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September 5, 2008

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9-29-06
Since he took over as the President/General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings, Dean Lombardi has certainly made his mark on the team. That mark grew even bigger on Friday when the Kings acquired veteran defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky and the rights to highly-touted defenseman prospect Jack Johnson from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for center Eric Belanger and defenseman Tim Gleason. Tverdovsky, 30, scored three goals with twenty assists for 23 points in 72 games with the Hurricanes last season, when the 'Canes won the Stanley Cup. He played in just five playoff games due to groin and hip injuries that affected him throughout the 2005-06 season. The 6-1, 211-pound native of Donetsk, Ukraine also won the Stanley Cup in 2003 with the New Jersey Devils. In 687 career regular season games with Carolina, New Jersey, Anaheim and Phoenix/Winnipeg, Tverdovsky has scored 77 goals with 236 assists for 313 points with 281 penalty minutes. He was selected in the first round (2nd overall) by Anaheim in the 1994 National Hockey League Entry Draft. "Oleg Tverdovsky is a proven NHL defenseman who adds to our veteran mix on the back end," said Lombardi. But Tverdovsky was obviously not the major focus of this deal. Instead, the Kings now have the rights to a defenseman prospect who many predict will be a star in the NHL. Johnson, 19, was selected by Carolina in the first round (third overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and was the ranked fourth among all prospects behind Evgeni Malkin, Kari Lehtonen and Erik Johnson by Hockeysfuture.com. He is currently playing for the University of Michigan where he set the freshman record for defenseman scoring with 32 points on ten goals and 22 assists in 38 games. The 6-1, 215-pound native of Indianapolis, Indiana was a finalist for the CCHA's Best Offensive Defenseman Award and was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. In international play, Johnson represented the United States in the 2006 World Junior Championships, scoring a goal and adding five assists for six points in seven games. He was named to the tournament All-Star team. Johnson has also won gold medals at the 2005 World Under-18 Championship, with the US Under-18 Team at the 2005 Five Nations Tournament and at the 2004 Compuware Four Nations Cup. Johnson was also part of the US National Team Development Program from 2003-05, and he's the all-time leader in defenseman scoring (81 points) in program history. He also holds the record for most points in a game (7) by an NTDP player and in 2004-05 he scored 14 goals with 29 assists for 43 points in 48 games, good for first in scoring among the team's defensemen and seventh among all players. Clearly, the biggest part of this deal for the Kings was to get their hands on Johnson, who has a load of potential and is the Kings best young defensive prospect since they drafted Rob Blake in the fourth round (70th overall) in the 1988 draft. Indeed, Johnson has so much potential that Lombardi did not mind having to wait for Johnson to finish school. "We were prepared to be patient when we made this deal," said Lombardi. "It'll be good for him to spend another year there." "We felt the opportunity to acquire Jack Johnson was something we couldn't pass up as we continue to search for ways to upgrade this franchise," added Lombardi. "This move required that we give up two good players, but has the potential to help us in the near future as well as for many years to come." "He potentially fills a position that's hard to find. These type players aren't often available at a young age. We felt we had to be fairly aggressive. The kid is a competitor. He's going to be every bit as good as he can be." As for what the Kings gave up to get Johnson, Belanger and Gleason were slated to be significant contributors to the Kings this season. Belanger set career highs last season in goals (17), points (37), penalty minutes (62) and shooting percentage (14.3 percent) in 65 games with the Kings. The 6-0, 188-pound native of Sherbrooke, Quebec was also the Kings' best face-off man. In 323 career regular season games, all with the Kings, Belanger has scored 63 goals with 87 assists for 150 points and 169 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, Belanger has played in twenty games with the Kings, scoring a goal and adding four assists for five points. Belanger, 28, was selected by the Kings in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Gleason, 23, had two goals and 19 assists for 21 points in 78 games last season, his first full year in the NHL. He also was second on the team in hits (77), third in blocked shots (117). He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and was acquired by the Kings from Ottawa on March 11, 2003, in exchange for center Bryan Smolinski. In 124 career regular season games, all with the Kings, the 6-1, 217-pound native of Clawson, Michigan has scored two goals with 26 assists for 28 points with 98 penalty minutes. While Johnson will not be available to the Kings in the near future, Belanger and Gleason will help the Hurricanes immediately. "This was clearly the best offer and clearly the best for the Hurricanes," said Carolina General Manager Jim Rutherford. "We've kind of gone back and forth--do we wait for the development of Jack Johnson, and when does that take place, or do we take a player now that's a good young defenseman who's going to be good for a long time? As camp has wound down, that was the conclusion we all came to, that now was the time to do it." "We just felt that we're getting a very good NHL defenseman in Tim Gleason," added Rutherford. "He's still a young guy, he still has an upside, and both of those players will come in and be with us now, instead of waiting for the development of Jack Johnson, who in my opinion is going to be a very, very good, if not great, NHL player, but probably not for another three to four years. Rutherford clearly wanted to get Johnson out of the University of Michigan this year, but could not. "Everybody has decisions to make," Rutherford explained. "They wanted to spend another year in school. I think that, in his best interests for his development, that he should be playing pro now. He's ready to do that. The sooner he starts playing pro, the sooner he starts to develop into a real good NHL player." As for Johnson, he's in Michigan and that is all he is concerned about for the time being. "I'm here in Michigan, and that's where my focus is," he said. "I'm excited about my new team, but my life isn't going to change because of it."
9-28-06
FSN West will drop the puck on their 2006-07 Kings coverage with a season preview special, providing live coverage of Bob Miller's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, and four hours of programming on October 7 when the Kings play their home opener against the St. Louis Blues (7:30 PM PDT). FSN West also announced that they will broadcast ten Kings games in high definition (HD) format. On Sunday, October 1, FSN West will air the Kings Season Preview at 10:00 PM PDT, looking at the new faces on the team as well as the returning veterans. On Monday, October 2, FSN West will provide live coverage when the "Voice of the Kings," long-time play-by-play announcer Bob Miller receives the 2,319th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:30 AM. Attendance at the event is limited, and many cannot attend because of their work or school schedules. But FSN West will be there so that all Kings fans can witness this honor being bestowed on the Kings' Hall-of-Fame announcer. After the Kings' home opener on October, the Kings Live post-game show will debut and following Kings Live, FSN West will air an episode of their In My Own Words show featuring Kings head coach Marc Crawford. FSN West's HD game telecasts will be aired on FSN HD. Those games are (all times PACIFIC): 10/16/06 - Mon. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM 10/30/06 - Mon. - NEW YORK RANGERS, 7:30 PM 11/01/06 - Wed. - PITTSBURGH, 7:30 PM 12/09/06 - Sat. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM 12/12/06 - Tue. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM 01/06/07 - Sat. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM 01/20/07 - Sat. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM 02/17/07 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM 02/22/07 - Thu. - VANCOUVER, 7:30 PM 03/01/07 - Thu. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM * - HD schedule is subject to change; check with your cable or satellite provider for HD programming availability and scheduling.
9-27-06
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings signed goaltender Dan Cloutier to a two-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is rumored to be worth $2.55 million this season, $3.1 million in 2007-08 and $3.1 million in 2008-09. Cloutier, 30, played in just thirteen games last season for the Canucks after suffering a season-ending partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament. In those games, Cloutier was 8-3-1 with a 3.17 goals-against average (GAA) and a .892 save percentage. The 6-1, 195-pound native of Mont-Lauier, Quebec has a career record of 131-124-33, a 2.66 GAA and a .902 save percentage in 318 NHL regular season games with the Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers, who selected him in the first round (26th overall) of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. In 25 NHL playoff games, Cloutier is 10-13 with a 3.21 GAA and a .872 save percentage. In the 2003-04 season, Cloutier set career highs for minutes played (3,539) and GAA (2.27), and he matched career highs in wins (33) and save percentage (.914).
9-26-06
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned forwards Noah Clarke and Matt Moulson to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings' primary minor league affiliate). Clarke, 27, played in three pre-season games, recording one assist. The 5-9, 175-pound native of LaVerne, California was the Kings' ninth-round pick (250th overall) of the 1999 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Moulson, 22, was signed by the Kings as a free agent on September 1, 2006. The 6-1, 195-pound native of North York, Ontario scored a goal and added an assist in two pre-season games. He was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the ninth round (263rd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
9-25-06
Andy McDonald, Tim Brent and Teemu Selanne scored goals to give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-0 lead in pre-season action against the Los Angeles Kings, but the Kings came storming back with four straight goals and won the game in a shootout, 5-4 on Monday night at Staples Center. Anze Kopitar, Kevin Dallman, Tom Kostopoulos and Michael Cammalleri led the comeback for the Kings, while Eric Belanger was credited with the shootout game-winner. McDonald wound up with two goals and an assist in the game to lead the Ducks, who were the better team in the first period and through most of the second period. But the Ducks appeared to lose focus late in the second period, giving the Kings consecutive two-man advantages on which the Kings capitalized. Kopitar opened the scoring for the Kings at 17:45 with the slam dunk goal from below the right circle after taking a pass from Frolov, who threw the puck across the low slot from the bottom of the left circle. The Kings got a second straight two-man advantage as Ducks defenseman prospect Bruno St. Jacques took an interference penalty on the scoring play, and Dallman scored on a shot from the top of the right circle at 18:33. The Kings picked up right where they left off with Kostopoulos scoring at 3:45 of the third period, firing a wrist shot from the low slot past Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 22 saves in the game. Cammalleri gave the Kings a 4-3 lead with a power play goal at 9:19, blasting a one-timer past Giguere from the right circle off a cross-ice feed from Derek Armstrong. McDonald scored his second goal of the game on the power play at 11:45, in similar fashion to Cammalleri, taking a cross-ice feed and one-timing it past Kings goaltender Mathieu Garon from the right face-off dot. Garon made 23 saves and looked shaky in the game, but he shined in shootout to help the Kings get the win. Anaheim was 3-for-6 on the power play, while the Kings were 3-for-9. KOPITAR'S STOCK STILL RISING To this point in the pre-season, Kopitar has not just held his own against the opposition's top players. In fact, he has been an impact player, always one of the best on the ice. Although he has certainly made a very strong case for making the Kings this season, straight out of the Swedish Elite League, he has received no word from the Kings on what their immediate plans for him might be. Regardless, he believes that he is ready for the National Hockey League. "I guess the head guys have to say if I'm ready or not, but my personal thought is that I'm ready," said Kopitar. "I feel comfortable on the ice. I think I can handle a rough or physical game, too. I still have to work on my game, but hopefully, I'll get better and better." "I'm learning from my mistakes and I'm trying to fix them on the next shift or the next period," added Kopitar. "I have to improve, but hopefully, the coaches think I'm ready." Kopitar has clearly made a positive impression on the coaching staff, but they are understandably reserved at this point. "He's a good young player," said Kings head coach Marc Crawford. "We're pleased with how he's playing here in the pre-season." "The pre-season often times is about young players trying to prove that they belong, and about minor league guys trying to prove they can make the step up and play for you regularly," Crawford elaborated. "We've got a couple of guys in that category." "In some cases guys play their way onto teams and in other cases, guys play their way off of teams," Crawford added. "But we're pleased with what we've been able to see so far in this pre-season. Kopitar has been a very good player for us. We're looking for continued development from him and [Patrick] O'Sullivan and Dallman and guys like that who are young and trying to show that they belong." CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EVERYONE WILL BE NEEDED With an acute lack of proven scorers up front, the Kings will need all their forwards to step up offensively--their young players will need to develop rapidly. "We know that depth is a very good thing for our club," said Crawford. "What we have to continue to work on is getting the quality of players that we've got to keep making those advancements and improvements in their game and show that they can become the type of player that McDonald has become [for the Ducks] and that Selanne has been. That's when this team is really going to have something going--when we get those five or six guys up front who become front-line players." "We can count on Lubomir [Visnovsky] and Rob Blake to be premier players for this club. "Up front, we're going to have to continue to prod, push and develop and be patient all at the same time."
9-23-06
Left wing prospect Patrick O'Sullivan scored at 19:08 of the third period, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in pre-season action at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Kings were in control during a scoreless first period, but the Avalanche asserted themselves in the second and opened the scoring when defenseman John-Michael Liles lit the red light just twenty seconds into the period. Jeff Finger gave the Avs a 2-0 lead late in the third period, only to see the Kings mount a strong comeback, scoring three unanswered goals. Lubomir Visnovsky scored at 6:56 followed by Alexander Frolov at 16:26. Dan Cloutier went all the way in goal for the Kings, stopping 22 shots.
9-20-06
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned eight players to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings primary minor league affiliate) for training camp: Centers: Konstantin Pushkarev and Matt Ryan Defensemen: Brendan Buckley, Peter Harrold and Joey Mormina Left Wings: Jeff Giuliano, Ned Lukacevic and Dany Roussin Right Wings: Tim Jackman, John Zeiler The Kings have 31 players remaining on their 2006 pre-season roster, including 19 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders.
