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Plastic Bowl · 07-08-2018, 03:42 PM

Wolfhard Richter might be one of the most interesting prospects to enter this year’s SMJHL draft. He stands only 5’11” tall and weighs only 185 pounds. Not a very common set of measurements for a defenseman. However, he comes from a pedigree of success.

His father, David Richter, played in the SMJHL 22 seasons ago and won a Four Star Cup with the St. Louis Scarecrows in Season 20. David Richter never cracked the SHL, but was a very similar defenseman to Wolfhard. Short, but with a nose for the net combined with his quick skating made him a serious threat on the blue line for St. Louis.

His cousin, Ryan Richter, was the same kind of threat as David. Entering into the SMJHL in Season 34 signing as a free agent with the Detroit Falcons. He saw immediate success on the 2nd pairing as a puck moving and scoring defenseman and helped the Falcons to a Four Star Cup and then repeated the feat in Season 37 and helped the Falcons to another finals appearance in Season 38. After that, Ryan Richter’s SMJHL eligibility was up and he spent some time in the SHL, but never made the playoffs or much of an impact there.

Wolfhard Richter has a lot to live up to with his previous families success in the SMJHL. Both his father and cousin won Four Star Cups in their first season in the league, something that bodes well for whichever team picks Wolfhard in the draft. When asked for a comment on living up to this standard, Wolfhard said, “It’s a lot to compare to for sure. I saw the kind of success my father and cousin had in St. Louis and Detroit and have always wanted to emulate that. We all play a very similar playing style that I really think helps elevate the players around us. We create chances on offense from the blue line and help drive the play toward the other team’s side of the ice.”

Although Wolfhard Richter has been billed as an offensive defenseman, he is very responsible in his own end of the ice as well. He has an active stick and his impressive skating ability allows him to skate the puck out of danger in a controlled manner. He has excellent patience with the puck and has a wrist shot that loves to sneak it’s way past goalies from the blue line.

Although he has ties to both Detroit and St. Louis, Wolfhard had this to say when asked about where he would like to play:

“I don’t mind who drafts me, honestly. The opportunity to play in the SMJHL is a true honor. If I had to pick a team though, it would be the Detroit Falcons. They have a great culture in their locker room and I’ve talked to their management at length about the possibility of being drafted there. The team I rank lowest on my list would be Montreal. The Falcons have had a rivalry with them and there’s a lot of bad blood between them and the Richter clan. Everyone else I consider a wildcard and don’t have much of a preference.”

Wolfhard has an advantage over many of the incoming prospects. He has been around the winning culture of his family and knows what it takes to win in the SMJHL and take a team all the way to a championship. He already trains like a professional and works day in and day out to improve his game.

Although the future for Wolfhard is uncertain as to what logo he will wear on his chest, one thing is certain. Whichever team calls his name on draft day will be getting an experienced, electrifying player that can slot in to any defensive corps and immediately make it better.

[636 words, 2x SMJHL draft week media payout]

DeletedAtUserRequest · 07-08-2018, 05:22 PM

wow!

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