KINGS NOTES... By Gann Matsuda 9-30-01 Ziggy Palffy scored two goals and contributed an assist to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 pre-season win over the Colorado Avalanche in front of 15,145 fans at Staples Center on Saturday night. Craig Johnson, Mathieu Schneider, and Scott Thomas also scored for the Kings. Vaclav Nedorost scored the lone Colorado goal. Avs' backup goalie David Aebischer went all the way for Colorado, picking up the loss. Felix Potvin stopped ten out of eleven shots, before being replaced by Stephane Fiset to start the third period. Fiset stopped all five shots he faced. The Kings were 1/10 on the power play, while the Avs were 0/6. The Kings outshot the Avs, 35-16. Right wing Nelson Emerson left the game at 6:21 of the first period when he was leveled by an open-ice hit at center ice from Colorado defenseman Pascal Trepanier. Emerson, who did not have the puck, left the ice, and did not return to the game. He suffered a concussion, but there was no word on his condition after the game. Trepanier received a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. In other news... The word from the Kings' dressing room after Saturday's game is that defenseman Mattias Norstrom will be named the Kings' captain. The official announcement will come on Sunday or Monday. After having interviewed Norstrom a number of times over the past few seasons, the Kings could not have made a better choice. No one in the Kings' dressing room can match Norstrom's intensity, heart, or desire. He is a leader, on the ice and off, and is an outstanding choice. The Kings need to pare their roster down to twenty-three players by Tuesday, and they have some tough decisions to make. Two young players are making their decisions even tougher--defenseman Andreas Lilja, and forward Adam Mair. Lilja, who spent most of last season at Lowell in the AHL, has picked up his game in camp after getting off to a slow start. "Lilja is a big, strong defenseman, and we expect him to be a strong, physical presence," Kings' assistant coach Mark Hardy said. "He got off to a slow start, but we like the way he has progressed during camp. He has cranked it up a step, and that's the way he has to play. He has to move the puck, he has to be physical out there, and move guys from the front of our net. We expect that physical play from him." Lilja has not displayed the physical play that Hardy mentioned in pre-season games, but Hardy does not seem concerned. "Unfortunately, early in some of the games, he took some penalties, and that took away some of his aggressiveness in those games," Hardy explained. Mair, who has scored two goals in the pre-season, is also making a good impression. "We've really enjoyed Adam Mair," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. "He was here from the beginning of summer, he spent all of June and July here training. We'd like nothing better, because of that effort, for him to make our hockey club and he's knocking on the door right now." "He's an energy player," added Andy Murray. "He can create that strong forecheck, a player who would compliment Eric Belanger and Ian Laperriere." The Kings' coaching staff thinks Mair has the potential to develop into a solid power forward. "[Mair is] physical, he's improved his overall speed, which he had to do through his strength workouts this summer, he's had a couple of fights, a couple of goals, and lots of hits, so he's been a very noticeable player," said Andy Murray. "He's an Adam Deadmarsh/Ian Laperriere-type player," added Andy Murray. "We can't get enough of those type of guys, so as a coach, I'm pulling for him. I hope me makes it, but obviously, there's some other players who are competing for jobs as well." Nevertheless, Andy Murray and the Kings are going to have to cut five players from their roster, and they are already considering their options. "It's a matter of looking at all of our players and making sure we develop the right combinations--who players fit best with," explained Andy Murray. "Certainly, we have a number of players who are competing for the squad. We've got twenty-eight players remaining, and we have to get down to twenty-three by Tuesday, so there's some very tough decisions that have to be made." But regardless of the painstaking process of trimming their roster, the coaching staff is pleased with the additional depth throughout their system, especially on defense. "It's nice to have depth in your organization, and along with that, we also have eight quality defensemen who remain with the team," Hardy said. Hardy also explained that the Kings want to keep eight defensemen up with the Kings, at least at the start of the season. "We intend to keep eight around for the beginning of the season anyway, and it's nice to have that depth where you can throw guys in in case of injury or just in case of the team you're playing against, the make-up you want to have that night," Hardy said. Keeping eight defensemen on the roster could create some problems with the forward lines. With only twenty-three roster spots available, there is not much room for flexibility. The mess in goal--with three goalies on the roster--just makes matters worse. It will be very interesting to see what happens between now and Tuesday. Kings to Play a New System... The Kings have adopted a new system, one in which their defensive play will change significantly. "We've changed in the neutral zone a little bit where we don't have our middle defensemen standing right up," Hardy explained. "We're going to let our forward come across the middle, looking for loose pucks. Our wide defenseman is going to be responsible for their wide winger. So there are situations where it's going to be a little different this year." The Kings are hoping that the new system will create more opportunities for counter-attacks. "We're hoping our forwards can take care of the middle of the ice, and perhaps turn pucks back the other way a little more quickly than we did last year," Hardy said. But clearly, the emphasis will be on playing solid defense. "But for the most part, we want our defensemen holding the blue line," Hardy said. "That means that our forwards are going to be backchecking. We want to be the hardest backchecking team in the league, and we want to make sure no team can criss-cross in the neutral zone. That's one of the things we've instilled in our players, that we want to be the hardest working team in the NHL, and the hardest backchecking team." Is right wing Glen Murray an average hockey player? If you ask Andy Murray, he would tell you that right now, that is exactly what Glen Murray is. "We want Glen Murray to be one of the top power forwards in the league and I think there are times in his career where he has been," said Andy Murray. "But he almost seems hesitant about extending himself because that's what would be expected of him all the time." Andy Murray explained that Glen Murray is not stepping up--putting in the effort needed to fill the role the Kings of him...to be a power forward who will not only provide scoring, but also play a physical game and play well defensively. "He's got the package," added Andy Murray following Saturday's game. "He has the raw tools, so you would have to think it comes down to him really wanting to be one of the best, or do you settle with being average?" If this is how Glen Murray plans to play in the NHL, he will find himself being shipped off to another team before he knows what hit him, because the Kings are no longer willing to wait for him to figure out that he needs to show up every night. As far as the Kings are concerned, Murray has had enough chances. "I think Glen has to make a decision, and I think the bottom-line decision is if he wants to stay in LA," said Andy Murray. "I don't think we should accept mediocrity from a guy with that much talent." The fact is, "mediocrity" is all the Kings have gotten from Glen Murray for more than a year now. If Murray knows what's good for him, he had better figure out what it is he needs to do to save his career with the Kings, and he needs to figure it out FAST, because he is already skating on very thin ice. 9-28-01 Winger Adam Deadmarsh and goaltender Felix Potvin were two of the key players in the Los Angeles Kings' mostly amazing streak at the end of the season that put the Kings into the NHL playoffs, and they were instrumental leaders against Detroit and Colorado during their unexpected strong post-season run. Both know they will be expected to carry a big load on their shoulders for the team. But Deadmarsh is not thinking so much about what he has to do. Instead, he is more concerned about the Kings' overall team play. "Everyone in this room has the attitude that we're going to pull together and play as a team," Deadmarsh said. "That's the most important thing. When the guys play together, you get the job done, and we proved that last year. It's very important that we learn from what we did last year, and put it on the ice this year." Deadmarsh also knows that the even though the Kings are without star defenseman Rob Blake, and future Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille on left wing, expectations are still