9-19-06
Joe Pavelski scored a goal and added an assist to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1 pre-season victory over the Los Angeles Kings in front of an announced crowd of 10,758 fans at Staples Center on Tuesday night. Matthew Carle and Ryan Clowe also scored for the Sharks while Rob Blake scored a shorthanded goal late in the third period after the outcome was all but decided. In the first period, Carle and Clowe scored at 12:37 and 17:58 respectively. Carle jumped up into the play from left point, knocking in a rebound from just outside left crease. Clowe's goal came on the power play during a scramble in front of Kings goalie Dan Cloutier, who did not play the scramble well and wound up allowing the puck to trickle between his pads (five-hole)--he was not strong in his crease. After a scoreless second period in which the Kings outshot the Sharks, 14-7, Pavelski scored on the power play at 4:57 on another goalmouth scramble. This time it was 18-year-old goaltender Jonathan Bernier's turn to play a scramble near the crease poorly. Like Cloutier, Bernier was not strong in his crease and the puck trickled through the five-hole. Blake finally got the Kings on the board with a shorthanded goal off a one-time wrist shot from the slot at 15:27, assisted by Alexander Frolov and Anze Kopitar. The differences in the game were better goaltending from Sharks goalies Nolan Schaefer (no goals, 17 saves) and Dimitri Patzold (one goal, 12 shots) and a solid defensive effort throughout. On the other side of the red line, the kings were a bit sloppy in their own end and coming out a bit flat to start the game did not help. "We could put in a lot better effort than that," said Blake. The Kings ended up outshooting the Sharks in the game, 29-27. The Kings' top line in the game featured Kopitar centering left wing prospect Noah Clarke with Frolov on right wing. Clarke was virtually invisible in the game, but Kopitar made things happen on most shifts and was the Kings' best player, which was impressive given that he was up against Sharks superstar center Joe Thornton on just about every shift. Kopitar more than held his own against Thornton. "He's an excellent player, always tough to play against," said Kopitar. "But it's fun to play against him. Everything is hard against him. It's hard to get the puck away from him because he's so big and has a long reach." Kopitar knew what to expect when facing Thornton. "I played one time against him in the World Championships and it was really hard and it's always going to be hard," said Kopitar. As for playing against National Hockey League-caliber competition, Kopitar exuded confidence. "I feel pretty good [about playing at the NHL level], but I know I can play better too," he said. Blake was paired with defenseman Tim Gleason, who is just in his second full year in the NHL, and especially now, after four days of practice and a pre-season game, Blake is impressed. "I've admired him for a couple of years now," said Blake. "He moves the puck real well, he's solid and he battles hard. We're not sure what the defensive partners are going to be but he's definitely going to be player in the league for a long time. And he's a young kid still."
9-19-06
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned a number of players to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings primary minor league affiliate) for training camp and to their junior teams: Prior to Tuesday's pre-season game against the San Jose Sharks, the Kings assigned the following players to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings primary minor league affiliate) for training camp: Goalies: Barry Brust, Yutaka Fukufuji, Ryan Munce and Daniel Taylor Centers: Gabe Gauthier, Chris Korchinski, Ryan Murphy and Shay Stephenson Defensemen: Doug Nolan, Bryan Schmidt and Eric Werner Right Wings: Greg Hogeboom and Petr Kanko And after the game, the following players were assigned to their junior teams: Jonathan Bernier, Goalie (Lewiston, Ontario Hockey League) Trevor Lewis, Center (Owen Sound, OHL) Frazer McLaren, Left Wing, (Portland, Western Hockey League) Joe Ryan, Defenseman (Quebec, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) The Kings now have 41 players remaining on their 2006 pre-season roster, including 26 forwards, twelve defensemen and three goaltenders.
9-18-06
The Los Angeles Kings opened their 2006-07 exhibition season with a 7-1 blowout victory over the Anaheim Ducks in front of an announced crowd of 12,518 at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Monday night. Defenseman prospect Kevin Dallman led the way with a four-point night, scoring two goals and adding two assists. Derek Armstrong had three assists for the Kings and was the number one star of the game. Sean Avery and Brian Willsie, along forward prospects Matt Moulson and Konstantin Pushkarev, each scored a goal and contributed an assist for the Kings. Ryan Getzlaf scored the lone goal for the Ducks. Mathieu Garon and and Jason LaBarbera split time in goal for the Kings. Garon allowed a goal on fourteen shots while LaBarbera held the Ducks scoreless on ten shots. Goalie prospect Michael Leighton (three goals on nineteen shots) and Ilya Bryzgalov (four goals on seventeen shots) split time in goal for the Ducks. The Kings had a 2-0 lead midway through the first period on goals by Avery and Dallman on the power play before Getzlaf cut the lead in half at 0:58 of the second period. But after that, it was all Kings, who outshot the Ducks 25-15 the rest of the way, scoring twice in the second period and three times in the third. The Kings wound up outshooting the Ducks in the game, 36-24. The Kings, who were horrendous on the power play in the 2005-06 season, were 4-for-10 on the power play while the Ducks were 0-for-8.
9-18-06
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings made their first training camp roster cuts. Returning to their junior teams are center Bud Holloway (Seattle, Ontario Hockey League), defenseman Ryan McGinnis (Plymouth, OHL), center David Meckler (London, OHL) and left wing John Seymour (Brampton, OHL). The following players were released from training camp: defenseman Chad Greenan (Kootenay, Western Hockey League), left wing Kevin Henderson (Kitchener, OHL) and defenseman Craig Schira (Regina, WHL). The Kings have 58 players remaining on their 2006 pre-season roster, including 34 forwards, 16 defensemen and 8 goaltenders.
9-17-06
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed right wing Dustin Brown and defenseman Tim Gleason to two-year contracts. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed, but Brown's contract is rumored to be $1.175 million per season, while Gleason's deal is rumored to be worth over $1 million per season. Brown, 21, scored 14 goals and added 14 assists for 28 points in 79 games with 80 penalty minutes in his first full year in the National Hockey League. Gleason, 23, scored two goals and added 19 assists for 21 points in 78 games for the Kings last season. He also ranked second on the club with 141 hits and third in blocked shots with 117.
9-16-06
The Los Angeles Kings completed day three of their 2006 training camp on Saturday, and already, some things appear to be taking shape for the fast-approaching 2006-07 regular season. UP-TEMPO STYLE Kings head coach Marc Crawford is known for having his teams play an aggressive style featuring defensemen who jump up into the play in the offensive zone, and the Kings will be no exception. "You can't win a game if you don't score," said Crawford. "We want to make sure that we really try to grab every bit of offense that we can [from our defensemen]. I know they're going to enjoy playing [the new system]." "We still have a great commitment to playing without the puck and playing in the defensive zone," said Crawford. "But we're going to be up-tempo." Crawford also said that while some of his defensemen have clear offensive skills, the others can contribute on offense as well. "[Lubomir Visnovsky] contributed really well last year and Rob Blake consistently contributes well from the back side," said Crawford. "I think you'll see [Brent] Sopel have a very good year. He seems to thrive on the way that we play and he's looked really good here. And we're expecting that [Tim] Gleason and [Aaron] Miller and [Mattias] Norstrom will chip in." "I think they're really going to like it," added Crawford. "You look at people like Gleason and Norstrom, they're guys who are known more for their prowess on the defensive side of the puck than their abilities on the offensive side. But I think defensemen are not unlike forwards. Every once in awhile [they like to score a goal]. It's exciting for them to get involved in the play." That up-tempo style will create more offense, something the Kings will likely need given the fact that their forwards are either young or are not pure goal scorers. "We don't have anybody who you look at and say absolutely, 'this guy's going to be our thirty-goal scorer,'" Crawford explained. "[Michael] Cammalleri, [Alexander] Frolov, Dustin Brown, [Patrick] O'Sullivan--all those guys can score. You can throw [Anze] Kopitar in there, too. Those are young, good scoring people. They probably have the ability to be tagged with that moniker of being NHL scorers." "Of our older guys, some have had good years before, but not on the basis of getting 20-25 goals every year," Crawford added. "So there's a lot of guys who have some depth, but they're not the pure goal-scoring type. And that's just what we've got. As we said earlier, it's going to be a case where our young guys have to emerge and the quicker they emerge, that's when we'll become an efficient team in that area. We've got to do everything we can to help them emerge and at the same time, score by committee." KOPITAR MOVING CLOSER TO STAYING IN LA Although they are just a few days into their training camp, it appears that the Kings are going to have a very tough decision to make if they want to have Kopitar play for the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (the Kings primary minor league affiliate), at least to start the season. Indeed, Kopitar appears to be turning heads in the Kings' training camp, making a strong case for bypassing the AHL and making the Kings' opening night roster. "For a center, you want a guy who distributes the puck, and you add the dimension of a guy who gets open and can do something once he is open," said Crawford. "His strength is at a high level and his shot is at a great level. And he loves to shoot, too." "He has that combination," added Crawford. "A lot of times a centerman will be a great playmaker and not a great scorer. Sometimes guys are great scorers and not great playmakers. He is a combination of both. He's a very exciting player." Even the veteran players have taken notice. "Most people don't have the discipline that he has or the courage to make plays the way he's making them," said winger Scott Thornton, who signed with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent back in July. "It's a sign of maturity beyond his years and it's great because in the NHL, if you have patience, you can make passes and you're going to be successful." Thornton also has some previous experience with Kopitar. "He's a great kid," said Thornton. "I had the opportunity to play with him in Sweden during the lockout. I knew he was going to be pretty special. He was only seventeen at the time but he was playing with a lot of maturity and was making plays that were well beyond his years. He's a big body, too, so he's not afraid to get into rough situations. I expect he's going to be a big player in the future here." Kopitar has also made a solid impression in terms of the intangible factors that make-up an NHL player. "His attitude has been really good," said Crawford. "He's respectful of the veteran players on the team, which you want to see from a young player. He's hard working--trying to soak everything in. He's conscientious as well. When you have that as a combination it's a pretty good package to have especially at the skill level he's at." Kopitar, who is from Slovenia, a country not known for producing world-class hockey players, got an early start, thanks to his father. "There's not a lot of hockey players in our country," he explained. "My Dad was playing hockey, so he gave me my first stick and I got excited. I started playing and started practicing and I started to like it. I guess it's my life right now, trying to make the NHL." "I started to skate when I was four years old," he elaborated. "I skated behind our house back home. My Dad made ice so I started skating there. When I was four and a half, I went to the rink and started playing for a team. When I was growing up, there were eight teams in the whole country." But Kopitar's abilities were being hindered by the fact that he did not have high-level competition at home, so he had to leave his native country to hone his skills. "I had to go to a foreign country to play because back home, it was not challenging enough," said Kopitar. "I went to Sweden for two years and had a real nice time there and it's a great league, too. I proved a lot there." Kopitar would clearly be at least a little disappointed if he is sent to Manchester. But he understands the reality of the situation, both for the Kings and for himself. "I hope to be in the NHL, but even if they send me to the AHL, I have to work hard to make it to the NHL," said Kopitar. "It would be a little disappointing because I've worked real hard and I'm really prepared for this camp. But I'm nineteen years old and there's still a lot of hockey ahead of me." O'SULLIVAN MAKING AN IMPRESSION TOO O'Sullivan, who came to the Kings from the Minnesota Wild in a draft-day trade in exchange for forward Pavol Demitra (the Kings also got Minnesota's first round pick in the 2006 draft, which they used to select center Trevor Lewis), also appears to be making a good impression on the coaching staff and management. "I've been encouraged with his grasp of how we're playing," said Crawford. "When he has time, when he has space, he can make things happen. Now we're trying to educate him a bit more about how that space is created. He's been really receptive to the things we've talked to him about." "He's an eager guy," added Crawford. "He knows he's got a good opportunity to stick in the NHL right now and he's going to do everything he can to try and stick here. We've been encouraged with how receptive he's been to what we're saying." O'Sullivan is looking to move up from the AHL, where he was third in goal scoring, and fourth in overall scoring with 47 goals and 46 assists for 93 points in 78 games as an AHL rookie. He also led all AHL rookies in scoring. "I think I've paid my dues in juniors and I played a full year in the AHL last year," said O'Sullivan. "Nothing's going to be given to me here, but if I play the way I can, I think I have a good chance of playing here. I'll do anything and play any position that the coach wants me to." O'Sullivan was not expecting to be traded, but he is happy to be with the Kings. "It was a little bit surprising, but once I got over that, I realized that I was coming to a good organization and an organization that's making a lot of changes," he said. "They're giving me a chance to play. You can't ask for much more than that. And to live in this city and play hockey, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place." THORNTON LIKES THE NEW DIGS Scott Thornton is new to the Kings this season, but as a veteran of more than thirteen NHL seasons, he is already being looked up to as one of the team's leaders, and he is taking that responsibility in stride. "I remember when I was a lot younger, coming up through the league," said Thornton. "The older guys were guys I looked to and watched the way they acted, day in and day out. I learned from the veteran leadership I had. I just try to act as a pro every day and lead by example if I can." And so far, he seems to like his new surroundings. "It's exciting," he said. "There's a lot of changes, a lot of fresh faces around here. There's a lot of new changes for the veterans as well. We're all in it together, learning new systems. It's been fun so far." LOGJAM, PART 2 With Dan Cloutier and Mathieu Garon having all but locked up the two goaltender spots on the Kings roster, Jason LaBarbera is likely to be the odd man out and could wind up elsewhere--and the Kings might not get anything in return. "It's one of those scenarios if they don't make a trade and Jason has to clear waivers, there's a good chance we could lose him," said Kings goaltending coach Bill Ranford. "And if we don't, we can keep on developing him and we can make a decision on what route they want to go as an organization." If LaBarbera is retained and is assigned to Manchester, that would hinder the development of the younger goaltenders who would have been playing in the AHL and ECHL--LaBarbera would take a roster spot that would have gone to one of them. "You're going to have situations like that throughout the years within organizations where you make a trade for a veteran goalie, somebody's going to lose out on the back end," Ranford explained. "But Jason's still young enough, he's going to develop. At this point, I don't know what's going to happen." To this point, Ranford is taking things slow with the eight goalies in camp. "I've been real happy with everybody," he said. "We're taking baby steps on how we've approached the goalie sessions, letting these guys ease into it. The big test is once we get into the exhibition games and see how the guys work and really break down film. At this point, it's just trying to get them moving, get them back moving the way they need to be prepared to play a game."
