- Brown on having a few days off before the next series – “I think physically and mentally it’s pretty good, probably more on the mental side of things. When you get to this point in the year, physically you can find a way to get yourself going. But, mentally, you’re in a high-stress, high-pressure situation, day in and day out. So, just to have a day to not really think about hockey or the nerves and type of pressure that comes with being in the playoffs – it’s nice to get away from the game for a day or two and kind of let your mind reset.”

- Brown on using a wrist shot vs. slap shot in the playoffs – “Wrist shots are ultimately a lot quicker and a lot more accurate. The quicker you get your shot off, I find, the less time the goalie has to make the save. With a slap shot, you give him an extra second – just by winding up, it gives him an extra second. I don’t take all that many slap shots, partly because I don’t really have a good one. But, I find the more quickly you shoot the pucks, the more likely you are to have a chance at scoring. So, probably the wrist shot or snap shot, is definitely the quicker of the shots you can select from.”

- Does the back checking in the league/playoffs create pressure that prevents a big wind up? “Yeah, definitely. Not only the back checking and the pressure on you, but the pressure in front of you,” said Brown. “Blocking shots has really become a big part of the game and it’s not just one or two guys doing it. You’ll have three or four guys trying to block your shot in zone. It’s just a challenge to get it on net sometimes. It’s not really necessarily how hard you shoot it, but how quick and where you shoot it.”

- Brown on top players playing well in the playoffs – “We’re all clicking right now. A lot of it has to do with, we’re getting big games from different people each and every night. It’s not just our top guys that are playing well and getting us big goals. We’re getting depth scoring, which is huge at this time of year. Going along with that, no one is really having off nights, in the sense that we don’t have guys making mistakes. There’s guys who aren’t maybe finishing their chances every night, but every one is doing all the little things right and that goes a long way toward being successful. Just thinking about game three vs. Vancouver, we won that game 1-0 and that was because we had one opportunity to score a goal and we did. Every other opportunity, every other little play, was made from top to bottom – which allowed us to win a game 1-0. That’s what playoff hockey is all about, having everybody buy in and having big players step up.”

- Brown on physical conditioning – “A lot of the feeling good (physically) at this time of the year is (based on) what you do in the summer in getting yourself ready to play an 82-game season and beyond. The other side of it is taking care of yourself off the ice on a day-to-day basis. I think that’s something everyone is pretty good at at this level, getting the proper rest and eating right and doing all the little things that make you feel better at this time of year. The other thing is managing the practice times and all that. We have a day off today and that goes a long way in helping guys recover from a physical standpoint.”

- Brown on what it means to be a leader – “With the Kings, it’s one of those things where I was named captain and I probably didn’t really know what it meant to be a leader when I was named. It’s been a learning process for me. With this team in particular, it’s just setting an example on the ice, in the way that I play. I think if I do all the little things right and play the right way, it makes it really easy for everyone else to kind of fall in line. And being in LA, with the type of team we have, it’s not just me – it’s not just me and Kopi and Greener either. We have 10 or 13 guys in the room who are leaders. So, when it comes to the whole leadership responsibility, it’s not the burden of just one or two guys, which makes it a very comfortable place where you can lean on each other in times of need. That goes along way in having strong leadership.”

- Brown on maintaining focus when you’re only half way to the ultimate goal – “With this time off, it’s nice to get mentally and physically recovered. But, like I said, and this kind of touches on the group of guys that we have in the room – we have a lot of guys who have been through this before and have the experience. So, it’s just a matter of bringing awareness to it. This team, this group of guys has been really focused, not getting ahead of ourselves. In both series we had a 3-0 lead and found a way to close it out. When you get up 3-0, you could have a tendency to look ahead. We’ve been really focused – not only on game to game, but shift to shift. We need more of that over the next week here – just focusing in and not looking ahead. It will be a little easier once we know who we’ll be playing. Then, we can start getting ready, from a video standpoint and their tendencies. Then, you can start to really key in on what you need to do to be successful once we start playing again.”

Now, Dustin Penner – who had five points (one goal, four assists) and was a plus-5 in the sweep of the St. Louis Blues…

- Penner on how he’s feeling – “Dustin and I talked about it after the game (Sunday) night. We thought it would be a good chance to regroup mentally and physically, but more importantly, just that mental aspect because of the grind and the stress you go through on a daily basis when you’re focusing in on the task at hand.”

- Are you helping with the leadership in the room, given your experience in 2007? “I try not to stick my nose in too much. Maybe I look for the opportune times,” said Penner. “For me and the guys who have made long playoff runs before and won the Cup, I think we help out in a similar fashion. It’s more with more of the mental side of things. I see a lot of similarities between the Ducks run and this run we’re currently on. There’s still eight more wins to go. But, the mentality of the team, the focus and intensity we have each shift and each game – even at practice, the way we’re moving the puck – it’s breeding confidence. That’s a byproduct of our success. We’ve all bought in. You can tell by the way we carry ourselves as a team and as individuals on a daily basis.”

Penner on Brown as a leader – “He was named captain a while ago for a good reason. Everybody is becoming privy to that now. He’s a relentless, tireless worker. It helps open up the door for his skill to shine through. He’s a quiet leader, in terms of how he talks to the team. But, they say actions speak a lot louder than words and he’s yelling his leadership on the ice with the way he plays. We get the same Dustin Brown every night. It doesn’t matter who the other team is or if it’s (Daniel/Henrik) Sedin or (David) Backes or whoever, he is making them work for every inch of ice when he’s on it.”

