He was sent down to the Virginia Wings of the American Hockey League for conditioning and even was sent to the United Kingdom for a short time to play for the London Lions.
The Red Wings decided to give Richardson one last shot with their club as he would start five games in the 1976–77 season, but again would disappoint, ending with one win and three losses.
Richardson spent the rest of that year with the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League, leading them into the playoffs.
On July 26, 1978, Richardson was signed as free agent by the St. Louis Blues, and found himself playing for their farm team, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles.
He finished his career within the Whalers organization as he posted a 15–22–7 record in 46 games while playing again for the Springfield Indians in the 1979–80 season.