James Richman is originally from Harvest, Alabama, and is one of the newest forwards here in Watertown, 17 hours from home. Richman said that it was a tough adjustment, but he got here and everyone was welcoming. Richman said, “ When I got here, I mean, everyone was really welcoming, and I kind of settled in. Obviously, it’s hard moving to a new spot so quickly, and learning all the systems, but there’s a coach around every corner ready to help you,”.
When you see a hockey player from Alabama, the initial thought is typically, How did they get into hockey? But with Richman, it’s like any other hockey player. He played all different sports growing up, but when a friend on his baseball team introduced him to hockey, it clicked. Richman said, “I went out to learn to skate and kind of fell in love with it. Even though I was falling everywhere, I fell in love with it. I was four,”.
In terms of his play style, Richman bases a lot of it on his ability to work hard. Richman said, “I bring speed to the game and a kind of grit that is hard to play against. But, I also like to say I’m able to score goals when we need them,”. Along with this, the opportunity here in Watertown is one Richman is thankful for. He said, “Well, when you get somewhere new, it’s kind of like a fresh start. I appreciate that and I don’t take it for granted. Just take it day by day,”.
When it comes to Richman, there are multiple people he credits in his hockey journey, particularly his parents and coach, Gavin Morgan. Richman said, “There’s a lot, a lot of people have helped me along the way. Growing up, my coach, Gavin Morgan, taught me how to skate, taught me the basics of hockey. And my parents, my mom and dad, they provided everything for me,”.
Shamrocks’ fans may not know Richman yet, but there are some important things he wants everyone to know about him as a player. Richman said, “I’m not going to hesitate to help you if you need it. With a question or you just want to know about hockey, just come up, talk to me, and I’m happy to have a conversation with you,”.
Thank you to James for sitting down with me!
By Lily Schutzenhofer
Photo by Sarah Cooper