Canadiens name Richardson assistant coach

Luke Richardson joined the coaching staff of the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Monday.

Richardson comes to the Canadiens after one year as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders. He previously spent three seasons as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators, followed by a four-year run as the bench boss of the Senators' minor-league club.

The Ottawa native is the Canadiens' second coaching hire this offseason, after the team appointed Dominique Ducharme as assistant coach in April. The two will work under associate coach Kirk Muller and head coach Claude Julien.

"I'm delighted with the addition of Luke Richardson to our coaching staff. Luke is a very credible hockey person and a very knowledgeable coach," Julien said in a statement. "We undertook a process to select a coach with specific criteria in mind, and after taking the time to meet with several candidates, we're very happy that Luke accepted to join our group. He has already been told that his role on our staff will be to work with our defensemen."

A veteran of more than 1,400 NHL games, Richardson's pro career included stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Senators.