Richard Park - Playing Career

Playing Career

Park moved to Southern California near Los Angeles with his family at the age of three. After ten years in the United States, at the age of 13, he moved to Ontario, Canada, where he played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). He eventually worked his way up to the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and played for Belleville from 1992–93 to 1995–96.

He was drafted into the NHL following his second OHL season by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, 50th overall, of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut when he played one regular season game and three playoff games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1994–95. Park became only the second Korean-born person to play in the NHL after Jim Paek. Coincidentally, both of them were drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Park played most of the next season, 1995–96, in the NHL totaling 56 games. Those 56 games would be the most he would play in the NHL until the 2001–02 when he joined the Minnesota Wild as he spent the next few years bouncing around the minors and different NHL teams. During that time, he played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL and various IHL and AHL teams.

He spent three seasons in Minnesota from 2001–02 to 2003–04 where he achieved career highs in games played (81), goals scored (14), assists earned (15), and points totaled (25). During the Wild's cinderella run in the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Park scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Park played in Europe as a member of Team USA who went on to capture the 2004 Deutschland Cup. He would go on to sign short term contracts in Sweden and Switzerland with the Malmö Redhawks and SCL Tigers. On August 8, 2005 prior to the 2005–06 season, Park signed a one-year contract as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks for US$750,000. At the end of his contract with Vancouver, he signed a two-year deal with the New York Islanders.

On March 29, 2008, Park was named the recipient of the Bob Nystrom Award, awarded annually to the Islander "who best exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication." Park usually plays in a penalty killing role and is considered an above-average skater. He also served as the Islanders alternate captain in the 2008–09 season.

On September 9, 2010, Park left the NHL after 684 career games, signing a three-year contract as a free agent with Genève-Servette HC of the NLA, marking his return to Switzerland after a brief stint during the 2004 lockout.

On September 8, 2011, Park made a return to the NHL signing a one year, two-way contract for a second stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In August 2012, Park signed a two-year deal to return to the Swiss National League A with HC Ambri-Piotta.