KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
6-28-01 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that right wing Adam Deadmarsh underwent successful surgery on his left wrist to remove scar tissue and a small bone chip. Surgery was performed Dr. Norman Zemel, hand specialist of Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Deadmarsh is expected to remain in a cast for the next three weeks and a full recovery is expected. The Kings also announced that they have re-signed right wing Scott Thomas and goaltender Travis Scott to new contracts. Thomas, 31, was signed to a one-year deal. Scott, 25, was signed to a two-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Scott, who is 6-2, and weights 185 pounds, played in 34 regular season games with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League, where he posted a 16-15-1 record, two shutouts, and a 2.52 goals-against-average (GAA). In four playoff games, Scott was 1-2 with a 2.01 GAA. He also appeared in one game for the Kings last season. Scott was originally signed by the Kings as a free agent on February 18, 2000.TSN in Canada is reporting that Los Angeles Kings' left wing Luc Robitaille will test the free agent waters this summer. TSN reported that Robitaille's agent, Pat Brisson said that he and his client were "surprised and shocked" by the Kings' contract offer. Brisson also told TSN that it would be "highly unlikely" that sure-fire Hall of Famer will re-sign with the Kings. Salary demands notwithstanding, Robitaille should retire as a member of the Kings, and the Kings should work with him to make that happen. If the TSN report is accurate, and if the Kings are really "low-balling" Robitaille, then what the Kings are doing is truly a shame. The Kings need to build around what little top-tier talent they have, and letting Robitaille go as an unrestricted free agent is not a good way of moving towards that goal. 
6-23-01 On Sunday, the NHL completed rounds 4-9 of the 2001 Entry Draft at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida, and after spending the first three rounds concentrating on offense, the Los Angeles Kings spent the last five rounds focusing on defense, as they picked up three defensemen and three goalies. The following is a complete breakdown of the Kings' selections on Sunday: Fourth Round ------------ Richard Petiot (116th) Defenseman: 6-2, 189 pounds, 18 years old, shoots left; not ranked by CSB. In 56 games with Camrose (Alberta Junior Hockey League), Petiot scored eight goals and sixteen assists for 24 points to go along with 81 penalty minutes. "Petiot is a defenseman who played Tier 2 Junior Hockey in Alberta and will be playing for Colorado College next season," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He has good skating ability, he moves the puck well, and has great hockey sense." Fifth Round ----------- Terry Denike (152nd) Goalie: 6-2, 190 pounds, 20 years old, shoots left. Denike's team won the 2001 Anavet Cup, the championship of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Denike earned SJHL Player of the Week honors on March 8, 2001. Denike has eight career shutouts in the SJHL, tying him for the all-time record for career SJHL shutouts. Year Team GP MIN SO GAA ------------------------------------------------------ 2000-2001 Weyburn (SJHL) 43 2523 6* 2.54 Red Wings * SJHL All-Time Record for shutouts in a season 2000-01 Playoffs W L GP MIN SHOTS GA SO GAA SV% -------------------------------------------------------- Weyburn 12 3 15 919 413 41 0 2.68 .901 The Kings had traded their eighth-round choice (247th overall) as part of the January 24, 2000 deal that sent Vladimir Tsyplakov to Buffalo. In return, the Kings obtained the Sabres' sixth-round choice (188th overall). The Kings then traded their sixth-round picks (184th and 188th overall) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Tampa Bay's fifth-round choice, which the Kings used to select Denike. Tuukka Mantyla (153rd) Defenseman: 5-9, 176 pounds, 20 years old, shoots left; Ranked 27th among European skaters by CSB. Year Team GP G A P PIM ----------------------------------------------------- 2000-01 Tappara runkosarja 53 6 14 20 32 (Finnish Elite League) Playoffs: 10 2 2 4 10 A-maajoukkue 4 0 0 0 2 MM-kisat 7 1 4 5 6 * Also played for the 20-v. MM-kisojen All Stars 1999-00 Tappara runkosarja 43 2 8 10 16 Playoffs: 4 0 0 0 0 Tappara A SM-sarja 7 2 5 7 22 Playoffs: 5 2 5 7 4 20-v. maajoukkue 23 0 7 7 28 yhteensa MM-kisat 7 0 3 3 14 1998-99 Tappara A SM-sarja 34 5 13 18 42 Tappara B SM-sarja 8 4 3 7 14 18-v. maajoukkue 17 3 6 9 20 yhteensa MM-kisat 6 1 0 1 8 1997-98 Tappara A SM-sarja 2 0 0 0 0 Playoffs: 6 0 0 0 4 Tappara B SM-sarja 17 0 11 11 45 18-v. maajoukkue 9 1 1 2 0 yhteensa EM-kisat 6 0 1 1 0 17-v. maajoukkue 9 1 2 3 14 1996-97 Tappara B SM-sarja 2 0 0 0 2 Tappara C SM-sarja 32 12 25 37 52 Playoffs: 4 1 2 3 2 16-v. maajoukkue 