Devils re-sign GB pair Duggan and Richardson

Mark Richardson played for hometown club Swindon Wildcats at youth level

Defenceman Mark Richardson has signed a new Cardiff Devils deal that will mean a 17th season with the Elite League club.

Devils have also retained the services of forward Sam Duggan for a sixth season in south Wales.

Richardson will turn 38 during the 2024-25 campaign and first played for Devils aged 19.

Devils head coach Pete Russell said: “Mark is an anomaly in this game. He is turning 38, but still manages to play a lot of minutes and plays the game the right way."

RIchardson has played in three Olympic qualifying tournaments for Great Britain and seven times in the IIHF World Championships with a 100-plus cap tally.

“Richy leads by example, comes to work every day, trains hard on and off the ice, looks after himself, and is consistently solid night in and night out," added Russell.

“We know what we are getting every game from him, and that is why he has been so valuable to the Devils and the national team for nearly two decades.”

When the Elite League was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Richardson went to Germany to play for EC Bad Nauheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

He previously left Devils for a short spell playing for Arlan Kokshetau in Kazakhatsan in 2012-13.

He has also played for Nottingham Panthers in 2007-08, splitting the following season between them and Basingstoke Bison.

The Panthers move means while Richardson will play his 17th Devils season, he is looking forward to his 19th in the Elite League.

Sam Duggan captained Team GB at under-18 and under-20 level

Duggan joined the Devils in 2018 at only 20-years-old.

In his five seasons with the Devils he has played over 300 games in all competitions and has lifted the Play-off Championship trophy twice.

In May he played in all seven games for Team GB at the World Championships in Prague.

“Duggy improved a lot as a player last season and his performance at the World Championships for Team GB showed how valuable he is," said Russell, who is also the national team coach.

"He played his best hockey of the year in Prague against some of the best teams in the world."

Duggan played his youth hockey in Bracknell but moved to Sweden when he was 16 to play for Orebro in the U18 Elite League. He spent four seasons with Orebro, captaining the side for two seasons.

He was an assistant captain for the Devils in the 2021-22 season and wore an ‘A’ again in 2023-24.

“He plays a particular role for us and plays it very effectively. His game is skating hard, getting in on the forecheck, being good defensively and being a solid penalty killer," added Russell.

“Sam and his linemates are hard to play against and they can change the flow of a game in a single shift. He is going to have a big summer and will come back with a point to prove this year.

“I think we are going to see the best we have seen out of Sam this season. He is another year older and another year stronger. I am really excited to have him back.”