Penner on moving from the third line to the second line – “I thought I played well with Stolly and Lewis. We had a good series with Vancouver. Yet, the one thing I think a team does when they make a long run is they adjust and adapt to each individual game and series. I was moved up to play with (Mike Richards and Jeff Carter) and we’ve worked well together as a line. They’re really good players. They’re both multi-faceted, talented players. It’s really easy to play with them and I’ve tried to step up my game so I could adequately support the line.”

Penner on what type of linemates he needs to bring out the best in him – “I don’t know. I’ve always thought I needed a big centerman to play with. That’s not the case, Ricky (Richards) plays big. But, it’s just learning as you get older, learning to adapt to different styles of players that you play with. That’s what I’ve done with Ricky. He’s a great centerman, he’s great on draws, he’s a defensive specialist, he has high-end offensive talent and the same goes for Carts. They’re both guys who have played center and know the game well. So, they’re easy to read off of.”

Yesterday, we also posted an in-depth interview with Kings GM Dean Lombardi on MayorsManor. You check out what he had to say about Brown, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, etc. by clicking here.

Follow @mayorNHL//

Then, Laperriere was back last week – this time, to talk about Jeff Carter coming to the Kings. As part of that interview though, Laperriere was again talking up Richards - saying if he was to start a team, Richards would be on his short list of five players he’d have to have.

Here’s how Richards reacted upon hearing the comments…

“Coming from him, that means the world to me. He’s a guy who helped me out a lot, just being a professional. You take a lot of things from a lot of different players that you play with. But, he’s – I don’t even know the word to describe how awesome he is in the dressing room and on the ice, how much care and how much effort he gives. If you take half the knowledge that he put out there the year I played with him, you’re going to have success. So, coming from him, that means a lot. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s sad the way it ended for him. But, he’s a hell of a guy and I really appreciate that.”

To read more from Laperriere’s visit to MayorsManor and/or subsequent comments from Richards, please see the original articles linked below.

The Mayor
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Slava Voynov is on his way back to Manchester. It’s an easy move to understand, as the team was carrying an extra defenseman and it seems that coach Darryl Sutter has settled on Alec Martinez. Thus, it was time for Voynov to head back to the AHL, where he can play large minutes every night and continue his development.

Jarret Stoll was also placed on injured reserve with the ever-popular ‘lower body injury.’ No timetable has been set for his return.

And then there’s this – forwards Jordan Nolan and Dwight King were called up from Manchester. In a nutshell, they’re two of the Monarchs leading point producers and the two biggest forwards not named Ray Kaunisto. At 6-foot-3, both are just an inch shy of twitter phenom-to-be RayK71.

Speaking of 71, that’s the number Nolan will wear when he makes his NHL debut tomorrow vs. the Islanders. King will wear #74, the same jersey he sported during his six-game NHL stint last season.

King, originally selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, had posted 11 goals, 18 assists 20 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating over 50 games with Manchester this season.

Nolan, a seventh round selection at the 2009 NHL Draft, has probably been the Monarchs most improved player this season – with nine goals, 13 assists and 119 PIM. Both players also spent a little bit of time with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) after first turning pro.

At practice on Friday, they skated on the second line with Mike Richards and that appears to be the way Sutter will go vs. the Islanders – at least to start the game.

Missing out on all the fun was Brandon Kozun. The 5-foot-8 right wing was very impressive during the team’s Rookie Camp in September and has been consistently tallying points lately, after getting off to a slow start. His game is about speed and creativity. Plus, he recored 108 and 107-point seasons his final two years in the WHL. So, at some point, you have to figure he’s going to get a look. Just not this week.

For more on all the players listed above, please see the links below.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
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That story has gone somewhat viral since, with references and links on the Edmonton Journal, Puck Daddy’s Yahoo Sports blog, Canada’s National Post  newspaper, Spector’s Hockey, Grantland, BusinessInsider.com and many more.

So, what does Kings GM Dean Lombardi think about all this? Here’s what he had to say when asked just that by Mark Spector on his Edmonton-based radio show earlier today…

“When you’re in this position and trying to manage your team to (become) a winner, I guess maybe it’s not only the young kids that you have to put out some fires – [Lombardi was smiling and holding back laughter] there’s a perfect example of all the things that can happen as you try to keep your team focused and get to where you want to go. You never know where it’s coming from. But, he’s made a lot of progress here and – actually – he’s played pretty darn well here recently.”

Funny off the ice, playing better on it.  That’s all well and good. Now, Penner is now looking to score some goals. Will he break through tonight? There’s at least a good chance, as in the past he’s told us that he gets up for playing the Stars – the team he made his NHL debut against back in 2005.

The Mayor
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Goal celebrations may be on the decline in the NFL, yet the LA Kings sure seem to be getting into the act. Fresh on the heels of Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll doing the ‘love tap’ celebration a few weeks ago in Chicago, defenseman Jack Johnson posed for a quick ‘Tebow’ after he found the back of the net vs. the Washington Capitals this week.

“Have some fun while you’re scoring,” Johnson said when asked about it. “I was watching the Broncos game with some buddies that flew in from Michigan and they said that if you score, you have to ‘Tebow’. I said, ‘You’re on!’”

He also said that it was a one time thing and don’t look for him to do it again in the future.