9-14-06
The National Hockey League began ramping up for the 2006-07 season on Thursday as all thirty teams opened their training camps, and the Los Angeles Kings got their camp off to a fast start at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. Sixty-five players were at the Kings training facility bright and early for medical exams and testing that began at 6:30 AM, and two squads were on the ice by 7:45 AM for their first practice session. Just two hours later, the same two squads faced off in a 25-minute scrimmage, and then had an off-ice workout. A third squad then took the ice for practice. The Kings training camp schedule through Sunday will be very similar to Thursday's schedule. ALL SYSTEMS GO! Right from the start, first-year head coach Marc Crawford began instilling his systems into his new players' minds. "A lot of today is teaching, system-wise," said center Craig Conroy. "There are some subtle changes within the systems that the new coaching staff and new management have brought in and there's a lot of new players in the organization." "We had a good skate. The young guys looked really good out there." The veteran players quickly noticed that their new head coach is not only well-prepared, but demanding as well. "He's very thorough in his organization," said defenseman Rob Blake. "He's got a game plan and he wants to teach us structure within a system right off the bat. The players are going to have to adapt and buy into the new systems right away." The players need to be fast learners because the pre-season games are already upon them. "You just have to come in and learn," said Conroy. "It's a quick process--four practices before the first exhibition game. But it's going to be good. [Crawford is] keeping it as simple as possible. He has a few basic rules that we all have to follow and we'll be all set from there." THE TOUGHEST DIVISION IN THE NHL And then there is the fact that the Kings are going to be up against it in their own division. "I think it's the deepest division in the league," said Blake. "Anaheim went to the quarterfinals last year and they've improved by adding [star defenseman Chris] Pronger and getting a year older with some playoff experience. San Jose brought in Joe Thornton midway through last season and they continued throughout the season very strong." "Phoenix re-tooled their defensive corps through free agency and Dallas was one of the top teams in the league last year and they've maintained pretty much the same core," added Blake. "We've got our work cut out for us." But the Kings are looking at that as a challenge, not an obstacle. "It's probably the best division in hockey," said Crawford. "You can go even further and say that our conference is extremely strong. There are no breaks, no easy games. You're going to have to be on top of things every time you take to the ice. We recognize that's part of the challenge that's in front of us." "We've got a good young team," said defenseman and team captain Mattias Norstrom. "Our division is the toughest in the NHL right now. But we learned a big lesson last year. We had a great forty games but we didn't finish it off. Now we've got to come out with that same great start and sustain it the whole year." "We need to remember that we did get off to a great start," added Norstrom. "We did some good things. We need to take those positives and build from that. We need to last a lot longer--into April and May and hopefully into June. But we have a lot of areas to improve upon. If we think differently, we're in trouble already in September if we think that all we have to make are small adjustments. There are a lot of things we need to improve." IN WITH THE OLD...AND THE NEW And yes, the Kings are back to being a young team, even though they brought back Blake, who will be 37 years old in December. "I'm excited about our team this year and with Rob back, for me, he's a very good friend of mine, and I'm excited to have him back, too," said Norstrom. "He's going to help in every area. In the room, on the ice--he's still one of the top defensemen in the league." "Rob is the player who meant the most to my career, both on and off the ice," added Norstrom. "When he was the captain, he taught me a lot, especially no matter who the player is on your team--first-year player or a veteran, you treat everyone the same. Rob is classy all the way through. He's always been that way. Never changed. He's exactly the same guy sitting in the room here now as he was five years ago." "It's great to have Rob Blake back," said Conroy. "He's probably the best defenseman who's ever played in an LA Kings jersey. He's a calming influence back there and great on the power play." But it is not in with the old and out with the new. Unlike recent years, there is more optimism in the air because at least a couple of the young prospects appear to have some serious talent. "Then you have young guys like [forward prospect Patrick] O'Sullivan and [center prospect Anze] Kopitar. If you look around, there's a lot of promise in this locker room." Crawford said that the veterans he has on this team are well-suited to be strong, positive influences in the development of the younger players on the team. "I think we're going to be a very good team in net, we're strong on defense and I think our biggest upside on our team is our forwards," Crawford explained. "We're going to have to do a lot of teaching and a lot of working to get the forwards to a level where they can be contributing factors in the National Hockey League." "It's a real challenge for some of the older players--to help bring these guys along and help them reach their potential as quickly as they possibly can," Crawford added. "I think people who are a bit older--the [defenseman Aaron] Millers, the Norstroms, the Blakes--they have been able to play at a very high level because they have great habits. They are going to be terrific teachers for our younger defensemen. The young [defenseman Tim] Gleason kid is going to be a fine player and it's great for him to have those types of examples in front of him." CAN YOU SAY "LOGJAM?" If there is a question mark that some perceive, that would be in goal, where the Kings currently have a logjam in camp with returning goalies Mathieu Garon and Jason LaBarbera, along with Dan Cloutier, who was acquired by the Kings in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. "We brought in Cloutier because we really believe in what he can do," said Crawford. "Mathieu is the guy who had a great season last year with thirty wins and Jason is the guy behind them and he's going to have to push." "It's great to have some depth, but we'll make a decision on the guys who we think are going to play a lot," added Crawford. "At the same time, we know we have an abundance of goaltenders here. There's eight in this camp, three who played in the NHL last year. That'll work itself out. We've got a month to figure it out." KOPITAR'S STOCK RISING The young prospect who will be most watched in camp will be Kopitar, who shined brightly during the recently completed Pacific Division Shootout, the annual tournament featuring young prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and the Kings. The big question is: will Kopitar earn a top six forward spot with the Kings, or will he be assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (the Kings primary minor league affiliate)? "He's going to push us, I can tell you that," said Crawford. "He's a talented, talented hockey player. He's going to push extremely hard and that's what we want. We want him to make it very difficult for us to make any other decision other than to have him be a top guy." "I do believe that he's got an extremely, extremely bright future," added Crawford. "In the shootout tournament with the four teams, I thought he was the top player in the whole tournament. It's great that we had the top player. Let's hope he keeps pushing himself forward. If he does that, that will be a welcome decision for us to make." Indeed, Kopitar was, by numerous accounts, the best player in the Pacific Division Shootout. And some would add by a long shot. Nevertheless, how will his talents translate to the NHL? One way or the other, the Kings are prepared to do what is best for his development. "We also recognize that most players have to take the steps along the way and you're at a special level if you don't have to take those steps," Crawford explained. "We're quite prepared to make him to take the necessary steps. If he can show us that he doesn't need to, we'll deal with that as he keeps pushing." LEADERSHIP AND CHARACTER ON THEIR MINDS But the common theme of the day among the players who were with the Kings last season and witnessed the disintegration of the team first-hand was that better, stronger leadership and character is going to be a big difference this season. That difference is going to start with Norstrom and Blake. "[Blake has] won a Stanley Cup," said Conroy. "He's been to Colorado, he was here a long time. Guys are going to learn from him. Him and Matty are the two [leaders] in the room. It starts with those two guys." "I think their leadership along with [winger Scott] Thornton--those three guys are huge character builders for a young guy like me," said Gleason. "Even guys the same age look up to those three. And we've got that throughout the lineup. It's going to take us to the next level." Gleason believes that the addition of Blake is going to be huge for his own game, as well as that of the team. "I have a guy like Rob Blake who's going to challenge me every day and I want to challenge him every day," said Gleason. "And that's goes for the other [defensemen] I play with. Each of us are going to push each other which is going to make us a better defensive squad. That'll make our forwards better. It'll make us a tough hockey club to play against. That's what's going to do it for us. Leadership, more or less." "I'm going to push him, he's going to push me--I'm going to try to get his spot, which makes him a better player," Gleason elaborated. "No one says it's going to happen, but it's the mindset. And that's going to push all of us to be a better team." But after all that, what really did go wrong last season? "When everything's going good, everyone's happy and having a good time," said Conroy. "But when we started losing, it wasn't fun coming to the rink anymore. It was a battle. There were arguments, there was finger-pointing and that's what we can't have." "There was a lot of finger-pointing and that's not what this is about. We're a team and we have to act like a team." Norstrom was not as specific as Conroy, but he had a similar view. "You've got to find ways when things aren't going well to be able to come down to the rink and still love--not only enjoy--but love what we've been able to do day in and day out and not letting pressure get to you when things are not going well," he said. "That's not the time to hang your head." "That's what you get when you have a really tight group--no matter what happens to the team, nothing fazes you," he added. "At least not showing it. That's so important. It's a sign of weakness when you don't see the smiles on faces or you see guys dragging their feet into the rink. No team needs that." So how do the Kings avoid the infighting, bickering and dissension in the dressing room in the future? "This year, we're aware of what happened," said Norstrom. "So come December...January, depending on where we're sitting, we need to remember what happened last year. That's the key--to learn from the past." "No matter what happens, good or bad, you can't point the finger at guys," said Conroy. "We don't need arguments. We don't need guys screaming in the locker room. We just need to be like, 'hey, we made a mistake.' Pat the guy on the back and move on. We've got to do better." WE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT INJURIES! After playing on so many teams that have been totally decimated by injuries, the Kings are sick of even talking about it. "I wish we were a team that never had to talk about injuries again," said Norstrom. "Injuries you can't control, but we just don't want to talk about it anymore. And we want to start well, but find a way to become better and better and come April, really hit our stride and be at our best. That's the reputation we want to have as a team. That's what we need to change. We can't be a team that came out of the gate well and then faded. No one wants that reputation." GLEASON CLOSE TO SIGNING Unsigned going into training camp, Gleason, he said that he is very close to signing a new contract with the Kings. "We're close," said Gleason. "We're both feeling the same, so it's just a matter of time."
9-13-06
Anze Kopitar scored a goal and added at least one assist, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Day 4 of the Pacific Division Shootout, but Coyotes top prospect Peter Mueller scored the lone goal in the ten-minute tie-breaker to give the Coyotes the tournament championship. Matt Moulson scored twice for the rookie Kings and Ned Lukacevic added a shorthanded goal in Game 2 of the championship series. The Kings dominated the first two periods and led 3-0 heading into the third period, only to see the rookie Coyotes storm back late in the game. Olivier Latendresse, Liam Lindstrom, and Ryan Garlock scored for Phoenix. Jonathan Bernier went all the way in goal for the Kings and made fifteen saves while Coyotes netminder Josh Tordjman stopped 31 shots. In the tie-breaking period following Game 2, Mueller got the puck after a turnover by the Kings in the slot. Mueller scored on a wrist shot from inside the left face-off dot with Bernier screened by his own defenseman. Bernier faced two shots in the tie-breaker while Tordjman saw five shots by the Kings. There was some odd scoring late in Game 2. No assists were credited on the last two goals of the game, even though it was obvious that assists should have been awarded, one of which should have gone to Kopitar (giving him two assists in the game) on Moulson's second goal of the game. At least one assist probably should have been awarded on Mueller's goal in the tie-breaker as well, but that goal was also scored as unassisted. Phoenix has now won the Pacific Division Shootout championship for the second time in four years. The Kings placed second for the fourth consecutive year. As he did on Friday night, Kopitar was the best player on the ice in this game, even though Mueller scored the championship-winning goal. Kopitar was a cut above the rest once again, clearly outclassing the field. Lukacevic also played a strong game and contributed on both sides of the red line--he played a solid game throughout. On the other side of the coin, winger Konstantin Pushkarev was noticable for all the wrong reasons. He was sometimes too fancy with the puck, he held onto it too long, made a number of poor decisions with and without the puck, and committed some key turnovers. He certainly left a poor impression on the minds of the Kings management after this night. In the Consolation game played earlier in the day, the Anaheim Ducks slipped past the San Jose Sharks, taking a 2-1 overtime decision and third place in the rookie tournament. *NOTE: Stats sheets were unavailable following the game, so no box score is available.
