FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A key piece of the USA men's hockey Olympic gold medal team is back with the Florida Panthers.
Teddy Richards, the head equipment manager for the Panthers, was one of two equipment managers for Team USA hockey in Milan, Italy.
After the Panthers' team practice at Baptist Health IcePlex this week, Richards shared some special moments from the games with WPTV anchor and Panthers 360 host Mike Trim.
Trim asked Richards about his immediate reaction to Team USA's game-winning goal against Canada.
"I fell back in relief, like, 'I can't believe that just happened.' Then the bench erupted. You celebrate, you hug, you party, and then we stayed on the ice for a while, but it's a very special moment," said Richards.
In all, Team USA played six games in Milan, and game days meant long hours.
"When did your day start in Milan for a game day?" Trim asked.
"Typically, we would meet at 7:15 a.m., and we would skate every day at either 11 a.m. or noon. ... Then the games are at 9 p.m., so typically I was getting done around 1:45 a.m.," Richards said.
Richards told Trim there was a practice locker room and a separate game locker room for the team at the arena in Milan.
The distance between those two locker rooms, said Richards, was the length of about two football fields, and there was a lot of equipment to transfer.
It was suggested that each of the 25 players on the USA roster should have 12 hockey sticks, but Richards said some players had 20 or more.
Being an equipment manager for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 helped Richards plan in-game equipment adjustments, such as sharpening skates.
"We requested 10 sets of steel for every player. So we knew if we had 10 sets, we wouldn't have to sharpen in-game, we could just rotate through, and then I'll sharpen tomorrow," Richards said.
The celebration didn't last long for Richards.
He had to make sure everything got back stateside, and that process started soon after the gold medal celebration.
"At that point, we got into work mode because (for a) 2 p.m. game, we had a couple of hours of celebration around 7 p.m. At 1 a.m., we had a cargo service coming to pick up all the equipment. So I needed all the trunks, all the gear tagged. That was another big job," Richards told Trim.
Richards has been an NHL equipment manager for more than 13 years, first working with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the last 10 with the Florida Panthers.
He's been a part of three Stanley Cups with both teams, but winning the gold was something very different.
Richards reflected on seeing his family celebrate at the game.
"My family sat about 10 rows right behind me, so that was the best seats they had for all the games. I was able to turn around and see their emotions, and I have a 1-year-old, and he was like waving a little flag. It was cool to see, and I was watching them during the celebration more so than my own celebration, so it was special," said Richards.
As the Florida Panthers chase a third Stanley Cup championship this season, WPTV is along for the ride!
We will be highlighting the team with our new show on South Florida's 9 called "Panthers 360".
Hosted by WPTV anchor Mike Trim, watch the show each Wednesday evening and also streaming at 7:30 p.m.
We will take an in-depth look at the season, break down film and connect with the players and special stories off the ice.
Every Monday at 12:15 p.m. on the WPTV YouTube page, Trim will be joined by different analysts to discuss the latest on the team. We want to hear your thoughts, so post your questions and comments while the live interview takes place!
South Florida's 9 is your home for Panthers hockey all season long!