While it was a challenging season overall, Connor Murphy thought it showed the true character of Richardson and how he was able to handle some tough moments throughout the season.
The veteran defenseman witnessed the confidence players gained after beating some top teams like the Boston Bruins throughout the year due to the structure that Richardson and the coaching staff built. Murphy credited him with the way he made players feel comfortable by helping to teach them structure and growth within their playing style during each game and practice.
"He was unreal for being so even keel all year with us and really shifting into a teaching and growth mindset of making sure we were building parts of our game that we needed to have intact in order to have a chance to win a lot of games," Murphy said. "So I think that felt really comfortable for guys and it was nice to have. It was definitely a big credit to him."
From the moment Richardson joined the organization, MacKenzie Entwistle noted that he preached exactly what he wanted out of the players and their roles throughout the season. Some of the ways he implemented began in the video room.
Throughout the season, Richardson emphasized the importance of showcasing not only positive moments from games, but also showing how players can learn from their mistakes. Whether it was a rookie brought up from Rockford or a veteran like Jonathan Toews, Entwistle felt it showed that everyone can still make mistakes no matter what level they are at and proved that the first-year head coach managed it well.
"It is important I think when they do make mistakes to hold them accountable as well and it shows the room that everyone's held accountable," Entwistle said. "I think Luke did a great job at a kind of managing that this year."
Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson felt a connection with Richardson right from the first interview after their discussion on how he saw the game and how he wanted the team to play. He showcased what he could do after putting the team in different situations to succeed and maintaining consistency from the start.
Off the ice, Richardson created a positive environment and cultivated an identity for the team that Davidson stated could make the fanbase proud moving forward. The next challenge that he'll face heading into next season is being able to adapt to a changing roster with younger players.
"I couldn't be happier with the job that Luke's done," Davidson said. "So, we're really excited to have him as well as his whole staff returning next year and then beyond because they're big parts of where we want to go and the build that we're undertaking here."
As the team prepares for off-season roster movements whether it from trades, the NHL Draft or free agency, Richardson hopes that the work ethic they created can be a standard that players can expect going into training camp with a no quit attitude.
"I think we've pretty much implemented what we wanted as a work ethic and as a standard just like a benchmark from where we're going to start next year and get better from there," Richardson said. "That's going to be our next step like our work ethic and our never give up attitude is always going to be there now and is never going to go away."