9-12-06
Day 3 of the Pacific Division Shootout saw the San Jose Sharks blowout the Anaheim Ducks, 6-1 and the Phoenix Coyotes skate past the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2 on Monday at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. Joe Pavlevski led the way for the Sharks with two goals, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic tallied three assists. Four of the Sharks' goals came on the power play--San Jose was 4-for-6 on the power play while the Ducks went 0-for-7. Taylor Dakers stopped 22 shots in goal for San Jose, while Anaheim goalie Joey Perricone got lit up, allowing six goals on just twenty shots. In the late game, after taking a 2-0 lead late in the first period, the Kings could not stay out of the penalty box and the Coyotes took advantage, scoring three times on fourteen power play chances. Eric Werner and John Zeiler scored at 11:30 and 14:19 of the first period, respectively. But it was all Phoenix after Keith Yandle got the Coyotes on the board at 18:13. It was a constant parade to the penalty box for the Kings, who were often a step too slow--eleven of the Kings' fourteen penalties were either hooking, holding, tripping or interference--all the penalties players take when they are not moving their feet on defense. The Kings were 1-for-6 on the power play. Daniel Taylor went all the way in goal for the Kings and did nothing to distinguish himself, allowing two soft goals and making a bad play with the puck in the right corner late in the game. With the Kings on the power play, Taylor tried to catch the Coyotes in a line change and threw a clearing pass into the neutral zone. But the puck bounced to Coyotes center Kyle Wilson and he caught Taylor well out of his net for an easy shorthanded marker at 8:39 to close out the scoring. Phoenix goalie Pier-Olivier Pelletier allowed two goals on just fifteen shots by the Kings. BOX SCORE SCORE Phoenix: 2 0 2 -- 4 Kings: 1 1 0 -- 2 FIRST PERIOD 1. LOS ANGELES. Werner 3 (Zeiler, Ned Lukacevic), 11:30 POWER PLAY 2. LOS ANGELES. Zeiler 1 (Craig Schira, Lukacevic), 14:19 3. PHOENIX. Yandle 2 (unassisted), 18:13 POWER PLAY SECOND PERIOD 4. PHOENIX. Kyle Wilson 2 (Daniel Winnik), 17:59 POWER PLAY THIRD PERIOD 5. PHOENIX. Enver Lisin 3 (Martin Hanzal), 2:38 POWER PLAY 6. PHOENIX. Wilson 3 (unassisted), 8:39 SHORTHANDED SHOTS ON GOAL Phoenix: 7 10 13 -- 30 Los Angeles: 5 3 7 -- 15 POWER PLAY CONVERSIONS Phoenix: 3/14; Los Angeles: 1/6 GOALIES Phoenix: Pelletier. 60:00, 13 saves, 2-0 Los Angeles: Taylor. 59:29, 26 saves, 0-1 PHOENIX SCRATCHES Matt Jones, Olivier Latendresse, Bill Thomas LOS ANGELES SCRATCHES Yutaka Fukufuji, Gabe Gauthier, Kevin Henderson, Anze Kopitar, Ryan McGinnis, David Meckler, Rickard Petiot, Konstantin Pushkarev, Lauri Tukonen
9-12-06
The Los Angeles Kings announced on Tuesday that individual game tickets for the 2006-07 regular season will go on sale this Saturday, September 16, 2006, at 9:00 AM PDT. Tickets will be available at the Staples Center box office with parking available in Lot 7 (Figueroa St. and 11th Street). Tickets will also be available starting at 10:00 AM PDT at all TicketMaster outlets and from www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone, (213) 365-3600. Tickets for the January 20, 2006 game at Staples Center between the Kings and Phoenix Coyotes (when Luc Robitaille's jersey number 20 will be retired) will not be available until a later date. For more information on individual game tickets, season tickets, mini-plans and group discount information, call (888) 546-4752.
9-11-06
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced a format change for the Pacific Division Shootout, the annual rookie tournament featuring young prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and the Kings. The tournament is being played at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. With the Coyotes and Kings each winning their first two games, the two teams will now face each other in a two-game championship series. They will face each other tonight at 7:30 PM PDT in the first game. The Ducks will face the Sharks in today's early game (4:00 PM) as originally scheduled, and again in the consolation game at 4:00 PM on Tuesday. The Kings and Coyotes will face-off in Game 2 of the championship series at 7:30 PM on Tuesday. If the Kings and Coyotes split the two games, the teams will play a ten-minute overtime period after Game 2 to determine the champion. As originally scheduled, the Kings rookies will practice on Tuesday from 11:00 - 11:45 AM. All practice sessions are free and are open to the public. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis for both day's games from the Toyota Sports Center box office at $10.00 each (limited to four tickets per person), and they allow entry for both games on that day.
9-11-06
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced changes to their pre-season and regular season schedules. Rookie games against the Anaheim Ducks at Anaheim on September 18 and at Staples Center against the San Jose Sharks on September 19 have been cancelled. These games were to be played prior to the "regular" pre-season game on both nights. During the regular season, the Kings game at Colorado on Tuesday, November 7 will start at 6:30 PM PDT instead of 6:00 PM.
9-8-06
The Pacific Division Shootout, a tournament featuring young prospects from the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks got off to a raucous start on Friday with the Coyotes storming back from a two-goal deficit with three late goals to beat the Sharks, 6-5 in overtime, and with the Kings holding off the Ducks, 6-5 in the late game. Matt Moulson scored two goals and Chris Korchinski had a goal and two assists for the Kings. Ryan Carter led the way for Anaheim with two goals, while Drew Miller scored a goal and added two assists. Jonathan Bernier went all the way in goal for the Kings, giving up five goals on 22 Anaheim shots--two of the goals were soft. However, to be fair, all five Anaheim goals came on the power play, and three of them came when the Ducks had a two-man advantage in what was a penalty-filled game, even though there was just one fight. In all, the two teams combined for 27 penalties (15 for Anaheim and 12 for the Kings) and sixty penalty minutes. Anaheim goalie David McKee got lit up by the rookie Kings, giving up six goals on 32 shots. The Kings scored twice on their twelve power play chances. Although he was not the scoring leader in the game, Kings center prospect Anze Kopitar was clearly the star of the game. He gave the Kings a 2-0 lead with a power play goal at 7:28 of the first period when he coasted down right wing with the puck and then turned on the jets when he reached the top of the right circle, blowing past two Ducks players. From the right face-off dot, he flicked a very quick wrist shot past McKee. This was the "prettiest" goal of the night, coming off a deceptive and quick move that showed a lot of skill. Although he would not score another goal in the game, it was clear that at least on this night, Kopitar was a man among boys--he was an order of magnitude better than the rest. He was clearly way ahead of the other players on the ice in terms of skill, quickness, defensive abilities, footwork, and in his decisions with the puck and without it. The only weakness Kopitar showed in the game was on face-offs--he lost the vast majority of his face-offs. But this is just one game in a pre-training camp tournament. As such, what Kopitar's performance in Friday's game means for his future remains unclear. BOX SCORE Anaheim: 3 1 1 -- 5 Los Angeles: 3 2 1 -- 6 FIRST PERIOD 1. LOS ANGELES. Gabe Gauthier 1 (Ned Lukacevic, Craig Schira), 1:05 2. LOS ANGELES. Anze Kopitar 1 (Schira), 7:28 POWER PLAY 3. ANAHEIM. Drew Miller 1 (Brendan Mikkelson, Bobby Ryan), 9:36 POWER PLAY 4. ANAHEIM. Ryan Carter 1 (Miller, Brett Skinner), 13:54 POWER PLAY 5. LOS ANGELES. Chris Korchinski 1 (Eric Werner), 15:10 6. ANAHEIM. Ryan 1 (Tim Kraus, Miller), 19:13 POWER PLAY SECOND PERIOD 7. LOS ANGELES. Matt Moulson 1 (Korchinski, Werner), 2:30 8. LOS ANGELES. Moulson 2 (Korchinski), 11:52 9. ANAHEIM. Colby Genoway 1 (Brian Salcido, Skinner), 16:28 POWER PLAY THIRD PERIOD 10. LOS ANGELES. Werner 1 (Peter Harrold, Kopitar), 5:25 POWER PLAY 11. ANAHEIM. Carter 2 (Salcido, Ryan), 11:47 POWER PLAY SHOTS ON GOAL Anaheim: 13 8 6 -- 27 Los Angeles: 14 13 11 -- 38 POWER PLAY CONVERSIONS Anaheim: 5/15; Los Angeles: 2/12 GOALIES Anaheim: McKee. 59:57, 32 saves, 0-1 Los Angeles: Bernier. 60:00, 22 saves, 1-0 *NOTE: Kingshockey.com will not have a writer at Saturday's rookie tournament games, so there will be no report. We apologize for any inconvenience.
9-1-06
On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings signed unrestricted free agent forward Matt Moulson to a multi-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Moulson, 22, played the last four years at Cornell University, leading the team in goals and overall scoring for the third consecutive season with 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points. In 134 career games with Cornell, Moulson scored 71 goals, with 67 asssits for 138 points, including 33 power play goals. The 6-1, 210-pound native of Mississauga, Ontario was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the ninth-round (263rd overall) of the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
8-30-06
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that their 2006 training camp will open with their first on-ice session on Thursday, September 14, 2006, at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. Approximately 65 players will be partcipating in this year's training camp. All on-ice sessions are open to the public at no charge. This year, a new twist has been added: the players will be divided into three teams: Team Berry, Team Goring and Team Murphy, named after former Kings forwards Bob Berry (also a pro scout for the Kings), Butch Goring (a member of the Kings' Hall of Fame) and Mike Murphy. The teams will compete for the Rogie Cup, named after former Kings goalie (and member of the Kings Hall of Fame) Rogie Vachon. The following is the schedule for the first six days of the Kings' training camp: September 14 7:45 - 8:30 AM - Practice (Team Goring & Team Berry goalies) - NHL rink 8:30 - 8:40 - Video (Team Goring and Team Berry) 8:40 - 9:30 - Practice - Team Goring - NHL rink; Team Berry - Olympic rink 9:30 - 9:45 - Flood - NHL and Olympic rinks 9:45 - 10:45 - Game - Team Goring vs. Team Berry - NHL rink 9:45 - 10:00 - Video (Team Murphy) 9:45 - 10:45 - Practice (Team Murphy goalies) - Olympic rink 10:00 - 10:45 - Workout - Team Murphy 10:45 - 11:30 - Workout - Team Goring and Team Berry 11:00 - 12:30 PM - Practice (Team Murphy) - NHL rink September 15 7:45 - 8:30 AM - Practice - (Team Goring & Team Murphy goalies) - NHL rink 8:30 - 8:40 - Video (Team Goring and Team Murphy) 8:40 - 9:30 - Practice (Team Goring) - Olympic rink 8:40 - 9:30 - Practice (Team Murphy) - NHL rink 9:30 - 9:45 - Flood - NHL and Olympic rinks 9:45 - 10:45 - Game - Team Goring vs. Team Murphy - NHL rink 9:45 - 10:45 - Practice (Team Berry goalies) - Olympic rink 9:45 - 10:00- Video (Team Berry) 10:00 - 10:45- Workout (Team Berry) 10:45 - 11:30 - Workout (Team Goring and Team Murphy) 11:00 - 12:30 - Practice (Team Berry) - NHL rink September 16 7:45 - 8:30 AM - Practice (Team Berry & Team Murphy goalies) - NHL rink 8:30 - 8:40 - Video (Team Berry and Team Murphy) 8:40 - 9:30 - Practice (Team Berry) - NHL rink 8:40 - 9:30 - Practice (Team Murphy) - Olympic rink 9:30 - 9:45 - Flood - NHL and Olympic rinks 9:45 - 10:45 - Game (Team Berry vs. Team Murphy) - NHL rink 9:45 - 10:45 - Practice (Team Goring goalies) Olympic rink 9:45 - 10:00 - Video (Team Goring) 10:00 - 10:45 - Workout (Team Goring) 10:45 - 11:30 - Workout (Team Berry and Team Murphy) 11:00 - 12:30 PM - Practice (Team Goring) - NHL rink September 17 7:45 - 8:30 AM - Practice (3rd place team goalies) NHL rink 8:30 - 8:40 - Video (3rd place team) 8:40 - 10:00 - Practice (3rd place team) - NHL rink 10:00 - 10:15 - Video (1st and 2nd place teams) 10:15 - 11:00 - Practice (1st place team) - NHL rink 10:15 - 11:00 - Practice (2nd place team) - Olympic rink 10:15 - 11:00 - Workout (3rd place team) 11:00 - 11:15 - Flood - NHL and Olympic rinks 11:15 - 12:30 PM Game - (1st place vs. 2nd place) - NHL rink 11:45 - End of 1st period - Flood - NHL rink 12:30 PM - Rogie Vachon presents the the Rogie Cup September 18 8:30 AM - AHL/Rookie practice - NHL rink 10:30 - NHL practice - NHL rink 4:00 PM - Rookie Game at Anaheim 7:00 PM - NHL Game at Anaheim September 19 8:30 AM - AHL/Rookie practice - NHL rink 10:30 - NHL practice - NHL rink 4:00 PM - Rookie Game vs. San Jose at Staples Center 7:30 PM - NHL Game vs. San Jose at Staples Center 2006 LOS ANGELES KINGS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER (includes position, height, weight, birthdate, 2006-06 season stats) SKATERS 7 - Derek Armstrong, C. 6-0, 195. 