The Florida Panthers moved quickly to suspend their equipment manager, Teddy Richards, on Friday after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of battery related to domestic violence and the unauthorized use of 911 services.
Richards was taken into custody at his residence in Coral Springs, Florida. He has served as the Panthers’ equipment manager since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Before joining Florida, Richards built his career in hockey operations starting with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins — the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate — where he worked from 2002 to 2013. He then stepped into the role of assistant equipment manager with Pittsburgh from 2013 to 2016 before making the move to the Panthers organization.
The 43-year-old also took on equipment duties for Team USA during the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and at the 25th Winter Olympics held in Italy in 2026.
The Panthers have offered little in the way of public comment, releasing only a social media statement confirming that Richards has been “suspended from all team activities and facilities pending investigation.”
