defensemen in lacrosse, he is a serious scoring threat on the fast break and will play a key role in the drive to the Mann Cup this year. He already won a cup in Victoria in 2005 and we think he’ll enjoy one this year even more.

Richie first played lacrosse in New Westminster when he was five and played his entire minor and Junior “A” lacrosse in the Royal City. His junior stats are incomplete (no PiM records available) but do include 18 goals and 38 assists for 56 points in 72 games.

He played for Vancouver as a WLA rookie in 1993, for the WLA team in Surrey in 1994 and 1995, four years for Maple Ridge, four for New Westminster and the last two summers for Victoria. His WLA stats before the start of this season include 84 goals and 158 assists for 242 points and 524 PiM in 300 games. He was named a WLA All-Star in 1996 and 2003 and won the WLA Fred Wooster Unsung Hero Award last summer.

Rich played for Buffalo in the NLL in 2000 and 2001, for the Vancouver Ravens the next three seasons, for Calgary in 2005 and for Colorado the last two years including the 2006 Champions Cup victors. His NLL stats include 10 goals and 49 assists for 59 points plus 230 PiM and 468 loose balls retrieved in 118 games.

Richie played many sports as a kid but focuses on lacrosse now. He enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Jamie and is father to Cole (6 years old) and Madison (8). When asked about other interests besides sports, he said, “Jamie, Madison, Cole and coaching”.

Richie is a Deputy Sheriff for the Province of British Columbia; he likes things to go as they are supposed to go and we suggest that people in his charge keep that in mind, but he’s got a big heart as his friends will attest. He loves to cook, especially pasta. His favourite movie is “Braveheart” and his favourite novels are J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. As for music, he says, “As long as it isn’t rap or country I’m happy.”

He lists the people most important in his lacrosse career as “family and all the coaches over the years”. He adds, “My most passionate and influential coach would have to be Stan Stewardson.”