04/23/73, 62 GP, 13 G, 28 A, 41 PM 19 - Sean Avery, LW. 5-10, 185. 04/10/80, 75 GP, 15 G, 24 A, 257 PM 25 - Eric Belanger, C. 6-0, 185. 12/16/77, 65 GP, 17 G, 20 A, 62 PM 4 - Rob Blake, D. 6-4, 225. 12/10/69, 81 GP, 14 G, 37 A, 94 PM (Colorado, NHL) 23 - Dustin Brown, LW. 6-0, 195. 11/04/84, 79 GP, 14 G, 14 A, 80 PM 37 - Brenden Buckley, D. 6-0, 205. 02/26/77, 73 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 104 PM (Peoria, AHL) 13 - Michael Cammalleri, C. 5-9, 180. 06/08/82, 80 GP, 26 G 29 A, 50 PM 28 - Noah Clarke, LW. 5-9, 185. 06/11/79, 69 GP, 14 G, 30 A, 33 PM (Manchester, AHL) 22 - Craig Conroy, C. 6-2, 197. 09/04/71, 78 GP, 22 G, 44 A, 78 PM 15 - Jeff Cowan, LW. 6-2, 210. 09/27/76, 46 GP, 8 G, 1 A, 73 PM 38 - Kevin Dallman, D. 5-11, 195. 02/28/81, 67 GP, 4 G, 10 A, 20 PM (St. Louis and Boston, NHL) 24 - Alexander Frolov, LW. 6-2, 210. 06/19/82, 69 GP, 21 G, 33, 40 PM 52 - Gabe Gauthier, C. 5-9, 200. 01/20/84, 38 GP, 15 G, 24 A, 35 PM (Denver University, WCHA) 53 - Jeff Giuliano, LW. 5-9, 205. 06/20/79, 48 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 26 PM (Kings); 19 GP, 5 G, 6 A, 17 PM (Manchester, AHL) 42 - Tim Gleason, D. 6-1, 202. 01/29/83, 78 GP, 2 G, 19 A, 77 PM 64 - Chad Greenan, D. 6-2, 193. 11/11/87, 66 GP, 4 G, 29 A 68 PM (Kootenay, WHL) 49 - Peter Harrold, D. 6-2, 195. 06/08/83, 40 GP, 7 G, 23 A, 30 PM (Boston College, Hockey East) 72 - Kevin Henderson, LW. 6-3, 210. 12/03/86, 63 GP, 6 G, 11 A, 66 PM (Kitchener, OHL) 34 - Greg Hogeboom, RW. 6-0, 190. 09/26/82, 42 GP, 9 G, 10 A, 18 PM (Manchester, AHL) 50 - Bud Holloway, C. 6-0, 190. 03/01/88, 72 GP, 21 G, 13 A, 18 PM (Seattle, WHL) 41 - Raitis Ivanans, LW. 6-3, 263. 01/01/79, 43 GP, 2 G, 0 A, 120 PM (Hamilton, AHL) 12 - Tim Jackman, RW. 6-4. 210. 11/14/81, 50 GP, 7 G, 13 A, 127 PM (San Antonio, AHL); 18 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 33 PM (Manchester, AHL) 48 - Petr Kanko, RW. 5-9, 195. 02/07/84, 10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 0 PM (Kings); 60 GP, 15 G, 12 A, 52 PM (Manchester, AHL) 11 - Anze Kopitar, C. 6-4. 220. 08/24/87, 47 GP, 8 G, 12 A, 28 PM (Sodertalje, SEL) 62 - Chris Korchinski, C. 6-0. 185. 10/01/85, 54 GP, 33 G, 46 A, 79 PM (Yorkton, SJHL) 29 - Tom Kostopoulos, RW. 6-0, 200. 01/24/79, 76 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 100 PM 61 - Trevor Lewis, C. 6-1, 192. 01/08/87, 56 GP, 35 G, 40 A, 69 PM (Des Moines, USHL) 69 - Ned Lukacevic, LW. 6-0, 185. 02/11/86, 63 GP, 25 G, 28 A, 71 PM (Swift Current, WHL) 10 - Alyn McCauley, C, 5-11, 200. 05/29/77, 76 GP, 12 G, 14 A, 30 PM (San Jose, NHL) 51 - Ryan McGinnis, D. 6-1, 197. 03/03/87, 65 GP, 3 G, 23 A, 135 PM (Plymouth, OHL) 71 - Frazer McLaren, LW, 6-4, 225, 10/29/87, 70 GP, 12 G, 6 A, 194 PM (Portland, WHL) 58 - David Meckler, C. 6-0, 184. 07/09/87, 31 GP, 7 G, 3 A, 28 PM (Yale University, ECAC) 3 - Aaron Miller, D. 6-4. 200. 08/11/71, 56 GP, 0 G, 8 A, 27 PM 47 - Joey Mormina, D. 6-6. 220. 06/29/82, 61 GP, 0 G, 13 A, 70 PM (Manchester, AHL) 67 - Ryan Murphy, RW. 5-11, 185. 01/23/83, 68 GP, 7 G, 7 A, 34 PM (Manchester, AHL) 14 - Mattias Norstrom, D. 6-2. 210. 01/02/72, 77 GP, 4 G, 23 A, 58 PM 26 - Patrick O'Sullivan, C. 5-11, 190. 02/01/85, 78 GP, 47 G 46 A, 64 PM (Houston, AHL) 57 - George Parros, RW. 6-4. 232. 12/29/79, 55 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 130 PM 2 - Richard Petiot, D. 6-2, 190. 08/20/82, 63 GP, 4 G, 10 A, 52 PM (Manchester, AHL) 9 - Konstantin Pushkarev, RW. 6-0, 180. 02/12/85, 77 GP, 19 G, 19 A, 95 PM (Manchester, AHL) 55 - Dany Roussin, LW. 6-1, 190. 01/09/85, 29 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 24 PM (Manchester, AHL); 20 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 24 PM (Reading, ECHL) 56 - Joe Ryan, D. 6-1, 189. 10/19/87, 61 GP, 6 G, 18 A, 202 PM (Manchester, AHL) 40 - Matt Ryan, C, 5-11, 182. 11/12/83, 12 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 2 PM (Kings); 68 GP, 12 G, 12 A, 79 PM (Manchester, AHL) 63 - Craig Schira, D. 5-11, 185. 04/21/88, 71 GP, 5 G, 28 A, 72 PM (Regina, WHL). 54 - John Seymour, LW. 6-3. 176. 06/16/87, 50 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 60 PM (Brampton, OHL) 5 - Brent Sopel, D. 6-1, 205. 01/07/77, 11 GP, 0 G, 1 A 6 PM (Kings), 57 GP, 2 G, 25 A, 64 PM (NY Islanders) 60 - Shay Stephenson, D. 6-4, 200. 09/13/83, 62 GP, 19 G, 22 A, 42 PM (Reading, ECHL) 27 - Scott Thornton, LW. 6-3. 225. 01/09/71, 71 GP. 10 G, 11 A, 84 PM (San Jose, NHL) 44 - Lauri Tukonen, 6-2, 200. 09/01/86, 62 GP, 14 G, 22 A, 20 PM (Manchester, AHL) 17 - Lubomir Visnovsky, D. 5-10, 188. 08/11/76, 80 GP, 17 G, 50 A, 50 PM 43 - Mike Weaver, D. 5-9, 182. 05/02/78, 53 GP, 0 G, 9 A, 14 PM 68 - Eric Werner, D. 5-10, 185. 01/26/83. 15 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 10 PM (Manchester, AHL); 58 GP, 12 G, 30 A, 38 PM (Reading, ECHL) 21 - Brian Willsie, RW. 6-1, 195. 03/16/78, 82 GP, 19 G, 22 A, 77 PM (Washington, NHL) GOALTENDERS (includes height, weight, birthdate, games played, minutes played, goals-against average, shutouts, save percentage, won-loss record) 45 - Jonathan Bernier, 5-11, 177. 08/07/88, 54 GP, 3,240, 2.70, 2SO, .908. 27-26-0 (Lewiston, QMJHL) 32 - Barry Brust, 6-2. 210.. 08/08/83, 35 GP, 1,971, 2.71, 2SO, .916, 19-14-1 (Manchester, AHL) 39 - Dan Cloutier, 6-1, 185. 04/22/76, 13 GP, 681, 3.17, 0SO, .892, 8-3-1 (Vancouver, NHL) 33 - Yutaka Fukufuji, 6-1, 180. 09/17/82, 2 GP, 120, 3.00, 0SO, .923, 1-1-0 (Manchester, AHL); 29 GP, 1,691, 2.91, 1SO, .917, 15-9-4 (Reading, ECHL) 31 - Mathieu Garon, 6-2. 192. 01/09/78, 63 GP, 3,446, 3.22, 4SO, .894, 31-26-3 35 - Jason LaBarbera, 6-2, 230. 01/18/80, 29 GP, 1,433, 2.89, .900, 11-9-2 1 - Ryan Munce, 6-2, 180. 04/16/85. 55 GP, 3,234, 2.78, 2SO, .919. 30-18-5 (Bakersfield, ECHL) 46 - Daniel Taylor, 5-11, 179. 04/28/86, 57 GP, 3,319, 3.11, 3SO, .911, 32-15-6
8-24-06
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced their 2006-07 regular season television schedule. FSN West will once again be the Kings primary television outlet, airing 68 regular season games on FSN West and FSN Prime Ticket. With four additional games at Anaheim being televised as well, 72 Kings games will be broadcast on FSN West and FSN Prime Ticket. The Kings will also appear four times on national television, with two games each on NBC and Versus (OLN will change its name to Versus on September 25). In Canada, the Kings will appear once each on CBC and TSN. LEGEND FSN = FSN West FSNPT = FSN Prime Ticket NBC = National Broadcasting Corporation VS = Versus CBC = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Canada) TSN = The Sports Network (Canada) * - Indicates Anaheim Ducks broadcast ALL TIMES PACIFIC Home Games Indicated in CAPITAL Letters September 2006 (pre-season) 09/18/06 - Mon. - Anaheim, 7:30 PM, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim 09/19/06 - Tue. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM, Staples Center 09/23/06 - Sat.. - Colorado, 7:30 PM, MGM Grand, Las Vegas 09/25/06 - Mon. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM, Staples Center 09/29/06 - Fri. - San Jose, 7:30 PM, HP Pavilion 09/30/06 - Sat. - Colorado, 6:00 PM, Pepsi Center October (8 home games, 6 away, 6 back-to-back) 10/06/06 - Fri. - at Anaheim, 7:00 PM - *FSN 10/07/06 - Sat. - ST. LOUIS, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/10/06 - Tue. - NEW YORK ISLANDERS, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/12/06 - Thu. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/14/06 - Sat. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/16/06 - Mon. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/18/06 - Wed. - MINNESOTA, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/19/06 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 7:00 PM - FSNPT 10/22/06 - Sun. - ANAHEIM, 3:00 PM - FSN 10/23/06 - Mon. - at Colorado, 5:00 PM - FSN 10/25/06 - Wed. - at Minnesota, 5:00 PM - FSN 10/27/06 - Fri. - at Columbus, 4:00 PM - FSN 10/28/06 - Sat. - at Dallas, 5:00 PM - FSN 10/30/06 - Mon. - NEW YORK RANGERS, 7:30 PM - FSN November (8 home, 5 away, 2 back-to-back) 11/01/06 - Wed. - PITTSBURGH, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/04/06 - Sat. - at Phoenix, 6:00 PM - FSNPT 11/07/06 - Tue. - at Colorado, 6:00 PM - FSNPT 11/09/06 - Thu. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/11/06 - Sat. - MINNESOTA, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/13/06 - Mon. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/16/06 - Thu. - PHILADELPHIA, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/18/06 - Sat. - PHOENIX, 1:00 PM - FSNPT 11/22/06 - Wed. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/24/06 - Fri. - at Dallas, 5:30 PM - FSN 11/25/06 - Sat. - CALGARY, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/27/06 - Mon. - NEW JERSEY, 7:90 PM - VS 11/30/06 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 6:00 PM - FSN December (7 home, 7 road, 4 back-to-back) 12/02/06 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 1:00 PM - FSNPT 12/03/06 - Sun. - at Anaheim, 5:00 PM - *FSNPT 12/07/06 - Thu. - NASHVILLE, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/09/06 - Sat. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/12/06 - Tue. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/14/06 - Thu. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/16/06 - Sat. - DALLAS, 1:00 PM - FSN 12/19/06 - Tue. - CALGARY, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/21/06 - Thu. - at St. Louis, 5:00 PM - FSN 12/23/06 - Sat. - at Nashville, 5:00 PM - FSN 12/26/06 - Tue. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/28/06 - Thu. - at Edmonton, 6:00 PM - FSN 12/29/06 - Fri. - at Calgary, 6:00 PM - FSN 12/31/06 - Sun. - at Detroit, 4:00 PM - FSNPT January 2007 (6 home, 6 road, 2 back-to-back) 01/03/07 - Wed. - COLUMBUS, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/06/07 - Sat. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/08/07 - Mon. - EDMONTON, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/11/07 - Thu. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/13/07 - Sat. - at St. Louis, 11:00 AM - NBC 01/15/07 - Mon. - at Dallas, 1:00 PM 01/16/07 - Tue. - at Atlanta, 4:00 PM 01/18/07 - Thu. - ST. LOUIS, 7:30 PM 01/20/07 - Sat. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/26/07 - Fri. - at Vancouver, 7:00 PM - FSNPT 01/27/07 - Sat. - at Edmonton, 7:00 PM - FSN and CBC 01/30/07 - Tue. - at Calgary, 6:00 PM - FSN February (4 home, 6 away, 2 back-to-back) 02/01/07 - Thu. - CHICAGO, 7:30 PM - FSN 02/03/07 - Sat. - at Florida, 4:30 PM 02/06/07 - Tue. - at Tampa Bay, 4:30 PM - FSN 02/08/07 - Thu. - at Washington, 4:00 PM - FSN 02/10/07 - Sat. - at Nashville, 5:00 PM - FSN 02/13/07 - Tue. - at Carolina, 4:00 PM - FSN 02/17/07 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM - FSN 02/18/07 - Sun. - at Anaheim, 5:00 PM - FSNPT 02/22/07 - Thu. - VANCOUVER, 7:30 PM - FSN 02/24/07 - Sat. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM - FSN March (7 home, 8 road, 8 back-to-back) 03/01/07 - Thu. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/03/07 - Sat. - NASHVILLE, 1:00 PM - FSNPT 03/06/07 - Tue. - at Chicago, 5:30 PM - FSN 03/07/07 - Wed. - at Columbus, 4:00 PM - FSNPT 03/09/07 - Fri. - at Detroit, 4:30 PM - FSNPT 03/11/07 - Sun. - at Dallas, 12:30 PM - FSN 03/12/07 - Mon. - EDMONTON, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/15/07 - Thu. - CHICAGO, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/17/07 - Sat. - COLUMBUS, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/18/07 - Sun. - at Anaheim, 5:00 PM - *FSNPT and TSN 03/21/07 - Wed. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/23/07 - Fri. - at Chicago, 5:30 PM 03/24/07 - Sat. - at Minnesota, 5:00 PM - FSN 03/27/07 - Tue. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - VS 03/29/07 - Thu. - VANCOUVER, 7:30 PM - FSN April (1 home, 3 road) 04/01/07 - Sun. - at San Jose, 3:00 PM - NBC 04/03/07 - Tue. - at Vancouver, 7:00 PM - FSNPT 04/05/07 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 7:00 PM - FSN 04/07/07 - Sat. - PHOENIX, 1:00 PM - FSN
