Luke Richardson and Binghamton Senators Part Ways

I remember meeting him when he was first hired. My first thought was "WOW, he looks young to be a coach." He was pleasant to talk to and I was impressed with his demeanor and attitude.

I'm talking about Coach Luke Richardson of the Binghamton Senators. By all accounts, he was well liked by the players and was a very good teacher. However this a results oriented business so after four seasons, Luke and the B-Sens have parted ways.

It was a mutual agreement with the organization to vacate the position to pursue a new opportunity. That sounds like a bunch of fancy words to say "We need to shake things up" or "We don't want to fire you so will you agree to move on."

Coach Richardson came to Binghamton just two years after they won the Calder Cup but one year after the B-Sens had one of their worst seasons ever. It was a big challenge for a new coach but I think he did a fabulous job.

He had a 153-120-17-14 record over the four seasons he was here. The Senators went to the playoff two out of the 4 years. He was the coach of the Eastern Conference all-star teams in 2012-2013.

I think his biggest accomplishment is what he's done off the ice. He was known for teaching players what it took to be a professional in the league.

But what he did in his personal life may be what I remember most. His daughter, Daron lost her life to suicide. He formed a group called "Do It For Daron" or D.I.F.D. It was his way of trying to educate people about mental issues.

He teamed up with the B-Sens and the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier and formed "Power to the Purple." Purple was Daron's favorite color.

So thank you Coach Richardson. Thank you for what you've done in our community and best of luck wherever you go next. You've made a difference here.