|
News Satire Round Table Schedule Links Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Los Angeles Kings Fan Site | March 12, 2010 |
2005-06
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |
| 3-31-06 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned right wing Konstantin Pushkarev to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate.
Pushkarev, 21, made his National Hockey League and Kings debut on Monday at Vancouver, earning his first NHL assist and point. The 6-0, 180-pound native of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan was recalled by the Kings under emergency conditions on March 26. With the Monarchs this season, Pushkarev has scored 18 goals with 14 assists for 32 points and 95 penalty minutes in 70 games. Pushkarev was selected by the Kings in the second round (44th overall) of the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft. | |
| 3-26-06 | |
| On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled right wing Konstantin Pushkarev (under emergency conditions) from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate.
Pushkarev, 21, has scored 18 goals with 14 assists for 32 points and 95 penalty minutes in 70 games with the Monarchs this season. The 6-0, 180-pound sniper is from Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. He will wear jersey number 9. Pushkarev was selected by the Kings in the second round (44th overall) of the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He has not appeared in an NHL game. | |
| 3-24-06 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Pavol Demitra underwent successful surgery to repair a nasal fracture. They also announced that winger Alexander Frolov has been activated from injured reserve and is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday when the Kings host the Nashville Predators at Staples Center (7:30 PM PST).
Demitra's surgery corrected breathing problems he suffered after being hit in the face by a puck during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in February. There was no word from the Kings on when Demitra might return to the lineup. Frolov has missed the Kings last ten games due to a partially separated right shoulder that he suffered during the Olympics. He was placed on injured reserve on March 8 (retroactive to February 19). | |
| 3-23-06 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Pavol Demitra will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a nasal fracture.
The surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Chester Griffiths, will correct breathing difficulties caused by being struck in the face by a puck during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. There was no word from the Kings regarding when Demitra could return to the lineup after the surgery. | |
| 3-22-06 | |
| About 24 hours after he had initially been contacted by the Los Angeles Kings, John Torchetti, who has been named interim head coach, flew into Los Angeles from Boston and met with the media on Wednesday afternoon.
To be sure, Torchetti has been in a whirlwind created by Kings President/Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor, who initially contacted Torchetti around noon Pacific time on Tuesday. "This all happened within the last twenty-four hours," said Torchetti. " It's a tough day coming in, but for myself, as a coach, I'm looking forward to the opportunity. But I was petrified coming here today. I had so much going in my mind last night, 'What's the first thing I was going to present? What am I going to say to these players?'" "We think John's a very good coach," said Taylor. "His reputation is that of a motivator. I think he's a very good teacher. He'll put in the time and the effort to get the job done for us." "We have some people who've worked with John in the past," added Taylor. "They spoke very highly of him. When we hired Andy Murray, we were ridiculed for hiring a high school coach. But we felt he was the right person for the job at the time, and I feel the same way with John." Torchetti was grateful for the opportunity and said that he cannot wait to get started. "I don't want to let this organization down, Torchetti said. "They brought me in at a tough time. But also, I don't want to let down the players and the coaching staff. So I'm looking forward to this task. I'm a go-getter." "I believe that when you come in the locker room, this is the family room and that's what it is for me every day," Torchetti added. "I look forward to my players coming into work every day. I can't wait to work with them. I can't wait to get on the ice with them. I'm looking forward to learning more about the players and I want to push them to another level." "I wear my heart on my sleeve. I feel I'm a teacher. I've developed players who are in the NHL now. I feel that I'm a disciplinarian, but for the benefit of the team. There are rules, there's ways to play, there's ways to practice, there's ways to be conditioned, there's ways to workout, and that's what we expect." With just twelve games left in the regular season and probably less than that to secure a playoff berth and save their season, Torchetti has a daunting challenge ahead of him, and he cannot afford to waste any time. "This challenge alone--you have a team taking over an organization that's in the playoff hunt," he explained. "We have to find ways to get our club to understand the commitment that it's going to take here for the next twelve games, from my end as a coach and the coaching staff." "I'm going to meet tonight with [Kings assistant coaches] Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett and the management staff," he added. "We're going to discuss everything. The bottom line for me is we need to be committed as a hockey team to compete every night. If your team can compete every night, you're going to win a lot of hockey games. That's what needs to be stressed from my end as a coach." Competing and hard work have been missing-in-action for the Kings lately, but just like their previous head coach, preparation and hard work will be part of the game plan. "We'll make sure, as a coaching staff, that they're prepared," explained Torchetti. "For me, when I was in Florida, it was to make the players realize that they can go out, work hard, compete." Obviously noting that the Kings have also been playing scared, timid hockey of late--overly concerned about making mistakes, and thus, stifling their offensive creativity, Torchetti sent a message to his players. "I knew that for our team in Florida, they were a little bit tight," he said. "You had to alleviate whatever problems they were having on the ice. For me, a hockey player should only have to worry about [lacing up] their skates. That's the only thing they should have to focus on." "If you make a mistake, don't worry about making a mistake," he said. "I'll let you know when it's a mistake. But if you're working hard, we're not going to say anything to you. But just go out and work hard, because good things happen to teams that work hard every night. I believe in the players. I believe players can do more than what's asked of them, and that's why I look forward to coaching them." Torchetti also stressed communication with his players as a means to improve their level of play. "My door's open all the time for players to step in and talk with me," said Torchetti. "I usually meet with five players a day. I know time is short right now, but we'll probably bump that up to six. I need to get to know these players and know what it takes to perform at their highest level." "For example, when you have a player in a five-game streak, say he's supposed to be a goal-scorer and he's only got one or two goals. Making sure that you go through the team twice a week, you can overcome that quickly and get on stride," Torchetti explained. "We can't afford to lose a high-caliber player for a ten-game segment, especially with these last twelve coming up. We need all players firing on all cylinders." With a reputation as a special teams expert, Torchetti was obviously brought in to fix the Kings' anemic power play and poor penalty-killing. "Special teams is 75 percent of the game," said Torchetti. "I know in Florida, when we took over there, with fifty games left, our power play was 28th and our penalty-kill was ranked 26th. We finished the season tenth on the power play and second on the penalty-kill." Quite an improvement, no doubt. "We're going to look at [the special teams], and we're going to make some adjustments," Torchetti explained. "I know the special teams is something everyone keeps addressing. Power play--we have to get pucks to the net and we have to get guys committed to standing in front of the net. We have to create chaos for the penalty-killers. We have to shoot pucks and create traffic so the goalie can't see." "We'll sit down, go over the pluses and minuses, and take it from there," Torchetti added. "We'll get some input from the players. They're the ones who play on it. One thing I've learned, the players have the best instincts. They know everything that's going on. They know when things are going bad. That's why we meet with five players a day. We alleviate that. They tell us what's bothering them. You get a lot from the players that way. I know we have a little time frame to work with. We'll go over it and make sure the players understand." Torchetti added that ice time on the power play is a privilege that must be earned. "There has to be risk-reward to the power play," he said. "You can't just go on the power play unless you're causing [the other team to take] penalties. You can't just jump over the bench and expect to be on the ice if you're not the guy who's working hard every night. If you're not grinding it out for the first two periods and then we get a power play with a chance to win the game, if you're not working hard, you're not going to be on the power play." Torchetti also discussed his philosophy about playing as a team, and how he, as the coach, supports the team concept. "The bottom line for me is winning," said Torchetti. "Players play for their coach and they develop the coach's personality. When a player knows when he walks into the dressing room knowing you're going to back him, he's going to go out and work very hard for you, and he's going to work for the team." "It's all about the team, Torchetti stressed. "Individual goals are great, but they have to intertwine with team goals. I'm here for the team. That's my job as a coach. The team comes first at all costs. There is no individualism. It's all about the team and the players have to work with each other." To be certain, Torchetti did not single out any player, but his remarks were a clear message targeted at players who have not been giving their all towards a total team effort, and his primary target was most certainly center Jeremy Roenick, who has been a shell of his former self--a total bust. Torchetti knows that his mission is to get the Kings into the post-season. But first things first. "The focus now is Nashville [the Kings' next opponent]," said Torchetti. "Getting this organization to the playoffs is the focal point for myself and the coaching staff, and that's all we're going to worry about. We're going to go game-by-game. If we work hard, we win and we focus on the next one. That one's over. Focus on the next one." "Utilizing our coaching staff--they've been here all year, they're going to help me a great deal," added Torchetti. "It's more the mental focus for the players to come out and work hard. We just want to worry about the first period--to come out and compete." "When we play Nashville, it'll be a playoff atmosphere," Torchetti stressed. "Whoever you're lined up against, you have to work hard against them. After a full sixty minutes, you can come into the locker room, look at your teammate and say 'I gave a full sixty minutes for you,' and hopefully, we'll get the two points." Torchetti did allow himself a brief moment to look beyond Saturday's game against Nashville. "For them as players, the ride that we're going to go on over the next twelve games is what it's going to be all about," he said. "I want them to be able to enjoy this ride and get this organization to the playoffs." If the Torchetti experiment fails, there can be virtually no doubt that Taylor will be the next to lose his job. But you will not catch him worrying about that, at least, not publicly. "My expectation for our team is to make the playoffs," said Taylor. "Whether I retain my job is not my decision. I'm going to do the best possible job that I can for the Kings, and that's the way I've approached it in all my years here in Los Angeles, so that's not going to change. But we've all been in this business for a long time and we understand how it works." As for the players, they understand their role in all this. "I talked to a lot of my teammates last night," said Kings defenseman and team captain Mattias Norstrom. "I tried to convey the message that, 'Guys, we've got to realize the responsibility still falls on us. We're at fault because we've got ourselves and Andy Murray in this situation.' The solution also is going to be found in this locker room." "A wake-up call, sometimes it's needed," said Kings center Craig Conroy. "Andy was here a long time. If we didn't make the playoffs, there was going to be changes--players, personnel, everybody. The writing was on the wall for that." Murray also met with the media on Wednesday afternoon, the first time he had spoken with reporters since he was fired on Wednesday evening. Classy to the end, Murray thanked his players and the fans. But he once again disagreed with Taylor's contention that the team needed to hear a different voice. "I don't buy the different voice argument, to be very honest with you," he said. "But I respect the decision and Dave making it. There is a success factor that has to be there, and Dave feels, in his opinion, that this is the best way to get it. My disappointment is from not being able to coach the last twelve games." | |
| 3-21-06 | |
| The only question now for Andy Murray is whether or not he wants to go back to selling automobiles.