8-24-06
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings and FSN West announced that Kings television broadcasters Bob Miller and Jim Fox have been signed to new contracts. Miller enters his 34th season as the "Voice of the Kings," simulcasting on radio and television for the first seventeen years, the last sixteen exclusively on television. Miller was the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award on November 13, 2000, earning him induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on October 2, 2006. On January 31, 1998, Miller was honored by the Kings for twenty-five years of service to the organization, and then-Kings President (now Kings Governor) Tim Leiweke stated that Miller had a lifetime contract--that the television play-by-play job was his for as long as he wanted the job. Fox, a former Kings' winger who is seventh on their all-time scoring list, enters his seventeenth season as the television color commentator. On February 11, 2006, Fox was honored by the Kings for his twenty-five years of service to the team, both on and off the ice. "Both Bob and Jim are true leaders in their field and key members of the Kings family," said Kings President, Business Operations Shawn Hunter. "They have combined for sixty years of service with our organization and are much more than just familiar voices for our fans--in a lot of ways, they are synonymous with our club." "To have them represent us on the air and in the community is tremendous for our hockey club and our fans."
8-23-06
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that tickets for the fourth annual Pacific Division Shootout featuring prospects from the Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks will go on sale at 10:00 AM PDT on Monday, August 28, 2006. The tournament runs from September 8-12, 2006. Tickets are $10.00 each and can be purchased only at the Toyota Sports Center, where the tournament will be held. There is a limit of four tickets per person, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets allow entry for both games scheduled each day. The tournament schedule is available in our July 31, 2006 story announcing the tournament (scroll down). For more information, including the Kings rosters, check out: Kings Announce Roster for Pacific Division Shootout.
8-21-06
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they will retire Luc Robitaille's jersey number 20 in a ceremony prior to their game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center on January 20, 2007. Robitaille's number 20 will be the fifth jersey number to be retired by the Kings, joining Rogie Vachon, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Wayne Gretzky. Robitaille will also be inducted into the Kings' Hall of Fame that night, joining Dionne, Gretzky, Taylor, Vachon, Butch Goring, "Voice of the Kings" Bob Miller and long-timer trainer Peter Demers. "Luc's commitment to the game of hockey and to his community here, especially the kids, is total and unique, and the relationship he has with hockey fans in LA is unlike any other athlete/fan relationship I have ever seen," said Kings Governor Tim Leiweke. "On the ice, Luc honored the game every day and he honored the jersey every minute." "In Los Angeles, I do not think any other athlete has made the impact Luc has," added Leiweke. "He is a class act, a true legend and with the official retirement of his jersey, he will truly be a part of the LA Kings family forever." Robitaille, 40, holds the all-time NHL records for goals and points scored by a left winger, he is the all-time Kings leader in goals scored and, undoubtedly, a future member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. "Luc's passion for Los Angeles, the Kings and their fans was matched only by his determination to excel at our game," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "The retirement of his jersey will forever remind Kings players and fans of the lofty levels at which he conducted himself." Last season was Robitaille's nineteenth in the NHL, his fourteenth with the Kings. He retired on April 17. "Having your sweater retired by your team is an incredible honor," said Robitaille. "When I first came to LA more than twenty years ago, I never would have imagined this happening." "To have my name up on the wall at Staples Center alongside true greats like Marcel Dionne, Rogie Vachon, Wayne Gretzky and Dave Taylor, and to see the wonderful basketball names like Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar up there as well, is truly overwhelming," added Robitaille. "I have always said that the Kings are my team. This honor means so much to myself and my family, and I am very honored and humbled indeed." In 1,431 regular season games with the Kings, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, Robitaille scored 668 goals and added 726 assists for 1,394 points with 1,177 penalty minutes. In 159 playoff games, Robitaille scored 58 goals and contributed 69 assists for 127 points with 174 penalty minutes, and he won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2002. Robitaille was the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 1986, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. He ended his career ranked tenth all-time in overall NHL goal scoring and 19th in overall scoring. Robitaille is also the only left wing in NHL history to tally eight straight forty-goal seasons (all with the Kings). Even though he is new to the Los Angeles area, the new Kings' boss is keenly aware of Robitaille's contributions, both on and off the ice. "It is an honor and a privilege for me to help announce this special honor being extended to an elite player and consummate professional in the person of Luc Robitaille," said Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi. "Luc was a gifted goal scorer who defied the odds to rise to the heights of his chosen profession." "His example as a player transcends hockey," added Lombardi. "From a long shot, late-round draft pick, to a future member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Luc is an inspiration for anyone who chooses to follow in his path in this great game." For more on Robitaille, check the Kings web site: Kings To Retire Robitaille's Jersey on Jan. 20
8-2-06
The American Sportscasters Association reports that Bob Miller, the television "Voice of the Kings," will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a formal presentation on October 2, 2006. There has been no confirmation from either the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce or the Kings regarding the date of the presentation.
9-30-05
Sergei Fedorov and Joffrey Lupul both scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to a 5-4 pre-season victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on Friday night. Andy McDonald also scored for the Ducks. Pavol Demitra scored two goals to lead the Kings. Tom Kostopoulos and Eric Belanger also scored for the Kings. Lupul opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 2:23 of the first period. Kostopoulos tied the game at the 10:40 mark, and the two teams went into the first intermission tied, 1-1. Fedorov scored his first goal of the game just 1:59 into the second period. And less than five minutes later, Lupul scored at the 6:51 mark to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead. Demitra scored at 10:53 to cut the Anaheim lead in half, and then Belanger's goal at 15:55 tied the game. As they did in the first and second period, the Ducks scored early in the third period, when McDonald scored the game-winning goal at 2:43. Demitra added his second goal of the game at 10:24, taking a feed from Belanger, who had blown past Anaheim defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh. The Kings were outshot by the Ducks, 38-20. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 16 saves for Anaheim, while Jason LaBarbera stopped 33 shots for Los Angeles. The Ducks were 0/7 on the power play, while the Kings were 3/8. The Kings finished the pre-season with a 4-3-1 record.
9-30-05
On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings assigned goalie Adam Hauser to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings' primary minor league affiliate), and they signed unrestricted free agent Ken Belanger to a one-year contract. They also released defenseman Brad Norton, who was a non-roster training camp invitee. Hauser will be the starting goalie for the Monarchs. Belanger, 31, was a non-roster invite to the Kings' training camp. The 6-4, 220-pound winger last played in the NHL for the Kings during the 2002-03 season when he played in four games before sufferring a season-ending concussion. In 43 games with the Kings in the 2001-02 season, Belanger, who is best-known for his fighting skills, scored two goals and racked up 85 penalty minutes. In 243 career NHL games with the Kings, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, Belanger has 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points and 688 penalty minutes. He was a seventh-round pick of the Hartford Whalers (153rd overall) in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Financial terms of Belanger's contract were not disclosed. The Kings now have 29 players in their 2005 training camp.
9-29-05
Jeff Cowan, Tom Kostopoulos and Sean Avery all scored goals and Valeri Bure scored the lone shootout goal to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche in pre-season action at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Thursday night. Brad May, Joe Sakic and Pierre Turgeon scored for Colorado. Cowan and Avery also contributed an assist each for the Kings. Both teams scored early goals in the first period, with May opening the scoring at 2:11, followed by Cowan at 4:13. After Kings' defenseman prospect Denis Grebeshkov took a holding penalty just nine seconds into the second period, the Avs quickly cashed in on the power play, with Sakic scoring at the 0:25 mark. But just over one minute later, Kostopoulos tied the game with a goal at 1:39. Avery and Turgeon traded goals at 2:40 and 8:48 respectively, and the teams went into the third period tied, 3-3. The "highlights" of a scoreless third period came when Avalanche players Ian Laperriere and Alex Tanguay decided to go after Avery for his racist remarks earlier in the week that demeaned French Canadian NHL players. At the 12:15 mark, Tanguay ran Avery and received a boarding minor. And less than four minutes later, Laperriere and Avery jawed at each other, both receiving unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Neither team scored in overtime, leading to a shootout, where Kings' goalie Mathieu Garon blanked the Avs, while Colorado goalie prospect Vitali Kolesnik was beaten by Bure to give the Kings the win. The Avs were 2/11 on the power play, while the Kings were 0/9.
