A couple of hockey journalists have reported, somewhat cryptically, that Richards’s termination was caused by an “incident” at the border. What incident, and for that matter which border—Richards is Canadian—are still unknown, giving this particular report a whiff of bullshit:

According to ESPN, the Kings were made aware of an incident Friday, an hour after the NHL draft had begun. (ESPN notes that, while the Kings found out on Friday, that isn’t necessarily when the incident occurred.) They were in the midst of trying to trade Richards and the remaining five years on his contract to either the Oilers or Flames. Kings GM Dean Lombardi immediately halted the talks, and told those teams he hadn’t known about the incident.

“He came right over to me,” Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed to ESPN.com. “He pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, Pete, this is going to come out. I had no idea. This is important you know so that talks [don’t go any] further.’”

Lombardi did the same with Flames GM Brad Treliving on the draft floor, a source said.

In a brief filed to the NHL and the NHLPA, the team referenced Section 2(e) of the SPC, which states a player agrees "to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honestly, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally"

In a brief filed to the NHL and the NHLPA, the team referenced Section 2(e) of the SPC, which states a player agrees "to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honestly, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally"

Mike Richards is involved in an ongoing investigation by the RCMP stemming from an off-ice incident, ESPN reported on Tuesday, a day after the veteran forward's contract was mysteriously terminated by the Los Angeles Kings.

No charges have been brought against Richards, who hails from Kenora, Ont., ESPN reported an RCMP spokesman as saying.

Canadian Border Services is also involved in the investigation, according to the report.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings, Richards, 30, had the final five years of his 12-year, $69-million US contract terminated Monday by the team, which declined to comment on why the unusual move was made.

Once considered a star during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Richards's production has tailed off in recent years. He managed only 16 points in 53 games with the Kings last season and was sent to the minor leagues for a time.