To see video of the goal and his Tebow pose on the ice, click here.

As for the overall game, Johnson went on to say “It’s a great feeling to give our goalie some breathing room finally. They’ve been playing out of this world all year. It’s nice to kind of give them a break here finally.”

The game was also filled with plenty of intensity, something Johnson welcomed – “It’s fun, it’s refreshing to play a team like that. Everyone wants to see new teams and I thought it was a fun hockey game.”

What about that Ovechkin guy? “It’s fun to play against guys like that,” said Johnson. “It’s just as much fun for us to play against him as it is for fans to watch him. He’s a great player and it’s fun to play a team we don’t see very much.”

The Mayor
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www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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Jarret Stoll and Drew Doughty talk about the ‘love tap’ celebration – includes video

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Darryl Sutter ends his first press conference in LA with a double peace sign – classic photo

In the period leading up to Darryl Sutter being hired as the new Kings coach many were talking about his aggressive, heavy handed approach.  Yet, GM Dean Lombardi tried telling anybody who would listen at the team’s press conference last week, ‘He’s not a raving lunatic.’ In fact, to date, we haven’t seen much of the yelling and screaming that was so frequently advertised ahead of time.

One thing that has been noticeable though is his penchant for grabbing players on the bench. He practically yanked Jonathan Bernier right out of his skates following his first game behind the bench. Then, more recently, he’s been seen talking up Drew Doughty quite a bit.

So, what was he saying to the young defenseman during the game in Winnipeg?

“Just reinforcing what we’re trying to do,” said Sutter. “The skill set he has is pretty unique. So, getting him to maximize it. He was playing a lot of minutes. He played more last night than he did the night before. So we want to keep him mentally right there, every shift.”

When asked if he liked what he was seeing from Doughty vs. the Jets - compared to the four previous games - Sutter simply remarked, “He played 26 minutes.” Implying that if he had a problem with Doughty’s game, he wouldn’t have given him so much ice time.

Turning to Doughty now, here’s what he had to say about Sutter’s in-game chats on the bench…

“He’s always just trying to help. He’s never negative and if it is a negative thing that happened in the game, he’s telling you ‘If you do it right, you’re going to dominate that guy.’ So, it’s always a negative with a positive from him, which is a great thing. He really knows his game and he just wants you working hard. If you’re doing that, he’s not going to have any problems with you.”

Well, the talks certainly are working. Coming into the last game, Doughty had six points in the previous five – and the five game points streak was the longest of his career.

The Mayor
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Doughty and Stoll explain the ‘love tap’ goal celebration – with video

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Life at the top is hard.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a major corporation, a head coach in the NFL or the GM of the LA Kings.

The reason those people get paid big money is to make big decisions.

There’s a sign in Dean Lombardi’s office at the Kings training facility in El Segundo that reads ‘When bluffing, a pair of balls beats everything.’

In a press conference later today, Lombardi will officially appoint Darryl Sutter as the new head coach of the LA Kings. While that’s not a bluff of any sort, it took a brass set to make that decision. After all, Sutter has already been labled by some as a ‘retread,’ a ‘repeat of past mistakes’ and several other tired cliches.

Many have already stated other opinions about who Lombardi ‘should have’ hired. But, none of that matters now. So, let’s look at why Sutter is a good fit for the team.

First off, the familiarity. The Kings have 49 games left to play and if they’re shooting for the playoffs – which they are (and then some) – they need to start collecting points quickly. If this were the summer, perhaps the Kings could gamble on a young, unproven coach and play for the upside. However, Lombardi doesn’t have the luxury of playing with ‘house money’ right now. It’s nearly the middle of the season. Time’s a-wasting.

The new coach needs to hit the ground running and the GM doesn’t have time to get to know somebody new and understand their system and style as they move forward together. Time is of the essence. He needs to grab somebody, lock arms and jump in the foxhole. Thus, the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Making Sutter one of the few guys to even get on the ‘short list.’

Second, winning. Ownership spent a lot of money this off-season and the time to win is now, right now – as in, this season. Younger, unproven names may be sexier to the average fan, but the resume of Darryl Sutter points out that he knows how to win in the NHL – not that he might be able to win. Sutter’s teams have won 40 or more games five times, he improved his record in San Jose four years running, he took the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals and won his division with 103 points in his last year behind the bench (2005-06).

Finally, accountability. There is no denying that some – perhaps even the majority – of the Kings failings this year falls on the shoulders of the players. This team will live and die by the performance of 10 players – their top six forwards, plus Jarret Stoll, Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick. Of that list, the only one you can immediately not fault is Quick. I would give Johnson a pass as well. His plus-minus rating has improved over past years, the goals are there too. The only thing he’s missing are the assists and we’ll say that’s more on the others for not scoring.

Which leaves guys like Doughty (two goals in 28 games), Anze Kopitar (two goals in his last 19 games), Dustin Penner (who seems to be heating up lately, but still), Justin Williams (two goals in his last 24 games), Simon Gagne (no goals in his last 14 games) and others with a heavy portion of the burden.

So, for all the talk about a ‘player’s coach’ or something similar, go back to what many of the players talked about before the season started – ‘This team has the talent to win the Western Conference.’ What they’ve shown is they need a coach to hold them accountable.

Lombardi went ‘all in’ this summer by making the trades and signings necessary to improve his roster. Now, he’s chosen to double-down with Sutter behind the bench.

