The Florida Panthers suspended Equipment Manager Teddy Richards from all team activities and facilities on Friday after he was arrested in Coral Springs and booked into the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. He faces charges of domestic violence and unauthorized use of 911 services.
The team said it had been made aware of the arrest and moved immediately to remove him from the organization’s daily operations while the matter is investigated. As of Friday evening, Richards remained in custody at the Broward Main Jail.
The arrest lands on one of the Panthers’ longest-tenured behind-the-scenes staff members, a man who has been with the club since the 2016-17 season and worked through its 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup victories. Richards also had a résumé that stretched beyond Florida, including work with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016 Stanley Cup championship run and later with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
What the team has not said is what led to the arrest. That gap matters because the Panthers have already taken the bluntest step available short of a final decision: Richards is out of all team activities and facilities, and that suspension will last until the investigation is finished. For now, the case has turned a trusted fixture of the organization into a live legal and workplace problem.