6 1 0 1 8 1995-96 Tappara C SM-sarja 32 2 2 4 28 Tappara/SM-liiga 96 8 22 30 48 runkosarja Playoffs: 14 2 2 4 10 A-jun. SM-sarja 43 7 18 25 64 yhteensa Playoffs: 11 2 5 7 8 A-maajoukkue 4 0 0 0 2 yhteensa Nuorten maajoukkueet 30 1 11 12 34 yhteensa 20-v. MM-kisat 14 1 7 8 20 yhteensa Poikien maajoukkueet 41 6 9 15 42 yhteensa 18-v. EM-kisat 6 0 1 1 0 Sixth Round ----------- No Selections (see trade details above) Seventh Round ------------- Cristobal Huet (214th overall) Goaltender: 6-0, 194 pounds, 25 years old; not ranked by CSB. International Career: Played for France in the 1998 Olympics and in the 1999 World Championships Pool A. Club Career: Played for HC Grenoble (French Elite League). Honors: Won the Albert Hassler Trophy in 1997-98 (Most Valuable Player in the French Elite League); Won the Jean Ferrand Trophy (best goaltender in the French Elite League) in 1997-98. In 2000-2001, Huet played at Lugano in the Swiss Elite League. Year Team GP MIN SO GAA ------------------------------------------------------ 2000-2001 Lugano 39 2365 6 1.95 Eighth Round ------------ Mike Gabinet (237th overall; pick from Chicago to conclude the trade that sent goalie Steve Passmore to the Blackhawks last season). Defenseman: 6-3, 180 pounds Gabinet played at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). In 30 games, he scored two goals and added thirteen assists for fifteen points with fourteen penalty minutes. Ninth Round ----------- Sebastien Laplante (277th) Goaltender: 5-10, 170 pounds No statistics are available for Laplante, who played at Rayside-Belfour (NOJHA) last season. 6-23-01 On Saturday, three rounds of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft were completed at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida, and the Los Angeles Kings were evidently looking for size, grit and talent up front, as they stocked their roster with four forwards with size and strength, and one who appears to be a sniper. Rounds 4-9 will be completed on Sunday. With their first selection in the first round, the Kings selected right wing Jens Karlsson from Vastra Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League. Karlsson, 18, is 6-3, and weights 200 pounds. In 19 games in the 2000-2001 season, (limited ice time), he scored two goals and had four penalty minutes. Although he did not see much ice time in the regular season, he reportedly played very well in the Swedish Elite League Playoffs, scoring four points in five games. Karlsson played more last season with Vastra Frolunda in the Swedish Junior League. In 36 games, he scored twenty goals with seventeen assists for 37 points while racking up 185 penalty minutes. "We view Jens Karlsson as a power forward," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He goes to the net hard, plays an aggressive style and likes to take the body. He does have good ability to finish and good hands around the net." Although the Kings were clearly looking for a power forward with size and grit, they felt that Karlsson was the best player available when their pick came up. "We felt that Jens was the best player available right now," Taylor added. "He likes to go to the net hard, and has good hands. We're fortunate to have him." Although obviously not very comfortable with the English language, Karlsson talked about what he brings to the table. "I play as a power forward, and I try to play as physical as possible, and go to the net all the time," Karlsson said. The Kings also had Colorado's first-round pick (30th), as part of the trade that sent Rob Blake and Steve Reinprecht to the Avalanche. With that pick, the Kings went after size and grit again, selecting center David Steckel from Ohio State University in the NCAA's Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Steckel, 19, is 6-5, 200 pounds. In 32 games, he scored seventeen goals and added eighteen assists for 35 points while racking up 78 penalty minutes. "David Steckel just finished his freshman year at Ohio State University and has good size, excellent hockey sense and a great work ethic, said Taylor. "We also view him as a power forward." The following are detailed breakdowns of the Kings' selections in rounds 1-3: First Round ----------- Jens Karlsson (18th overall pick) Right Wing; 6-3, 200 pounds, 18 years old; Ranked 26th by the Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) among European skaters. HOCKEYSFUTURE.COM says: "Jens Karlsson is a very talented player. Karlsson has good overall skills along with speed and size. He has also proven to be a good scorer. Karlsson is very dangerous with his speed and strength which he uses move in front of the net in high speed., which reminds him a lot of Mikael Renberg, Karlsson enjoys playing physical and he's a player that should have no problems adapting to the North-American game." Year Team League GP G A P PIM --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2000/2001 