Even if it’s not the decision you would have made, it’s a decision that’s easy to understand. And more importantly, probably gives them the best shot – or least as good as any other coach would – of saving the season.

Sutter’s first task as coach will be to lead today’s practice at 10:30am PST. Then, Bob Miller – the voice of the team for nearly 40 years – will host a press conference at 1pm PST, where Lombardi and Sutter will talk about what lies ahead for the Kings.

We’ll be on hand for all the festivities tomorrow, so be sure to follow along on twitter and/or facebook for live notes and quotes.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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Yestereday on MayorsManor.com, we posted comments from Ethan Moreau regarding the penalty he took late in the game on Wednesday vs. the Dallas Stars.

Terry Murray was still a little hot under the under collar when asked about it yesterday, more than 36 hours later.

“He took a horseshit penalty, that’s ridiculous,” began the Kings coach. “You can’t take a slashing penalty with two minutes left in the game, a veteran player. Just come out and run over that guy. You don’t slash. I don’t like those penalties.”

He wasn’t done though. Murray was just getting warmed up.

“Ones in the crease, the scrums, where you’re grabbing a hold of a guy, giving him a facewash once and a while or cross checking a guy, whatever – I don’t mind those, we’ll kill those off. Those are hard penalties. It’s a part of the game and it’s a part of our team that we want to (continue with). But, penalties have to be timed, you have to have awareness, you have to know how the flow of the game is going. When you get into the latter part of the game, you have to move your feet and keep your sticks in – no slashing, no hooking. Don’t bring the referee into the game. Unfortunately, we’ve had some situations this year where we’ve brought the referee in a little bit too often.”

Moreau has played in all 22 of the Kings games this season. Will his ‘mistake’ cost him a spot in the line-up today vs. Chicago?

“No. He’s trying, he’s competing. There’s nothing – it’s not from a lack of caring and a lack of trying. It’s just one of those penalties that you have to have better awareness to. That’s his buddy (Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray), he didn’t want to run into him, I guess. I don’t know. But, again, you can’t put (things) into the hands of the referee and force him to make a call like that, at that time. It’s too critical. And that’s why I have him on that line – because he’s a veteran guy, he’s been through all these checking roles and that’s one of his strengths. He has to be better at it.”

If you missed Moreau’s comments on the penalty and on how he’s fitting in with the Kings, click here to read that article now.

Yesterday, several of the Kings stopped by MayorsManor to share which of their teammates they’re most thankful for this year. Click here to see what Drew Doughty, Jarret Stoll and several others had to say.

The Mayor
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MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

What I’ve learned so far… by Matt Greene – a little comedy from the master

What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Alec Martinez – he calls out Trevor Lewis

What I’ve learned so far… by Dustin Brown - responds to Westgarth’s allegations

Two goals and five assists probably isn’t what GM Dean Lombardi had in mind when he signed the Kings top defenseman to an eight-year, $56-million contract in September.

It was something acknowledged over the weekend, when coach Terry Murray spoke about Drew Doughty not giving the team what they need offensively so far this season. However, he wasn’t sure why the points have been slow to come.

And time appears to be a concern, when looking at Murray’s comment – “Now, we’re 20 games in…it’s important that we find the answer and get him going.”

Just prior to the Kings leaving for St. Louis, I asked Doughty if maybe he could explain his lack of point production…

“I don’t really have a reason for it,” said the 21-year old defenseman. I feel like I’m creating chances. I hit the post last game. I’m getting chances, I’m getting shots on net. I feel like I’m making some good plays to set up other guys, as well. Sometimes, it’s just about getting those bounces. I had those five points in three games and it just seemed like I was making a breakout pass or the guys were doing the job to get the puck in. So, it kinda goes in spurts. I wish it didn’t. I wish I had an exact reason why I’m not getting more points. I know I’m definitely going to try and jump in the play a little more and help try to create some more offensive chances.”

Again, back to the comments by Murray, he thought there was ‘a little bit of the hangover there from missing all of the training camp.’

Does Doughty agree?

“No, no, no. It has nothing to do with missing training camp. I thought that when I first came back, the first couple games of the season, I thought I played really well actually, in the first two games over in Europe. Then, obviously, I was injured – which sucked – and kind of set me back. But, I don’t know. He did say I was doing too much at one point. Then, now, it’s the other way around. So, I have to figure it out, (see) what the median is. I don’t want to worry about too much though. I know the things I can do out there. I know I can play better than I have in the last couple games and that’s all I’m worried about doing.

With Alec Martinez out injured and Slava Voynov called up, Murray mixed up the defensive pairs. Doughty now finds himself with Jack Johnson, someone he’s played with in the past, as well. Any thoughts on being reunited with Captain America?

“It’s been good,” said Doughty “I think we move the puck really well together. Once they dump the puck in, if we have a chance to get there before the other team, there’s a good chance of us breaking it out and making a good play for each other. At the same time, I think we have some areas we can improve on – (like) our defensive zone. We aren’t really used to playing with each other just yet, so we don’t know where we’re going to be in the defensive zone. But, after playing a couple games with him, I think we’ve done alright. At the same time, I think we can be a lot better.”

Other notes from yesterday’s practice and related articles are linked below.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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ZZ Top were right. Every girl’s crazy about a sharp dressed man.

Just ask center Jarret Stoll.

