KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
8-14-00 Late Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have avoided arbitration with center Bryan Smolinski by signing him to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Smolinski, 28, appeared in 79 regular season games for the Kings last season, scoring 20 goals and adding 36 assists for 56 points. Despite suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee at Phoenix on April 3 and missing the last three games of the regular season, Smolinski played in all four playoff games against the Detroit Red Wings. "We are happy to get this deal done with Bryan," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "His play last season helped solidify our second line and we look forward to Bryan enjoying a successful season."On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that their new AHL affiliate in Manchester will be known as the Manchester Monarchs. The Monarchs will begin play in the AHL in the 2001-2002 season. Manchester team officials and Kings' officials felt that the new name is consistent with the "royal" theme of the Kings. "We had two critical decisions to make in connection with the team name," said Kings' Assistant General Manager Kevin Gilmore. "First, we elected to utilize the City of Manchester's name as the team's home designation in recognition of the tremendous support shown for this franchise by the citizens of Manchester. They were instrumental in approving the construction of the Manchester Civic Arena, which will serve as the home of the Monarchs." "Secondly, we carefully studied the names submitted in the "Name the Team" contest in an effort to find a name that at once reflected the City of Manchester and its hockey tradition and also tied in with the Los Angeles Kings' name and history. The Monarchs name meets all three of these goals." The next step for the Monarchs will be to design team logos and their uniforms. In other news, there are unconfirmed reports floating about that state that Kings' center Bryan Smolinski has avoided arbitration (his hearing is/was scheduled for Tuesday, August 15) and has signed a one-year deal with the Kings. 
8-13-00 On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a contract. As usual, terms of the deal were not disclosed, although unconfirmed reports have the deal at $2 million for one year. Schneider, 31, scored ten goals and added twenty assists for thirty points and 78 penalty minutes for the New York Rangers last season, leading their defensemen in scoring. In ten NHL seasons, the 5-10, 192-pound Schneider has averaged eleven goals and twenty-four assists for thirty-five points per season. Schneider, who has played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Rangers, was selected by the Habs in the 1987 draft (44th overall selection). He had a career-best twenty goals and thirty-two assists for fifty-two points in 1993-94 with Montreal. In 708 career games in the NHL, Schneider has scored 115 goals and contributed 260 assists for 375 points while racking up 710 penalty minutes. In the post-season, Schneider has played in fifty games with the Habs and Leafs and has scored five goals and added twenty assists for twenty-five points. He won the Stanley Cup in 1993 when the Habs defeated the Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals. Schneider has one All-Star Game appearance (1996) and has played for the United States in the World Cup (1996) and in the Olympics (1998). Schneider was traded by the Habs to the Islanders on April 5, 1995, with Kirk Muller and Craig Darby for Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov. Schneider served as team captain while with the Isles. On March 13, 1996, Schneider was traded to the Leafs and with the Isles and the Leafs, he posted career-highs in assists (41) and in points (54). Schneider played more than two seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Rangers for Alexander Karpotsev and a fourth-round pick in the 1999 draft. The Rangers did not protect Schneider after the 1999-2000 season, and he was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in June's expansion draft. With the loss of defenseman Sean O'Donnell in the expansion draft and the probable loss of defenseman Garry Galley to free agency, the Kings had a hole to fill on defense and they filled it with a mobile defenseman who can play the point on the power play. "We've added a proven veteran defenseman with great mobility who will be a welcome addition to our power play," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "Mathieu also plays with an edge, has great vision on the ice and can move the puck. This move is a significant upgrade to our defensive corps." Schneider said that he really wanted to play for the Kings. "The Kings were at the top of my list right from the start, so I'm very excited right now to be joining their team," he said. "I think this is a real good fit for me and my style of play. I'm looking forward to contributing on the power play as well as getting a chance to play with a guy like Rob Blake." USA TODAY is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a one-year deal worth $2 million. The deal is also reported to include an option for a second year by either the Kings or Schneider. 8-11-00 On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed wingers Peter LeBoutillier and Nate Miller. As usual, terms of the contracts were not disclosed. Miller, 24, appeared in 41 games last year for the University of Minnesota (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), scoring 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points with 38 penalty minutes. In 163 WCHA games, the 6-3, 200-pound Miller has scored 35 goals and 42 assists for 77 points while racking up 186 penalty minutes. LeBoutillier, 25, comes to the Kings from the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL. He played in just 19 games last season due to a torn meniscus. He scored two goals and added an assist to go along with 69 penalty minutes. LeBoutillier, who is 6-2 and weighs 190 pounds, was drafted in the sixth-round (133rd overall) by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1995 draft. He has played in 35 NHL games with Anaheim, scoring two goals and an assist with 176 penalty minutes. 8-1-00 Late Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed center Ian Laperriere to a multi-year contract. As usual, financial terms were not disclosed. Laperriere, 26, was a restricted free agent and had filed for arbitration. His hearing was scheduled for Thursday, August 3, 2000. The 6-1, 197-pound native of Montreal, Quebec, has played in 399 NHL games, scoring 45 goals and adding 78 assists for 123 points while racking up 796 penalty minutes with the Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Laperriere was originally selected by the Blues in the seventh-round (158th overall) of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Kings on March 14, 1996 in what is probably the most one-sided deal in the Kings' favor in franchise history. The Kings sent Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla to the Rangers in exchange for Laperriere, defenseman Mattias Norstrom, center Ray Ferraro, forward Nathan Lafayette and a fourth-round draft choice in the 1996 draft (Sean Blanchard). The Kings were very happy to have signed one of their leaders, both on the ice and off. "We're very pleased to have Ian signed" said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He gives us a real gritty edge with his high-energy play." On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed defenseman Philippe Boucher and centers Jason Podollan and Eric Belanger to new contracts. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. Boucher, 27, spent most of last season recovering from foot surgery. He appeared in eleven games for the Long Beach Ice Dogs (then of the IHL), scoring two goals and adding nine assists for eleven points to go along with eight penalty minutes. Boucher appeared in one game for the Kings late in the season as well. Podollan, 25, played in 70 games for the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL, leading the team with 55 points (29 goals, 26 assists). Podollan also appeared in one game for the Kings late in the season, registering an assist. Podollan, who is 6-1 and weighs 202 pounds, was acquired by the Kings on March 23, 1999 from the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with a third-round draft choice in 1999 (goalie Cory Campbell) in exchange for center Yanic Perreault. In 44 career NHL games with the Kings, Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, Podollan has a goal and five assists for six points and 17 penalty minutes. Belanger, 22, appeared in 65 games at Lowell last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 25 assists for 40 points. The 6-0, 177-pound center was selected by the Kings in the fourth-round (96th overall) in the 1996 draft. After recovering from a back injury that kept him out of action in the 1998-99 season, Belanger, 22, recorded 40 points (15-25=40) and 20 penalty minutes in 65 games last season with Lowell. The Kings originally selected the 6-0, 177-pounder from Sherbrooke, Quebec, in the fourth-round (96th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
