Mike Richards has been charged for possession of a controlled substance while entering Canada, the Manitoba RCMP announced Thursday morning.
The former Los Angeles Kings forward is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 10.
Manitoba RCMP Cst. Paul Human issued the following statement to Sportsnet:
On June 17, 2015 at about 2:00 pm, the Emerson RCMP detachment was notified that a controlled substance had been intercepted by Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Emerson Port of Entry.
The matter was turned over to the RCMP and a subsequent investigation on June 17th led to the arrest and release of a 30-year-old male.
Mike Richards, 30, from Kenora, Ontario was formally charged by the RCMP on August 25, 2015 for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Richards will be appearing in Emerson Provincial Court on September 10th, 2015.
There are no further details available at this time.
The Kings terminated Richards’ contract in June, citing “material breach.”
The National Hockey League Players’ Association filed a grievance on behalf of the 30-year-old Richards on Aug. 10. No date has been set to hear the grievance.
“We are in the process of reviewing the facts and circumstances of this matter, and will discuss the situation with the player in order to determine the appropriate course of action,” NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said in a statement.
Richards, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, has 179 goals and 303 assists in 710 NHL games.