Most of his Kings’ teammates have selected him as ‘best dressed’ guy in the room – although Brad Richardson disagrees. Regardless of who can lay claim to being the cat with the sharpest threads in LA though, based upon what I saw from the Penguins on Saturday morning, the title in Pittsburgh clearly belongs to Kris Letang.

And now that Scott Hannan has pulled a Metallica-like mistake and gone from long to short, Letang may also have the best hair in hockey.

Now that that’s all behind us, let’s see what Letang has learned so far this season. We chatted for a bit this weekend and here’s what he had to say…

About Evgeni Malkin – “He’s better with his English than he used to be.”

About Matt Cooke – “He loves In-N-Out burgers. He’s probably already been there twice today.”

About Steve Sullivan – “He’s old.”

About Tyler Kennedy – “He loves to tweet.’

About James Neal – “He doesn’t mind laughing about himself.”

From playing against two members of the Kings for the last few seasons in the Eastern Conference, he’s also familiar with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

On Richards – “He’s a really good two-way player, he plays well offensively and defensively. He can throw his body around out there. He’s always a threat for a defenseman.”

On Gagne – “Another great player and a great acquisition for the Kings. He can score goals and is a big-time player, a playoff player. So, that was a good asset for them to get.”

Finally, Letang offered up the following explanation as to why the Kings and Penguins have played each other so closely the last few years – “It’s two similar teams, they both have a young core group. They have great defensemen and great forwards. LA’s a young team, rebuilding at the same time as our rebuilding. So, it’s kind of a little rivalry to see who has the best young players.”

Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato was on MayorsManor prior to the game vs the Kings (link), as were Pittsburgh forwards James Neal and Steve Sullivan (linked here and here).

If you’d like to read more from the ‘What I’ve learned so far…’ series, please see the links below for interviews with several Kings players.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

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What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Simon Gagne - what it means to be a captain

What I’ve learned so far… by Dustin Brown - responds to Westgarth’s allegations

What I’ve learned so far… by Drew Doughty - on the ice and off the ice observations

What I’ve learned so far… by Kevin Westgarth - more good comedy from Westy

MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

Our new ‘What I’ve learned so far this season…’ series has already brought forth a myriad of mixed information.

Drew Doughty shared who was ‘one of the best passers I’ve seen’ (and it wasn’t Anze Kopitar), Kevin Westgarth may be man crushing on one of the new Kings forwards, Trent Hunter spoke about being mesmerized by somebody who can do amazing things with the puck, and Ethan Moreau let the world know which one of his teammates has been talking his ear off on the bus.

However, it was a comment by Westgarth – where he called captain Dustin Brown a nerd – that served as the backdrop for this article.

First though, here are some things Brown says he’s learned over the first month of the season…

About Willie Mitchell – “What have I learned new about Willie Mitchell? Not much. He talks so much it’s…(then Kopitar chipped in and reminded him of something) – he knows a lot of people. He has a lot of friends. Every city we go to, he has a friend, apparently.”

About Simon Gagne – “I learned that he and Joe Bernier are really good friends.”

About Jack Johnson – “I think he got a new car. I don’t really know. Some red car I think I’ve seen him driving around in.”

About Justin Williams – “With Stick, you get to know him pretty well. So, there’s nothing really new to learn about him.”

[note: unknowingly, he just taught us something - now we know his nickname is Stick...that's new]

About Moreau – “I’ve played against him and known him off the ice for quite some time. But, one thing, and not in any specific way, it’s been fun to be around him off the ice. He’s a pretty funny guy.”

About Kyle Clifford – “Cliffy is the same ol’ Cliffy, pretty simple.”

About Jonathan Quick – “Other than he’s the new record holder, not much – that’s about it with him.”

About Rob Scuderi – “I can’t give you anything on him. I carpool with him and live right next to him. So, we know each other too well.”

In response to Westgarth calling him a nerd – “I’d say I’m more of a geek. He’s more of a nerd. He corrects you on your pronunciations all the time and proper grammar. It’s a whole Princeton thing, I guess. So, I think he’s more or a nerd. I might be a geek, but he’s a nerd, that’s for sure!”

Brown went on to confirm at least part of what Westgarth had said though when asked if he had learned anything new about Alec Martinez recently – “He’s a geek. He and I have computer talk all the time. So, he’s a geek like me.”

The hardest hitting geek you’ll ever meet, Kings captain Dustin Brown.

To read the other ‘What I’ve learned so far…’ articles, plese see the links below.

The Mayor

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MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Drew Doughty - on the ice and off the ice observations

Dustin Brown adds a new name into the Penner vs. Greene feud

the photo above appears courtesy of Michael Zampelli

Barry Melrose went on NHL radio yesterday saying he would have never made such a move and several people around the world of hockey have been agreeing with him.

Still, on paper, the move made sense – especially considering Murray had told Bernier he would start on Saturday morning (i.e. before Quick’s third straight shutout).

“It’s a decision I made a couple of days ago,” Murray said after practice on Monday. “I let Bernie know at the Saturday skate because I wanted to get him prepared and I knew Sunday was going to be a day off. I wanted him to have an opportunity to get himself ready and today he got a good workout in. We have a lot of games coming up and right now the schedule starts getting pretty busy. We have three Conference games right after New Jersey. So, it’s an opportunity to get him going.”

Would it have been better to change his mind and tell Bernier he needed to wait a little longer?

Many began asking that exact question almost from the start. Yet, when Murray was asked if he had any regrets after the Kings 3-0 loss to the Devils last night, his response was rather short – “You can dissect this whole thing any way you want.”