"I'll be fired up tomorrow because if I expect my team to be energized and ready to go to work, I'd better make sure I'm energized myself," said the now-former head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, after his former team was embarrassed in a 5-0 blow out loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night at Staples Center. "I've got some friends who are in the car business here, and I'm not ready to get back into that business yet, so I want to keep coaching." He will not get that chance, at least, not with the Kings, who fired Murray, along with assistant coach John Van Boxmeer, late Tuesday. The Kings have turned to John Torchetti, who was quickly named interim head coach. Kings President/Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor discussed his decision with reporters during an evening conference call. "Obviously, a decision like this is not made easily," he said. "It was a difficult one to make. I haven't liked the direction of our team probably for the last 20-25 games. I just don't think we played with the same urgency and passion that we did in the first half of the season." Talk about an understatement. Through December 31, the Kings had earned a 25-14-2 record, good for 52 points and they were contending for the top spot in the Western Conference. But starting in January, the wheels fell off. From January 2 through Monday's debacle against Colorado, the Kings are a worse-than-dismal 12-14-3, and have plummeted to eighth-place in the Western Conference, just one point from dropping out of playoff contention altogether. "It's been a trend since the second half of the season," Taylor explained. "I thought our team competed at an outstanding level in the first half of the year. Certainly, we've had our share of ups and downs." Without actually saying it, Taylor all but admitted that Monday's loss to the Avalanche was the last straw. "I had been thinking about it for awhile now, but it [was] probably the last 20-25 games," said Taylor. "I was hoping that coming out of the Olympic break that we'd turn things around, that we might be able regain the type of play that we had earlier in the season. We tried some other things with recalls and a trade. But we've played at a .500 rate since then and that's not good enough." "Particularly this last home stand, we just haven't played up to our capabilities," added Taylor. "That's probably what made the decision. Ultimately, I felt we had to make a coaching decision to move forward and hopefully get our direction turned around." "If we look back, we're 2-5 in our last seven and we've been outscored pretty badly," Taylor elaborated. "And in general, our play was the biggest concern for me." But why not wait until the end of the season before making a change? "This is a drastic step, but we're looking to turn things around," Taylor explained. "If we did nothing, I felt we were going to continue in this downward direction." "I was more concerned that if we didn't make a change at this point that we wouldn't get it turned around," Taylor elaborated. "I looked at the last two weeks, and how we've played and the losses that we've had at home, particularly the opportunities we've had on home ice. So I felt we had to make a change." "I understand that there's a short period of time for us to turn it around, and we're in a battle with a lot good hockey teams. But we want to see the Kings play like they're capable of playing and we'll live with the result. We think the change will give us some spark." The need for change notwithstanding, to some, this might be considered a strange move with the Kings still in playoff contention. "It's a little odd that we're nine games over .500 and we're making a coaching change, but we do have high expectations for our team," Taylor said. "We know we have to play better down the stretch." One thing is certain: Murray took the fall for the lack of effort and lazy play that his players were often guilty of. "Ultimately, our players have to play better," said Taylor. "I had a chance to talk to Mattias Norstrom when I made the decision. He fully understands it as our team captain. He was not happy with our play, either." "The players have to get the job done on the ice," added Taylor. "We're not letting them off the hook. Two quality members of our organization lost their jobs today. We need our players to be better and to perform at their highest level." Taylor also said that he believes Murray was still able to reach his players. "I think Andy is a very demanding coach, but that's a part of his success," said Taylor. "I don't think the players had tuned him out." Despite having just fired them, Taylor had nothing but praise for Murray and Van Boxmeer. "I think Andy Murray did an excellent job as the head coach of the LA Kings, and even now as we're relieving him of his duties," said Taylor. "I can't thank Andy Murray enough for his dedication, his loyalty, his passion and for the great job he's done with this team for seven seasons. He's done a lot over his time here, but we do have high expectations for our team, and we expect and know that we have to play better down the stretch." "We have the same feelings for John Van Boxmeer," added Taylor. "He's a loyal and hard-working member of our staff. We wish those two gentleman lots of luck." As for Murray, who ended his tenure with the Kings with 215 regular-season victories (215-202-63) making him the winningest head coach in franchise history, he respected Taylor's decision but of course, he did not agree with it. "I think the decision was one Dave didn't want to make, yet felt he needed to do it," Murray told the Los Angeles Times. "I respect Dave and [owner Philip] Anschutz and I am thankful for the opportunity they gave me here. Dave wants this team to do well and felt this was necessary. I don't have to agree with him, but he felt it was." While some contend that Kings Chief Executive Officer Tim Leiweke had as much to do with this decision as Taylor did, Taylor made it a point to state that the decision was his and his alone, not one dictated to him by ownership. "Ultimately, this is my decision," he said. "When I made it, I contacted Tim in New York this morning and let him know the direction I was going." That new direction will be John Torchetti, 41, who was most recently an assistant coach and interim head coach for the Florida Panthers. He was also an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. "We're looking forward to Mr. Torchetti joining our staff tomorrow as we resume the rest of the season," said Taylor. "We feel he's an excellent coach. He's a communicator and a teacher, and we also think he's a very good motivator. He's certainly well-qualified to lead our team down the stretch." "I've had discussions with John and we've talked to him in the past regarding various positions in our organization," added Taylor. "When I contacted him, he was very keen about the opportunity. We certainly considered a lot of options before moving forward the way we did today. I felt that hearing a fresh voice would be good for our team." "With John coming aboard, the players will hear a different voice, a different perspective or angle," Taylor elaborated. "But we have to get a better effort and better results from our players." Noting that the Kings have once again been decimated by injuries for the third straight season, Taylor emphasized that injuries do not explain uninspired play. "Injuries are a factor," said Taylor. "But I'm more concerned right now with the lack of energy and emotion. We need that. We're not the most skilled team in the NHL. To overcome that, we need to outwork most teams every night." Taylor did not fire the entire coaching staff, however, in a move to try to maintain some continuity. "We are going to retain [assistant coaches] Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett, so we'll have some continuity with the players who have been here all year," Taylor explained. Taylor did not indicate if the Kings have begun their search for a new head coach yet, but there will be an exhaustive search. "We will interview a number of people, John included," said Taylor. "We'll be looking for the best possible candidate." ANALYSIS Not surprisingly, Taylor failed to mention that Murray also took the fall for being handed a lineup that, until the March trade deadline, had only five legitimate NHL-caliber defensemen, a number one center who has been a complete bust, and a roster that does not have the firepower needed to prevent opposing teams from keying on their top line...when they are healthy enough to play. Without question, Andy Murray was given a lineup that had some big holes in it--he was made the scapegoat for these problems, none of which were his doing. Are these problems Taylor's fault? Or is it the fault of the Kings' meddling ownership, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)? To be sure, it was AEG who wanted the trade for the now-useless Jeremy Roenick--a total waste of a roster spot, not to mention $4.94 million. The good skater, the physical player, the playmaker and the goal scorer that Roenick once was has not materialized this season, and with just twelve games left, likely never will. Whether it was because he came to training camp out of shape after sitting out the lockout year or because of the ridiculous whining about problems with how his skates were being sharpened, or perhaps because of distractions created by his post-hockey career aspirations in Hollywood, Roenick has been a huge drag on his teammates, pulling them into the abyss with him. AEG obviously saw Roenick, who is known for his charisma and willingness to talk to anyone, especially on television, as a marketing gold mine more than as a major talent on the ice, and that is exactly what they got--in 46 games this season, Roenick has scored a pathetic eight goals with ten assists for 18 points, matching his career-low point total set in his first season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1988-89, when he played in just twenty games. Needless to say, AEG will not be the one taking the fall for the unwise roster moves such as the acquisition of Roenick. As such, this makes the firing of Andy Murray look like a drastic move by Taylor to show his superiors that he is taking decisive action to make the playoffs and help the Kings and AEG at least break even--AEG has stated that the Kings need to play in at least one playoff round in order for them to break even financially. After all, AEG has made it all but crystal-clear that the Kings are a business and the bottom line is of utmost importance. And if the Kings fail to qualify for the post-season, Taylor will be the next to be fired, and the axe will likely fall as quickly as it did for Murray. And although AEG's meddling in hockey operations has been a hindrance, Taylor does share some of the blame for poor player personnel decisions. Looking back to July, just after the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed, Leiweke promised that the Kings would put an improved team on the ice. "We are going to spend money this off-season to upgrade this team," said Leiweke. "You can count on it." "In the next thirty days we will be challenged but committed to going out and finding key players we can add to this roster in order to give the Kings not only a competitive team going forward, but a competitive team for the next ten years," he added. As it has turned out, the Kings were competitive until teams figured out how to exploit their undermanned defense as well as how to take the Kings' top line out of the game, and of course, teams did not have to worry about Roenick doing anything. All of that exploited the holes in the lineup and that spelled doom. From this point of view, AEG and Leiweke have failed to live up to their promise. In the final analysis, one really has to wonder if winning the Stanley Cup is anywhere on AEG's priority list, and if so, where it ranks because it certainly does not appear to be anywhere near the top. | |
| 3-21-06 | |
| Following Monday night's debacle against the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray was hopeful about the condition of his best player, forward Pavol Demitra, who had been listed as suffering from a concussion.
"Some good news there is that they believe he has a sinus infection, Murray explained. "They've got him on antibiotics that they hope will clear it up." "He's had blurred vision and he's felt clogged up." The doctors believe that Demitra's sinus infection is the cause of his vision problems and other symptoms and that antibiotics might clear it all up within the next 24-36 hours. "They did a CAT scan and they don't see any structural problems," said Murray. "They think the antibiotics will help him a lot." | |
| 3-14-06 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings activated right wing Pavol Demitra from injured reserve, and he is expected to return to the lineup tonight when the Kings host the Phoenix Coyotes.
Demitra, 31, was struck in the face by a puck while representing Slovakia during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. He has missed the Kings' last six games with a broken nose and bleeding behind his right eye. Demitra was placed on injured reserve on March 8 (retroactive to February 19, when the Olympic break began). In fifty games with the Kings this season, Demitra has scored 22 goals with 35 assists for 57 points, a team-high +22 rating and 36 penalty minutes. | |
| 3-9-06 | |
| Right at the noon Pacific time trade deadline on Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings acquired right wing prospect Tim Jackman from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for unhappy center Yanick Lehoux.
Jackman, 24, has no points and 21 penalty minutes this in eight games this season with the Coyotes. The 6-4, 210-pound native of Minot, North Dakota also has seven goals and thirteen assists with a team-leading 127 penalty minutes in fifty games for the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL). Jackman, was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round (38th overall) of the 2001 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He was traded to Phoenix along with left wing Geoff Sanderson for left wing Jason Chimera, defenseman Cale Hulse and center Mike Rupp on October 8, 2005. In 27 NHL regular season games with Columbus and Phoenix, Jackman has a goal and two assists to go along with 37 penalty minutes. The Kings have assigned Jackman to Manchester. Lehoux, 23, was claimed off waivers by the Kings from the Coyotes, and was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate, on November 25, 2005. This season, Lehoux has played in 31 games with the Monarchs, scoring a disappointing six goals and ten assists for sixteen points with twenty-three penalty minutes. He has been a healthy scratch in numerous games this season. The 6-1, 205-pound center also has a goal and two penalty minutes with the Coyotes this season. Lehoux, who was a contract holdout with the Kings prior to the 2005-06 season, was selected by the Kings in the third round (86th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. | |
| 3-8-06 | |
| (UPDATED: 11:24 PM) --On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings acquired right wing Mark Parrish and defenseman Brent Sopel from the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Jeff Tambellini, defenseman Denis Grebeshkov and a conditional third round draft pick.
Parrish, 29, has scored 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points in 57 games with the Islanders this season. In 499 National Hockey League regular season games with the Florida Panthers and the Islanders, Parrish, who is 5-11 and weighs 200-pounds, has 168 goals and 127 assists for 295 points with 186 penalty minutes. Parrish was Colorado's 3rd round selection (79th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired with a 1998 third round draft pick (Lance Ward) by the Florida Panthers on March 24, 1998, in exchange for Tom Fitzgerald. The Islanders acquired Parrish, along with Oleg Kvasha in exchange for Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen on June 24, 2000. Parrish signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Islanders this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2006. Sopel, also 29, is 5-11 and weighs 205 pounds. In 57 games with the Islanders this season, he has scored two goals with 25 assists for 27 points with 64 penalty minutes and a -9 plus/minus rating. In 359 NHL regular season games with the Vancouver Canucks and the Islanders, Sopel has 34 goals with 118 assists for 152 points, with 193 penalty minutes and is a +20. In 31 playoff games with the Canucks, Sopel has two goals and nine assists for eleven points. Sopel was selected by Vancouver in the 6th round (144th overall) in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded to the Islanders for a conditional draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Tambellini, 21, was selected by the Kings in the first round (27th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. In 56 games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings' primary minor league affiliate), Tambellini, who is 5-11 and weighs 186 pounds, has scored 25 goals with 31 assists for 56 points with 26 penalty minutes and a +17 rating. "This is a dream come true for me," said Tambellini. "I've always followed the Islanders because of my Dad's link to their tradition. I'm so excited about the opportunity to be an Islander. Denis and I will be at practice on Long Island in the morning and we can't wait to get there." In four games with the Kings this season, Tambellini did not get on the scoresheet. Grebeshkov, 22, was selected by the Kings in the first round (18th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In 48 games with the Monarchs this season, the 5-11, 195-pound Grebeshkov has scored two goals with 25 assists for 27 points with 59 penalty minutes. In 166 regular season AHL games, Grebeshkov has scored nine goals with 78 assists for 87 points with 180 penalty minutes. In twelve playoff games with the Monarchs, Grebeshkov has five assists and eight penalty minutes. In eight career NHL games, all with the Kings, Grebeshkov has three assists. The Islanders, who are fourth in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference, are unlikely to make the playoffs--they were obvious sellers at the trade deadline. "Mark Parrish was a class act and a very good player for us for five seasons," said Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury. "We wish Mark and Brent the best and thank them for their time with the Islanders." "This is a trade made undoubtedly with an eye on the future of our organization, but we're also very comfortable putting Denis and Jeff right into our lineup and still making a run at the playoffs this season," added Milbury. Grebeshkov is an extremely talented two-way defenseman who will have a long career on the blue line for us. Tambellini is a fantastic skater and an exciting player with a lot of skill." As for the Kings, who are in second place in the Pacific Division and in sixth place in the Western Conference (going into Wednesday's action), five points into a playoff berth, they were looking to fill some holes in their lineup for the final nineteen games in the regular season--a certain sprint to the finish that could realistically involve ten Western Conference teams. "We're very excited about the addition of these two players to our lineup for the stretch run," said Kings President/Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor. "We realize we're in a heck of a battle here to try to get into the playoffs in the Western Conference, and we feel that both Mark and Brent will be very welcomed and valuable additions to our team down the stretch." "We think [Parrish and Sopel] help to strengthen our club in a number of areas," Taylor continued. "They bring experience to our team, but at the same time are young enough that we could potentially have them with us for many years moving forward." "Our focus right now--we have nineteen games to go before the end of the season," added Taylor. "We're holding onto one of the playoff spots, and we'd like to continue to build on that down the stretch." Perhaps the Kings' most glaring weaknesses this season are special teams, and both players should help the Kings on the power play and in penalty-killing. "Mark has been a proven goal scorer at the NHL level and we feel will also help to upgrade our power play," said Taylor. "Brent will bring a lot of versatility to our back line and help us in all situations." "We feel we've got two veteran guys who can help us in all situations, but also an upgrade to the power play," added Taylor. "That wasn't the primary focus here, as much as it was to add to our overall depth going down the stretch." Indeed, the Kings were not focused on their problems at special teams during their trade-deadline shopping. "We were looking to upgrade our team in a number of areas," Taylor explained. "We were looking to add a defenseman and a forward. Particularly with Mark and his experience--I think he's got thirteen of his twenty-four goals this year on the power play. Brent can also help us on the power play from the blue line." Recognizing that his players have faced the most compressed schedule up to the Olympic break and the injuries that have plagued them all season, Taylor realized that he had to bring in a couple of players who could contribute. "Our guys have battled hard, we've had a number of injuries here with our personnel over the course of the year, so we were trying to bring some help to our lineup," said Taylor. Having a minor league system with a large number of good prospects who are coming up through the ranks allowed the Kings to make such a deal without mortgaging their future. "We were trying to make a deal with prospects," Taylor explained. "We felt we were capable of doing that because of the good job our scouts have done over the years and the number of young players in our system." "There's no question we've given up two good, young prospects who we feel will be valuable additions to the Islanders organization moving forward, with Jeff and Denis going over there," Taylor added. "But with the depth and the amount of good, young players we have in our system, we felt this deal made sense." "We're weren't giving up on [Tambellini]," Taylor concluded. "We think he's an excellent prospect. We think Jeff will play in the National Hockey League for a lot of years. He's a good young player with a lot of speed and he can shoot the puck. But we feel one of our strengths is the number of young forwards in our organization. And not just Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov and Michael Cammalleri, but some of the good, young players we drafted in the last few years." Parrish, who spent almost five of his eight seasons in the NHL with the Islanders, was pleased to be headed west to Los Angeles. "It's exciting to be back in the playoff hunt," said Parrish. "In New York, we were struggling and we weren't really in the thick of things at all. So there's a lot of excitement I'm feeling about getting back into the thick of things." "Hopefully, I can contribute the way that [Kings head coach] Andy [Murray] feels necessary, whether it's on the power play or what not," added Parrish. "Whatever form he feels that I can contribute to the team. At this point in my career, all I care about is winning. And anything I can do to help that is what I'm up for." Parrish will certainly miss the Islanders, but the chance to be in the playoffs will salve that wound. "I had a lot of great years in New York, I spent the majority of my career there," Parrish explained. "There was a little bit of shock when [the news] came out. Not a whole lot, but a little bit. It hit home a little bit after being here for so long. But at the same time, I'm very excited to get to LA, to a team that's on it's way up and that doesn't seem to be on it's way down like the Islanders have been all year." "[It will be good] to be on a team that's not just looking forward to the playoffs but to make some waves in the playoffs as well," Parrish added. "My goal still is to win a Stanley Cup. It was on the island, and now it's to win it in LA. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish off my unfinished business in LA." Regardless of his mixed feelings about leaving, Parrish will always remember his time with the Islanders fondly. "I wish New York all the best," he said. "The organization treated me well. The players and the fans will also hold a special place in my heart. They always treated my great. I appreciate everything that people have done for me there." Sopel reacted to the deal in much the same fashion. "I was a little surprised, but I had been hearing my name floating around," he said. "The [Islanders] struggled right from the get-go. We've been behind the eight-ball the whole time, trying to get back into the playoff hunt. We never got the job done." Sopel's play is better-suited for the Kings than it was for the Islanders, and he is excited about that. "I love the West, it's where I started my career with Vancouver," explained Sopel. "I enjoy the West. The [Kings] are great. I can't wait to start things." "It's not so much the East or the West, I guess it's the style of play," added Sopel. "In Vancouver, we were open, flowing, the defensemen were jumping in. And it's the same type of system in LA. Guys are flying. Guys can skate. I enjoy the puck movement and battling hard." There are two black marks on the deal for the Kings. One is that Parrish, who is earning $1.9 million this season on a one-year contract, could become an unrestricted free agent, and would be free to sign with any team starting on July 1, 2006 unless the Kings can sign him to a contract extension before then. "That's certainly something that we'll address," said Taylor. "Mark has the right and the ability to become an unrestricted free agent. We'll have from now until July 1 to look at that and both sides have the opportunity to look at their options." "We hope this relationship with both Mark and Brent can be long-term relationships with the Kings," added Taylor. "Both players are only 29 years old and we think have a lot of great hockey left in front of them." The other black mark is a minor one: Sopel has a bruised knee that will keep him out of the lineup for 7-10 days. And the conditional draft pick in the deal is partially tied to that. "The conditional pick is tied to Brent's injury, which we don't think will be a factor, and also into the possibility of the Kings making the playoffs," explained Taylor. "If we do not make the playoffs, there will be no transfer of a pick." Taylor said that he has been working the phones for much of the last two weeks. "It's been an interesting market this year," said Taylor. "We've had a lot of discussions with a number of teams going back over a couple of weeks now. We're very surprised that we haven't seen a lot of trades leading up to today." "Both of these players we had rated very high," added Taylor. "As soon as we heard their names and that they would be potentially available to us, we had interest and we felt they were very good fits for the needs of our team." As for the possibility of another deadline deal for the Kings, do not hold your breath. "We feel we've added two major pieces, and they help to fill a couple of areas that we felt were needs," explained Taylor. "We'll continue to look at possibilities from now until noon [Pacific time on Thursday]. But at the same time, I think we'd be comfortable with this lineup moving forward." With this deal obviously being made to help the Kings in the stretch drive, the big question is not only if this move will make the Kings as a lock for the playoffs, but will the addition of Parrish and Sopel give the Kings the additional talent needed to go deep in the playoffs? "I believe so," said Taylor. "We're hoping to get injury news on [Kings star right wing Pavol] Demitra--he's going to see the doctor again Thursday. We're hoping to get Alexander Frolov back into our lineup in the near future. There's a lot of parity in the Western Conference, and there's not much to choose from the first-place team, to the eighth-place team to the twelfth-place team. So we think we've added a couple of very good hockey players to our mix, and this gives us the depth and the balance to make a good run." "But first things first," added Taylor. "We have to get our foot into the door. We realize it's going to be a battle each of these nineteen games down the stretch." | |
| 3-6-06 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman and team captain Mattias Norstrom to a two-year contract extension.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is rumored to be worth $4.25 million per season. Norstrom, 34, is a two-time National Hockey League All-Star and has been named the Kings' Outstanding Defenseman four times, Best Defensive Player four times, Most Inspirational Player once, and the Unsung Hero three times. "I am really happy to be staying here with the Kings and excited about the direction we are headed," said Norstrom. "This organization is committed to winning and I am thrilled that they want me to continue to be apart of it." "We're happy to have Matty continue his career with the Kings," said Kings President/Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor. "We appreciate his leadership, dedication and commitment to our organization." Norstrom, who was acquired by the Kings from the New York Rangers on March 14, 1996, with Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Nathan Lafayette and a fourth-round draft choice (Sean Blanchard) for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla, is the team's longest-tenured player in terms of consecutive service (left wing Luc Robitaille leads the Kings with fourteen total years of service). Norstrom set a new franchise record for games played by a defenseman on November 26, 2005 when he played in his 663rd game for the Kings. He became the team's 12th captain and the first European-born captain prior to the 2001-02 season. "Matty is one of those players who make the coaching profession gratifying" said Kings head coach Andy Murray. "He is all about substance, character and determination." In 58 games with the Kings this season, Norstrom has matched a career-high with 22 points (3 goals and 19 assists), with 54 penalty minutes. His three goals are a career-high. He also contributed his 100th assist as a Kings' player, scored his first power play goal and first game-winning goal in overtime this season, and he recorded a career-high five-point game. In 742 NHL regular season games, with the Rangers and the Kings, Norstrom has 13 goals and 123 assists for 136 points with 569 penalty minutes. In 31 NHL playoff games with the Rangers and Kings, Norstrom has two assists. and thirty penalty minutes. Norstrom has also represented Sweden in international competition. He has been named to their Olympic team three times, played in six World Championships, two World Cup teams and one World Junior Championship team. | |
| 2-27-06 | |
| On Monday, Kingshockey.com learned that the 2006 Olympic Winter Games took a heavy toll on the Los Angeles Kings in terms of injuries.
Winger Alexander Frolov, who represented Russia, has been diagnosed with a partially separated right shoulder. He is listed as week-to-week. Forward Pavol Demitra, the captain of the Slovakian team, was hit in the face by a puck. He suffered a broken nose and bleeding behind his right eye. He will be re-examined on Tuesday, but is not expected to play on Thursday, when the Kings host the Minnesota Wild. | |
| 2-27-06 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled center Jeff Giuliano from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Giuliano, 26, has three goals and three assists for six points in 34 games with the Kings this season. The 5-9, 205-pound has scored five goals and six assists for 11 points in 18 games with the Monarchs this season. | |
| 2-14-06 | |
| The Olympic break has come to the National Hockey League, and for the Los Angeles Kings, it could not have come too soon.
Through February 12, the Kings have had the most compacted schedule of all National Hockey League teams with a league-leading sixty games played. And up until a couple of weeks ago, numerous teams still had played as many as four fewer games. When you combine the road games, the travel, eight sets of games played on consecutive nights and of course, some bad luck, the compacted schedule has taken a brutal beating on the Kings. All those games played in such a short time has resulted in obvious fatigue going into the Olympic break and has been a major factor in the Kings losing 255 man-games to injury. To make matters worse, many of those man-games lost were to key players. Eric Belanger, Pavol Demitra, Alexander Frolov, Aaron Miller, Mattias Norstrom, Luc Robitaille, and Jeremy Roenick--all key players including their leading scorer, their best face-off man, and their two best defensive defensemen. They all missed significant time and that took a great toll on the team, especially during their recent free fall in the standings that may have ended with their two wins last weekend against Chicago and Dallas. And even now, Miller, who sat out sixteen games with a back strain and his defensive partner Tim Gleason, who missed two games with a bruised knee, are not at 100% effectiveness. "We needed this break desperately," said Kings head coach Andy Murray after Sunday's 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars at Staples Center. "We haven't said anything about it, but we have so many guys just hanging on, battling through. I don't know if Tim Gleason should have been playing or Aaron Miller." And they are not the only ones who are playing while banged up. "I can go through six or seven guys...and they just hung in there because we needed it," said Murray. "And yet we haven't ever brought that out in the open but we need this break." The Kings under Murray have never been ones to use injuries as an excuse, and they held true to their word, even though they had players in the lineup who were gritting it out, playing through pain. "We played so hard for so long with so many guys out, and other guys that were hanging in there got banged up but they just kept playing," said Murray. Roenick is one of those players. Although he came back after missing twenty games with a fractured left ring finger, he too is banged up in other ways. "I'm not feeling bad, I'm feeling OK," he said. "I've been battling a bad back for the last couple of days. But I've battled through it. It's a good time for a break for me." Murray said that the players need to get away from the game totally to clear their minds, rest and recharge, mentally and physically. "The big thing for them is to get away from it for a few days," said Murray. "I'm not going to call anybody for a week or so, and then I'll be back in touch with them. They know what our expectations are coming back. We're going to get to work as soon as they get back." Murray is not concerned that his players might live it up during the Olympic break. "I didn't say a lot about it because they know what's at stake," he explained. "You don't do what you just did here today to abuse it over the next two weeks." The Kings are expected to hold a mini-training camp before they return to action on March 2 against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center. It's Not Just The Players Who Could Use The Break... Head coaches need a break too, and Andy Murray is taking full advantage of the two weeks to spend time at home in Minnesota with his family. "I'm going to Minnesota tomorrow to watch my kids play," he said. Murray will be spending a lot of time watching his kids play hockey, and that includes a Wisconsin tournament--a trip that came within a hair of costing him his life four years ago. On February 15, 2002, during the last Olympic break, Murray drove his son's 2001 Ford truck from his home in Faribault, Minnesota to Madison, Wisconsin to watch his oldest son Braden (now a Kings' draft pick) play in a high school tournament. Murray left Faribault at 4:00 AM local time. Two hours later, his truck hit a sheet of ice on Interstate 90 near Sparta, Wisconsin. It spun out, skidded through a fence, went down an embankment, and rolled about 300 feet off the highway. "I hit this ice at 65 or 70 miles per hour," said Murray. "The truck just took off on me. The police reports say it rolled four or five times. I don't know if I was knocked out, but I don't remember rolling." "I remember, just before I rolled, saying, 'Oh no.' And I kind of remember the sensation of it going on the side." Murray had to kick out the driver's side window to escape the mostly flattened truck. "I was thinking, 'I've got to get out of here,'" said Murray. "You're thinking the truck might blow up or something." At the early hour of the accident, Murray not only had major injuries, including a broken shoulder, a torn rotator cuff, four broken ribs, cuts and a concussion, but he also found himself alone in rural Wisconsin, in the dark, with snow on the ground in the dead of winter. His life was in very serious danger due to his injuries and exposure to the cold temperatures. But apparently, it was not his time, as a truck driver saw the accident and came to his aid. Murray ended up in a hospital emergency room in Sparta. After the accident, Murray spent about three weeks recovering from his injuries. Then-assistant coach Dave Tippett acted as the Kings interim head coach until Murray returned on March 7, 2002. Fast forward back to the present, and Murray said that he is going to be much more careful this time when he drives to the very same Wisconsin high school tournament, this time to watch his son Jordan. "I'm actually driving to Wisconsin this weekend for a tournament again," said Murray. "But I'm going a different way." | |
| 2-14-06 | |
| UPDATED - After the Los Angeles Kings' 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon, Kingshockey.com learned that defenseman Mattias Norstrom is likely to miss the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
As of Tuesday night, Norstrom was still in Los Angeles, but he has flight reservations for Italy. However, unless he receives clearance by doctors on Wednesday, the Swedish Hockey Federation will replace him on their Olympic roster. Norstrom, who was named to Team Sweden, has been suffering from what was called a cervical strain, and he missed Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He suited up to play against the Stars, but left the game after the second period. Norstrom said that Team Sweden has to make a decision on what to do about his situation. "I hurt myself Tuesday against Minnesota, and I left the game [today]," he explained. "Right now, I've got to be healthy. I've got to be cleared by doctors before I can go. I have to talk to the Swedish Hockey Federation to see where they're standing to see if they want to replace me right now so they can get a healthy body or give it a few days and see. It's up to them. [But] I can't leave tomorrow." "I wish I could give them an answer like with most injuries," added Norstrom. "But right now, I can't tell them that I'm going to feel better tomorrow morning, a week from now, or two weeks from now. Right now, I don't have much of a choice but to call them, tell them the situation and go from there." Norstrom also revealed that he has more than just a cervical strain. "I had that neck strain, but it's post-concussion symptoms that I'm having now," said Norstrom. "I'm out there, but I'm not feeling well. I feel like I've slowed down. I don't feel right at all." "Unfortunately, that's the decision I've got to make--to step back until I feel good," added Norstrom. "I need to be healthy before I do anything else." | |
| 2-12-06 | |
| On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned center Jeff Giuliano to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate.
Giuliano, 26, has scored three goals with three assists for six points with 22 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Kings this season. Giuliano, who is 5-9 and weighs 205 pounds, has five goals and four assists for nine points in 14 games with the Monarchs this season. | |
| 2-6-06 | |
| On Monday, the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association named the "Voice of the Kings," Bob Miller, as the 2005 Television Play-By-Play Announcer Of The Year.
This is the third time Miller has received this honor. Miller, 67, joined the Kings in 1973. He spent the first seventeen years doing a radio/television "simulcast," and for the last fifteen years, he has been the television play-by-play announcer. Miller received what is arguably the highest honor that a hockey play-by-play announcer can achieve on November 13, 2000, when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame as the 2000 recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. Miller was also inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2002, and he will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year. | |
| 2-4-06 | |
| Late Saturday, Kingshockey.com learned that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Aaron Miller has decided to not to play for the United States Men's Hockey team in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and that he will be replaced by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Bret Hedican.
USA Hockey is expected to make the official announcement on Monday. Miller, 34, missed fifteen games for the Kings after being placed on injured reserve, retroactive to December 22, due to back spasms. He suffered the injury during the first period of the Kings/Calgary Flames game on December 21. Although he has returned to the lineup, Miller told reporters on Sunday that he is not yet at 100% and wants to use the time off to fully recover. | |
| 2-2-06 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings activated veteran center Jeremy Roenick from injured reserve, and he is expected to play in tonight's game at Phoenix.
Roenick was placed on injured reserve on (retroactive to December 20) with a fractured left ring finger. He has missed the last twenty games. In 32 games this season, Roenick has six goals and seven assists for 13 points with 28 penalty minutes. | |
| 2-2-06 | |
| The Los Angeles Kings announced schedule changes on Thursday for their games at Vancouver on March 27, and at Calgary on March 29.
Their game on March 27 at Vancouver, originally scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM PST, will begin at 7:30 PM. On March 29, the Kings were originally scheduled to drop the puck at 6:30 PM at Calgary. That game will now begin at 5:30 PM (this schedule change was previously announced earlier this season). | |
| 2-1-05 | |
| In a year where sticks, skates and pucks remain packed away by National Hockey League teams because of the ongoing labor dispute, there is some news involving the Los Angeles Kings. On Monday, the Southern California Sports Broadcaster's Association named Kings' television broadcaster Bob Miller, the long-time "Voice of the Kings," as the best television play-by-play announcer for 2004. Miller received this honor at the association's annual awards luncheon, held at Lakeside Golf Course in Toluca Lake. In other news, the American Hockey League (AHL) announced Manchester Monarchs head coach Bruce Boudreau, along with assistant coaches Jim Hughes and Dane Jackson, will serve as the coaching staff of the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team at the sold-out 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, which will be held at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire on February 13-14, 2005. The Monarchs are the Kings' primary minor league affiliate. Kings prospects participating in the All-Star game are left wing Dustin Brown (starter, PlanetUSA), defenseman Denis Grebeshkov (PlanetUSA), center Michael Cammalleri (starter, Canadian AHL All-Stars), goalie Mathieu Garon (Canadian AHL All-Stars), right wing Tom Kostopoulos (Canadian AHL All-Stars), and center Yanick Lehoux (Canadian AHL All-Stars). Kostopoulos and Lehoux are injured and are not expected to play participate in the All-Star activities. In 46 games as of January 31, the Monarchs have a 32-9-3-2 record (69 points). They lead the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. They are also the top-ranked team in the AHL, percentage points ahead of Rochester Americans. | |
| 3-30-04 | |
| On Tuesday, one day after they were eliminated from playoff contention for their second straight season, the Los Angeles Kings assigned right wing Scott Barney and defenseman Tim Gleason to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League so that they may play in the AHL playoffs. The Kings also announced that prospects Petr Kanko and Greg Hogeboom have joined the Monarchs.
Barney, 24, played in 19 games for the Kings this season, scoring five goals and six assist for 11 points. The 6-4, 208-pound winger also played in 39 games for Manchester earlier in the season, scoring 19 goals with 12 assists for 31 points with 23 penalty minutes. Gleason, 20, appeared in 47 games with the Kings this season, contributing seven assists with 21 penalty minutes and playing well on defense. The 6-1, 217-pound defenseman also played in 15 games earlier in the season with the Monarchs, contributing five assists with six penalty minutes. Kanko, one of the club's top prospects, scored 26 goals with 42 assists for 68 points in 55 games with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. The 5-10, 200-pound right wing was selected in the third round (66th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Hogeboom, who was signed to an amateur tryout agreement, scored 19 goals and 23 assists for 43 points in 41 games with the University of Miami-Ohio of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (NCAA hockey). the 6-0, 205-pound center was selected by the Kings in the fifth round (157th overall) of the 2002 draft. | |
| 3-30-04 | |
| Prior to Wednesday night's game against the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center (7:30 PM PST), the Los Angeles Kings will honor left wing Luc Robitaille and his family.
Robitaille became the highest scoring left wing in National Hockey League history on March 22 when he assisted on a goal by Jozef Stumpel. The assist gave Robitaille 1,370 points, surpassing former Boston Bruins great John Bucyk. The pre-game ceremony will be aired live on Wednesday's Fox Sports Net (West) telecast. | |
| 3-18-04 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings activated goalie Roman Cechmanek from injured reserve, and they have assigned goalie Milan Hnilicka to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Cechmanek, 32, has missed the last twelve games with a groin strain. In 44 games with the Kings this season, Cechmanek has an 18-16-6 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. | |
| 3-17-04 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that single-game tickets for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale on Saturday, March 20, at 10:00 AM PST at all TicketMaster outlets, on the TicketMaster web site, or by phone at (213) 365-3600.
Ticket prices are $ 36.50, $47.50, $67.50, $77.50, $99.50, $125.50 and $132.50. Playoff tickets will not be sold at the Staples Center box office on Saturday. | |
| 3-16-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced their "March To The Playoffs" campaign, in which they are urging fans to wear purple to Staples Center for all remaining home games in order to create a playoff-like atmosphere.
The Kings are currently in eighth-place in the Western Conference, and are tied with seventh-place Nashville with 79 points (Nashville has more wins, ranking them ahead of the Kings). If the playoffs were to begin tonight, the Kings would qualify, holding the final playoff berth in the conference. The St. Louis Blues, who skate against the Kings at Staples Center tonight (7:30 PM PST), are in ninth place, just one point behind the Kings. Kings President Tim Leiweke praised Kings fans, but said that more support is needed. "We have the greatest fans in the National Hockey League," said Kings President Tim Leiweke. "These games are absolutely crucial and our fan support is more important now than ever. Once we get into the playoffs anything can happen. Let's show the NHL what we already know--the City of Los Angeles has the best fans in sports." Kings head coach Andy Murray and team captain Mattias Norstrom both said that Kings fans do indeed give the players a boost. "Every time our players take to the ice here at Staples Center, they do so knowing they have an extra advantage because of the home crowd," said Murray. "Every game the rest of the way is critical and our season is on the line every night because each game means two points." "The backing that we are going to get from our fans will play a huge factor in our ability to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs," added Murray. "Our fans have made the Staples Center a tough place for a visiting team to play in, and we are counting on that noise level and support to intensify." "I remember how loud our building has been for playoff games," said Norstrom. "The players on the ice feed off of that energy. To get that same passion now would certainly mean a lot to us." Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor said that a big "push" from the fans would be just what the doctor ordered. "Our players have worked hard to get to this point," said K. "Any and all help will be welcomed to help push everyone in the Kings organization into the playoffs." "Our objective every year is to win the Stanley Cup," added Taylor. "The first step, obviously, is to reach the post-season, and once you are there you have a chance to do some damage." | |
| 3-15-04 | |
| Prior to Tuesday night's game against the St. Louis Blues (7:30 PM PST, Staples Center), the Los Angeles Kings will honor left wing Luc Robitaille, who played in his 1,000th career regular season National Hockey League game with the Kings on March 13 at San Jose.
Robitaille is also just two points behind former Boston Bruins left wing John Bucyk, who is the NHL's all-time leading scoring among left wingers. Robitaille also trails former Kings great Marcel Dionne by nine goals for the Kings all-time lead in goal scoring. | |
| 3-14-04 | |
| On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings activated defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from injured reserve, and he is expected to be in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at Staples Center.
Visnovsky has missed the last 17 games with a pinched nerve in his shoulder after being hit from behind by Ethan Moreau during the second period of the Kings/Edmonton Oilers game on January 31 at Edmonton. Visnovsky was leading all Kings defensemen in goals, assists and points with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 47 games. He also led all Kings defensemen at the time with a +14 rating and an average time on the ice of 24:43. | |
| 3-9-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings completed a minor trade-deadline day deal that sent left wing Kip Brennan to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for left wing Jeff Cowan.
Cowan, 27, has appeared in 58 games this season for Atlanta, recording career-highs in goals, assists and points, with nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points with 68 penalty minutes. Last season, Cowan, who is 6-2, 205 pounds, played in a career-high 66 games with the Thrashers, scoring three goals and five assists for eight points with personal-high of 115 penalty minutes, the third-highest on the team. "Jeff is big, physical winger who forechecks well and is strong around the net," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "We like his work ethic and feel he will be a real good fit for our team." Cowan was acquired by Atlanta from the Calgary Flames on December 20, 1001, along with Kurtis Foster in exchange for Petr Buzek and a conditional draft pick. He made his National Hockey League debut during the 1999-00 season with Calgary. In 245 NHL regular season games with Atlanta and Calgary, Cowan has 30 goals and 26 assists for 56 points and 363 penalty minutes. Cowan was signed by the Flames as a free agent on October 2, 1995 after not being selected in the NHL Entry Draft. | |
| 3-9-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings activated defensemen Aaron Miler and Jason Holland, along with right wing Scott Barney from injured reserve. They also assigned Barney, along with center Michael Cammalleri and defenseman Tim Gleason to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Miller, 32, has missed the last 39 games with a pinched nerve, which he suffered during the Kings/Atlanta Thrashers game on December 10. Miller also missed eight games at the beginning of the season with a fractured left wrist. In just 20 games this year, Miller has a goal and two assists for three points with 26 penalty minutes. Holland, 27, has missed the last four games with a charley horse after playing in a career-high 51 games with the Kings this season, registering career-highs in goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (three goals and three assists for six points with 26 penalty minutes). Barney, 24, has missed the last ten games after suffering a separated shoulder on February 13 against Buffalo. In 14 games with the Kings this season, Barney set a new career-high in points with four goals and six assists for ten points, and he scored his first NHL goal on January 14 against the Minnesota Wild. Barney began the season with Manchester, where he scored 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 39 games. Cammalleri, 21, has played in 31 games for the Kings this season, scoring nine goals with six assists for 15 points. With Manchester, Cammalleri has scored nine goals with nine assists for 18 points. in 23 games. Gleason, 21, has played in 40 games for the Kings this season contributing five assists with 21 penalty minutes. The 6-1, 217-pound defenseman also has played in 15 games for Manchester this season, tallying five assists and six penalty minutes. Gleason made his NHL debut on October 9 against Detroit. | |
| 3-9-04 | |
| Late Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled right wing Scott Barney and defenseman Tim Gleason from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Both players had been assigned to Manchester earlier in the day. | |
| 3-8-04 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings pulled the trigger on a trade deadline-eve deal, acquiring right wing Anson Carter from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center/right wing prospect Jared Aulin.
Carter, 29, is 6-1, weighs 203 pounds, and has a right-hand shot. He began the 2003-04 season with the New York Rangers, scoring ten goals and adding seven assists for 17 points with 14 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Rangers. He was acquired by the Capitals on January 23, 2004, in exchange for forward Jaromir Jagr. With the Capitals, Carter played in 19 games, scoring five goals and adding five assists for ten points with six penalty minutes. Overall this season, Carter has scored 15 goals with 12 assists in 62 games. Carter began his NHL career with the Capitals in the 1996-97 season. He was originally selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the tenth round (220th overall) of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. His best season came in 2001-02 with Edmonton, when he scored 28 goals with 32 assists for 60 points with 25 penalty minutes in 82 games. Carter matched his 2001-02 point total last season when he scored 26 goals and 34 assists with Edmonton and the New York Rangers. In 514 regular season games with Washington, Boston, Edmonton and the New York Rangers, Carter has scored 158 goals with 179 assists for 337 points while racking up 170 penalty minutes. Carter has also appeared in 24 playoff games with Boston and Edmonton scoring eight goals with five assists for 13 points with four penalty minutes. "We're very excited to add Anson Carter to our lineup as we approach the critical point of the season," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He brings size, strength, experience and a proven ability to score in the NHL. We hope this acquisition will give our team a real boost for our playoff drive." Taylor told reporters that he wanted to add offense before the deadline. "We were looking to add an offensive player because of the injuries we've had," said Taylor. "At mid-season, we added Martin Straka to our lineup. More recently, we had been looking at a couple of other options. When it came down to price and players available, we felt Anson made a lot of sense." "He can come in here, make an impact for us, score some goals for us," added Taylor. "He's got good size, he has the ability to kill penalties, he can play on the power play, he's a big body to handle around the front of the net, and he has had success in the Western Conference before." "He has versatility, he can play the right or the left side," Taylor explained. "He likes to play the off-wing on the power play, he's got a good one-timer." Taylor did acknowledge that Carter has not played up to expectations so far this year, but that he feels a change of scenery back to the Western Conference could easily get him going. "I don't think Anson has played as well as he'd like [this season], certainly he hasn't put up the numbers he has in the past this year," said Taylor. "But he has had success in the Western Conference. He had a couple of very good years with Edmonton and we had a chance to see him on a regular basis there." "We think we can get Anson going and that he can give us a lift." Taylor also explained Carter's contract situation. "Anson signed a one-year contract this year," explained Taylor. "It's $2.8 million [this year] and he can be qualified at that same number and we'd retain his rights for next season. He's 29, about to turn 30, so he's not an unrestricted free agent. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer." Taylor also explained that even with the addition of Carter, the Kings do not have to make room on the roster for him. "We don't have to send anyone down [to Manchester]," said Taylor. "After midnight tonight, we're allowed to increase our roster beyond 23. Anson comes onto our roster immediately and leaves us 23 players. But we have the ability to expand tomorrow." Carter, who will wear jersey number 11, expressed excitement about joining the Kings. "Yeah, I'm very excited," he said. "It is a chance to join the playoff race. It's very exciting. It's what all players dream about growing up and that is our focus as the summer and whole year goes along. So having the chance to potentially compete for the Stanley Cup is a very exciting thing." "[Playing for the Kings is] something I've dreamed about for a long time," he elaborated. "Making my summer home there is a big plus. Coming to a team that's in the thick of the playoff race--it's an exciting time of year." Carter makes his home in Marina Del Rey during the summer, making the transition to the Kings easier. "I live in Los Angeles in the summertime," said Carter. "Change is always difficult but going to the place where I'll be playing will help." "I think [Capitals General Manager] George [McPhee] did me a favor by sending me to a place where I live in the summertime," added Carter. "If it was any place else it would be a difficult transition I think." Carter, who will be on an early-morning flight to Los Angeles, also played for Team Canada under Kings head coach Andy Murray during the 2003 World Championships, and he believes this will help him fit in well with the Kings. "That makes it a lot easier knowing what Andy expects," said Carter. "He is a pretty demanding coach and is very prepared. Going in to this situation, I think it helps having the two World Championship experiences under my belt." "I'm looking forward to coming to LA and helping the team get into the playoffs and hopefully plant some roots and stick around for awhile," added Carter. Aulin, 21, played in seventeen regular season games for the Kings last season, scoring two goals with two assists for four points. He was acquired by the Kings on March 22, 2001 as the player to be named later in the February 21, 2001 trade that sent defenseman Rob Blake and forward Steven Reinprecht to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for winger Adam Deadmarsh, defenseman Aaron Miller, first round picks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (David Steckel) and the 2003 Entry Draft (Brian Boyle). Aulin, who is 6-0 and weighs 192 pounds, was Colorado's second round selection (47th overall) in the 2000 Entry Draft. He spent most of last season with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings primary minor league affiliate). In 44 games, he scored twelve goals with 32 assists for 44 points. Aulin suffered a dislocated shoulder during training camp this season, requiring surgery. He had been on injured reserve, but was recently assigned to Manchester and had been skating recently. "We got a 21-year-old player that we like," said McPhee. "We're hopeful that he can play in a couple of weeks in Portland." Taylor explained that Aulin became expendable because of the Kings' added depth in their system. "There are a number of our prospects that we weren't interested in trading, but there are a couple that we would discuss," explained Taylor. "We feel that we've been able to build up some decent depth among our prospects and we like some of the other forwards we have. That's the reasoning behind us feeling we could give up Jared Aulin and acquire some immediate help with Anson Carter." "Jared remains an excellent prospect," added Taylor. "He got into some games for us last season, and he was a point-a-game player as a first-year pro [with Manchester]. We realized that to get a player like Anson Carter, we'd have to give up a good prospect. We felt we could do that because of the depth of the prospects that we have acquired over the last couple of years. We think our scouting staff has done an excellent job for us. We've tried to hold onto our picks and improve our depth in that area." Taylor also said that although the Kings do not have any imminent deals in the works, they are still keeping their options open. "We've had a lot of discussions and that will continue right up to the deadline [at noon PST on Tuesday]," he said. "As we've said, there are a number of prospects in our system that we're not interested in talking about, but we do have some other assets, and if there is another opportunity that we think can help us, we'll move on it. I wouldn't say we have anything hot or anything pending, but we'll continue to work the phones." | |
| 3-8-04 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned defenseman Denis Grebeshkov and goalie Mathieu Chouinard to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. They also recalled goalie Milan Hnilicka from Manchester.
Grebeshkov, 20, played in four games for the Kings, contributing one assist. He made his National Hockey League debut on February 28 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The 6-1, 195-pound defenseman has also played in 25 games with Manchester, scoring goal with four assists for five points and 20 penalty minutes. Chouinard, 23, appeared in one game with the Kings, making his NHL debut on Feburary 29 at Anaheim, stopping two shots in a backup appearance.. In 18 games with Manchester this season, he has an 8-5-0 record, a 2.19 goals-against average (GAA), a .917 save percentage and four shutouts. Hnilicka, 30, has played in two games for the Kings this season. In 13 games with Manchester, he has a 6-6-0 record, a 2.60 GAA and a .904 save percentage. In 121 career NHL games with the Kings, Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Rangers, Hnilicka has a 29-67-13 record with a 3.31 GAA. | |
| 3-6-04 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings activated rookie right wing Dustin Brown from injured reserve.
Brown, 19, has missed the last 14 games after re-injuring a sprained ankle. He originally missed 26 games from November 30, to January 22 after spraining the ankle on November 29 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center. Brown, who is expected to be in the lineup for Saturday night's game against the Montreal Canadiens at Staples Center, has a goal and three assists in 24 games this season. The 6-0, 200-pound winger was selected by the Kings in the first round (13th overall) on this past summer's NHL Entry Draft. | |
| 3-4-04 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings activated forward Martin Straka from injured reserve, and they assigned defenseman Tomas Zizka to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. The Kings also placed winger Jon Sim and defenseman Brad Norton on waivers, and both were claimed by other teams.
Straka, 31, suffered sprained left knee cartilege on January 10, and underwent surgery to repair damaged cartilege in both knees. In 18 games with the Kings this season, Straka has six goals and five assists for 11 points. Zizka, 24, has played in 15 games with the Kings, scoring two goals and adding three assists for five points with 12 penalty minutes. Rookie defenseman Denis Grebeshkov has been impressive in two games with the Kings since his recall on February 28, prompting the Kings to keep him up with the big club and send Zizka back to Manchester. Sim was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins while Norton was claimed by the Washington Capitals. The Kings hoped that both players would clear waivers so they could be assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, their primary minor league affiliate. Today's roster moves were made to clear roster space for Straka, and the addition of newly-acquired defenseman Nathan Dempsey. Rookie right wing Dustin Brown (ankle injury) is also expected to return to the lineup very soon. | |
| 3-2-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings acquired defenseman Nathan Dempsey from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft and a conditional sixth round selection in the 2006 Entry Draft.
Chicago will get the sixth round pick if the Kings advance past the first round of the playoffs this year. Dempsey, 29, has played in 58 games for Chicago this season, scoring eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points with 30 penalty minutes, a career-high. Dempsey, who is 6-0 and weighs 191 pounds, was leading all Blackhawks in average time on the ice (23:47 per game), and he led all Chicago defensemen in goals, assists, points and games played, along with power play goals (two). Last year was Dempsey's first full NHL season. He scored five goals and added 23 assists for 28 points with 26 penalty minutes in 67 games with Chicago. He made his NHL debut with Toronto in the 1996-97 season, playing in 14 games, scoring a goal and adding as assist for two points. "Nathan fits in well with our current group of defensemen," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He is mobile and he moves the puck well. He has a good, all-around game, and we like that he has played in all situations with Chicago this season." Dempsey hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and was Toronto's 12th choice (245th overall) in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with Toronto in the 1996-97 season. "I was a little shocked to begin with, but I'm excited about everything, to get to a playoff team, hopefully help them get in and do well from there," said Dempsey. "I respect the things they've been doing this year, the fact they've gone though a lot of adversity [with injuries]. It shows the type of guys they have in the locker room with the way they've been going. I'm hoping to fit in as soon as possible." Dempsey signed with Chicago as a free agent on July 12, 2002. He is in th final year of his contract, earning $600,000 this season. The Kings will have to pay approximately $100,000 of that. Dempsey will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, unless the Kings sign him to a new contract before that date. In 173 career regular-season games with Chicago and Toronto, Dempsey has scored 15 goals and added 52 assists for 67 points with 64 penalty minutes. And in six playoff games, all with Toronto, he has two assists. Dempsey is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday when the Kings host the Minnesota Wild. He will wear jersey number 10. | |
| 2-28-04 | |
| Early Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled defenseman Denis Grebeshkov from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and have placed defenseman Jason Holland on injured reserve, retroactive to February 26, with a thigh contusion.
Grebeshkov, 20, has played in 25 games for Manchester this season, scoring one goal with four assists for five points with twenty penalty minutes. Grebeshkov, who is 6-1 and weighs 195 pounds, was selected by the Kings in the first round (18th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He won gold medals with the Russian team at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Hockey Championships. He will wear jersey number 38. Holland, 27, has played in a career-high 51 games for the Kings this season, scoring three goals and three assists, both career-highs. The 6-2, 193-pound defenseman was signed as a free agent by the Kings on August 30, 2001. In 80 career NHL games with the Kings, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, Holland has scored four goals and five assists for nine points with 36 penalty minutes. | |
| 2-24-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that Vice President of Hockey Operations/Assistant General Manager Kevin Gilmore has been signed to a multi-year contract extension.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Gilmore, 39, has been with the Kings since the end of the 1998-99 season, when he was hired as the Assistant General Manager. He takes care of the bulk of contract negotiations for the team, and assists the General Manager in all facets of the Kings' hockey operations. Gilmore also serves as the General Manager of the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate. "Kevin continues to be a great asset to both our club and to our hockey operations department," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He has also been instrumental in the success of the Monarchs, not only in the overall growth of that franchise but with the on-ice product as well as we continue to see a lot of young talented players joining the Kings." | |
| 2-20-04 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings placed goalie Roman Cechmanek on injured reserve, retroactive to February 19 due to a groin strain. They also recalled center Michael Cammalleri and goalie Mathieu Chouinard from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and they assigned right wing Pavel Rosa to Manchester.
Cechmanek was injured during Wednesday's game against the Dallas Stars at Staples Center. Chouinard, who was recalled under emergency conditions, is 23 years old. The 6-1, 211-pound goalie has played in 18 games with the Monarchs this season, earning an 8-5-0 record, a 2.19 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and four shutouts. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent on July 7, 2003 and will wear jersey number 45. Cammalleri, 21, has played in 24 games with the Kings this season, scoring eight goals and five assists for 13 points with 12 penalty minutes. The 5-9, 180-pound forward has also played in 23 games with Manchester, scoring nine goals with nine assists for 18 points and 16 penalty minutes. Cammalleri was selected by the Kings in the second round (49th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In 52 NHL games, all the with the Kings, he has 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points with 34 penalty minutes. Rosa, 26 played in two games for the Kings since his recall on February 14, scoring a goal and adding an assist for two points. In 51 games with Manchester, Rosa leads the Monarchs in goals and points with 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points with 18 penalty minutes. He currently ranks third in AHL overall scoring. Rosa, who is 5-11 and weighs 188 pounds, has played in 34 NHL games, all with the Kings, scoring four goals and 12 assists for 16 points. He was originally selected by the Kings in the second round (50th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. | |
| 2-19-04 | |
| Late Thursday, it was learned the Los Angeles Kings goalie Roman Cechmanek has been diagnosed with a groin strain, and is not expected to be available on Saturday when the Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. The Kings are also expected to recall goalie Mathieu Chouinard and forward Michael Cammalleri from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Finally the Kings are also expected to assign right wing Pavel Rosa to Manchester.
Cechmanek suffered his groin strain in the first period of the Kings/Dallas Stars game at Staples Center on Wednesday night. He remained in the game, but was replaced by Cristobal Huet at the 13:00 mark of the second period. Huet is expected to get the start in goal on Saturday. Chouinard, 23, is 6-1 and weighs 211 pounds. He has played in 18 games for the Monarchs this season (906 minutes), with an 8-5-0 record, a 2.19 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and four shutouts. | |
| 2-17-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Dallas Stars announced that the start time for their Wednesday, February 25 game against the Los Angeles Kings has been changed.
The game was originally scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM PST to accommodate ESPN2, which was to televise the game nationally. However, ESPN2 has chosen to air the Tampa Bay LIghtning vs. Atlanta Thrashers game instead. As such, the start time for this game was moved up to 5:30 PM PST, the usual start time for Stars games. The Stars will broadcast the game locally on KDFI-TV 27 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Fox Sports Net (West/West 2) is not expected to add the game to their schedule. | |
| 2-17-04 | |
| Late Tuesday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings right wing Scott Barney has a first-degree separation of his right shoulder. The Kings also activated goalie Milan Hnilicka from injured reserve and assigned him to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Barney, who hurt the shoulder during the Kings blowout loss at Buffalo on Friday, when he was hit by Buffalo winger Adam Mair in the second period, was a major contributor since being recalled on January 12 from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, scoring four goals and six assists for ten points in 14 games. Barney is on injured reserve. His status is listed as week-to-week. Hnilicka, 30, suffered a broken finger during practice on January 2. He played in two games this season, filling in as the Kings backup goalie when Roman Cechmanek was out with a hip injury. | |
| 2-14-04 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings placed right wing Scott Barney on injured reserve, and they recalled right wing Pavel Rosa from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. The Kings also loaned left wing Kip Brennan to the Monarchs on a conditioning assignment.
Barney, 24, suffered a sprained right shoulder during the second period of Friday night's 8-3 blow-out loss at Buffalo. Barney played in 14 games since being recalled from the Monarchs on January 12, scoring four goals and six assists for ten points with two penalty minutes. Barney, who is 6-4 and weighs 208 pounds, was leading the Monarchs in goal-scoring when he was recalled. In 39 games with the Monarchs, Barney scored 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points. Rosa, 26, has played in a team-leading 51 games for the Monarchs this season, leading them in goals and overall scoring, with 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points with 18 penalty minutes. He ranks third in the AHL in scoring. Rosa, who is 5-11 and weighs 188 pounds, was originally selected by the Kings in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has played in 34 NHL games, all with the Kings, scoring four goals and twelve assists for 16 points with six penalty minutes. He will wear jersey number 55. Brennan, 23, has played in 13 games with the Kings this season, scoring a goal and racking up 74 penalty minutes. He was suspended for ten games on December 27 for returning to the ice after being escorted off by officials during an altercation. | |
| 2-9-04 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings placed rookie right wing Dustin Brown on injured reserve, retroactive to January 28), and have recalled right wing John Tripp, and defensemen Tim Gleason and Tomas Zizka from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Brown, 19, aggravated a sprained ankle that forced him to miss 26 games from November 30 to January 22. He suffered that injury back on November 29 when the Kings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center. In 24 games, Brown has a goal and three assists for four points. He was selected by the Kings in the first round (13th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Tripp, 26, has played in 21 games for the Kings this season, contributing four assists with 26 penalty minutes. Gleason, 20, has appeared in 29 games for the Kings this season, tallying two assists with 19 penalty minutes. He made his NHL debut with the Kings on October 9. In 15 games with the Monarchs, Gleason has five assists and six penalty minutes. Zizka, 25, has played in four games with the Kings, racking up eight penalty minutes. In 39 games with Manchester, he has three goals and 13 assists for 16 points and 27 penalty minutes. | |
| 2-9-04 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings signed head coach Andy Murray, along with assistant coaches Ray Bennett, Mark Hardy and John Van Boxmeer to multi-year contract extensions. Goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki was also signed to a multi-year contract extension.
Murray, 52, became the Kings head coach on June 14, 1999, and guided the team to playoff berths in his first three seasons. By the end of the 2003-04 regular season, Murray will equal of the team's longest run by a head coach. In addition, he ranks second all-time among Kings head coach behind Bob Pulford in games behind the bench with 382. Murray only needs seven wins to tie Pulford's club record of 178 wins as a Kings head coach. "Andy Murray has brought stability to our coaching staff since he took over as head coach over five seasons ago," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. Murray has a 171-132-47-21 record over his career with the Kings, good for a .537 winning (points) percentage, the second-best record in franchise history among Kings head coaches who have coached for at least one full season. "[Andy Murray] and his staff do a tremendous job of preparing our team on a nightly basis and that has helped make us a competitive team that our fans can be proud of," added Taylor. "We look forward to their continued success." | |
| 2-4-04 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who left Tuesday's game at Calgary in the first period, complaining of blurred vision, has been diagnosed as having had a migrane headache. They also assigned defenseman Tomas Zizka to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. They also sent right wing John Tripp to Manchester on a conditioning assignment.
Norstrom is expected to make a full recovery, and travel to Minnesota to participate in the 2004 NHL All-Star events this weekend. Zizka, 25, has played in four games with the Kings this season. Tripp, 26, returned to the lineup on Tuesday night at Calgary after missing seven games with a broken nose. In 21 games with the Kings this season, Tripp has four assists and 26 penalty minutes. | |
| 2-3-04 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to February 1), and that they have activated right wing John Tripp from injured reserve.
Visnovsky was injured in the second period of the Kings 4-3 win at Edmonton on Saturday, the result of a questionable hit by Edmonton Oilers left wing Ethan Moreau. Visnovsky fell head first into the boards, suffering what appeared to be neck and right shoulder injuries. His right shoulder was immobilized and he was carted off the ice on a stretcher. Visnovsky was taken to an Edmonton hospital for x-rays, which were negative. He traveled with the team to Calgary, but returned to Los Angeles for an MRI examination, which was negative. The Kings provided no details on the extent of Visnovsky's shoulder injury. Tripp suffered a broken nose during the Kings/Chicago Blackhawks game in Chicago on January 18. He is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Kings skate at Calgary. | |
| 3-31-03 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings and the Canadian Hockey Association announced that Kings head coach Andy Murray has been named as the head coach for Team Canada for the 2003 Men's World Championships, to be held April 26 - May 11 in Finland.
Barry Trotz (head coach of the Nashville Predators), Mike Pelino and Rob Cookson were named as assistant coaches. "The coaching staff that we have assembled has all been at a World Championship before, and all bring together a tremendous wealth of coaching knowledge and experience," said Team Canada General Manager Steve Tambellini. "Led by our head coach Andy Murray, we look forward to continuing Canada's outstanding tradition of international excellence by getting Canada back on the podium this year at the Worlds in Finland." Murray is no stranger to international competition. He was an associate coach for Canada's 1998 Men's Olympic Hockey Team in Nagano, Japan, and was the head coach of Canada's National Men's team from 1996-98, leading Team Canada at the Men's World Championships in 1997 and 1998, winning the gold medal in 1997 in Finland, the last time Canada won the gold medal at this tournament. In 1996, Murray was an assistant coach for Team Canada, winning silver medals in the World Cup of Hockey and Men's World Hockey Championship tournaments. "I am very excited about leading Canada into this year's World Championship," said Murray. "Any time you have an opportunity to represent your country on the international stage is both a privilege and an honor. As a coaching staff, we are looking forward to the naming of players to our roster and beginning to prepare for this year's Worlds." Canada will open the 2003 World Championships on April 26 against Latvia. | |
| 3-29-03 | |
| The Los Angeles Kings have announced that Saturday's game against the Vancouver Canucks (7:00 PM PST, Staples Center), will be heard on Radio Disney 1110 AM instead of ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN 710 AM) in the Los Angeles area.
The game has been moved becuase of a conflict with Anaheim Angels baseball. Coverage will begin at 6:30 PM with the Inside Hockey pre-game show. | |
| 3-28-03 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned right wing Pavel Rosa to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Rosa was recalled on March 26 under emergency conditions and was in the lineup during the Kings' 3-0 loss at Colorado on Thursday. | |
| 3-26-03 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled right wing Pavel Rosa under emergency conditions from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Rosa, 25, played in one game with the Kings earlier this season. In 55 games at Manchester, he has scored 24 goals and added 30 assists for 54 points with 14 penalty minutes. Rosa, who is 5-11 and weighs 188 pounds, was originally selected by the Kings in the second round (50th overall) of the 1995 NHL draft. In 33 NHL games, all with the Kings, he has four goals and twelve assists for 16 points with 16 penalty minutes. | |
| 3-25-03 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled center Steve Kelly from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions.
Kelly, 26, played in nine games for the Kings earlier this year, scoring one goal and adding two assists for three points. In 54 games with Manchester, Kelly has 21 goals and 44 assists for 63 points with 144 penalty minutes. Kelly's 44 assists leads the Monarchs. He is also second on the team with eight power play goals. The 6-2, 205-pound center has played in 138 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, and the Kings, scoring eight goals and eleven assists for 19 points. | |
| 3-22-03 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned defenseman Jason Holland to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Holland, who has been recalled several times this season, played in his first game for the Kings this year on Thursday, recording an assist in a 2-2 tie against Tampa Bay. | |
| 3-19-03 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled defensemen Jason Holland and Tomas Zizka under emergency conditions from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Holland, who will wear jersey number 53, has played in 61 games for Manchester this year, scoring three goals and adding 25 assists for 28 points with 45 penalty minutes. The 6-3, 219-pound defenseman has been recalled by the Kings on two occasions earlier this season, but has not appeared in a game. Zizka, 23, has played in 61 games for the Monarchs this season, scoring 13 goals and 30 assists for 43 points, leading all Manchester defensemen in scoring. The 6-2, 206-pound defenseman made his NHL debut on January 22 at Anaheim, his only NHL game. He will wear jersey number 5. | |
| 3-18-03 | |
| Following Tuesday's loss to the Calgary Flames at Staples Center, Kingshockey.com has learned that the Los Angeles Kings have all but officially shut down star forwards Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh, along with center prospect Michael Cammalleri, wingers Steve Heinze, and Ken Belanger, and goalie Felix Potvin, for the remainder of the 2002-03 season.
Sources close to the Kings reported that Allison, Deadmarsh, Cammalleri, Heinze and Belanger continue to suffer from symptoms of post-concussion syndrome, and are making little to no progress. Potvin is recovering from a sprained knee. He is skating, but is not practicing yet. Sources have stated that with the Kings virtually out of playoff contention, there is no sense trying to bring any of these players back before next season. | |
| 3-16-03 | |
| On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned defenseman Jason Holland back to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Holland had been recalled on an emergency basis on Saturday. | |
| 3-15-03 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled defenseman Jason Holland from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Holland, 26, has played in sixty games with the Monarchs this season, recording three goals and 22 assists for 25 points with 45 penalty minutes. | |
| 3-13-03 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Ian Laperriere has been nominated by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to "the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." The trophy was first presented by the PHWA in 1968 to commemorate the late William Masterton, a player of the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and who died January 15, 1968, as a result of an on-ice incident. Each chapter (one in every NHL city) nominates one player and the thirty nominees are then narrowed to three and put up for general vote at the end of the season. In addition, a $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, MN, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner. Active in the community, Laperriere, 29, has served as a head player instructor throughout numerous Kings Youth Hockey Camps (proceeds from the camps benefit Kings Care Foundation/Hockey Fights Cancer) and he and his wife Magali have annually "adopted" two kids as part of the Kings' Adopt-A-Child program. Previous Kings who have won the Masterton Trophy include Dave Taylor (1990-91), Bob Bourne (1987-88) and Butch Goring (1977-78). | |
| 3-12-03 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled defenseman Joe Corvo and newly-acquired center Sean Avery from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Both players are expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Kings skate at Tampa Bay. Corvo and Avery were assigned to Manchester on Wednesday so that they would be eligible to play for Manchester in the AHL playoffs. | |
| 3-11-03 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings were expected to both dump salary and trade another veteran, and those things came true, as they traded away defenseman Mathieu Schneider and center Bryan Smolinski in separate deals.
The Kings' salary dump deal sent Schneider, their best overall player this season, to the Detroit Red Wings. In exchange, the Wings sent to the Kings center prospect Sean Avery, defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov, a first round pick in the 2003 NHL draft, and a second round pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Schneider, 33, scored 14 goals and 29 assists for 43 points in 65 games for the Kings this year, and was their second-leading scorer. He was also the team's best overall player throughout the season. "I had a feeling that once [Kings defenseman Aaron Miller] was signed that I'd be moved," Schneider said. "I'm extremely excited. LA has been a great place for me and my family, but it's not often you get a chance like this. I'm very excited to get the chance to win the Stanley Cup. And if there was one team I wanted to go to it was the Detroit Red Wings." "I call him a top-four defenseman," Detroit General Manager Ken Holland said. "He can play minutes. He averages twenty-two minutes with LA. He plays in every situation." The Kings admitted that Schneider's contract was a reason they made the deal. "That was part of our decision," explained Kings Senior Vice President Dave Taylor. "We also felt that Detroit was making a very good offer for Mathieu Schneider." Taylor also said that Schneider's eligibility for unrestricted free agency after next season was part of his decision. "The package we were offered was enough that we would make the deal now," Taylor explained. "We'd be in the same situation next year with Mathieu that we were with Bryan this year--he'd have the ability to go unrestricted." But Taylor also pointed to his remaining blue liners as a reason they made the deal. "Joe Corvo's been making some strides, and Jaroslav Modry's ability to move the puck, and Lubomir Visnovsky's puck-handling gave us the ability to make this deal," Taylor said. "Mathieu's had an excellent season, and has been a very good player for us since we signed him as a free agent three years ago," he added. "With [Mattias] Norstrom and [Aaron] Miller as solid defensive defenseman, along with Modry and Visnovsky, and with the emergence of Corvo, we have a number of mobile defensemen who can move the puck. Mathieu was the premier guy back there, but we now feel we have enough puck-moving defensemen to move ahead." Taylor also acknowledged that other teams were interested in Schneider, mostly the Philadelphia Flyers, who were a little too late. "We had a number of discussions with [Flyers General Manager] Bob Clarke yesterday regarding Mathieu," said Taylor. "We had talked about some different scenarios, but they had not made a formal offer. They called back this morning with a proposal, but we had already moved ahead with Detroit." Kuznetsov, 25, has played in a career-high 53 games with the Red Wings this season, recording three assists and 54 penalty minutes. He was originally selected by the Red Wings in the first-round (26th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Kuznetsov, who is 6-5, and weighs 235 pounds, has played in 117 career NHL games, all with Detroit, scoring two goals and seven assists for nine points with 117 penalty minutes. "Maxim Kuznetsov has been with the Wings with a number of years," said Taylor. "He has been slowly developing is a tall, lanky defenseman. We think he's been making strides in his development, and will be able to play on our top six defense." But Kuznetsov was a healthy scratch against the Kings on Monday night at Staples Center, and has not seen a lot of playing time with Detroit while playing behind the likes of Norris Trophy winners Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios. The knock on Kuznetsov is that he has not become the physical player he could be with his size. He also needs to work on his skating. Kuznetsov will travel to Tampa Bay this afternoon to join the Kings, and will wear jersey number 6. Avery, 22, has played in 39 games with the Red Wings this season, recording five goals and six assists for 11 points with 120 penalty minutes. A member of the Red Wings' 2002 Stanley Cup Championship team. Most recently, Avery has been playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), where in 15 games he has six goals and six assists for 12 points and 82 penalty minutes. "Sean Avery would probably play as a fourth-line, fiesty, energy-type player with the ability to move up to the third line," Taylor explained. "He's not quite as big in stature as Ian Laperriere, but he plays a very similar style. We look forward to having him join our team and play in the same kind of role for us." But Avery will not be starting on the Kings' fourth line. In fact, Avery has been assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, the Kings' primary minor league affiliate. As one might expect, Avery was disappointed to be leaving the Stanley Cup-contending Red Wings. "Obviously, it's a disappointment," Avery said. "I grew up in my first two years in the NHL with some of the greatest players ever to play the game. But in LA, I'm going to get a good opportunity to play on a younger team. I just want to go to LA and play hard." "I just to get in there, get my nose dirty, and play hard," Avery added. "I want to create some energy for the guys and be a pest out there." About two hours later, the next axe fell when the Kings sent Smolinski, who would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if unsigned, to the Ottawa Senators for the rights to 20-year-old defenseman prospect Tim Gleason. Smolinski, 31, has scored 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points in 58 games for the Kings this season, ranking third on the team in scoring. But he went through long slumps, both last year and this season, and has not showed the consistent production the Kings needed from a number two center, which made him expendable. His demands for a long-term contract also forced Taylor's hand. "We were never really close," Taylor said about contract negotiations with Smolinski and his agent. Taylor said that Smolinski was looking for a multi-year deal, and that the Kings were looking at a one-year, or one-year plus an option year contract. "Smolinski wanted three or more years, and that was not something we were prepared to do," he said. "I spoke to LA about an extension, but they only offered a one-year deal so it was probably time to move on," Smolinski's agent Pat Brisson said. "They did Bryan a favor by moving him to a Cup contender." A number of teams were interested but not as much as Ottawa. "There were a number of teams interested in Bryan, but Ottawa made the best offer," said Taylor. "We can go to war with anybody right now," said Ottawa General Manager John Muckler. What may have also pushed Ottawa over the top to make this deal is that it is rumored that the Kings will pay the remainder of Smolinski's $2.4 million contract for this season. Gleason, who is 6-1 and weighs 214 pounds, was selected by Ottawa in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2001 NHL draft. He is currently playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, where in 42 games he has seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points and 64 penalty minutes. "Tim Gleason is a very dynamic skater with a powerful build," said Taylor. "He plays a gritty style with Windsor. We think he has a pretty good upside and a good future." Muckler said the Senators are looking to win the Cup now, which made Gleason available. "I don't think Gleason would have an opportunity to play with our club for another three or four years," Muckler explained. "All we're looking for is a Stanley Cup right now." Last season, Gleason, who is reported to be a speedy defenseman, scored eight goals and twelve assists for 20 points with 42 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games with the Spitfires. Gleason is a two-time member of Team USA's World Junior Championship squad, and he played in seven games in 2001, but was limited to just one contest in 2003 due to a broken foot suffered during the first game of the tournament. Gleason was ranked 12th among North American prospects by NHL Central Scouting in 2001, and impressed scouts with his power, balance, speed and mobility, and he plays with a bit of an edge. Since that time, Gleason has bulked up by about 15 pounds, and reportedly has lost a bit of his speed because of that. But scouts have said that it was a good trade-off, because he is able to play more of a physical game. The knock on him is that he lacks consistency, but he is still very young. He will certainly need a couple of years in the AHL after his career in Canadian Juniors before he can make it with the Kings. In the final analysis, it is clear that the Kings management is looking to the future, and has, at least privately, given up on making the playoffs this year. But Taylor had to be talking with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek when he said that his team has not given up. "We don't feel we're out of the race," Taylor said. "Certainly, eight points is a lot to make up down the stretch, but our team has competed hard despite the injuries we've had. I suspect Andy Murray will have our team competing the same way down the stretch." Taylor did acknowledge the trades did reflect his team's poor chances, however. "If we were sitting in fifth or sixth position, it might be a different story," he said. But with the addition of the first round pick in the 2003 NHL draft, the Kings now have three first round selections in what will be the most talent-laden draft in a number of years. "Our scouts feel it is a strong and very deep draft," said Taylor. "We have three first round selections--three in the first thirty picks. It gives us some flexibility. We can move picks for a player at some point between now and the draft if its improves our team. If not, we'd go to the podium select who we think are the best prospects." "We feel that we gave up a couple of pretty good players," added Taylor. Bryan and Mathieu have been very good for the LA Kings, but we're going to use the players and picks we got and move forward." Taylor also told reporters that had no intention of trading Ziggy Palffy, and that no team inquired about veteran goalie Felix Potvin, who will also be eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1. | |
| 3-11-03 | |
| After making two trade deadline deals, on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned defenseman Joe Corvo and left wing Derek Bekar to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. The Kings also loaned left wing Chris Schmidt to the Monarchs on a conditioning assignment.
Corvo, 25, has played in 37 games for the Kings this year, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points, and he leads rookie defensemen in goals. With Manchester this season, Corvo was leading all AHL defenseman in scoring with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 26 games at the time of his initial recall. Corvo and Bekar are believed to have been sent to Manchester to help the Monarchs' push for the AHL playoffs. Schmidt is recovering from a groin strain. | |
| 3-10-03 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed veteran defenseman Aaron Miller to a multi-year contract extension.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the deal is believed to be a four-year contract worth $14 million. Miller, 31, was in the final year of a two-year, $3.3 million deal, and if unsigned, he would have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "We're very excited to have Aaron under contract for the next four seasons," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He is an elite defensive defenseman and he brings a tremendous amount of leadership and stability to our hockey club." Miller has always maintained that his first choice was to remain with the Kings. "Re-signing with the Kings and remaining in Los Angeles was always my first priority," he said. "I am happy with the commitment that the club has made to me. While it did take awhile to get the deal done, I am, obviously, pleased that it is finished and, more importantly, that I am remaining in Los Angeles." ** Earlier on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported on Los Angeles Kings President Tim Leiweke's appearance on the "Kings Talk" post-game radio show following Saturday's game (a 2-1 win over Montreal). Helene Elliott and Lonnie White reported on Leiweke's rather harsh and pointed criticism of the New York Rangers and their sky-high $80 million payroll. He said that giving Bobby Holik a $45 million contract was "economic suicide and the stupidest thing I've ever seen." Leiweke added that even with all the big contracts, the Rangers have a number of overpaid players with major ego problems, and to make matters worse, they are a bad team--worse than the Kings. On the surface, one has to wonder if this article was published with an ulterior motive--revenge. After all, Leiweke was heard throughout Southern California by Kings fans following the game. Although the Times is reporting some important comments made by Leiweke, the Times conveniently left out of their report that during the show, Leiweke twice criticized the newspaper for their extremely poor hockey coverage that has gone on for many years. Could revenge have been a motive? No one but the Times sports staff will ever know for sure. But one has to wonder. Los Angeles Times: Leiweke Candidly Criticizes Rangers | |
| 3-8-03 | |
| The Los Angeles Kings announced on Saturday that Monday's game against the Detroit Red Wings (7:30 PM PST, Staples Center) will be broadcast on Radio Disney 1110 (AM 1110) in the Los Angeles area.
The radio broadcast will begin at 7:00 PM with the Inside Hockey pre-game show. The game has been moved due to a conflict Anaheim Angels baseball coverage on ESPN Radio 710. | |
| 3-8-03 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings claimed left wing Jon Sim off of waivers from the Nashville Predators.
Sim, 25, played in four games for Nashville this year, scoring one goal. Nashville acquired Sim from the Dallas Stars on February 17, 2003 in a trade that sent defenseman Bubba Berenzweig and a conditional draft pick to Dallas. With Dallas, Sim played in four games, recording no points. Sim, who is 5-10 and weighs 190-pounds has also played in forty-two games for the Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League this season, scoring sixteen goals and adding thirty-one assists for forty-seven points with eighty-five penalty minutes. He was also the Most Valuable Player in the 2003 AHL All-Star Game, where he scored two goals and added an assist. Sim was originally selected by the Stars in the third round (70th overall) of the 1996 NHL Draft. In eighty-one career NHL games with Dallas and Nashville, he has ten goals and six assists for sixteen points with thirty-eight penalty minutes. Sim will wear number 43 with the Kings, but is not expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Kings host Montreal. | |
| 3-1-03 | |
| Just prior to Saturday's game against the Atlanta Thrashers, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have traded veteran defenseman Dmitry Yushkevich to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2003 NHL draft, and a seventh round choice in the 2004 NHL draft.
Yushkevich, 31, played in forty-two games for the Kings this season, recording three assists with twenty-four penalty minutes. He was acquired earlier this season with a fifth round pick in the 2003 NHL draft from the Florida Panthers for forward Jaroslav Bednar and Andreas Lilja. This trade is a strong indication that the Kings are very close to signing defenseman Aaron Miller to a new contract. If unsigned, Miller would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. | |
| 2-28-03 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings placed winger Steve Heinze on injured reserve due to a concussion, and they have recalled forwards Derek Bekar and Ryan Flinn from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Heinze suffered the concussion during Thursday night's game at Columbus, and was on injured reserve earlier in the season, also due to a concussion. Bekar, 27, has played in four games with the Kings this year, recording no points. In thirty-six games with the Monarchs, he has nine goals and twelve assists for twenty-one points with thirty-four penalty minutes. Flinn, 22, appeared in one game for the Kings this year, earning himself five penalty minutes. In thirty-six games for the Monarchs, he has two goals and two assists for four points with ninety-five penalty minutes. | |
| 2-27-03 | |
| The Los Angeles Kings have announced that Saturday's game (March 1) against the Atlanta Thrashers (1:00 PM PST, Staples Center) will be broadcast on Radio Disney 1110 AM in the Los Angeles area instead of ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN-AM).
Coverage begins at 12:30 PM with the Inside Hockey pre-game show. The broadcast was moved because of a conflict with an Anaheim Angels pre-season game. | |
| 2-27-03 | |
| On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings placed center Brad Chartrand on injured reserve, retroactive to February 21, and have recalled center Jerred Smithson from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Chartrand, 28, has played in fifty-one games for the Kings this season, scoring eight goals and six assists for fourteen points. He is suffering from a back injury. Although there has been no word on the severity of Chartrand's injury, he will be eligible to return to the lineup on Saturday, when the Kings host the Atlanta Thrashers. Smithson, 24, has appeared in four games for the Kings this year, with no points. In thirty-eight games with the Monarchs this season, Smithson has four goals and twenty-one assists for twenty-five points with sixty penalty minutes. He will wear jersey number 52. | |
| 2-21-03 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned left wing Kip Brennan to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Brennan has played in nineteen games for the Kings this season, racking up 57 penalty minutes. In fifteen games with the Monarchs, Brennan has scored two goals and three assists for five points with 71 penalty minutes. | |
| 2-19-03 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled goalie Cristobal Huet from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Huet was originally recalled by the Kings on January 29, and did not see action. He has never appeared in an NHL game. In thirty games at Manchester, Huet has a 16-8-5 record with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. The 6-0, 194-pound Huet was originally selected by the Kings in the seventh round (214th overall) in the 2001 NHL draft. | |
| 2-18-03 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned goalie Travis Scott to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Scott has not played in a game since being recalled on February 12. Scott was assigned to Manchester to get some playing time. There has been no word on whether Scott or Cristobal Huet will be recalled when the Kings skate at Philadelphia on Thursday. | |
| 2-17-03 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings activated defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from injured reserve, and he is expected to play tonight when the Kings host the San Jose Sharks (7:00 PM PST, Staples Center).
Visnovsky missed the last twelve games with a left knee sprain. He is expected to replace defenseman Jaroslav Modry in the lineup (expected to be a healthy scratch). | |
| 2-15-03 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings activated center Eric Belanger from injured reserve, and he is expected to be in the lineup for today's game against the New York Islanders (1:00 PM PST, Staples Center).
Belanger, 25, has missed the last fourteen games due to a back strain. In thirty-seven games this season, he has a career-high ten goals to go along with twelve assists for twenty-two points. | |
| 2-14-03 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned forward Jared Aulin and defenseman Jason Holland to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Aulin, 20, has played in seventeen games for the Kings this year, scoring two goals and two assists for four points. Holland has not played in a game for the Kings this year. The Kings are expected to activate center Eric Belanger (back strain) and Lubomir Visnovsky (left knee sprain) from injured reserve for Saturday's game against the New York Islanders. | |
| 2-12-03 | |
| On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled goalie Travis Scott from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and assigned goaltender Cristobal Huet to Manchester.
Scott, 27, has played in twenty-six games with Manchester this season, earning a 14-8-2 record with a 2.61 goals-against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage. The 6-2, 185-pound goalie was signed by the Kings as a free agent on February 18, 2000,. and will wear jersey number 45. Scott will be the 39th player to appear on the Kings roster this season. Huet, also 27, did not appear in a game for the Kings since being recalled. In twenty-six games with the Monarchs this season, he has a 14-7-4 record, a 2.38 GAA, a .918 save percentage and one shutout. Huet was selected by the Kings in the seventh round (214th overall) in the 2001 NHL Draft. | |
| 2-11-03 | |
| The Los Angeles Kings are expected to recall goalie Travis Scott from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, and assign goalie Cristobal Huet to the Monarchs.
These moves are expected to be made to get Huet back on the ice because Storr is expected to get all the starts for the foreseeable future. | |
| 2-11-03 | |
| Just prior to Tuesday's game at Nashville, the Los Angeles Kings activated center Ian Laperriere from injured reserve, and he played a regular shift against the Predators.
Laperriere has missed the last three games after undergoing surgery on February 3 to remove bone chips and scar tissue from his right knee, but has been skating with the team, despite expectations that he would be out four to six weeks. | |
| 2-9-03 | |
| On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings recalled defenseman Jason Holland and center Chris Schmidt from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Holland, 26, has played in 44 games with Manchester this year, scoring a goal and adding eighteen assists for nineteen points with 39 penalty minutes. He was signed by the Kings as a free agent on August 23, 2001, and has appeared in 24 NHL games with the Kings, New York Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres. The 6-3, 210-pound defenseman will wear jersey number 53. Schmidt, also 26, has played in 49 games for the Monarchs this season, scoring twelve goals and ten assists for 22 points with 58 penalty minutes. He was signed by the Kings as a free agent on April 30, 2001, after originally being selected by the Kings in the fifth-round (111th overall) of the 1994 NHL draft. Schmidt will wear jersey number 51. Both players were recalled by the Kings earlier this season, but have not appeared in a game. | |
| 2-8-03 | |
| On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have placed center Jason Allison and defenseman Chris McAlpine on injured reserve.
Allison, who is suffering from a hip flexor and a cervical strain, to go along with ongoing problems stemming from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, was placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 25, and could be activated at any time. McAlpine is suffering from a hernia, and will undergo abdominal surgery on Monday. The Kings also announced that defenseman/left wing Brad Norton is suffering from a concussion, the result of an elbow from Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jesse Boulerice during the third period of last night's 8-2 blow out win by the Kings at Staples Center. Norton did not make the trip with the Kings to Dallas and Nashville. Also, forward Ian Laperriere, who underwent surgery to remove bone chips and scar tissue from his right knee on Monday, has resumed skating and is on the road trip. He could be activated in time to play at Nashville. | |
| 2-7-03 | |
| On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings activated left wing Kip Brennan from the injured reserve list, and they have assigned left wing Ryan Flinn to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Brennan has played in thirteen games with the the Kings this season, racking up thirty-one penalty minutes. He has been out of the lineup the last eight games with a sprained left knee. | |
| 2-4-03 | |
| On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings made a move to shore up the roster for their minor league affiliate by acquiring center Greg Koehler from the Nashville Predators for future considerations. They also made a number of other player moves.
Koehler was immediately assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL). Koehler, 27, has played in forty-three games for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL this season, scoring 16 goals and adding 10 assists for 26 points with 51 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 195-pound center led the club with eight power play goals. He also played in one NHL regular season game in his career with the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2000-01 season. Koehler was signed by the Predators as a free agent on July 15, 2002. In other player transactions, the Kings activated from injured reserve was center Brad Chartrand (groin and back strains), and placed on injured reserve was center Michael Cammalleri (post-concussion syndrome). The Kings also recalled forwards Jared Aulin, Scott Barney and Ryan Flinn, and defenseman Joe Corvo from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Chartrand missed the last five games. Cammalleri has missed one game. Flinn returns to the Kings after a trimuphant debut late last season where the enforcer pounded everyone who dropped the gloves with him. The 22-year-old has played in 25 games with Manchester this season, scoring two goals and two assists for four points with 95 penalty minutes. In ten games with the Kings last season, Flinn, who is 6-5 and weighs 248 pounds, racked up 51 penalty minutes. He will wear number 49. | |
| 2-3-03 | |
| On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Ian Laperriere underwent successful surgery to remove bone chips and scar tissue from his right knee. He was placed on injured reserve. The Kings also recalled goalie Cristobal Huet from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
Kings team physician Dr. Ronald Kvitne of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic performed the surgery. Laperriere is expected to be out of the lineup for four-to-six weeks. Rehabilitation will begin immediately. Laperriere has scored two goals and added ten assists for twelve points with eighty-seven penalty minutes this season. He joins seven other Kings' players on the injured reserve list: forwards Eric Belanger, Ken Belanger, Kip Brennan, Brad Chartrand and Adam Deadmarsh; defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky; and goaltender Felix Potvin. | |
| 2-3-03 | |
| Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Joe Corvo scored two goals, and forward prospect Jared Aulin contributed an assist in Monday's American Hockey League All-Star Game played at Portland, Maine.
The Canadian All-Stars won the game, 10-7. Corvo scored his first goal for the PlanetUSA squad at 3:26 of the first period, tying the game, 1-1. Corvo tallied his second goal at 1:29 of the second period, giving the PlanetUSA squad a 4-2 lead. Aulin recorded the second assist on Charlie Stephens' goal for the Canadian All-Stars at 17:50 of the second period, narrowing the PlanetUSA lead to 7-5. Kings defenseman prospect Tomas Zizka also played for the PlanetUSA squad. | |
| 2-2-03 | |
| In his second career appearance in the NHL All-Star Game, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mathieu Schneider contributed two assists in a 6-5 win by the Western Conference over the Eastern Conference at Sunrise, Florida on Sunday.
Schneider assisted on Dallas Stars center Mike Modano's goal at 8:58 of the first period, and on Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik's goal at 15:55 of the first period. | |