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Hawks roll out red carpet to celebrate Richards' 1,000th

Brad Richards has only been with the Blackhawks for 18 of the 1,000 games he has played in the National Hockey League.

Yet when it came to recognizing the veteran center's milestone Sunday at the United Center, the Hawks still rolled out the red carpet - literally - and made it a night to remember for Richards and his family.

First, there was a video montage, which included clips of his first NHL goal in 2000 and of him lifting Lord Stanley's Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.

There was a painting of Richards in a Hawks uniform with his other teams represented by their logos and how many games he played with each of them.

And, finally, general manager Stan Bowman came out with an engraved silver stick commemorating Richards' achievement.

Joining Richards on the ice were his wife, newborn son and his mom and dad.

"It's something I'll always remember," Richards said. "My dad's a huge hockey fan and we always used to watch old (national) anthems at the Chicago Stadium."

The Hawks obviously were hoping Richards, whom they signed in the off-season to a one-year deal, would feel right at home as quickly as possible.

But stories with happy endings often start out with a few hiccups. And while this ending is a long way from being written, things are beginning to smooth out after a rough start.

When the Hawks signed Richards, they envisioned him centering their second line, but coach Joel Quenneville didn't stick with that plan for long.

Richards went four games before recording a point and 10 before scoring a goal as his ice time hovered around 11-14 minutes a game, far below the 20-plus he is used to getting. He also was adjusting to new teammates as well as Quenneville's ever-changing line combinations.

"You get here and everything's new and you want to start so well," Richards said. "Sometimes you just want it too much."

In addition to the hockey stress, Richards was feeling plenty off the ice as well as his son Luca was born Oct. 7, two days before the regular season began at Dallas. His wife, who is from Australia, also was adjusting to a new city and the stress of finding a doctor to deliver the couple's first baby.

Take all that into consideration and it's easy to see why Richards - who twice has racked up 91 points in a season - struggled to get his skates underneath him.

But now things are starting to click.

"Every day (my comfort level) grows," Richards said.

Eighteen games into the season, Richards has 11 points, good for fourth on the team. And in Sunday's win over Dallas, he recorded 2 assists, which included a nifty feed to Patrick Kane on the goal that gave the Hawks the lead for good in the third period of their 6-2 win.

"I thought it was his best game of the year," Quenneville said. "I thought he did a lot of things, had the puck a lot tonight, had jump, had pace. He was a threat to score. …

"The way Brad played on a special night for him … it was a nice way to go out on your 1,000th game."

Not only was Richards on the second line all night, but he also was on the ice for a season-high 18 minutes and 20 seconds.

"Tonight was a lot of fun," he said. "I feel like I've been playing a lot better. Sometimes you go out there and you hit a post, pucks don't go in. Tonight I could have had more.

"But at least our line got some production (2 goals, 6 assists) and once you do that and get a win, it kind of gets contagious. You start playing better. Obviously, tonight's a great night."

And hopefully for Richards, many more are to come.

Van Riemsdyk update:

ESPN reported that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk might be out for as long as 2-3 months after being hit by a shot in the Hawks' victory over Dallas on Sunday. The Hawks placed the rookie on long-term IR on Monday.

• Minor moves: The Hawks on Tuesday called up forward Joakim Nordstrom and defenseman Adam Clendening while assigning defenseman Stephen Johns to Rockford.

Clendening, a second-round pick in 2011, has yet to appear in an NHL game. He has a goal and 3 assists in 16 games at Rockford. Nordstrom was assigned to Rockford on Monday for salary-cap purposes.

• Follow John Dietz on Twitter @johndietzdh.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman helped veteran Brad Richards celebrate his 1,000 game in the NHL on Sunday. Richards was joined on the ice by his wife and son, and his parents. Photo courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks center Brad Richards (91) battles for a loose puck behind the Blackhawks' net in a game last week. Associated Press
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