Coach Murray added – “Bernier was fine. I thought he made some big stops. We gave up some quality chances in the first period. He played well. This was not about the goaltending. This is all about managing the puck and turnovers and giveaways that ended up being very easy goals against.”

A theme he expanded on with these comments at the post-game presser – “Tonight is about turnovers. All three goals that New Jersey scored ended up being plays that we had possession of the puck and we just don’t execute and then they come right back at us and they’re scoring. The bottom line again is that your best players on New Jersey – take a look at the scoresheet — they’re the guys that determine the outcome of the game. We need to do better. Our best players need to be better players in order to win games in this league. We’re just not on top of them.”

Nobody needed to ask – but, it’s probably safe to say, Quick will be back in net on Thursday vs. the Stars in Dallas.

The Mayor
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note: the above photo appears courtesy of MichaelZampelli.com

Willie Mitchell has already revisited his past once this season and he’ll be doing in again on Tuesday night when the New Jersey Devils come to Staples Center in LA.

“Where it all started. That’s the first thing I think about when it comes to playing the Devils,” the 10-year NHL veteran said. “It doesn’t matter how many teams you’ve played for, and I’ve played for a couple, you always have fond memories of where it all started.”

He debuted for New Jersey on March 25, 2000, nearly four years after they selected him in the eighth round of the 1996 draft.

Life’s come a bit full circle for him, as he now hands out advice to younger players in LA about the experiences he went though as a prospect coming up through the New Jersey organization.

“I think in life in general, you try and learn your whole way. That’s the journey of life, learning. If you ever think you can stop learning, you’re in trouble,” Mitchell said, as we reflected back on pieces of his career that have molded him into the player he’s become.

“As a pro, I try to learn every day. I tried to learn from guys before me, guys who spent a lot of time in the league. I was fortunate enough to start in one of the best environments ever with the Devils – Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Larry Robinson, Jacques Lemaire, I could go on and on. There’s a lot of Stanley Cups there. And you don’t win those without having a good model for success. I tried to learn from those guys.”

Some of those lessons have steered him towards being a certain type of player, just don’t necessarily call him a leader.

He says he’s simply tried to be himself since joining the Kings – not a “rah-rah guy who tried to be overbearing at times.” Instead, he’s offered to be someone who guys can talk to, someone who’s there to listen and can offer a suggestion or two on how to navigate through difficult situations.

“A lot of times in this league, we think we’re a lot better than what we are and when we’re not playing well, we think we’re a lot worse than what we are,” he said. “That can be tricky. And I don’t think that experience happens overnight, you don’t learn that right away. That’s how I try to help out. So be it if people think that’s a voice or a leadership role. You don’t strive to be somebody like that. If it comes to you, then that’s flattering.”

He entered this season at the mid-point of his present situation, having signed a two-year deal with the Kings back in the summer of 2010. Still, he thinks the two halves in Los Angeles will be different, with the most difficult part behind him.

“There’s no doubt I was a player who had some risks (attached) to me coming in,” the 34-year old defenseman said. “Although I had a wrist and a knee injury last season, with the head, everything was good.”

This summer was different for him too, both on and off the ice. Last year, he wasn’t able to partake in most of the extracurricular activities he enjoys in his free time, nor was he able to work out much. This summer, not only was he able to do more, Mitchell says he probably hasn’t trained this hard in over decade.

“Outside of maybe when I was 22 or 23 years old, when you’re young and full of energy and the NHL is upon you and you’re just working out like a madman – and sometimes working out without a purpose, you’re working out so hard – this was probably the hardest summer of training I’ve had in a long time,” he admitted.

“The other part that’s just as important, I think, was that I did a lot of things I wanted to do. When you have a concussion, you can’t just go out fly fishing or go out on your boat and relax because the sun bothers you and all those things. Having a chance to get all of that out of your system makes you that much more excited for the season to start.”

That’s lead him to feel pretty confident of late – with one caveat, “Not that I’m going to run up and down the ice like a Drew Doughty. But, I’m going to have a much more consistent, better season.”

He’s not only happy about the work he put in this summer, he’s more than pleased with the changes GM Dean Lombardi made to the Kings roster.

“The organization made some great moves. Being a veteran player, that’s a place you want to be in. What goes a long way to players is when the ownership group and management goes out and brings in players like they did this year. To us, it says they believe in this group. And when you have your ownership, your management and your coaches believing in you, that says a lot. That gives you a big boost of confidence.”

He went on to say, “I absolutely enjoy it here.”

Which brings us to the future.

It’s understandable if Lombardi doesn’t want to talk contracts with any defensemen for a few months. But, if the Kings approached him at some point about signing an extension, is that something he’d be interested in?

“That stuff takes care of itself whenever it does,” he said.

Well, that’s not a very Willie Mitchell answer. All last year he was brutally honest – and insightful – when answering questions. And now he’s going to pull up easy, with a cliche?

“No, I’m dead serious with that answer,” he said when pressed harder. “I think no better experience than that for me was having my concussion and going into free agency (in 2010). I was in a similar situation than I am here. I was having an excellent season (in Vancouver) and if I got through that season, whether it’s term or dollar figures, it might have been a little bit different.