9-27-05
Ryan Clowe scored two goals, while Tom Preissing and Nils Ekman each added a goal and an assist to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in pre-season action at Staples Center on Tuesday night. Josh Gorges also scored for the Sharks, while Aaron Miller, Pavol Demitra and Dustin Brown scored for the Kings. After an evenly-played, scoreless first period, the Kings drew first blood on the power play when Miller scored on a slap shot through traffic from right point at 3:09. But then the Kings, who have had a ton of lapses in their last three pre-season games, fell asleep again and they almost literally watched as the Sharks scored three straight goals in a 3:10 span. Preissing scored at 10:06 on the power play, followed by goals from Clowe at 10:41 and 13:16. Demitra scored from the doorstep at 19:34 to give the Kings a bit of a spark, but San Jose came right back at 3:48 of the third period when Gorges scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal. The two teams matched each other on the ice until the 14:42 mark, when Brown scored from the goalmouth. But the Sharks answered right back at the 18:50 mark when Ekman scored an empty-net goal after Kings' goalie Jason LaBarbera went off for the extra attacker at 18:40. Kings' head coach Andy Murray said his team seemed to stop playing for awhile in the second period. "We had a phase for about eight minutes in the second period after they got their first goal that we seemed to lock up--we weren't playing," Murray lamented. "After the first period, I think our attempted shots were five more than them, but we didn't hit the net," Murray added. "I thought our time of possession wasn't bad. But that phase in the second period there...it can't happen to us." But the good thing for Murray and the Kings is that this is just the pre-season. "I think we've done some good things [so far in their training camp and pre-season]," said Murray. "I think there's adjustments for certain players. We have a lot of new people here, and it takes a bit of time." "There have been parts of our pre-season schedule where we've liked our effort, and there are other parts that haven't been what we need," he added. "But that's why we're playing these games and you try to get better every day." Injury Bug Returns Kings' defenseman Mattias Norstrom suffered a hamstring injury about midway through the second period. He did not return. He will be evaluated on Wednesday. And during the third period, Kings' defensemen Tim Gleason and Lubomir Visnovsky collided knee-on-knee, with Gleason getting the worst of it. Gleason limped off to the bench late in the third period and did not return. He will also be evaluated on Wednesday. On a positive note, center Derek Armstrong, who suffered a concussion on September 18, passed a series of tests and is expected to return to practice on Wednesday. Center Jeremy Roenick, who suffered a concussion during Sunday's game against Phoenix, rode the exercise bike on Tuesday and said that he was headache-free and had less neck pain. Avery Suffering From Foot-In-Mouth Disease Earlier in the day, Kings' forward Sean Avery told Canada's TSN that the hit by Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Denis Gauthier on Roenick that caused the concussion was a clean hit. But Avery did not stop there. "I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back[ing] anything up," he said. "I'd think if a guy like Brett Hull was coming up the middle, somebody probably wouldn't have stepped up and hit him, but like I said, a typical move from a guy wearing a visor that certainly doesn't like to get scratched at all." Hours before Tuesday's game, the Kings released a statement by Avery. "I certainly did not want to offend anyone with my comments earlier today," said Avery. "I am an emotional guy who sometimes says things that shouldn't be said. I apologize if I offended anyone." Kings' President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Dave Taylor is reportedly going to discuss this incident with Avery. Whatever happens, Taylor should tell Avery to keep his mouth shut, especially regarding ethnic groups, considering that the Kings are in the most diverse city in the nation, and possibly, the world. Adjusting To The New Rules? There were far less penalties in this game than in the Kings' previous pre-season games. One reason is that the players are clearly beginning to adjust to the new rules, knowing that everything is being called now. "I think guys are adjusting," said Kings' left wing Luc Robitaille, who assisted on Brown's third period goal. "You can clearly tell that when guys are skating between the blues lines, the defenses are letting them go. They're letting those guys skate. Guys are starting to get used to it." "It's going to be amazing after Christmas," added Robitaille. "You'll see guys playing in the corners and getting openings. You can't be lazy. You can't make mistakes at the blue line." Murray also said that the new rules have also affected the power play and penalty-killing, noting that teams killing penalties are now backing off when defensemen get the puck at the points. Prior to this year, a common tactic was to pressure the defenseman with the puck at left or right point. But now, with the larger attacking zones, teams killing penalties often back off instead. "You've been taught in penalty-killing to stay by the circles," explained Murray. "And now, there's more room there. There's more room to shoot the puck from the top and work the plays to the side a little. I think it is creating more space and more shot opportunities." Robitaille said that the new rules are going to make the game better for the fans and should help improve how the game looks on television. "It's great for TV because the puck isn't along the walls as much--we're not chipping it in all the time," he said. "Teams are literally passing it back and forth between the blue lines, creating rushes. Instead of having dump-ins, guys are making plays."
9-26-05
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that center Jeremy Roenick is listed as day-to-day after suffering a concussion during Sunday night's pre-season game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center. Roenick was evaluated by doctors on Monday, and his eye tests were normal. However, he is suffering from stiffness in his upper back and neck. He will not play in the Kings' three remaining pre-season games, but he is hoping to be ready for the season opener in Dallas on October 5.
9-25-05
Alexander Frolov scored two goals, Dustin Brown scored a goal, and Pavol Demitra added a goal and two assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 7-4, come-from-behind victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in pre-season action at Staples Center on Sunday night. Ken Belanger, Tom Kostopoulos and Sean Avery also scored for the Kings, while Oleg Saprykin, Mike Comrie and Tyson Nash scored for the Coyotes, with Saprykin netting two goals. But the big story from this game came in early in the second period when Kings' center Jeremy Roenick took a pass along the right wing boards near the red line, only to be walloped by a big hit from Phoenix defenseman Denis Gauthier at the 2:25 mark. Roenick went down in a heap, and after lying still on the ice for a few minutes, he skated off the ice, mostly under his own power, although he was assisted by teammates. He did not return to the game. The concussion is the 11th of Roenick's NHL career. After the game Roenick, who appeared lucid and calm, said he was feeling some pain in his head and neck, but that it would not keep him out for an extended period. But he was not happy. Not at all. "It's indicative of the state of our game...the lack of respect is immense," Roenick lamented. "To have a hit like that in the pre-season is uncalled for. It's ridiculous. It's one reason why our game isn't as good as it once was. There's no respect for people in this league." "That's not to say it was a cheap hit," Roenick continued. "It was a good, solid hit. Gauthier hits hard. But you don't do that in the pre-season. You don't try to take people's heads off in the pre-season." Roenick gave reporters an example of his "old school" attitude towards the game. "I let him off the hook in Phoenix last week because I respect the fact that he's a veteran," Roenick explained. "Unfortunately, the respect doesn't go back in the same way. It's a big problem in our league that should be addressed by everybody and every team." His coach agreed. "From the ice, it looked like it was not a dirty hit, but it was an uncalled for one in a game like this," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. "We know that Jeremy had him lined up in Phoenix and backed off on a hit, in a similar situation where he could have hurt him." "I wouldn't say it was even a penalty, but there are some things that don't have to happen in a game like this." For his part, Gauthier seemed to shrug off the respect issue. "It was a clean hit," said Gauthier. "It was one of those situations where we were both going the same direction. I tried to finish the check and he tried to kind of cut in and he cut into my shoulder." "I don't wish that on anybody," added Gauthier. "But it's part of the game. I've been in that situation. It's something you got to live with." Roenick maintained that the hit was a prime example of how the game has changed, and not for the better. "It's prevalent around the league now," he said. "Something like this would never have happened back in the Eighties. But the respect has since dwindled away." "There's no need for those kinds of plays in the pre-season," said Roenick. "I can see it in the regular season, but in the pre-season? To come all the way across the ice and hit someone who's had concussions before, someone who's been in the league as long as I have, it's totally disrespectful." "[Gauthier is] known to come across and hit like that, explained Roenick. "He came a long [expletive deleted] way to make that hit." "What bothers me is that it didn't have to happen," Roenick vented. "I've been around a long [expletive deleted] time. It's things like that that end people's careers. I respect Gauthier. He's a hard player. But there's no room in the game for [expletive deleted] like that." Before and after the big hit, the two teams managed to play some hockey... The Kings looked like the better team until the Coyotes took two early penalties in the first period, putting the Kings on the power play. But after the two power plays, the Coyotes took over. The only reason they failed to put the Kings away in the first period was because of big saves by Kings' goalie Mathieu Garon, who stopped three Coyotes' chances from point-blank range. Much to the amazement of virtually everyone, Ken Belanger opened the scoring at 16:58 after picking up the puck along the left wing boards and using a nifty stick-handle move to get past Phoenix defenseman David Tanabe. Belanger moved into the left circle all alone and whistled a wrist shot past Phoenix netminder Curtis Joseph, just inside the left goal post. The Kings continued their sloppy play in the second period, leading to easy power play goals by Saprykin at 7:39 and Comrie at 8:40. The Kings seemed to wake up when Frolov scored on the power play at 10:21, but they went right back into snooze mode, leading to some careless penalty-killing and another easy power play goal for Saprykin at 14:12. Nash followed with another goal on a two-on-one break at 17:31, giving the Coyotes a 4-2 lead. At this point, the Kings, who played poorly against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night in Las Vegas (a 2-1 overtime loss), decided to wake up. Brown opened the third period scoring at 2:36 when he split two Phoenix defenders in the high slot and using a nice pull-and-drag move, found a bit of space and fired a hard wrist shot, beating Joseph, who looked very shaky all night, over his glove hand. Forward prospect Tom Kostopoulos scored at 7:20, and Frolov scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal at 8:45 on the power play. Avery scored at 13:03, followed by Demitra at 17:53 to close out the scoring. Frolov, who was the number one star of the game, called the win a team win. "We've got a great lineup right now," said Frolov. "We're playing better. We had some bad luck last night, but tonight, we were down by two goals but we came back. It was a great win for our team." Murray was pleased to see his team finally respond after playing two very poor periods, preceded by a poor performance in Las Vegas on Saturday night. "I felt last night in Las Vegas, we tried to play a skill game, totally--not the way the Kings play," he explained. "The first two periods tonight was quite similar, and then the third period was more like the way we want to play, when we're stepping on the ice and we're assertive in everything we do." "I was certainly pleased with the way we came back and we needed to," he added. "We hadn't played really well for about five periods and we needed to do that in the third." Murray also felt his team responded to the Gauthier hit by taking it to the Coyotes in the third period. "I thought [the hit] was addressed by the way our team played," said Murray. "We showed an amazing amount of grit to come back from being down 4-2 and have a third period like we did. For these guys, it was a never-quit game." "We've had a tough go with what happened here with Jeremy, to battle back in the game," added Murray. "It doesn't matter if it's a playoff game, a pre-season game, or a rivalry game in the regular season, when you have an effort like we had in the third period, and our guys continue to battle, you walk away feeling pretty good about the group of guys who got the job done." After a sub-par game in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and poor first and second periods in this game, Frolov helped lead the Kings to five unanswered goals in the third period. "Frolov was not very good last night in Las Vegas, and I didn't think he played particularly well for the first forty minutes tonight," said Murray. "But he stepped it up in the third period, as our whole team did. That's what we expect of him. The Kings have recognized what we can do for us. He just has to make sure he does it." Murray added that much is expected from Frolov this season. "He needs to step up, we're counting on him to have a good year," said Murray. "[Kings' owner Philip] Anschutz rewarded him for his past work. With that comes recognition that we need to have that standard from him all the time." The two teams combined for 26 penalties in the game. The Coyotes were 3/11 on the power play, while the Kings were 3/10. Despite a 30% rating in this game, a problem for the Kings on their power play so far during the pre-season is that they appear to be looking for the perfect play and are passing up a lot of good chances to shoot the puck. "The crowd is yelling 'shoot,' I'm yelling 'shoot' too," said Murray. "We'd like them to shoot the puck more. I don't know if there's a team that works on the power play more than we do. We just need to get in that shooting lane and take it." At this point in their training camp, the Kings have accomplished a lot in terms of getting their players to learn their system. But Murray still has some concerns about the effort put out by some of his players. "I'm still a little concerned about our work ethic level on a consistent basis," he explained. "Some of our players need to realize that when you wear that Kings' jersey, there's certain expectations in terms of work ethic. We're a hard-working team and we need a few players to acknowledge that." Murray also explained that while his team may have more skill than his 2003-04 squad, they still need to put it all together. "Everybody looks at our team and says we have more skill," said Murray. "But the most important thing is that we think we do have more skill, but we also have a reputation for being a hard-working team that's tough to play against, and you can't give up one for the other. What we need to do is maintain that grit--that level of determination on the part of all of our players--and supplement that with some additional skill." "I think we have a higher skill level, but the jury is still out as to whether or not we put the right mix together in terms of maintaining our grit and our work ethic," added Murray. "That's what we expect from our guys."
9-24-05
Steve Konowalchuk scored at 4:03 of overtime to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in pre-season action at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Antti Laaksonen also scored for Colorado. Dustin Brown scored the lone Kings' goal on the power play. The two teams were scoreless in through two periods as Kings' goalie Jason LaBarbera and Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj were sharp in the nets. Brown opened the scoring in the third period on a one-timer from the slot after taking a feed from center Eric Belanger. Brown's power play goal came at 4:07. The Kings then gave up a gift goal while they were on the power play, with Laaksonen scoring shorthanded at 11:12 to tie the game. Both goalies made big saves the rest of the way, sending the game into overtime. The Kings wound up getting caught up ice during the overtime period, giving up an outnumbered attack that resulted in Konowalchuk's game-winning goal in the overtime period. Sunday's game at Staples Center against the Phoenix Coyotes (7:30 PM PDT), will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN AM-710) in the Los Angeles area beginning at 7:00 PM with the pre-game show. The radio broadcast will also be available live on the web at the Kings Radio Webcast page.