higher for the team after their success in the playoffs last season. "We have to put high expectations on ourselves this year," he said. "Everyone's excited, especially after what we accomplished last year. We're all looking forward to doing even better this year." Potvin is clearly a lock to be the Kings' number one goalie. "If Felix were to come into camp and bottom out, which he hasn't, then maybe that credit he built up would have been used up," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. "But right now, I have no reason to think Felix won't be our starting goaltender." And Potvin is looking forward to the challenges presented that lofty position. "It means that you're the guy the guys are counting on, and not just the guys, but the management, too," Potvin said. "You play a lot of games, and to me, that's what's important. Knowing that you're going to be in there, and that you're the guy. There's a lot of pressure, but it's fun pressure, and it's fun to play that way." Potvin came to the Kings in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks in late February, and immediately took over the net minding chores for the Kings. In mostly brilliant play, he almost single-handedly led the Kings into the playoffs. "I just think with all the trades that happened at the time, everybody just jelled together," Potvin said about his success after joining the Kings. "For me, the biggest difference was that I had the opportunity to play all those games in a row--I think it was twenty-one." "That's something I was used to doing earlier in my career, and the last two to three years, things haven't gone that way," Potvin added. "It was nice to have a chance to get back to that...you know that once you finish a game, you're going to play the next one." Deadmarsh came to the Kings just a couple of days after Potvin was acquired, and was certainly a big part of the Kings' comeback, too. Being traded from the elite Colorado Avalanche, who went on to win the Stanley Cup, was not easy for Deadmarsh. But he quickly adapted and fit in well with his new teammates. "It was a different situation," Deadmarsh said. "I had a lot of fun meeting all the guys and getting to know who I'd be playing with. We really had a good time." "We worked very hard to get into the playoffs, and the way we continued to play in the first two rounds was very exciting for our club," Deadmarsh added. "We did some great things on the ice, and we look forward to doing even better this year." Deadmarsh will certainly be expected to take a leadership role with the Kings this season. "I'm not going to change the way I am, and the way I play," he explained. I'll go out and work hard, if you want to call that leadership. I'm just going to come to the rink, and do what I've always done, try to bring a good work ethic and show up every night." Deadmarsh is also optimistic about his team's chances in the new season. "It's an exciting lineup," he said. "We're going to have four solid lines that can get the job done. There's not many teams that can say that. I think we can be pretty honest with ourselves when we say that we have a very deep lineup for sure." While Deadmarsh believes that the Kings have a lot of depth, many others are certainly questioning that. Defensively, the Kings seem to be a bit deeper on the blue line than last season, with Tomas Zizka showing a good deal of promise and potential, despite being assigned to Manchester on Thursday. The other Kings' defensemen look pretty solid, despite not having Rob Blake back there with them. The Kings actually got a better defensive defenseman in Aaron Miller, who was acquired from Colorado in the Blake trade, to pick up many of the minutes Blake would be on the ice. One might go so far as to say that the Kings' defensemen might be better on defense. But offense is where one has to question the Kings' depth. Given the Kings' lack of a true, top six left wing, their overall lack of depth on left wing, a big question mark on whether right wing Glen Murray will ever show up and put in 100% effort in every game, and with the Kings counting on younger players like second-year center Eric Belanger and rookie Jaroslav Bednar, one has to wonder where the depth is up front. The biggest question here is clearly whether or not Glen Murray will ever decide to show up. And as it stands now, things do not look good, as Murray, who showed up in the best shape of any of the players in training camp, has not impressed the coaches at all. In fact, Andy Murray has already tried to light a fire under Glen Murray. "Ziggy and Stumpy have come around, but Glen still has to pick his game up," said Andy Murray. "I've challenged Glen, but he has been a disappointment and we need him. I've told people we can get forty goals out of him and I truly believe that. But he hasn't been sharp." Glen Murray needs to have a big, breakout season this year. As Andy Murray said, Glen Murray is capable of scoring a lot of goals, maybe even the forty that Andy Murray claimed. Glen Murray even came into camp bigger, stronger and faster than he ever has. He has all the makings of a premier power forward in the NHL, to go along with a good bit of speed. He could be a star on this team, but he drops out of sight while on the ice, often for weeks on end, and becomes a non-factor. If he continues in that fashion, the Kings are in trouble...and so is Glen Murray's career with the Kings. But if Glen Murray figures out that he has to show up every night and put in 100% effort on every shift, the Kings just might be a very dangerous team, one that will no longer be wondering where they are going to make up the thirty-seven goals lost when Luc Robitaille signed with Detroit. But that sure is one huge "IF." Winger Steve Heinze, who was signed during the off-season as an unrestricted free agent, is still trying to find out where he best fits into the Kings' system. "There is a settling-in process wherever you go," Heinze said. "I'm learning their system and they're learning where I fit best." Heinze has been paired with a number of different linemates throughout training camp, and in pre-season games. But Andy Murray says that Heinze will find his place with the team, although he may not see much time on the power play. "I don't know if he will get that many power-play opportunities as he did in Columbus," Murray said. "We are a little more established here, but he will get his chances. The players playing the best will get the opportunities." In other news... The NHL Waiver Draft will be held at 9:00 AM PDT on Friday. Goalie Stephane Fiset and right wing Nelson Emerson are the notable Kings left unprotected. Injury update... Deadmarsh continues to recover from a minor groin strain, and will not play on Saturday when the Kings host the Avalanche at Staples Center (7:30 PM PDT). Left wing Ken Belanger suffered a sprained right ankle on September 19, and will not play in the two remaining pre-season games. He is expected to be ready for the season opener against Phoenix on Thursday. Hockey Players Are People Too... On a lighter note, Deadmarsh and his family have settled into the Southern California lifestyle--they moved from Denver to a home in the South Bay area this summer. "I have two little California girls in my house growing up, and they're getting big," said Deadmarsh with a smile. "It sure is an exciting time for our family. Our kids are doing outstanding, and it really makes life special, that's for sure." 9-27-01 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have assigned right wings Brad Chartrand and Rob Valicevic, left wing Ryan Flinn, and defensemen Brett Hauer, Jason Holland, and Tomas Zizka, to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. The Kings now have twenty-eight players on their pre-season roster, including seventeen forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies. Adam Mair, Rob Valicevic, Steve Heinze, and Jaroslav Bednar scored goals, and Jamie Storr stopped twenty out of twenty-one shots, to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in a pre-season contest in front of 10,254 fans at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on Wednesday night. Samuel Pahlsson scored the lone goal for Anaheim late in the third period. Kings' defenseman prospect Tomas Zizka, who was named the number three star of the game, contributed two assists. Heinze also tallied an assist. Mair and Valicevic scored in the first period, Valicevic's goal coming on the power play. Heinze gave the Kings a 3-0 lead with a goal at 7:55 of the second period. Bednar, who was named the game's number one star, scored his second pre-season goal off a turnover by Anaheim defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky at 11:38 of the third period, giving the Kings a 4-0 lead. The Kings were 1/3 on the power play, while shutting out the Mighty Ducks on five power play chances. The Kings are now 3-1 during the exhibition season. Their next game will be on Saturday when they host the Colorado Avalanche, 7:30 PM PDT at Staples Center. In other news... Kings' head coach Andy Murray spoke with reporters about their training camp, and how well the team is progressing in their preparation