“As a player, all you can do is control the things you can control. For me, that’s going out and being the best teammate I can be for my teammates and being the best player I can be for the LA Kings. That’s what I’m going to try and do this year. If I do that, that’s going to work out quite nicely for the Kings and myself. I’ve done enough contracts after 12 years in the league. You come to know those things always work out how they’re supposed to.”

Fair enough.

There’s a long season ahead, size things up for the team.

“I’m really excited about this year and what’s ahead of us. I don’t want to get too far down the road. But, I think the number one thing for us is to win our division. I think we have a really good shot at doing that. Then, if we win our division, we get to where we want to be and that’s in the playoffs. That’s our first step and that’s our only focus right now. Once we get there, our next step is, obviously, the big prize. To have a shot at being one of 16 teams in the tournament is what it’s all about it.”

So far, so good. The Kings enter the weekend 4-1-1, with the overtime loss coming in New Jersey just over a week ago.

LA will take on the Stars tonight and then host the Devils for a rematch next Tuesday.

The Mayor
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www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

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the photo above appears courtesy of Ikiri Photography

Predictions – everybody loves them and if you’re correct about half the time, you’re doing pretty well.

Two years ago I had the Los Angeles Kings finishing sixth in the Western Conference. Nailed it.

Last season, I slotted the Kings at fourth during my NHL season preview article. That’s certainly where they should have finished, if not for their horrible losing streak in November. As such, they ended up seventh – three notches back.

Further, as noted at the time… If GM Dean Lombardi added a high-end player before the trade deadline, the Kings would challenge the Sharks for the Pacific Division.

Which sort of brings us to this present.

Sure, Lombardi added Dustin Penner at the deadline last February. And getting a guy to play on the top line with Anze Kopitar definitely qualifies as a big move. However, the addition didn’t net the desired results. Couple that with a power play that saw a huge drop off from the year prior and the aforementioned losing streak to dig out of – well, the timing wasn’t right for a run at the Sharks.

Things have now changed.

Penner spent the summer committing himself to conditioning. Check.

Lombardi went out and acquired the long-needed second line center in Mike Richards. Check.

With Ryan Smyth’s departure to Edmonton, the Kings had a new hole at left wing.  They could have moved a prospect in – an unproven commodity - or have relied on a role player to fill the hole, essentially asking somebody to try and overachieve. Instead, Lombardi signed veteran forward Simon Gagne.  Second line, check.

On defense, all six starters from last season – and arguably the best collective unit of six in the Western Conference – return and are back on the blueline. Check.

In net, it’s Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier reprising their roles in Battle of the Goalies part II. Quick has spent two years rewriting the Kings record book and Bernier was lights out in the second half of the last season. Coach Terry Murray says he’s going with the hot hand this year, rather than a planned 60 games-22 games split. So, goaltending – check.

What does this mean for the Pacific Division and the Western Conference?

After hearing bits and pieces leaked over the last few weeks during various radio appearances and on twitter, here are the official MayorsManor predictions for the 2011-12 NHL regular season…

Western Conference

1. Vancouver Canucks

Taking nothing away from the talent on this team, there’s no denying they play in the weakest division, which helps them pile up a boat load of points. Any team with the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo is going to win their fair share of games, no doubt. However, when you can mop on subpar teams most nights, another 110-point season is practically on auto-pilot. One possible concern for the Canucks is how long Ryan Kelser will be out. If his recovery from hip surgery ends up dragging well into the season, either of other division winners could challenge for the top spot here.

2. Los Angeles Kings

For all the reasons listed in the intro, this looks to be the season the Kings will the Pacific Division.   LA now has depth down the middle, with Kopitar, Richards and Jarret Stoll at center – not to mention Trevor Lewis, who has developed into one of the better defensive forwards on the team. The Kings power play should be much improved also, due to the additions of Richards and Gagne, plus Penner for a full season. All the ingredients are there.

3. Detroit Red Wings

Jimmy Howard is an under-rated goalie. Their system allows defensemen to play in the optimal role, rather than asking a guy to give more than he’s capable of. And if you want to talk strength down the middle, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are the envy of every NHL General Manager. While they should win their division, they’ll be getting perhaps the best competition in years from the other four teams in the Central. That tightness is what will most likely not allow them to gather up enough points to finish second in the West.

4. San Jose Sharks

The NoCals are another team with a strong one-two punch at center, in Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. However, the jury is out on replacing Dany Heatley with Martin Havlat on the right side. On defense, people are hyping the acquisition of Brent Burns from Minnesota. I’ve said it before though, I’ll say it again – I’m always hesitant about taking the best guy from the worst team. Time will have to tell if the Sharks off-season facelift achieves what they were going for.

5. Anaheim Ducks

Last year, I didn’t pay the Ducks enough respect coming into the season, listing them 11th in the West. At the time, I wasn’t sold on their defense and wondered if Teemu Selanne and/or Saku Koivu had much left in the tank. Those questions still exist, deny them all you want Duck fan. Goaltending is another question mark, as Jonas Hiller still isn’t sure what happened inside his dome early last season (vertigo?) and it could return at any point. Their top line is deadly though and they will make the playoffs again. My biggest worry here is that I’m subconsciously giving them a little too much respect now, when they should really be a spot or two lower.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

Who are the Chicago Blackhawks? Will somebody please tell us. Yes, we know they won the Stanley Cup two years ago and then dismantled the team and lost their grit. They added two solid veterans in Sean O’Donnell and Andrew Brunette – but, Dan Carcillo probably isn’t somebody they need these days. These aren’t Bob Probert’s ‘Hawks. Their high-end guys are some of the best in the league, on offense and defense. It’s their next tier of players that raise most of the questions – along with goaltender Corey Crawford, is he the real deal? All of that said, they’re still better than the next nine teams.