Frolunda J20 SM-Kval 1 0 1 1 29 Frolunda J20 SuperElit Sodra 14 8 6 14 68 Molndal Allsvenskan Sodra 5 1 1 2 35 Frolunda J20 Elit Syd 10 12 9 21 86 Frolunda J20 Slutspel 1 0 1 1 2 Frolunda Elitserien Slutspel 5 1 3 4 50 Frolunda Elitserien 19 2 0 2 4 1999/2000 Frolunda J18 Allsvenskan Sodra 2 1 2 3 4 Frolunda J18 Elit Syd 1 5 1 6 2 Frolunda J20 Slutspel 6 3 0 3 42 Frolunda J20 SuperElit 32 24 13 37 82 1998/1999 Frolunda J18 Slutspel 4 2 2 4 0 Frolunda J18 Allsvenskan Sodra 14 10 4 14 55 Frolunda J18 Elit Syd 18 17 13 30 55 1997/1998 Frolunda U16 Elit Syd 8 9 3 12 32 Frolunda J18 Allsvenskan Sodra 12 2 3 5 4 Frolunda J18 Elit Syd 5 0 0 0 0 David Steckel (30th) Center: 6-5, 200 pounds, 19 years old, shoots left; Ranked 16th among North American skaters by CSB. Steckel, 19, moved up from 25th in the mid-season CSB rankings to 16th, and has played in international junior tournaments. Here's how CSB characterized his 2000-2001 season: [Steckel] performed for the US at the 2001 World Junior Championships in Russia (0-1-1 in 7GP)...attended the US National Junior Team evaluation camp in July...participated for the United States in the 2000 US Summer Hockey Challenge against under-20 teams from Switzerland and Finland...completed his freshman year with Ohio State...scored two goals in his first regular season collegiate game...was named CCHA Rookie of the Week for the period ending Dec. 3 (1-5-6 in 3GP)...named CCHA Rookie of the Week for the period ending Jan. 22 (2-2-4-2GP)...finished third in team in scoring, third among CCHA freshmen...posted a team-best 15-game scoring streak (11-14-25) from Nov. 4 through Feb. 2...helped Ohio State to a seventh-place finish in the CCHA...was defeated by Nebraska-Omaha in the first round of the playoffs...finished 17th in league scoring...named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. CSB also said that: Steckel also played for the US in the 2000 Under-18 World Championships in Switzerland, leading the team in scoring (2-5-7 in 6GP)...a graduate of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP), he finished seventh in team scoring last season...performed for Team Central in the 1998 USA Hockey Select-16 Festival. In their report on Steckel, CSB said that he is, "a deceptively fast skater with a wide stance...has good speed when in motion...effectively forces turnovers with strong puck pursuit...has good shooting, passing and puck handling skills...a good scorer who drives hard to the net and stands his ground in the slot area...is often used on the power play...has a good feel for the game and is a smart decision-maker...takes advantage of his excellent reach when controlling the puck...has an intimidating presence on the ice and plays with a high level of intensity...an aggressive and tenacious forechecker who takes advantage of his impressive size...a very determined player and a hard worker." Steckel has received strong support from his coaches at Ohio State. "Dave is a very conscientious hockey player," said Ohio State head coach John Markell. "He is probably the most cerebral player we've had here at Ohio State. As only a freshman, he already is emerging as a leader for our hockey club. I'm looking forward to watching him develop. He has only touched the surface of how good he will be." "Dave Steckel is someone on our squad that we use in every key situation," said Ohio State assistant coach Casey Jones. "He has tremendous maturity for his age. His hockey sense is his greatest asset. Dave has the intangibles that will allow him to be successful. His greatest challenge is to fill out his 6'4" frame so he can be a powerful forward." Season League Team GP G A P PIM -------------------------------------------------------- 1999-2000 USHL US Nationals 52 13 13 26 94 2000-2001 CCHA Ohio State 33 17 18 35 80 Second Round ------------ Mike Cammalleri (49th; pick from Toronto in the trade that sent Aki Berg to Toronto for Adam Mair) Center; 5-8 1/2, 175 pounds, 19 years old, shoots left; Ranked 40th among North American skaters by CSB. Cammalleri, played 42 games for the University of Michigan of the CCHA, scoring 29 goals and 32 assists for 61 points and 24 penalty minutes. Cammalleri also played in seven games for Canada at the World Junior Championships registering four goals and two assists for six points and two penalty minutes. "Mike Cammalleri is a smaller center man who skates well with great balance and is very highly skilled," Taylor said. CSB's analysis of Cammalleri's 2000-2001 season: [Cammalleri] was rated 41st at mid-season...attended the summer evaluation and selection camps for Canada's national junior team...captured a Bronze Medal with Canada at the 2001 World Junior Championships in Russia...he ranked second in team scoring (4-2-6 in 7GP), 13th in the tournament...recorded a hat trick for Canada in a 9-0 win over Belarus, earning Player of the