for the 2001-02 season, and in their evaluation of their players. "You always have that balance in training camp between preparation and evaluation," Murray said. "We're preparing to play the Phoenix Coyotes on October 4 here in Los Angeles, but we're also trying to evaluate our personnel so that we put our best players on the ice that night." "We've been working on our team play, our systems, the type of game we want to play, and the type of game that will give ourselves a chance to be successful," Murray added. So far, Murray is pleased with the depth he has seen. "We have a lot more depth this year than we've ever had," he said. "Whether our team will be better, we don't know that yet, but we certainly have players pushing other players from behind." "We've been very encouraged by the depth in our lineup," Murray elaborated. "We felt that by this time, we'd be down to twenty-eight players in our training camp, but we're at thirty-four because the players have made it that difficult for us." "I want everybody to know, of the remaining guys, that we appreciate what they're doing," Murray added. "Also, we want to see them again to get a better idea of what they can do." But Murray said that the veterans will get the first look for positions, but also explained that they cannot afford to take anything for granted. "I always give the veteran players the benefit of the doubt, I think that's how you build relationships with your players, by showing them that you have trust and faith in them," Murray said. "There will be some players--our young players--who will come in and earn jobs, and some of our veterans will lose their jobs. It's a matter of getting what you deserve." Murray also hinted that the Kings may be looking to trade for more talent. "We're also trying a lot of different players so we can see exactly what they can do," he explained. "What we're trying to find out is that if we were to make a deal that might strengthen us in another area, do we have a player in our own system who can come up and replace the player we lost." Kings' forward Randy Robitaille, who was signed during the summer as an unrestricted free agent, is making an good impression in camp, using his speed to make plays, and working hard on every shift. But just a few months ago, when the 2000-01 season was over, Robitaille was in limbo--he was not sure he would have a chance to play in the NHL this season. "Nashville thought they wanted to go in a different direction, and I was surprised by that," Robitaille said. "Right now I'm really happy to be a member of the Kings." Robitaille was relieved that teams were interested in him when July 1, the date teams could start signing unrestricted free agents, came around. "A few teams called, and the Kings were one of the teams that notified my agent early and seemed fairly interested," he explained. "That's obviously a big factor in my decision to come to LA." Robitaille, who spent two seasons with the Nashville Predators prior to coming to the Kings, intends to use the experience he gained with Nashville to his advantage. "I realized what it takes to play in the NHL [while playing with the Predators]," Robitaille said. "You have to come to play every night, and you can't really take any nights off. The competition is so great that if you take a couple of games off, you'll find yourself back in the minors." "[With Nashville], I just tried to play hard every night, and try to contribute as much as I could," Robitaille elaborated. "That's what I'm going to do for the Kings--play as hard as I can, play smart, and whatever it is they want me to do, I'm going to try to do my best." Last season, Robitaille was a healthy scratch for many of the twenty games he missed, primarily because he was not getting the job done. But he now chalks that up to a lesson learned. "I came into last year's training camp, and I felt great," Robitaille said. "The season started off well, but about midway to three-quarters into the season, I hit a little bit of a lull, but that's something I have to learn from." And with the added experience, Robitaille is only looking ahead to better things. "This year, I feel even better than I did last year," he said. "Each year, I feel stronger and more comfortable." Should he be on the Kings' opening night roster, Robitaille will be expected to play at least part-time on right wing, even though he is a natural center. But he is not worried about playing out of position. "I feel most comfortable up the middle, that's the position I've played most of my career," Robitaille explained. "But there were some situations in Nashville where I was put on the wing, and felt fairly comfortable." "I'll be playing with guys who will go all over the place, but if you can get a good read from your linemates and how they play, whether I play on the wing or at center, I feel pretty comfortable," Robitaille said. "If you look at the Kings' lineup, they have a bit more scoring than the Predators did, and it definitely helps playing with guys like [Kings' forwards Jozef] Stumpel and [Ziggy] Palffy." "Whatever position they want me to play, whatever situation they put me in, I'm just going to try to do my best," Robitaille added. "Whatever role they want me to play, I'm just trying to show them what I can do, what got me into the NHL, and that's trying to generate some offense for the hockey club." Robitaille also discussed what he brings to the Kings. "I try to generate as much offense as I can for the team," Robitaille said. "When I'm skating well and carrying the puck, that's when I feel I'm at my best." Robitaille explained that he is more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer. "I like to be the guy who has the puck, and be the guy who makes the plays," he said. "I feel like I'm a better playmaker than anything, so if I can get the puck and set-up my linemates for a goal, that's when I feel I'm playing my best hockey." Although Randy Robitaille will not make anyone forget left wing Luc Robitaille, who signed an unrestricted free agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings during the off-season, the Kings are hoping Randy will make his own, significant mark with the team, and the fans. And if Randy can keep up what he has been doing so far in camp, he just might do it. 9-26-01 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings and the National Hockey League released their protected/unprotected lists for Friday's Waiver Draft: PROTECTED LIST -------------- Eric Belanger, C Philippe Boucher, D Kelly Buchberger, LW Adam Deadmarsh, RW Steve Heinze, RW Craig Johnson, LW Jere Karalahti, D Ian Laperriere, C/RW Aaron Miller, D Jaroslav Modry, D Glen Murray, RW Mattias Norstrom, D Zigmund Palffy, RW Felix Potvin, G Randy Robitaille, F Mathieu Schneider, D Bryan Smolinski, C Jamie Storr, G Jozef Stumpel, C Lubomir Visnovsky, D UNPROTECTED LIST ---------------- Derek Bekar, LW Ken Belanger, F Craig Charron, F Brad Chartrand, LW Marcel Cousineau, G Nelson Emerson, RW Stephane Fiset, Brett Hauer, D Jason Holland, D Steve Kelly, C Jan Nemecek, D Greg Phillips, F Chris Schmidt, C Travis Scott, G Scott Thomas, RW Rob Valicevic, F 9-25-01 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have signed unrestricted free agent forward Derek Bekar, who was invited to the Kings' training camp on a tryout basis, to a one-year contract with a club option for a second year. Financial terms were not disclosed. Bekar, 26, spent the 2000-01 season with the Worcester Ice Cats and the Portland Pirates, both in the American Hockey League. In fifty-eight regular season games with the Pirates, Bekar, who is 6-2 and weighs 205 pounds, scored seventeen goals and sixteen assists for thirty-five points in forty-nine games. In eighteen games with the IceCats, Bekar scored five goals and two assists for seven points. Bekar was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the eighth round (205th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft after playing his college hockey at the University of New Hampshire. Bekar played in one career NHL game with the Blues during the 1999-00 season. 9-23-01 On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned left wing Derek Bekar, center Chris Schmidt, goalie Travis Scott, and defenseman Richard Seeley to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. They also assigned center Jared Aulin to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (Canadian Juniors), and center Yanick Lehoux to Baie-Comeau Drakkar (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). The Kings now have 38 players left on their pre-season roster, including twenty-one forwards, fourteen defensemen, and three goalies. Jaroslav Bednar and Jozef Stumpel scored late in the third period to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in front of 11,360 fans at the Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night. The Sharks opened the scoring at 5:03 of the first period when center Mike Ricci scored from the front of the net. San Jose took a 1-0 lead into the second period, but the Kings tied the game at 0:54 when right wing Randy Robitaille scored on a rebound after center Jozef Stumpel deflected a point shot by defenseman Aaron Miller. Defenseman Markus Ragnarsson gave San Jose a 2-1 lead with a power play goal at 11:11, but left wing Ziggy Palffy answered with a power play goal of his own at 17:31 on a one-timer after a good forechecking play by Stumpel in the corner, who gave Palffy a perfect feed in the slot. Center Owen Nolan scored off a turnover by Palffy at the 10:12 mark to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead, and it was looking very much like no more goals would be scored. But Bednar scored at 16:11 on what was reportedly a "great move," to tie the game at 3-3. And then Stumpel scored at 17:13 on an assist from Palffy to win it. Felix Potvin went all the way in goal for the Kings, stopping twenty-six shots. Rookie Vesa Toskala got the start in goal for San Jose, and Mikka Kiprusoff replaced him to start the third period. 