9-21-05
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings made their second round of training camp cuts. Assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings' primary minor league affiliate): Brendan Bernakevitch, Center (training camp tryout) Barry Brust, Goalie Yutaka Fukufuji, Goalie Connor James, Center (training camp tryout) Petr Kanko, Left Wing Joey Mormina, Defenseman Ryan Murphy, Left Wing (training camp tryout) Konstantin Pushkarev, Right Wing Dany Roussin, Left Wing Matt Ryan, Center Richard Seeley, Defenseman (training camp tryout) Brad Smyth, Right Wing Jeff Tambellini, Left Wing Lauri Tukonen, Right Wing Assigned to Soderetalje SK (Swedish Elite League): Anze Kopitar, Center Released to the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL): Oriel McHugh, Defenseman (training camp tryout) Nate Metcalf, Defenseman (training camp tryout) The Kings now have 31 players left on their 2005 pre-season roster, including 18 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies.
9-21-05
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced their 2005-06 regular season television schedule. In all, six networks will air 71 Kings games. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim will likely also televise games when they play the Kings at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on Fox Sports Net West or West 2. Fox Sports Net West and Fox Sports Net West 2 will broadcast 65 Kings games (not including their Anaheim broadcasts). All games will continue to be broadcast on radio by ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN-AM 710) in the Los Angeles area. LEGEND FSN = Fox Sports Net West FSN2 = Fox Sports Net West 2 NBC = National Broadcasting Corporation OLN = Outdoor Life Network RDS = Le Reseau des Sports (Canada) TSN = The Sports Network (Canada) * - Indicates Mighty Ducks of Anaheim broadcast ALL TIMES PACIFIC Home Games Indicated in CAPITAL Letters September 2005 (pre-season) 09/17/05 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM, Staples Center 09/18/05 - Sun. - San Jose, 5:00 PM, HP Pavilion, San Jose 09/20/05 - Tue. - Phoenix, 7:00 PM, Glendale Arena 09/24/05 - Sat. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM, MGM Grand, Las Vegas 09/25/05 - Sun. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM, Staples Center 09/27/05 - Tue. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM, Staples Center 09/29/05 - Thu. - Colorado, 6:00 PM, Pepsi Center, Denver 09/30/03 - Fri. - Anaheim, 7:30 PM, Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim October (9 home games, 3 away, 6 back-to-back) 10/05/05 - Wed. - at Dallas, 5:30 PM - FSN 10/06/05 - Thu. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/09/05 - Sun. - MINNESOTA, 5:00 PM - FSN 10/11/05 - Tue. - EDMONTON, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/13/05 - Thu. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/16/05 - Sun. - COLUMBUS, 5:00 PM - FSN 10/19/05 - Wed. - at Colorado, 6:00 PM - FSN 10/20/05 - Thu. - at Dallas, 5:30 PM - FSN2 10/23/05 - Sun. - CALGARY, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/25/05 - Tue. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/28/05 - Fri. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 10/29/05 - Sat. - ST. LOUIS, 7:30 PM - FSN November (5 home, 9 away, 2 back-to-back) 11/02/05 - Wed. - at Dallas, 5:30 PM - FSN 11/03/05 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 6:00 PM - FSN 11/05/05 - Sat. - NASHVILLE, 1:00 PM - FSN 11/09/05 - Wed. - at Detroit, 4:30 PM - FSN and TSN 11/11/05 - Fri. - at Chicago, 5:30 PM - FSN 11/13/05 - Sun. - at Columbus, 2:00 PM 11/15/05 - Tue. - at Nashville, 5:00 PM 11/17/05 - Thu. - VANCOUVER, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/19/05 - Sat. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/22/05 - Tue. - at St. Louis, 5:00 PM - FSN 11/24/05 - Thu. - at Nashville, 5:00 PM - FSN 11/26/05 - Sat. - CHICAGO, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/28/05 - Mon. - DETROIT, 7:30 PM - FSN 11/30/05 - Wed. - at Chicago, 5:30 PM - FSN December (5 home, 10 road, 4 back-to-back) 12/02/05 - Fri. - at Ottawa, 4:30 PM - FSN and RDS 12/03/05 - Sat. - at Montreal, 4:00 PM - FSN and RDS 12/06/05 - Tue. - at Toronto, 4:30 PM - FSN 12/08/05 - Thu. - CAROLINA, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/10/05 - Sat. - FLORIDA, 1:00 PM - FSN 12/14/05 - Wed. - WASHINGTON, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/16/05 - Fri. - at Anaheim, 7:30 PM 12/17/05 - Sat. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/19/05 - Mon. - at Vancouver, 7:00 PM - FSN 12/21/05 - Wed. - at Calgary, 6:00 PM 12/23/05 - Fri. - at Edmonton, 6:00 PM - FSN 12/26/05 - Mon. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 12/28/05 - Wed. - at Colorado, 6:00 PM - FSN2 12/29/05 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 6:00 PM 12/31/05 - Sat. - at Dallas, 5:00 PM - FSN January 2006 (8 home, 6 road, 2 back-to-back) 01/02/06 - Mon. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - OLN 01/05/06 - Thu. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/07/06 - Sat. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/09/06 - Mon. - at Anaheim, 7:30 PM 01/12/06 - Thu. - at Boston, 4:00 PM 01/14/06 - Sat. - at Buffalo, 4:30 PM 01/17/06 - Tue. - TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/19/06 - Thu. - ATLANTA, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/21/06 - Sat. - SAN JOSE, 3:00 PM - NBC (West Coast only) 01/23/06 - Mon. - ANAHEIM, 7:30 PM - OLN 01/24/06 - Tue. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/26/06 - Thu. - EDMONTON, 7:30 PM - FSN 01/28/06 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 1:00 PM 01/30/06 - Mon. - at Anaheim, 7:30 PM February (2 home, 3 away, 4 back-to-back) 02/02/06 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 6:00 PM 02/07/06 - Tue. - at Minnesota, 5:00 PM - FSN 02/08/06 - Wed. - at Columbus, 4:00 PM - FSN 02/11/06 - Sat. - CHICAGO, 1:00 PM - FSN 02/12/06 - Sun. - DALLAS, 1:00 PM - FSN * Olympic Break: 02/15/06 - 02/26/06 March (7 home, 7 road, 4 back-to-back) 03/02/06 - Thu. - MINNESOTA, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/04/06 - Sat. - COLUMBUS, 1:00 PM - FSN 03/07/06 - Tue. - at Minnesota, 5:00 PM - FSN 03/09/06 - Thu. - at Detroit, 4:30 PM - FSN 03/11/06 - Sat. - at St. Louis, 5:00 PM - FSN 03/13/06 - Mon. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/14/06 - Tue. - PHOENIX, 7:30 PM - OLN 03/16/06 - Thu. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/18/06 - Sat. - ST. LOUIS, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/20/06 - Mon. - COLORADO, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/25/06 - Sat. - NASHVILLE, 7:30 PM - FSN 03/27/06 - Mon. - at Vancouver, 7:00 PM - FSN 03/29/06 - Wed. - at Calgary, 6:30 PM - FSN and TSN 03/30/06 - Thu. - at Edmonton, 6:00 PM - FSN April (5 home, 3 road, 2 back-to-back) 04/01/06 - Sat. - DALLAS, 7:30 PM - FSN 04/03/06 - Mon. - VANCOUVER, 7:30 PM - FSN 04/04/06 - Tue. - at Anaheim, 7:30 PM 04/06/06 - Thu. - SAN JOSE, 7:30 PM - FSN 04/08/06 - Sat. - ANAHEIM, 3:00 PM - NBC (West Coast only) 04/13/06 - Thu. - at Phoenix, 7:00 PM - FSN 04/15/06 - Sat. - CALGARY, 7:30 PM - FSN 04/17/06 - Mon. - at San Jose, 7:30 PM - OLN
9-20-05
Pavol Demitra scored a goal and added three assists, while Craig Conroy and Valeri Bure scored two goals each to lead the Los Angeles Kings to an 8-4 pre-season victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in front 7,219 fans at the Glendale Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Tuesday night. Sean Avery, Lubomir Visnovsky and Michael Cammalleri also scored for the Kings. Michael Rupp, Ladislav Nagy, Shane Doan and Mike Ricci scored for Phoenix. The Kings took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Bure at 9:18 of the first period. Bure took a feed from prospect Anze Kopitar, the Kings' 2005 first-round draft pick. Kopitar picked off a clearing pass by Coyotes' goalie Curtis Joseph. The puck had nearly just been dropped to start the second period when Rupp picked off a bad clearing pass by Cammalleri and scored to tie the game, 1-1. Conroy and Avery scored at 5:15 and 8:24, respectively, before Nagy brought the Coyotes back to within a goal at 15:21. Conroy scored his second goal of the game on a one-timer from the slot at 17:28 after taking a feed from Demitra, to give the Kings a 4-2 lead going into the third period. The Kings came out flat in the third period, and the Coyotes took advantage. Doan scored at 8:06, followed quickly by Ricci at 9:15, to tie the game. But that woke the Kings from their slumber, as Visnovsky, Demitra and Cammalleri scored--all within 41 seconds. Visnovsky's came on the power play at the 10:47 mark, and was the game-winner. Bure closed out the scoring with his second of the game at 14:56. Mathieu Garon went all the way in goal for the Kings, making 24 saves on 28 shots. Joseph went all the way in goal for Phoenix, stopping only 16 out of 24 shots. The Kings were 2/7 on the power play, while the Coyotes were 0/7. The Kings announced that Saturday's pre-season game at Las Vegas against the Colorado Avalanche will be broadcast on the web live at the Kings' webcast page, and on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN AM 710) in the Los Angeles area.
9-19-05
On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings made their first training camp roster cuts. Assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings' primary minor league affiliate): Chris Barr, Defenseman (training camp tryout) Brad Fast, Defenseman Tyler Hanchuck, Defenseman (training camp tryout) Greg Hogeboom, Center Stuart Kerr, Defenseman (training camp tryout) Ryan Munce, Goalie Eric Neilson, Left Wing Doug Nolan, Defenseman Shay Stephenson, Center Eric Werner, Defensemen Marty Wilford, Defenseman Returned To Junior Team: Andrew Desjardins, Left Wing (Sault St. Marie, Ontario Hockey League) Ned Lukacevic, Left Wing (Spokane, Western Hockey League) Ryan McGinnis, Defenseman (Plymouth, OHL) John Seymour, Left Wing (Brampton, OHL) Daniel Taylor, Goalie (Kingston, OHL) Released From Training Camp: Shawn Legault, Left Wing The Kings have 48 players remaining on their 2005 pre-season roster, including 29 forwards, 14 defensemen and five goaltenders.
9-18-05
Veteran forwards Wayne Primeau and Nils Ekman combined with goals from prospects Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe to lift the San Jose Sharks to a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings in pre-season action at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Sunday evening. Clowe's goal came at 16:12 of the third period, and proved to be the game-winner. Luc Robitaille, Jeff Cowan and Noah Clarke scored for the Kings. Evgeni Nabokov went all the way in goal for the Sharks, while Jason LaBarbera and Adam Hauser split time in goal for the Kings. Kings' center Derek Armstrong suffered a concussion in the second period when he was crushed by an open-ice hit laid on him by Sharks' defenseman Kyle MacLaren. A preliminary examination revealed a Grade 1 concussion, the least serious. Armstrong will be re-evaluated on Monday. Prior to the pre-season game, prospects from the Sharks and Kings tangled in a "Futures" game. The Kings won the game 3-2 in a shootout.
9-17-05
Alexander Frolov scored two goals and Jeremy Roenick added three assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in front of an announced crowd of 18,118 fans in pre-season action at Staples Center on Saturday night. Michael Cammalleri and Craig Conroy also scored for the Kings, while Jason Marshall and Corey Perry scored first period goals for Anaheim. Penalties marred the first period, with the Kings being hit with 56 penalty minutes on 13 penalties, forcing them to kill penalties for 15:37 of twenty-minute period. "We had a few players take unnecessary penalties tonight," said Kings' head coach Andy Murray. Marshall scored on a slap shot from left point at 3:53. Kings' goalie Mathieu Garon was badly screened on the play, and never reacted to Marshall's shot. After Kings' left wing/enforcer prospect Ryan Flinn and Ducks' winger (and former King) Kip Brennan squared off and fought to a draw, Kings' non-roster invite Ken Belanger took 29 penalty minutes when he attacked and pummelled Marshall at the 7:00 mark, leaving a pool of blood in the Anaheim zone. With Marshall not putting up any resistance, Belanger was hit with a major penalty for fighting, minor penalties for elbowing and instigating a fight, a ten-minute misconduct and a game misconduct. That gave the Ducks nine minutes on the power play, including a five-minute major power play, but they never threatened. "That was a huge kill," said Roenick. "I don't think I've ever killed nine minutes in my career. I was out there a lot and I was ready to blow chunks. Whenever I went back to the bench, Andy would tell me to go back out there. I just thought 'damn.'" Ducks' 2005 first-round draft pick Corey Perry scored a power play goal at 18:16 on a nifty pull-and-drag move to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead going into the second period, when the Ducks began their own march to the penalty box, taking nine penalties. Cammalleri got the Kings on the board with a power play goal at 10:50, taking a high pass from Roenick in the left corner. Cammalleri quickly caught the puck with his left hand, dropped it to his stick and seemingly all in one motion, wristed the pu