Rangers pick up Richards for nine years, $60 million

Associated Press

Brad Richards impatiently waited for this day, the day he could finally pick a new team from a whole slew of suitors.

After a day of being wooed by teams around the NHL, Richards chose the one that was the front-runner all along — the New York Rangers.

Richards, considered the biggest prize in this year’s free-agent market, struck it rich Saturday when he agreed to a nine-year, $60 million deal.

The 31-year-old center will be reunited with coach John Tortorella, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Lightning.

Kings get Gagne

Left wing Simon Gagne agreed to terms Saturday on a two-year, $7 million deal with the Kings, adding much-needed scoring punch to Los Angeles’ lineup. Gagne is a seven-time 20-goal scorer who spent his first 10 NHL seasons with Philadelphia.