Game honors...completed his sophomore season with Michigan...opened the 2000-01 season with a seven-game scoring streak, recording 11 points (2-9-11) in that span...posted a career-high nine-game scoring streak (10-9-19) from Nov. 17-Dec. 7...named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 3...named CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 22, marking the second time this season...posted an eight-game scoring streak from Jan. 13-Feb. 9 (7-7-14)...recorded a hat trick on Jan. 23 vs. Notre Dame...helped Michigan to a third-place finish in the CCHA...defeated by Michigan State in the CCHA Finals...advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four, was defeated by Boston College...finished second in team scoring and was the CCHA's top goal-scorer, ranking third in points and fourth in assists...named to the CCHA First All-Conference Team...was among the invitees to Canada's national junior team development camp for the 2002 World Junior Championship. CSB also said that: [Cammalleri] ranked seventh in team scoring with Michigan last season...performed for Canada in the 1999 Four Nations Under-18 tournament in the Czech Republic, capturing a Gold Medal (1-0-1 in 3GP)...was rated 56th on Central Scouting's mid-term report last season, choosing not to "opt-in" to the 2000 NHL Entry Draft...was drafted by Toronto-St. Michael's Majors in the 1999 OHL priority selection, 157th overall...spent the 1998-99 season with the Bramalea Blues Jr. A club...he led his team in scoring with 103 points in 41 games and helped the Blues capture the Ontario Jr. A Championship and participated in the 1999 Royal Bank Cup...was an alternate captain for the Blues in 1998-99...played the 1997-98 season with the Blues as a 15-year old...was named Ontario Jr. A's Rookie of the Year. In their report, CSB said that, "Mike is a speedy, fluid skater with a great work ethic...his hockey sense and passing skills are excellent and handles the puck with confidence...often quarterbacks the power play from the point...has a hard, accurate wrist shot with a quick release...a very competitive and determined player...an effective forechecker who always finishes his checks...uses his speed to create opportunities and is a very unselfish player...displays good leadership qualities and leads by example." Michigan head coach Red Berenson summed up Cammalleri this way: "I would say he's going in the direction of being one of the most dominant players in the [CCHA]," he said. "He's really playing well and I think that by the end of the year he'll be one of the top offensive players in our league and he's only a sophomore. He's definitely ahead of his age group." "I always thought he'd be an impact player, but he was so young when he got here, just turning 17, he was so young compared to all the other players that I was surprised that he could be an impact player at such a young age," Berenson added. "The kid is just beyond his years in terms of his hockey intelligence and the way he sees the ice and his patience. He's a special player." "He's been a solid player all the way up. He's very smart with the puck and his size is not a factor," said Stan Butler, after the 1999 Four Nations Tournament. Season Team League GP G A P PIM ----------------------------------------------------- 2000-01 Michigan CCHA 42 29 32 61 24 1999-00 Michigan CCHA 39 13 13 26 32 Jaroslav Bednar (51st) Center: 6-2, 185 pounds, 24 years old; not ranked by CSB. In 53 games with HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League, Bednar, who is from Prague, Czech Republic, scored 32 goals and added 28 assists for 60 points and 51 penalty minutes. Bednar is yet another veteran European pro drafted by the Kings. "Jaroslav Bednar is a Czech player who has spent the last two seasons in Finland," Taylor said. "He is a very skilled forward who is a good skater and moves the puck well. "We think Bednar has an excellent chance of playing for our team next season." On Saturday morning, the Los Angeles Kings selected right wing Jens Karlsson in the first round on the 2001 NHL Entry Draft at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida. The Kings had the 18th pick in the first round. They also have the 30th selection in the first round, which they received as part of the deal that sent defenseman Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche in February. Karlsson, who played for Vastra Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League, is 6-3, 200 pounds. He was ranked 26th among European skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau. A power forward, Karlsson played in 19 games for Vastra Frolunda last season, scoring two goals with four penalty minutes. Although he did not see much ice time last season, he reportedly played very well in the Swedish Elite League Playoffs. In 16 games for Frolunda (Sweden's Junior 20 league), he scored 8 goals and added 8 assists for 16 points while racking up 99 penalty minutes. Karlsson also played for Molndal in the Swedish Elite League last season. In five games, he scored a goal and an assist with 35 penalty minutes. In 1999-2000, Karlsson best numbers came with Frolunda in Sweden's Junior 20 league, where he scored 27 goals and 12 assists for 39 points with 138 penalty minutes in 37 games. He also played for Frolunda in the Junior 18 league, scoring a goal and two assists in two games. In the World Junior Championships that season, Karlsson played in six games, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points with 20 penalty minutes. The Kings will select 18th in the remaining rounds. A detailed round-up of the Kings' draft selections, including a bit more information on Karlsson, will be forthcoming in a special Entry Draft edition of "Kings Notes." 6-20-01 Fox Sports Net West (FSW) and Fox Sports Net West 2 (FSW2) will be airing "Fire on Ice," a one hour-long special on the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Kings, hosted by Bill MacDonald and Jim Fox. The show will debut on Friday, June 22, at 8:00 PM PDT on FSW, and will repeat on the following days/times (all times are PACIFIC): Day/Date Time Channel ------------------------------------------- Saturday, June 23 4:00 PM FSW Sunday, June 24 8:30 PM FSW2 Monday, June 25 3:00 PM FSW2 Tuesday, June 26 2:30 AM FSW Wednesday, June 27 3:00 AM FSW2 Friday, June 29 8:00 PM FSW Saturday, June 30 5:00 PM FSW2 6-15-01 On Thursday, the National Hockey League named Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to the NHL All-Rookie Team. The announcement came late Thursday night during the 18th annual NHL Awards in Toronto. Visnovsky, 25, was the top-scoring rookie defenseman this past season with seven goals and 32 assists for 39 points, and was ranked third among rookies with a +16 plus/minus rating. Visnovsky, who was selected in the fourth round (118th overall) by the Kings in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, joined goalie Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose), forwards Martin Havlat (Ottawa), Brad Richards (Tampa Bay) and Shane Willis (Carolina), and defenseman Colin White (New Jersey) on the All-Rookie team. 6-14-01 On Thursday, former Los Angeles Kings' forward Jari Kurri was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Kurri, the highest-scoring European-born player ever to play in the NHL, was inducted along with Mike Gartner, Dale Hawerchuk, and Vyacheslav Fetisov. In his stellar NHL career, Kurri is 12th all-time in NHL scoring with 601 goals and 797 assists for 1,398 points. With the Edmonton Oilers, Kurri racked up four straight seasons in which he scored fifty or more goals, and in five consecutive seasons, he tallied 100 points or more. And most important, Kurri won five Stanley Cups with the Wayne Gretzky-led Oilers. Kurri is also the first player from Finland to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. "It is a great honor since so few players are able to make it to this level," Kurri said. "To be the first Finnish player elected is especially gratifying. Although Kurri is best-known for his ten years and Stanley Cup championships with Edmonton, he also played in five seasons for the Kings, from 1991-92 through most of the 1995-96 season. Kurri was acquired by the Kings on May 30, 1991, in a trade that sent defenseman Steve Duchesne, center Steve Kasper, and a fourth-round pick in the 1991 draft to Philadelphia for Kurri and defenseman Jeff Chychrun. Kurri, who is ranked 16th all-time in scoring for the Kings, played in 331 regular season games with Los Angeles, scoring 108 goals and 185 assists for 293 points. In post-season play with the Kings, Kurri played in 28 games, scoring ten goals and ten assists for twenty points. Kurri's best season with the Kings was in 1992-93, when the team went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to lose to Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in five games. That season, Kurri played in all 82 regular season games, scoring 27 goals and adding 60 assists for 87 points. Kurri was traded to the New York Rangers on March 14, 1996, along with Marty McSorley, and Shane Churla, in exchange for Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Mattias Norstrom, Nathan Lafayette, and a 1997 fourth-round draft pick (Sean Blanchard). Kurri retired in 1998, after a short stint with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Also on Thursday, the National Hockey League announced their post-season All-Star teams in Toronto at the 18th annual NHL Awards. In what is probably a surprise, Los Angeles Kings' left wing Luc Robitaille was named as a second team All-Star. New Jersey Devils' left wing Patrik Elias was named as a first team All-Star, beating out Robitaille. Robitaille, who played in all 82 regular season games for the Kings in the 2000-2001 season, ended the season ranked 11th in overall scoring with 37 goals and 51 assists for 88 points. Robitaille, who holds the NHL records most goals (63) and points (125) in a season by a left winger (both records set in the 1992-93 season), it was his eighth career post-season All-Star election. He has been a first team All-Star five times, and has been named as a second team All-Star three times. 6-12-01 On Tuesday, the Kings announced that they have signed head coach Andy Murray to a two-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed. "Andy and his staff have done a tremendous job the past two seasons, and we look forward to continuing our quest for the Stanley Cup," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. Murray is the Kings' 19th head coach. Since he was hired on June 14, 1999, the Kings have earned a 77-59-25-7 record, good for a .553 winning percentage, the highest in franchise history. Murray was the third fastest among Kings' head coaches to reach the fifty-win plateau. He trails former head coach Tom Webster for the best won-loss record with the Kings in his first two seasons. Murray's teams have also reached the playoffs both seasons. His team was swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the St. Louis Blues in 1999-2000, but put in a strong effort in the 2000-2001 post-season, defeating the Detroit Red Wings in six games in the first round, only to lose in seven games to the soon-to-be Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Los Angeles Kings' head coach Andy Murray, as usual, did not talk about himself. Rather, he focused on everyone else. "As a coaching staff we appreciate the support from our owners, management team and the players," he said. "I am looking forward to continuing my work with coaches Dave Tippett, Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett, and video coordinator Bill Gurney, as we strive to get better every year. This upcoming season should be an exciting one." Also on Tuesday, in a move that will be controversial among a significant number of Kings' fans, THE HOCKEY NEWS named Dave Taylor as their NHL Executive of the Year for the 2000-2001 season. Taylor was chosen ahead of New Jersey Devils' CEO/President/General Manager Lou Lamoriello, and Pittsburgh Penguins Owner/Center Mario Lemieux. During the past season, Taylor's acquisitions of goalie Felix Potvin, along with Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller, were tremendous additions who were major factors in the Kings' sudden turn-around that began at the end of February, and ended when they lost to Colorado in the second round of the playoffs. Taylor also acquired defenseman Mathieu Schneider last summer, and drafted defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, both strong contributors to the Kings' turn-around as well. "I view this as an organizational award," Taylor said. "Our management team, coaching staff and scouting staff can share the success our franchise has had the last couple of years. We have set a standard for ourselves that we intend to build upon. Our ultimate goal remains winning the Stanley Cup." This award will be controversial for many Kings' fans who believe that Taylor and the Kings mishandled contract negotiations with star defenseman Rob Blake. Not only did they fail to sign their best player to a new contract and then build a better team around him, but they allowed the situation surrounding the negotiations to fester and become a huge distraction, one that had them right on the edge of spiraling out of control, right out of the playoffs. In other news, the Kings also announced their 2001 pre-season schedule: Day Date Opponent Location Time (Pacific) --------------------------------------------------------- *Sat. 9/15 Anaheim Staples Center 7:30 PM Thu. 9/20 San Jose Compaq Center 7:30 PM *Sat. 9/22 San Jose Las Vegas MGM Grand 7:30 PM Wed. 9/26 Anaheim Arrowhead Pond 7:30 PM *Sat. 9/29 Colorado Staples Center 7:30 PM Mon. 10/1 Colorado Pepsi Center 7:00 PM * Kings home game Frozen Fury 5 between the Kings and the San Jose Sharks will be at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on September 22. An announcement on when tickets will go on sale for the two games at Staples Center and the game at the MGM Grand is forthcoming. 6-7-01 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have exercised their contract option on right wing Glen Murray. Murray, 28, scored 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 64 regular season games. In the playoffs, Murray played in 13 games, scoring four goals and three assists for seven points. The Kings also announced that right wing Nelson Emerson has undergone surgery to remove bone fragments from his elbow. Full recovery is expected. The Kings are scheduled to open their 2001-2002 training camp on September 12, 2001, at the HealthSouth Training Center.
