December 14th

Richards's Extended Thru 2020


Fifteen months after New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro wowed the hockey world with a 15-year contract, Philadelphia forward Mike Richards secured his own 12-year extension.

The Flyers centre will earn $69 million over the life of the deal, earning an average of $5.75 million annually, and will be 35 at the end of the 2019-20 season when the contract expires.

Richards, 22, is currently in the final year of an entry-level deal that is paying him more than $940,000. He is off to the best start of his career, leading the Flyers with 14 goals and 34 points in 28 games, and in 166 career NHL games has scored 35 goals and registered 100 points.

DiPietro's 15-year pact worth $67.5 million is believed to be the longest in NHL history.


Billionaire Bids on Oilers, Again

Daryl Katz, owner of a pharmacy chain that sponsors the Edmonton Oilers' arena, has made a $190-million offer to buy the NHL team. The offer, amounting to $20,000 per share or about $190 million, was delivered Thursday to shareholders of the Edmonton Investors Group, the team's current owner.

In August, the consortium of 34 local businessmen rejected Katz's offer of reportedly more than $170 million. The billionaire's previous bids of $145 million and $150 million were also turned down. At the time, the EIG, which bought the Oilers in 1998, reiterated that the team was not for sale.

In a press release Thursday, Katz said he's making his fourth bid for the franchise because several EIG shareholders have encouraged him in the last six months to try again. Cal Nichols, who revealed he stepped down as chairmain of the EIG this week, said he's accepted the offer but is waiting to see what each of the other shareholders decide. Katz said if this offer is accepted, he will commit an additional $100 million towards a new building.

The offer requires approval of EIG shareholders and the National Hockey League.

Katz, who was born and raised in Edmonton, founded the Rexall chain of pharmacies, which now boasts 1,800 stores across Canada and the U.S.