Barry Richter

Playing career

Barry Richter was selected 32nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the second round of the 1988 NHL draft, coming straight out of Culver Military Academy. Instead of turning pro immediately, he spent four years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. During his college career, Richter earned a spot on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team in 1992, and in 1993 he was named to both the WCHA First All-Star Team and the NCAA West First All-American Team. He also began representing the United States internationally, playing in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 1989 and 1990, and the Ice Hockey World Championship in 1992 and 1993.

After finishing college, Richter spent most of the 1993–94 season with the U.S. National Team, appearing in 56 games and competing in both the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship and the 1994 Winter Olympics. That same season, he made his professional debut with the Binghamton Rangers of the AHL, playing 21 games. He spent the bulk of the next two seasons with Binghamton before making his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in the 1995–96 season, appearing in four games. The following year, he signed with the Boston Bruins and played 50 games for them during the 1996–97 season. After a season with the Providence Bruins in 1997–98, he signed with the New York Islanders and played the 1998–99 season—his only full NHL campaign—while also making his final international appearance at the 1999 Ice Hockey World Championship.

Released after that season, Richter was picked up by the Montreal Canadiens but could not secure a regular spot, playing just 25 games over two years. Following the 2000–01 season, he moved to Sweden’s Elitserien for two years, then joined EV Zug in Switzerland’s Nationalliga A. In 2015, Richter was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame.