KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
7.30.99 On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed restricted free agent center Bryan Smolinski to a contract. Terms were not disclosed. Smolinski came to the Kings from the New York Islanders earlier this summer in the trade that brought winger Zigmund Palffy to the Kings. "Acquiring Bryan was very important to us when we made our deal with the Islanders," Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor said. "He is a proven NHL scorer who will add a lot of offense to our team. Along with center Jozef Stumpel, we feel that we now have a real solid one-two scoring punch at the center position." "I am ecstatic," Smolinski said. "Both my wife and I are thrilled to be coming to Los Angeles and to sign this contract. I'd like to thank Dave Taylor and everyone involved in getting this done and I can't wait to get the season started and to produce for Dave and the Kings. I have already bought a house there and I am really excited."7.28.99 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings released a revised 1999-2000 regular season schedule. Two games have had time changes. On Saturday, December 4, 1999, the Kings will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 8:00 PM, not the usual 7:30 PM start time. On Sunday, January 23, 2000, the Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche at 12:30 PM. The following is the revised schedule (with some corrections to my original post): Los Angeles Kings 1999-2000 Schedule (revised) ============================================== ALL TIMES PACIFIC HOME GAMES IN CAPITAL LETTERS NOTE Fox Sports West schedule is not yet known * - indicates change from originally released schedule # - indicates corrected time October ======= DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Sat 10/2/99 at Nashville #5:00 PM Mon 10/4/99 at St. Louis #5:00 PM Wed 10/6/99 at Florida 4:30 PM ESPN2 Thu 10/7/99 at Tampa Bay 4:30 PM Sat 10/9/99 at Washington 4:00 PM Fri 10/15/99 at Calgary 6:00 PM Sat 10/16/99 at Edmonton #5:00 PM Wed 10/20/99 BOSTON 7:30 PM ESPN2 Fri 10/22/99 PHOENIX 7:30 PM Sun 10/24/99 SAN JOSE 6:30 PM Tue 10/26/99 WASHINGTON 7:30 PM Thu 10/28/99 PITTSBURGH 7:30 PM ESPN2 Sat 10/30/99 at Chicago #5:00 PM November ======== DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Tue 11/2/99 at Pittsburgh 5:00 PM ESPN Wed 11/3/99 at Detroit 4:30 PM Sat 11/6/99 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM Tue 11/9/99 EDMONTON 7:30 PM Thu 11/11/99 COLORADO 7:30 PM Sun 11/14/99 at Phoenix 5:00 PM Tue 11/16/99 CHICAGO 7:30 PM Thu 11/18/99 PHOENIX 7:30 PM ESPN2 Sat 11/20/99 MONTREAL *5:00 PM Tue 11/23/99 at Colorado 6:00 PM ESPN2 Wed 11/24/99 at Dallas 5:30 PM Sat 11/27/99 SAN JOSE 12:30 PM December ======== DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Fri 12/3/99 at Anaheim 7:30 PM Sat 12/4/99 TAMPA BAY *8:00 PM Wed 12/8/99 ATLANTA 7:30 PM Fri 12/10/99 at Detroit 4:30 PM Sat 12/11/99 at Montreal 4:30 PM Tue 12/14/99 at New Jersey 4:30 PM Wed 12/15/99 at NY Rangers 4:00 PM ESPN2 Sat 12/18/99 CHICAGO 7:30 PM Wed 12/22/99 at San Jose 7:30 PM Sun 12/26/99 PHOENIX 7:30 PM Wed 12/29/99 at Colorado 6:00 PM Thu 12/30/99 EDMONTON 7:30 PM January ======= DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Mon 1/3/00 at Dallas #5:30 PM Tue 1/4/00 at St Louis #5:00 PM Thu 1/6/00 FLORIDA 7:30 PM Tue 1/11/00 OTTAWA 7:30 PM Thu 1/13/00 ST. LOUIS 7:30 PM Sat 1/15/00 at San Jose 7:30 PM Tue 1/18/00 BUFFALO 7:30 PM Thu 1/20/00 DALLAS 7:00 PM ESPN2 Sun 1/23/00 COLORADO *12:30 PM Wed 1/26/00 at Dallas 5:30 PM Thu 1/27/00 at Nashville #5:00 PM Sat 1/29/00 at Toronto 4:00 PM CBC Mon 1/31/00 NY ISLANDERS 7:30 PM February ======== DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Thu 2/3/00 DETROIT 7:30 PM Tue 2/8/00 ANAHEIM 7:30 PM Wed 2/9/00 at Phoenix 6:00 PM Fri 2/11/00 DALLAS 6:30 PM Mon 2/14/00 CALGARY 7:30 PM Wed 2/16/00 at Chicago #5:30 PM Fri 2/18/00 at Detroit 4:30 PM Sat 2/19/00 at Buffalo 4:00 PM Mon 2/21/00 at Edmonton #6:00 PM Wed 2/23/00 at Calgary #6:00 PM Fri 2/25/00 at Vancouver 7:00 PM Sat 2/26/00 at San Jose 7:00 PM ESPN2 Tue 2/29/00 VANCOUVER 7:30 PM March ===== DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME TV --------------------------------------------------------- Thu 3/2/00 CAROLINA 7:30 PM Sat 3/4/00 NASHVILLE 7:30 PM Tue 3/7/00 DETROIT 7:30 PM Thu 3/9/00 NY RANGERS 7:30 PM Sat 3/11/00 CALGARY 7:30 PM Mon 3/13/00 VANCOUVER 7:30 PM Wed 3/15/00 at Anaheim 7:30 PM Fri 3/17/00 ST. LOUIS 5:30 PM ESPN Sun 3/19/00 NASHVILLE 5:00 PM Tue 3/21/00 ANAHEIM 7:30 PM ESPN2 Thu 3/23/00 at Philadelphia 4:00 PM ESPN2 Sat 3/25/00 at Boston #10:30 AM Sun 3/26/00 at Atlanta 4:00 PM Wed 3/29/00 SAN JOSE 7:00 PM ESPN2 April ===== Sat 4/1/00 ANAHEIM 3:00 PM ABC Mon 4/3/00 at Phoenix #7:30 PM ESPN2 Wed 4/5/00 at Vancouver 7:00 PM Fri 4/7/00 DALLAS 7:30 PM Sun 4/9/00 at Anaheim 12:00 PM ABC 
7.26.99 On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that Bruce Boudreau has been signed to be the head coach of the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL, the Kings' new AHL affiliate. Boudreau, 41, spent the last three seasons as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the East Coast Hockey League and he led the Sea Wolves to the Kelly Cup (ECHL championship) after posting a 41-22-7 regular season record and an impressive 14-4 playoff mark. Boudreau had a 109-75-26 regular season record during his three years at Mississippi. "This is a great day for Bruce Boudreau and his family and for our organization as we see one of our own reach the next level of his profession," Sea Wolves General Manager Brian E. Kelley said. "The Sea Wolves thank Bruce for his tireless pursuit of excellence and his consistent loyalty to our organization. We wish Bruce, the Los Angeles Kings and the Lowell Lock Monsters all the success in the world." Before entering the coaching ranks, Boudreau played 17 seasons of pro hockey, including parts of eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks. In his 141-game NHL career, Boudreau scored 28 goals and 42 assists for 70 points. In junior hockey, he scored 165 points while playing for the Toronto Marlboros in 1974-75, a record that stood until Wayne Gretzky broke it in the late 1970's. Boudreau also served as captain of two Canadian Junior Hockey league championship teams while with the Marlboros. Boudreau began his coaching career with Muskegon Fury of the Colonial Hockey League in 1992-93 before moving to the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League. In his second season with the Komets, Boudreau led them to the 1994 Turner Cup finals, with an impressive 41-29-11 record and he won the Commissioner's Trophy as the IHL's Coach of the Year that same year. In 1995-96, Boudreau served as assistant coach and assistant general manager of the San Francisco Spiders (IHL). A Kings' press release stated that Boudreau is "...known for his work in the development of young prospects." "The Kings are very pleased to announce that Bruce Boudreau has accepted the head coaching position at Lowell," Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor said. "Bruce brings a lot of good credentials, both as a head coach and as a player." "This position is very important to the overall success of the Los Angeles Kings and we like the way he teaches and works with young players," Taylor added. "This hire is another critical step forward in our plan to build a top-notch development system." Lock Monsters' officials also were also very positive about the hiring of Boudreau. "The Lock Monsters are very fortunate to be able to have a coach of Bruce Boudreau's credentials," Lock Monsters' Executive Vice President Tom Rowe said. "He has been a winner at every level, as a player and a coach. Whenever you can bring in a coach who has won, it can only filter down to your players and enhance their development." "Our fans and media will thoroughly enjoy Bruce's infectious personality," Rowe added. "Los Angeles continues to make excellent moves to develop their organization into a Stanley Cup contender." And Boudreau appears to be looking forward to a new challenge. "It's such an honor to be chosen by such a great organization as the Los Angeles Kings, knowing the high caliber of candidates who were vying for this job," Boudreau said. "This is the first time in several years that Los Angeles has had the opportunity to place a head coach with their AHL affiliate. It's quite an honor to be able to help start a new era with the Kings." 7.21.99 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced the signing of four unrestricted free agents, but none of them are the big-name player that many fans want. The Kings signed center Len Barrie, left wing Bill Huard, right wing Brad Chartrand and goalie Mike O'Neill. Terms of their respective contracts were not disclosed. Barrie is a 30-year-old center who has played the last two seasons with the Frankfurt Lions of the German League where he scored 24 goals and added 35 assists for 59 points and 105 penalty minutes in 41 games. Barrie, who is 6-0, 200 pounds, has played 64 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, totalling 5 goals and 13 assists for 18 points and 93 penalty minutes. Huard, 32, played three games last season for Edmonton. He then played the rest of the season with the Turner Cup Champion Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League where he scored 9 goals and added 5 assists for 14 points while racking up 201 penalty minutes in 38 games. Huard, who is 6-1, 215 pounds, played in 10 playoff games with Houston, with no points and eight penalty minutes. In 222 NHL games, Huard has scored 16 goals and added 18 assists for 34 points and 592 penalty minutes. Chartrand, 24, played for the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League last season after signing as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chartrand, who is 5-11, 180 pounds, played in 64 games with St. John's and 16 goals and added 14 assists for 30 points and 48 penalty minutes. He also played two seasons with the Canadian National Team after playing at Cornell University and was the second leading scorer with the Canadian National Team during the 1997-98 season with 24 goals and 30 assists for 54 points in 60 games and he also scored 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 54 games with the team during the 1996-97 season. O'Neill, 31, played for Villach of the Austrian League last season, where he had a 35-5-1 record with a 2.49 goals-against-average in 42 games. He stands 5-7 and weighs 160 pounds. O'Neill has played in 21 career NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes) and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and has a 0-9-2 record with a 4.28 goals-against-average. The biggest reason these players were signed was to add some depth and toughness to the lineup and in the case of O'Neill, they've added a goalie they can expose in the next expansion draft. "These four players will give our organization some additional depth," Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor said. "Bill Huard, in particular, will add some toughness which we felt we needed when we lost Matt Johnson in last month's expansion draft." 7.19.99 On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have hired Ray Bennett as an assistant coach. He will be responsible for video analysis, computer assistance and statistical support and will assist Kings' head coach Andy Murray in all areas of tactical and technical play. Bennett has served as Manager of High Performance and Video for the Canadian Hockey Association and the Canadian National Team. Prior to that, Bennett served as that Association's Manager of Coaching and Initiation Programs, and as an assistant coach for Canada's National Women's Olympic Team, which earned a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Bennett also served as an assistant coach in charge of video for Canada's silver medal-winning National Junior Team at the 1999 World Championships; the gold medal-winning Canadian National Women's Team at the 1999 World Championships; a fourth place finish with Canada's Men's World Championship Team at the 1999 World Championships; and a gold medal as an assistant coach with the Canadian National Women's Team at the 1997 IIHF World Championship. Bennett also served in that same role for the Team Pacific Under 17 Team at the 1996-97 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Bennett was also the head coach at Red Deer College Hockey Kings of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference in Red Deer, Alberta, where he also served as the coordinator of their Athletic Mentorship Program. Bennett has also coached in juniors. He coached with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL), the World Junior Hockey Championship Association in 1995, Hockey Canada, the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) and the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association in Red Deer, where he spent six years. "I know Ray from our work together with the Canadian National Team and he will add a tremendous amount of balance to our coaching staff," Murray said. "His coaching experience at the junior, college and international level, including the Olympic Games, has prepared him well for this challenge." The Los Angeles Kings announced on Monday that they will play "Frozen Fury 3" against the Phoenix Coyotes at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 11, 1999. Tickets for this game will go on sale on July 24 at 10:00 AM through the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and all TicketMaster locations. Individual game tickets are priced at $20, $30, $45, $60 and $150. The Kings will open their 1999-2000 training camp on Sunday, September 5, at Iceoplex in North Hills, the club's final training camp in North Hills before their new training center opens in El Segundo. 7.14.99 On Wednesday, the NHL released the 1999-2000 regular season schedule, including regional television coverage for ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and Canadian networks. The season opens on October 1, 1999 with a special event. In Edmonton, the NHL and the Edmonton Oilers will pay tribute to Wayne Gretzky, who will be the guest of honor in a special pre-game ceremony prior to the Edmonton Oilers-New York Rangers contest (6:00 PM Pacific Time). The 50th annual NHL All-Star Game will be played at Toronto on February 6, 2000. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 12, 2000. The inaugural game for the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center will be on October 20, 1999, when they host the Boston Bruins. 7.7.99 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed former Kings' defenseman Mark Hardy and former NHL forward Dave Tippett as assistant coaches. Tippett led the Houston Aeros to the IHL's Turner Cup Championship as head coach and general manager last season and was named the IHL coach of the year. Tippett, 37, played for eleven seasons in the NHL with Hartford, Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He scored 93 goals and 169 assists for 262 points in 721 games. At Hartford, Tippett was an assistant captain and won the team's Community Service, Unsung Hero, Mr. Hustle and Best Defensive Forward awards. In international play, Tippett was captain the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia and he earned a silver medal as a member of the Canadian Olympic Team in Albertville, France, in 1992. In collegiate play, Tippett played for the 1982 University of North Dakota which advanced to the NCAA Division I Championships. Tippett earned an impressive 165-85 record with 36 shootout losses. Two seasons with the Aeros were 50-win seasons for Tippett. Hardy, 40, who played parts of ten seasons for the Kings from 1979-1988 and then again in 1993-1994, is 15th on the Kings' all-time scoring list with 303 points (53 goals, 250 assists) and is third in scoring among Kings' defensemen. Hardy, who was an assistant coach at Long Beach of the IHL, who holds a number of Kings' records for defensemen, scored 62 goals and 206 assists for 368 points while racking up 1,293 penalty minutes in 915 NHL games with the Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. One of the reasons Tippett and Hardy were hired was that both are known to have a tremendous work ethic. "I am very pleased to bring Dave Tippett and Mark Hardy on board as assistant coaches for the Los Angeles Kings," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. "Mark and Dave will help provide the foundation of leadership and organization which we need to be successful. They have great energy and enthusiasm, and as former players, they bring instant credibility." Roger Phillips reported in Wednesday's LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM and the DAILY NEWS that Hardy was signed to a three-year contract. "I'm very happy," Hardy said. "I've been wanting to go up in the hockey world, and at this point of my career, this is great. I'm very high on Andy Murray." "I've waited six years," Hardy added. "I've worked very hard as an assistant and player-coach to get here. Hopefully, I'll continue to be successful at the next level." "I'm really excited about it," Hardy continued. "I've always been a King at heart. I've worked hard to get here. It's my next step in life and I'm looking to be as successful as I was with the Ice Dogs." Hardy is expected to focus his work on the Kings' defensemen and on penalty-killing while Tippett will work on the offense and power play. 7.1.99 The NHL released the free agent list late Thursday. The following are the Los Angeles Kings' free agents: RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS ====================== Group II: Dan Bylsma, Stephane Fiset, Steve McKenna, Jaroslav Modry, Jason Morgan, Glen Murray, Jan Nemecek, Mattias Norstrom, Jason Podollan, Bryan Smolinski, Vladimir Tsyplakov UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS ======================== Group III (players 31 years and older): Dave Babych, Doug Bodger, Russ Courtnall, Ray Ferraro * Group VI: Ryan Bach, Manny Legace, Mark Visheau * (Age 25 or older, have completed three or more professional seasons and in the case of a player other than a goaltender have played fewer than 80 NHL games (regular-season and playoff), or in the case of a goaltender have played fewer than 28 NHL games (regular-season and playoff)
