From 200th USHL Phase II Pick to Buffalo NHL Rookie Camp: Kristopher Richards’ Rise Dubuque defenseman turns USHL developmental opportunity into an NHL opportunity

When the Buffalo Sabres invited Kristopher Richards to their rookie camp, it represented another step in a hockey journey that has been built more on development than draft status.

Richards was not selected in the NHL Draft. He was, however, selected by the Dubuque Fighting Saints with the 200th pick of the 2025 USHL Phase II Draft. Less than a year and a half later, the 6-foot-3 defenseman found himself wearing a Buffalo Sabres jersey and competing for an NHL organization.

For Richards, the opportunity did not arrive out of nowhere.

He had already begun changing the way teams viewed him during his first season in Dubuque.

After producing nine points in 32 games at Cushing Academy during the 2024-25 season, Richards stepped into the USHL and immediately showed another side of his game. He finished his rookie season with nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 56 games while posting a plus-10 rating.

Dubuque also found itself relying on Richards in situations that do not always show up in a box score. His size, right-handed shot and willingness to play a physical, defensive game made him an important part of the Fighting Saints' penalty kill.

The player who returned to Dubuque for the 2026-27 season was no longer simply a young defenseman trying to establish himself in the USHL. He returned as an alternate captain.

Fighting Saints head coach Evan Dixon described Richards as the kind of player willing to do whatever was necessary for his teammates, whether that meant blocking a shot or helping load the bus. Richards, in turn, talked about leading by example and holding himself to the same standards he expects from everyone around him.

That combination of responsibility and development helped put him on Buffalo's radar.

Richards was one of 17 current USHL players selected to attend NHL camps this fall, with only two players from Dubuque receiving invitations from the Sabres. The opportunity placed him alongside some of Buffalo's more highly regarded prospects, giving the undrafted defenseman another chance to show that his development had not gone unnoticed.

Glenn Hefferan, President and Commissioner of the United States Hockey League, sees Richards' opportunity as an example of what can happen when a player continues developing after being overlooked by the NHL Draft.

“Going undrafted doesn’t close the door on an NHL future. Many USHL players earn their way onto NHL rosters without being drafted. A rookie camp invitation means an NHL club sees potential and wants a closer look. Kristopher earned that opportunity with a terrific season last year in Dubuque, and is earning a point per game this year. It speaks to what the USHL does best: develop players and help them earn their next opportunity.”

There is perhaps no better way to describe Richards' path.

He wasn't a highly touted NHL draft pick. He wasn't handed an NHL opportunity because of his name or draft position. He was selected late in a USHL draft, went to work, earned a larger role and eventually became one of Dubuque's most productive returning defensemen.

Then Buffalo came calling.

The early returns from his second USHL season suggest Richards has no intention of treating the Sabres opportunity as the high point of his development. Through the first four games of the season, he had already recorded four assists, giving him four points while continuing to play a significant role for Dubuque.

The numbers are only part of the story.

Richards is now 19 years old, physically stronger than he was when he arrived in Dubuque and carrying considerably more responsibility. The Fighting Saints have entrusted him with an alternate captaincy, important defensive minutes and a leadership role within the room.

Buffalo provided a glimpse of where that development can lead.

Dubuque remains where Richards has another season to show exactly how far he can take it.

For players who go undrafted, that distinction is important. The NHL Draft is an opportunity, not a final judgment. Richards' path from Cushing Academy to Dubuque, from the 200th selection in the USHL Phase II Draft to an NHL rookie camp, is another reminder that development does not always follow the path suggested by a draft list.

Sometimes a player simply needs the right league, the right opportunity and enough time to prove what he can become.

Kristopher Richards is still proving it.