9-21-01 Stephane Fiset stopped thirteen shots, and Jamie Storr stopped seven, to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-0 shutout victory over the San Jose Sharks in pre-season action at the Compaq Center in San Jose on Thursday night. The Kings opened the game by taking four straight penalties, including two, ill-advised tripping minors by defenseman Andreas Lilja at 0:48 and 3:03--just fifteen seconds after his previous penalty had expired. But strong penalty-killing kept the Sharks off the scoreboard, despite being led by veteran forwards Vincent Damphousse, Mike Ricci, Todd Harvey, Alexander Korolyuk, and Scott Thornton, defenseman Gary Suter, and Calder Trophy-winning goalie Evgeni Nabokov. The Sharks outshot the Kings, 12-7, in the first period, but it was all Kings after that. Left wing Craig Johnson opened the flood gates for the Kings with a slam dunk goal from just outside the crease at 1:49, on an assist from right wing Randy Robitaille. Winger Brad Chartrand scored on the power play at 3:47 from defenseman prospect Brett Hauer and forward prospect Jaroslav Bednar. Veteran right wing Ziggy Palffy scored on a two-on-one break off a feed from veteran winger Steve Heinze at 18:23. The Kings wound up outshooting the Sharks, 15-2 in the second period. Center prospect Adam Mair closed out the scoring in the third period for the Kings, with a power play goal at 15:54, assisted by another center prospect, Jared Aulin, and winger prospect Derek Bekar. Stephane Fiset got the start in goal for the Kings, and played a strong game, stopping all thirteen shots he faced. Jamie Storr replaced Fiset at 9:23 of the second period, and also played well, stopping all seven shots he faced. LA outshot San Jose, 30-20 for the game, and was 2/7 on the power play, while the Sharks were 0/7. Matt McHale reported in Friday's DAILY NEWS that Bednar is not living up to expectations. At least, not yet. In fact, don't look now, but Bednar might be headed to the Kings' AHL affiliate at Manchester, New Hampshire. "We were told he would be one of our top six forwards," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. "He may eventually become a top six forward, but that first might mean spending some time in Manchester." For more, point your web browser to (this link will work TODAY ONLY): http://www.dailynewslosangeles.com/sports/articles/0901/21/spo06.asp Based on this writer's observations of Bednar, this news should not come as a surprise to anyone, including the Kings. Bednar is clearly still trying to adjust to the North American game, which is much faster, and far more physical than in any of the European leagues. Bednar may have all the skills he needs to be a top six forward for the Kings, but it is highly likely that he will need to spend a considerable amount of time at Manchester to learn the North American style, and do some work in the weight room. 9-19-01 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have assigned left wing Kip Brennan, right wing Brendan Brooks, and defensemen Joe Corvo and Michael Pudlick to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. The Kings now have forty players remaining on their 2001 pre-season roster, including twenty-four forwards, twelve defensemen, and four goaltenders. 9-18-01 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that center Steve Kelly underwent successful surgery to repair a hernia. The surgery was performed by Dr. Craig Smith at Centinela Hospital. Kelly is expected to make a full recovery. There was no word on when he is expected to return to action. On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings took a break from training camp for their annual charity golf tournament at the Lost Canyon Country Club in Simi Valley. But their thoughts were clearly not on golf or hockey--they are still dealing with the loss of scouts Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis, who were aboard United Airlines Flight 175 out of Boston's Logan International Airport, which crashed into New York's World Trade Center last Tuesday. Kings' President Tim Leiweke spoke with reporters briefly on Monday, and said that the team is still in a state of shock, but that they know they have a role to play--to provide a distraction from the tragedy that continues to unfold before our eyes in the news. "On the one hand, we are trying to get things back to normal, to give fans a few hours where they don't have to see the things they have been watching on TV," Leiweke explained. "On the other hand, we still have not gotten over the people we lost. We're ready for this, but it will be an emotional night." To honor Bailey and Bavis, the Kings' pre-season game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim tonight at Staples Center (7:30 PM PDT) will be preceded by a moment of silence. Tributes to the two scouts will also be shown on video screens. The Kings have also announced that net proceeds from the game will be donated to the families of New York City police and fire fighters who perished in the World Trade Center disaster. Kings' players will also wear black arm bands throughout the upcoming season in honor of Bailey and Bavis. And even though the Kings are still mourning their loss, they know that life must go on. "I think the energy we've shown in practice the last few days illustrates that we are getting back to hockey," Kings' head coach Andy Murray said. "The guys have worked hard through the adversity. They want to do this for the fans." Speaking of fans... Fans attending tonight's game at Staples Center should expect heavier security and delays entering the arena, as security personnel will be searching bags, and checking everyone with metal detectors. Leiweke also said that the usual complement of six Los Angeles Police Department officers for Kings games will be boosted to about thirty, who will be patrolling all areas within and around the arena. "The building has been in a lock down mode ever since fifteen minutes after all this started in New York, and we've tried to do everything to make sure the building is secure," said Leiweke. "We're on high alert, and we want to make sure that when people come into our building they're absolutely safe." "It takes a while to get everybody in, but everybody was very patient and understood what we were doing," Leiweke added, referring to the Madonna concerts at Staples Center late last week. "There are still a few kooks who don't understand the magnitude of the issue, but when it's all said and done, I think most people understand what we're trying to do, and they felt very safe in the building." The Kings advise all fans to arrive at Staples Center early, and to expect delays of fifteen minutes or more when entering the arena. Tickets are still available for tonight's game, with over 10,000 already sold. 9-17-01 On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have assigned the following players to their respective junior or minor league teams: Marcel Cousineau (goalie), Nate Miller (right wing), Greg Phillips (right wing), Joe Rullier (defenseman), Jon Shockey (defenseman), Jerred Smithson (center), Alexei Volkov (goalie), were assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Craig Olynick (defenseman) was assigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. The Kings now have forty-four players (twenty-six forwards, fourteen defensemen, and four goalies) remaining on their pre-season roster. 9-16-01 On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the Los Angeles Kings played two intra squad games in front of overflow crowds numbering around 1,000 each night at the HealthSouth Training Center in El Segundo. In fact, the Kings expected only 200 fans to show up on Saturday night, but the crowd was so heavy that this reporter was one of many who arrived prior to the 7:00 PM start time, but was turned away, as the event was in danger of being shut down because the crowd had exceeded the capacity set by the El Segundo Fire Marshal. On Sunday evening, the Kings were prepared. They brought in additional security staff for crowd control at the main entrance, and they required fans to get a free ticket at the front door in order to keep track of how many fans were entering the building so that the Kings would not violate local ordinances. Although I did not see if any fans were denied entry on Sunday evening, the HealthSouth Training Center was just about full at 6:45 PM, so one can safely assume that any fans who arrived after that time were probably turned away. As for Sunday's game, the Kings split into "Black" and "White" squads with the following rosters: Black ----- Defensemen ********** 3 Aaron Miller 8 Jere Karalahti 10 Mathieu Schneider 14 Mattias Norstrom 41 Richard Seeley 53 Jason Holland Left Wings ********** 23 Craig Johnson 26 Randy Robitaille Centers ******* 21 Bryan Smolinski 47 Yanick Lehoux 52 Jerrid Smithson Right Wings *********** 19 Nelson Emerson 27 Glen Murray 51 Greg Phillips 54 Nate Miller 57 Steve Heinze Goalies ******* 1 Jamie Storr 35 Stephane Fiset Some Black Line/Defensive Combinations ************************************** Robitaille-Smolinski-Heinze Johnson-Lehoux-Nate Miller Schneider-Aaron Miller Karalahti-Norstrom Holland-Seeley White ----- Defensemen ********** 5 Tomas Zizka 6 Andreas Lilja 42 Brett Hauer 43 Philippe Boucher 44 Jaroslav Modry 56 Joe Corvo Left Wings ********** 7 Jaroslav Bednar 29 Brad Chartrand 37 Kip Brennan 49 Ryan Flinn 55 Chris Schmidt Centers ******* 15 Jozef Stumpel 24 Adam Mair 25 Eric Belanger 31 Jared Aulin Right Wings *********** 22 Ian Laperriere 38 Rob Valicevic 48 Brendan Brooks Goalies ******* 34 Marcel Cousineau 39 Felix Potvin Some White Line/Defensive Combinations ************************************** Bednar-Stumpel-Palffy Brennan-Aulin-Brooks Schmidt-Belanger-Laperriere Valicevic-Belanger-Laperriere Modry-Boucher Lilja-Boucher Scratches --------- Derek Bekar, Ken Belanger, Kelly Buchberger, Adam Deadmarsh, Steve Kelly, Craig Olynick, Michael Pudlick, Joe Rullier, John Shockey, Scott Thomas, Lubomir Visnovsky Goalies ------- Black: Jamie Storr (30:10), Stephane Fiset (10:10 of the second period) White: Marcel Cousineau (30:10), Felix Potvin (10:10 of the second period The first period saw both teams pack it in in front of their nets, pretty much eliminating anything resembling a quality scoring chance. But in the second period, defense took a back seat, as both teams tried to open it up offensively. Schmidt, playing left wing on a line with Eric Belanger at center, and Laperriere on right wing, scored from below the left hashmark, off a nice feed from Laperriere, the goal coming near the six-minute mark of the period. On this play, Belanger made a great play to keep the defense moving. He got the puck in the left corner, and carried the puck with speed towards left point, across to the top of the right circle where he passed to Laperriere, who was in the right corner. Laperriere then took the puck behind the net, and then centered the puck from behind the left goal post to Schmidt, who shot off the pass, beating Storr low, inside the left goal post. Up to this point, this was the best shift of the night by either squad. Shortly after Fiset and Potvin entered the game, Fiset was tested on a what turned out to be a good two-on-one scoring chance. He made the first save on a wrist shot from the right circle. And with the rebound going towards the left circle, he got over very quickly to made the save on a low wrist shot with his blocker. Fiset also made another good save on a low shot to his left. He quickly went into a two-pad slide and made a nice save. Fiset looked very sharp on these saves, and showed no ill effects from his knee injuries last season. Shortly after Fiset made the first of those two, tough saves, Aaron Miller threw the best hit of the night, nailing Schmidt behind the Black squad's net, knocking Schmidt hard to the ice. Welcome to the NHL, rookie... Near the 17:30 mark, Palffy scored from below the right circle after Fiset had been pulled, inexplicably. One can only assume that the Black squad wanted to practice their set-up for when they had to pull the goalie for the extra attacker. In the third period, Potvin robbed Lehoux, who got the puck at the right hashmark with his team on the power play. He fired a wrist shot that had "top shelf" written all over it. But Potvin's glove was too quick, and he made a great save. As it turned out, this was the only tough save Potvin had to make. Later in the period, Mair got a breakaway, but his wrist shot from the low slot was stopped by Fiset. In the third period, the White squad poured it on. Valicevic scored when he got to a loose puck on the goal line after Fiset had made the first save on a shot from the slot, but had the puck trickle past him. Later, Laperriere got the puck just outside right crease, and lifted a wrist shot over Fiset's glove hand, beating him top shelf. Late in the period, Schmidt scored his second goal of the game off the rush. In the end, Fiset allowed three goals, but he had no defensive help at all...the Black squad was mostly ineffective defensively, primarily because their forwards were not contributing on defense. Fiset looked quick, and positioned himself well. He had no chance on the goals he allowed. Storr also looked good. He was on his angles, and made a couple of tough saves...as well as all the easy ones. For the White squad, Cousineau looked pretty sharp, and Potvin was only tested once. Some observations... The best line for either team was the line of Schmidt-Belanger-Laperriere. Every time they were on the ice, they forechecked very well, and were able to sustain pressure in the attacking zone. They created scoring chances almost every time they were on the ice and were, by far, the most effective line. Belanger looks like he has picked up a bit of speed since last season... The line of Bednar-Stumpel-Palffy was able to keep the puck in the attacking zone pretty well, but on each of their quality scoring chances, the puck bounced on them, preventing them from getting a good shot off. Bednar is clearly still adjusting to the speed and physical nature of the North American game. He appears to have some good speed and skills, but he had difficulty with the physical play, and was unable to find the openings to create scoring opportunities for himself. On other side of that coin, Lehoux looked quite good. He was able to find the openings, and had a couple of good scoring chances. The line of Brennan-Aulin-Brooks was unable to get anything going. Perhaps if he had more skilled players on his line, Aulin would have been able to create something. The veteran forwards on the Black team did not see much ice time, so players like Murray, Smolinski, and Heinze did not get much of an opportunity... But after all this, the most important thing to remember is that one cannot draw anything conclusive from one scrimmage game at the end of the first week of training camp. Perhaps a good example of this is what the Kings thought about Bednar prior to the opening of training camp. "When I asked our European scout, Vaclav Nedomansky, about Bednar, he didn't hesitate," Kings' head coach Andy Murray said. "He said, 'He's a top-six forward. Will definitely play in the NHL. Great skater.'" For the Kings' sake, one can only hope... Glen Murray appears to be a bit bigger and stronger to start camp. "He is in the best shape he's ever been in," said Andy Murray "He's a horse right now. He's physically stronger than I've seen him in two years." And expectations for Glen Murray are very high after a season marred by a thigh injury, and his missing-in-action status in many games. "We can expect more than eighteen goals from Glen Murray," said Andy Murray, referring to which players will need to step up to replace the offense lost when Luc Robitaille signed with the Detroit Red Wings earlier this summer. "I think Glen Murray can score thirty-seven goals himself." "I think at the end of the season, when he comes in to talk about a contract with [Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager] Dave Taylor, he better have proven that he can," added Andy Murray. "I'll probably get myself in trouble with Dave, but Glen Murray should be a guy who's coming in for an increase next year." Glen Murray is hoping he can step up his game. "This is the first time they've counted on me like this," said Glen Murray. "I look forward to the challenge. I hope [I can live up to those expectations], knock on wood." "We're going to miss Robitaille, no question about it, and obviously this is the first time [in eleven years] that we're starting the season without [former Kings' defenseman Rob Blake]," added Glen Murray. "It's going to be tough, but we have to have guys step up and produce more." Andy Murray also talked about others who are expected to pick up the slack on offense. "We have thirty-seven goals to fill," said Andy Murray, who will put Adam Deadmarsh on the first line with Palffy and Stumpel. "Adam can help with that. So can a few other players." "Adam Deadmarsh, once his hand is completely healed, can certainly chip in," added Andy Murray. Andy Murray is also looking for newly-acquired right wing Steve Heinze to score some goals. "Obviously, we don't expect Steve Heinze to replace all of Luc Robitaille's scoring by himself," Andy Murray said. "We expect him to be in his usual twenty-five-goal range." But overall, Andy Murray knows that the players already in the system need to play better, because it is clear that the Kings will not spend the money to add top-tier talent. "For our team to get better, our individual players have to get better," Andy Murray said. "We're not going to buy players. That's been made clear to me. That has been part of the mission statement on part of our coaching staff for three years now." The Kings are also impressed with the play of Philippe Boucher so far in camp. "I think Philippe Boucher has been the most impressive defenseman in camp," said Andy Murray. "Part of it is having played in Winnipeg [Manitoba Moose of the IHL] last year, which I think fuels his drive. Winnipeg's a great place to play, but he'd rather not be playing there." "The other thing is, the way he played here last year," added Andy Murray. "Boucher was a key performer for us down the stretch, and I think he realizes how he needs to play. He's playing with some bite, which he has to do--he has to use that size." In other news from training camp... Right wing Adam Deadmarsh has been kept out of contact drills because he is still recovering from wrist surgery during the off-season. "It's frustrating not being out there with the guys and doing what you need to do to get ready," Deadmarsh said. "You can go out and practice all you want, but to get ready you really need to get hit and thrown around in corners and stuff like that. I'm not able to do that yet." Deadmarsh had a bone chip removed from his right wrist that affected his play during the playoffs. "The bone chip would pop up and it would lock my wrist," he said. "Every once in a while during play I'd have to take my hand out of my other glove and pop the chip back down before I could do anything with my wrist. It was more of an inconvenience than anything else. It wasn't real painful." Deadmarsh will be held out of Tuesday's pre-season game against Anaheim, as well as Thursday's game at San Jose. He could play on Saturday against Colorado at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. "That's more precautionary than anything else," said Andy Murray. "He might even be two weeks out, but he'll definitely be 100% by the start of the season." Normally, by the end of the first week of training camp, the Kings, like all other NHL teams, make their first roster cuts. But because of the horrific events of last week, assigning some players to junior or minor league teams will have to wait just a bit. "We don't want to have people around here knowing that maybe they aren't part of the picture," said Andy Murray, "[But] we may have to postpone [roster cuts] based on flight availability." The Kings hope to make their first cuts on Monday or Tuesday. 9-13-01 The families of former Los Angeles Kings' scouts Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis, who were aboard United Airlines Flight 175, one of the planes that was hijacked and crashed into New York's World Trade Center on Tuesday, have issued the following requests: The family of Mark Bavis has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Mark Bavis Scholarship Foundation c/o Catholic Memorial High School 235 Baker St. West Roxbury, Mass. 02132 phone number: (617) 323-7333 The family of Ace Bailey has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Neely Foundation 30 Winter Street - 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02108 The Cam Neely Foundation provides comfort and support to cancer patients and their families through The Neely House and The Neely Cancer Fund at New England Medical Center. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that their pre-season game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim that was originally scheduled for this Saturday, September 15, has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, September 18 at Staples Center. The Saturday game, along with all other NHL pre-season games, was postponed in light of the tragic events in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Tuesday's game will begin at 7:30 PM PDT. All net proceeds from Tuesday's game will be donated to the families of fallen New York City police and firefighters, in honor of former Kings' scouts Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis, who were aboard United Airlines Flight 175 out of Boston, one of the planes that crashed into New York's World Trade Center. In place of Saturday's game, the Kings will now hold two intersquad games on Saturday and Sunday at the HealthSouth Training Center in El Segundo. Both games will begin at 7:00 PM PDT, and are free and open to the public. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that individual game tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, September 18, 2001, at 10:00 AM PDT. On that day, tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations including Tower Records, Robinsons/May, Wherehouse Music, Tu Musica and Ritmo Latino. To charge by phone, call (213)365-3600 or go online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will not be available at the Staples Center box office until Wednesday, September 19, 2001, beginning at 10:00 AM PDT. The Kings had originally planned to begin sales of individual game tickets on Saturday, September 15, 2001. 9-12-01 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, their pre-season game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at Staples Center on Saturday, September 15, has been postponed due to the recent tragedies in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. The NHL is also reviewing their entire exhibition schedule for this weekend. An announcement regarding the rest of the Kings' pre-season schedule will be forthcoming. The Kings also announced that in honor of former Kings' scouts Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis, who died in one of the planes that crashed into New York's World Trade Center on Tuesday, all proceeds from the first Kings' pre-season game at Staples Center will be donated to the families of fallen New York City Police and Firefighters. As far as the first day of training camp is concerned, I will have some news late tonight, or during the wee hours of the morning, my work schedule permitting. 9-11-01 Late Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings and other teams released additional statements regarding the tragic loss of Ace Bailey, Director of Pro Scouting, and Amateur Scout Mark Bavis. Bailey and Bavis were aboard United Airlines Flight 175 out of Boston's Logan International Airport when it was apparently hijacked, and then crashed into New York's World Trade Center. Bailey was very well-respected by many in the hockey community. "As a person, Ace was highly regarded and loved by the hockey community as a whole," said Kings' Senior Vice President Dave Taylor, during a hastily called press conference at the HealthSouth Training Center in El Segundo on Tuesday evening. "In his role as Kings' Director of Pro Scouting, he had a keen insight on players and he fostered a winning attitude. Our thoughts are with his wife Kathy and his son Todd." Bailey, 53, was beginning his 33rd NHL season as a player or a scout, his seven Stanley Cup rings serving as proof. Prior to working for the Kings, Bailey served thirteen seasons as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers, playing a key role as an advance scout, and helping the Oilers win five Stanley Cups. "Ace was one of the most popular guys in the NHL, and he was a friend to all of us," said Oilers' General Manager Kevin Lowe, who was an Oilers' defenseman while Bailey scouted for Edmonton. "You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't been touched by his incredible personality, and words simply can't express how we feel right now," Lowe added. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Ace's wife Kathy and his son Todd." Bailey began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins during the 1968-69 season and spent five years with the club. While with the Bruins, he was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams in 1969-70 and 1971-72. Bailey also spent parts of two seasons each with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, and more than three years with the Washington Capitals. Bailey also played in the World Hockey Association for the 1978-79 season with the Edmonton Oilers, where he was a linemate of a then very-young Wayne Gretzky, who was shaken by the news. "We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Ace Bailey," Gretzky said. "Our hearts go out to his wife Kathy and his son Todd." "Ace may not have been the greatest hockey player to play in the NHL, but he taught many players how to win championships and more importantly, he was a winner as a person. We will all miss him greatly," Gretzky added. Bavis, 31, was entering his second season as an amateur scout for the Kings, scouting college teams. "Mark was a dedicated and caring individual," Taylor said. "Although he was only with our staff for a short period of time, he was instrumental in selecting two of our top three selections in this past summer's NHL Entry Draft, David Steckel and Mike Cammalleri. Our thoughts are with Mark's family at this time." Bavis, who is survived by his mother and two brothers, played his collegiate hockey at Boston University, where his brother, Michael, is currently an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Kings, Bavis, who made his home in West Newton, Massachusetts, worked as a coach with Chicago of the North American League and as an assistant coach with Harvard of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Late Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings confirmed that Director of Pro Scouting Garnet "Ace" Bailey, and amateur scout Mark Bavis were aboard United Airlines flight 175 out of Boston's Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles. This was one of the two planes that crashed into New York's World Trade Center. Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor issued the following statement: "First and foremost, we are shocked by the tragedies that have occurred today and the tremendous loss of life that has taken place," said Taylor. "We had a number of scouts traveling to Los Angeles today from all parts of the world as we prepare for the opening of training camp on Wednesday and, unfortunately, two of our staff members, Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis, were scheduled to be aboard United Airlines Flight 175." "We have received confirmation from their families that both Ace and Mark were in fact on that flight and our entire organization is deeply saddened and shaken by the loss of these individuals," Taylor added. "We would ask that everyone please respect the privacy of their families and direct all inquiries to our office. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families." ESPN is now reporting that Los Angeles Kings' amateur scout Mark Bavis, 31, was on the same plane as Kings' Director of Pro Scouting Ace Bailey. Both were on United Airlines flight 175, the second plane that crahsed into the World Trade Center in New York. That flight left Boston's Logan International Airport and was bound for Los Angeles. Bailey and Bavis are Boston-area natives, and were headed for Los Angeles to participate in the Kings' training camp, where the players were scheduled to hit the ice on Wednesday. Bavis, is survived by his son, Mike. There has been no word from the Kings regarding whether or not their training camp will begin on Wednesday, although their media hotline states that it will begin tomorrow. For more details, point your web browser to: http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2001/0911/1250587.html Again, I'm sure everyone will extend their deepest condolences to the Bailey and Bavis families, as well as to the entire Los Angeles Kings organization. The horrific events in New York and Washington, DC today are reported to have hit the Los Angeles Kings' family... ESPN is reporting that Kings' Director of Pro Scouting Ace Bailey and another unnamed Kings' scout was on one of the planes that crashed in the World Trade Center this morning. Both flights left Boston's Logan International Airport, headed for Los Angeles. ESPN is also reporting that the Kings are now reviewing whether to begin their training camp on Wednesday. For more, point your web browser to: http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2001/0911/1250587.html I am sure that all Kings' fans will join me in expressing their deepest condolences to Bailey's family--his wife, Katherine, and son Todd, along with the entire Kings' organization. Late Monday, Los Angeles Kings' goaltender Felix Potvin flew to Los Angeles and met briefly with the media shortly after arriving in Los Angeles. At the Kings' practice facility in El Segundo, Potvin denied any hint of acrimony between himself and the Kings during contract negotiations. "Talks were going pretty well and I felt very positive about the whole thing," Potvin said. "But it sure was a great feeling to get on that plane. We were looking for two [guaranteed] years, but they didn't want to do that. We are happy with what we got." Potvin was signed to a one-year contract, reportedly with a guaranteed $3 million. The Kings also have the option for a second year at $3.3 million. Last season, Potvin earned $2.7 million. Reliable sources close to the Kings have stated that the Kings originally offered Potvin the same salary--$2.7 million for the 2001-02 season because Potvin had only played for a couple of months for them. Potvin rejected that offer, but the two sides continued to talk. Potvin, who will be ready when training camp begins on Tuesday with physical examinations and fitness testing, is anxious to get back on the ice. "It has been a great summer after all that happened in Vancouver," Potvin said. "It is nice to feel good about hockey again. First of all, just to make the playoffs. Then playing longer in the spring. The summer was short, but it's time to get back to it." The Kings are relieved to have signed Potvin, their last remaining player to be signed to a contract. For the first time in years, the Kings will have all of their players in camp--no holdouts. The team is also breathing a sigh of relief that everyone is in camp because of the abbreviated training camp schedule due to the NHL's participation in the 2002 Winter Olympics in February. "It feels very good to get this done," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager. "There isn't as much time as usual, so you want everything up and running. Felix was so important for us last year and we want to keep the momentum going." "He provided us with stability at the position and that gave the team confidence," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. Taylor also indicated that he is now working to trade either Stephane Fiset or Jamie Storr. "Realistically, I can't imagine us not doing something by opening day," Taylor said. "I can't see both of them getting through the waiver draft." Indeed. The Kings must trade one of them. Not only because it makes sense to do so, but also because they can protect only two NHL-level goalies in the waiver draft. On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have established a franchise record for season ticket-holder renewals, with 95% of the season ticket-holders renewing their seats from the 2000-01 season. The Kings have also sold 2,000 new season seats for the 2001-02 season. Kings' President Tim Leiweke said that the team's record-setting renewal rate proves that Kings' fans believe that the team is headed in the right direction. "The team's success during the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs has our fans believing in our system," Leiweke said. "Season Ticket holders know Dave Taylor, Andy Murray and the rest of the coaching staff are on the right track." Given the fact that the Kings failed to improve their team during the off-season, one can only wonder two things... 1) Does Tim Leiweke truly believe that the Kings are really "on the right track," or is this just more spin doctoring by the Kings? 2) Does anyone with an ounce of knowledge about hockey and the NHL have that much faith in the Kings that they believe the team is headed in the right direction? My guess is that the Kings can chalk up their success in renewing season seats and in sales of new season seats to three factors: 1) Their dramatic playoff series win over Detroit. 2) Taking the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche to seven games. 3) The fact that the 2002 NHL All-Star Game will be played at Staples Center in February. These factors put the Kings back on the radar screens of many in Southern California. But to say that the increased sales is proof that Kings' fans believe in their system is far more likely to be little more than a very long stretch of the truth. 9-10-01 Some encouraging news for the Los Angeles Kings... On Monday, the Kings announced that they have signed restricted free agent goalie Felix Potvin to a one-year contract, with a club option for a second year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Kings, but the deal is reported to be worth $3 million. If the Kings exercise their option for the second year, it will be worth $3.3 million. "We are very pleased to have this deal completed with Felix," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "Our team responded very well to his steady play last season, in both the regular and post season. This deal also completes our roster for training camp and we look forward to strong competition at all positions." Potvin, 30, played in twenty-three regular season games and all thirteen playoff games for the Kings in the 2000-01 season after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on February 15, 2001 for future considerations. During the regular season with the Kings, Potvin earned a 13-5-5 record, with a .919 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against-average (GAA). He tied his career-high with six shutouts, with five of those shutouts with the Kings--the second goalie in Kings' franchise history to earn five, and only the second goalie in Kings' franchise history to record back-to-back shutouts (March 29 against Columbus and March 31 against Colorado). During the playoffs, Potvin earned a 7-6 record, a .909 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA, the lowest GAA by a Kings goalie in franchise playoff history. Potvin also became the first goalie in Kings' history to record consecutive shutouts during the playoffs (May 4, 2001, Game 5 of the second round at Colorado; and May 6, Game 6 against Colorado). In addition, Potvin was named the NHL's Player of the Week for the period of March 26-April 1, when he was 3-0-1 with three shutouts, and he was the only Kings' goaltender to record a point this season, with three assists. Potvin, who is 6-1 and weighs 190 pounds, is a two-time NHL All-Star. He began the 2000-01 season with the Canucks, registering a 14-17-3 record, a .887 save percentage and a 3.08 GAA in 35 games. In 493 career regular season NHL games with the Kings, Canucks, New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, Potvin, who was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the second round (31st overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, has a 205-205-68 record, a 2.85 GAA and 19 shutouts. 9-9-01 On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they will open their 2001 Training Camp on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, with the players undergoing physical examinations and fitness testing. The players will hit the ice for the first time on Wednesday September 12, starting at 10:30 AM PDT, and unlike the last two seasons when they did not scrimmage until after the first few days, the Kings will scrimmage on their first day of camp at 11:35 AM PDT. All training camp practice and scrimmages at the HealthSouth Training Center are free, and open to the public. The training camp schedule is as follows (all times are PACIFIC DAYLIGHT): DATE TIME ACTIVITY VENUE ------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/12 10:30 AM - 11:25 PM Practice (both rinks) HealthSouth 11:35 AM - 12:45 PM White vs. Black scrimmage HealthSouth 9/13 10:30 AM - 11:25 PM Practice (both rinks) HealthSouth 11:35 AM - 12:45 PM White vs. Black scrimmage HealthSouth 9/14 10:30 AM - 11:25 PM Practice (both rinks) HealthSouth 11:35 AM - 12:45 PM White vs. Black scrimmage HealthSouth 9/15 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Morning Skate HealthSouth 7:30 PM Kings vs. Anaheim Staples Center 9/16 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Team Black practice HealthSouth 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Team White practice HealthSouth 7:00 PM White vs. Black game HealthSouth 9/17 Day Off Kings Golf Tournament 9/18 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Team White practice HealthSouth 12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Team Black practice HealthSouth 9/19 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Practice - All players HealthSouth 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Black vs. White game HealthSouth 9/20 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM Team Black Practice HealthSouth 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Team White Practice HealthSouth 7:30 PM Kings at San Jose Compaq Center 9/21 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM Team White practice Las Vegas 1:30 - 2:45 PM Team Black practice Las Vegas 9/22 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM Team Black practice MGM Grand Las Vegas 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM Team White practice MGM Grand Las Vegas 7:30 PM Kings vs. San Jose MGM Grand Las Vegas 9/23 10:00 AM Fly to Los Angeles 9/24 Day Off 9/25 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM Practice HealthSouth 9/26 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM Practice HealthSouth 7:30 PM Kings at Anaheim Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim 9/27 12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Practice HealthSouth 9/28 11:15 PM - 12:45 PM Practice HealthSouth 9/29 10:30 AM- 11:30 AM Practice HealthSouth 7:30 PM Kings vs. Colorado Staples Center 9/30 8:00 AM Fly to Denver 10/1 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Morning Skate Pepsi Center 7:00 PM Kings at Colorado Pepsi Center 10/2 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Practice HealthSouth The Kings also released their training camp roster: * - NOT SIGNED TO A CONTRACT AT PRESS TIME Skaters ------- # PLAYER POS HT WT BRTHDTE CLUB GP G A PTS PIM ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 PUDLICK, Michael D 6-3 192 2/24/78 Lowell 57 7 13 20 39 3 MILLER, Aaron D 6-3 200 8/11/71 KINGS 13 0 5 5 14 Colo. 56 4 9 13 29 5 ZIZKA, Tomas D 6-1 198 10/10/79 Zlin 43 2 11 13 - Czech Republic 6 LILJA, Andreas D 6-3 220 7/13/75 KINGS 2 0 0 0 4 Lowell 61 7 29 36 149 7 BEDNAR, Jaroslav C 5-11 198 11/8/75 HIFK 56 32 28 60 51 Helsinki 8 KARALAHTI, Jere D 6-2 210 3/25/75 KINGS 56 2 7 9 38 9 BUCHBERGER, Kelly RW 6-2 210 12/2/66 KINGS 82 6 14 20 75 10 SCHNEIDER, Mathieu D 5-10 190 6/12/69 KINGS 73 16 35 51 56 11 KELLY, Steve C 5-10 185 9/2/73 KINGS 11 1 0 1 4 Devils 24 2 2 4 21 12 BELANGER, Ken LW 6-4 225 5/14/74 Boston 40 2 2 4 161 Providence 10 1 4 5 47 14 NORSTROM, Mattias D 6-2 211 1/2/72 KINGS 82 0 18 18 60 15 STUMPEL, Jozef C 6-3 225 7/20/72 KINGS 63 16 39 55 14 17 VISNOVSKY, Lubomir D 5-10 180 8/11/76 KINGS 81 7 32 39 36 19 EMERSON, Nelson RW 5-11 180 8/17/67 KINGS 78 11 11 22 54 21 SMOLINSKI, Bryan C 6-1 208 12/27/71 KINGS 78 27 32 59 40 22 LAPERRIERE, Ian C 6-1 201 1/19/74 KINGS 79 8 10 18 141 23 JOHNSON, Craig LW 6-2 200 3/8/72 KINGS 26 4 5 9 16 24 MAIR, Adam C 6-2 195 2/15/79 KINGS 10 0 0 0 6 Leafs 16 0 2 2 14 St. John 47 18 27 45 69 25 BELANGER, Eric C 6-0 177 12/16/77 KINGS 62 9 12 21 16 Lowell 13 8 10 18 4 26 ROBITAILLE, Randy C 5-11 196 10/12/75 Nash. 62 9 17 26 12 Milwaukee 19 10 23 33 4 27 MURRAY, Glen RW 6-3 225 11/1/72 KINGS 64 18 21 39 36 28 DEADMARSH, Adam RW 6-0 195 5/10/75 KINGS 18 4 2 6 4 Colo. 39 13 13 26 59 29 CHARTRAND, Brad RW 5-11 191 12/14/74 KINGS 4 1 0 1 2 Lowell 72 17 34 51 44 Long Beach 1 0 0 0 0 31 AULIN, Jared C 6-0 180 3/15/82 Kamlp. 70 31 77 108 62 32 THOMAS, Scott RW 6-2 200 1/18/70 KINGS 24 3 1 4 9 Manitoba 22 9 14 23 21 33 PALFFY, Ziggy RW 5-10 180 5/5/72 KINGS 73 38 51 89 20 37 BRENNAN, Kip LW 6-4 196 8/27/80 Lowell 23 2 3 5 117 Sudbury 27 7 14 21 94 38 VALICEVIC, Rob RW 6-1 198 6/1/71 Nash. 60 8 6 14 - 40 SHOCKEY, Jon D 6-2 198 6/8/76 Clvlnd. 24 0 3 3 23 Jackson 43 0 10 10 95 41 SEELEY, Richard D 6-2 199 4/30/79 Lowell 55 2 8 10 102 Trenton 11 0 2 2 18 42 HAUER, Brett D 6-2 210 7/11/71 Mantoba 82 17 42 59 52 43 BOUCHER, Philippe D 6-2 221 3/24/73 KINGS 22 2 4 6 20 Manitoba 45 10 22 32 39 44 MODRY, Jaroslav D 6-2 215 2/27/71 KINGS 63 4 15 19 48 46 RULLIER, Joe D 6-3 198 1/28/80 Lowell 63 1 1 2 162 47 LEHOUX, Yanick C 5-11 170 4/8/82 Baie-Comeau 70 67 68 135 62 48 BROOKS, Brendan RW 5-9 185 11/26/78 Lowell 5 0 1 1 17 Cincinnati 1 0 0 0 0 Dayton 65 29 18 47 95 49 FLINN, Ryan LW 6-5 223 4/20/80 Cp Brtn 57 16 17 33 280 50 OLYNICK, Craig D 6-1 185 8/21/82 Seattle 62 5 20 25 105 51 PHILLIPS, Greg RW 6-2 205 3/27/78 Lowell 33 5 5 10 33 52 SMITHSON, Jerred C 6-2 190 2/4/79 Lowell 24 1 1 2 10 Trenton 3 0 1 1 2 53 HOLLAND, Jason D 6-3 210 4/30/76 Rchstr. 63 4 19 23 45 54 MILLER, Nate RW 6-3 192 6/3/76 Lowell 80 15 10 25 61 56 CORVO, Joe D 6-0 205 6/20/77 Lowell 77 10 23 33 31 57 HEINZE, Steve RW 5-11 202 1/30/70 Buffalo 14 5 7 12 8 Columbus 65 22 20 42 38 58 BEKAR, Derek RW 6-2 205 9/15/75 Worcstr 18 5 2 7 10 Portland 58 19 16 35 49 Goalies ------- # PLAYER HT WT BRTHDTE CLUB GP MIN GA SO GAA W-L-T ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 STORR, Jamie 6-2 195 12/28/75 KINGS 45 2498 114 4 2.74 19-18-6 34 COUSINEAU, 5-9 180 4/30/73 Lowell 37 2135 101 1 2.84 15-20-2 Marcel 35 FISET, 6-1 215 6/17/70 KINGS 7 318 19 0 3.58 3-0-1 Stephane Lowell 3 90 9 0 2.84 1-0-2 36 VOLKOV, 6-1 185 3/15/80 Lowell 5 202 16 0 4.75 1-1-0 Alexei New Orleans 29 1576 81 1 3.08 1 2-9-5 *39 POTVIN, 6-1 190 6/23/71 KINGS 23 1410 46 5 1.96 13-5-5 Felix Vancouver 35 2006 103 1 3.08 14-17-3 45 SCOTT, 6-2 185 9/14/75 Lowell 46 2582 126 3 2.93 15-21-5 Travis KINGS 1 25 3 0 7.28 0-0-0 9-4-01 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to a multi-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Visnovsky, 25 led all NHL rookie defensemen in scoring last season, with 39 points (seven goals, thirty-two assists) in 81 games, the most points by a Kings' rookie defenseman since Alexei Zhitnik totaled 48 points in the 1992-93 season. Visnovsky also recorded the most points by a Kings' rookie in a season since winger Vitali Yachmenev scored 53 points in the 1995-96 season. The 5-10, 180-pound Visnovsky was ranked fourth overall in rookie scoring, and second among rookie assist leaders. He also ranked third in the NHL among all rookies with a +16 rating and was second in scoring among Kings' defensemen (Mathieu Schneider led Kings' defensemen in scoring last season). Visnovsky, who was selected by the Kings in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2000 NHL draft, was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. "Lubomir had a very strong rookie year and quickly became a favorite of Kings fans with his combination of skill and competitive nature," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "We look forward to his continued development." link to last month's (August 2001) notes