7. Nashville Predators

Rinse, repeat. Small market team, lacking a big name scorer. Awesome defense, led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Even better goaltending in the form of Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback. Plus, consistently good coaching by Barry Trotz. What did I write last year, maybe I’ll just cut/paste it in here to save time.

8. St. Louis Blues

They can’t have another year with as many injuries as last year, can they?  If time heals all wounds, the Blues are already in better shape than we we last saw them.  But, is Jaroslav Halak the goalie from two years ago in Montreal or the one who slumped at times in St. Louis last season? Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner can still produce, right? From high atop the arch, they hope so.  At least Chris Stewart will continue to put up numbers from the right side, that one’s for sure. Finally, former Blues great, Keith Tkachuk, told NHL radio this week he sees St. Louis running neck and neck with Detroit in the standings this season. Um, no. But, they should make the playoffs.

9. Dallas Stars

For every team listed 11-15 there are a host of things not to like – and enough of them that the playoffs should be well out of reach. The Stars are different. Yes, they seem to be a few horses short of competing with the eight teams above them. However, if St. Louis falters or Nashville slips, that could be just the break they need in Dallas to steal a spot on the postseason bracket. With the Stars, you have to love Brendn Morrow. He’s just one of those guys who has the ‘it’ factor. Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson just keep getting better. If Jamie Benn has a breakout season - like some expect - he could make up for the goals they lost with Brad Richards signing in New York. On defense, Alex Goligoski looks to be exactly what this team needed. Many questioned them trading away James Neal to get him. Yet, so far, it looks like the right call. Goaltending is a big worry in Dallas though. Can Kari Lehtonen hold up all year? If not, Andrew Raycroft isn’t enough to get the job done on a nightly basis in the rough and tough Pacific Division.

10. Minnesota Wild

Like the Stars, the Wild are just a tad short on talent compared to the clubs ranked just above them. Even so, any team with Niklas Backstrom in net has a chance to be competitive. They lost Brett Burns on defense and Andrew Brunette from their offense. On the new additions – Dany Heatley‘s numbers could/should decline and Devin Setoguchi is a nice complementary player, not a go-to guy. What the Wild really need is to develop two or three key pieces internally – and via the 532 trades they made with the Sharks this summer, they now have the cornerstone player to build the franchise around, center Charlie Coyle.  The only problem is, he’s starting his sophomore year at Boston University.  So, he’s several years away from seeing big time NHL minutes. Thus, the Wild aren’t very wild at all right now.

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

This might be the strangest roster mix in the NHL, or at least in the U.S. if you want to give that title to the Calgary Flames (more on that in a moment). Jeff Carter was great in Philadelphia. What will he mean to a Blue Jackets team that doesn’t have much of a supporting cast?  Rick Nash is world class, but one man can only carry a franchise so far. Their defense was already thin and now they’ll start the season short-handed due to the James Wisniewski suspension. For Columbus to even still be in contention come March, Steve Mason will have to radically step up his game between the pipes.  Time is standing still in Columbus, waiting for somebody to identify who this team is or will become.

12. Phoenix Coyotes

The savior in the desert is gone. With Ilya Bryzgalov now in Philadelphia, the Coyotes will have (gulp!) Jason LaBarbera and Mike Smith in net. That Oliver Ekman-Larsson may end up being good on defense. But, Keith Yandle needs more help now. Like Morrow in Dallas, Phoenix captain Shane Doan is one of those special players you have to have to win. You can never count out a Dave Tippett coached team, he’s one of the very best bench bosses in the NHL.  Unfortunately though, the most exciting thing about the Coyotes right now are the tweets coming from Paul Bissonnette.

13. Edmonton Oilers

Three years ago, the talk was the Kings were going to develop into the Blackhawks 2.0. That transition is complete, minus the Stanley Cup (be patient, it’s coming).  Now, we can officially crown the Oilers as Blackhawks 3.0. They have a deep pool of high-end prospects and if they can ever get a solid goalie, watch out. It just won’t be this season. The Oilers will be improved from the past few seasons and that needs to be enough…for now.  Their time will come, just not this season.

14. Calgary Flames

Jarome Iginla, winner. Alex Tanguay, congrats – you found a way to make it work (and thanks for mentioning me in that Hockey News interview all those years ago, love you too buddy). Jay Bouwmeester - he’s the best they have, but not a top-tier defenseman in the loaded Western Conference. Scott Hannan was a nice pick up – IF he finds his game again. Miikka Kiprusoff is still good, but there’s more to winning than he who stops the puck.  Overall, their time is in the rear view mirror.  The Flames now need to press the reset button and find a new roadmap for the years ahead.

15. Colorado Avalanche

If Frozen Fury was a regular season NHL game, wow – these guys look good. It wasn’t and they don’t. Matt Duchene will be a beast in three years. Ryan O’Reilly is good, but probably still two years away from being a proven commodity.  On defense, the fact the Blues were willing to trade Erik Johnson should have been a red flag. But, the fact they raped the Avs in the deal may have been the death punch to team already light on collective talent.  For this year’s team performance, anything but a cellar season would be a stellar season.

There you have it.  Bookmark it for later.  There will be a pop quiz in late March, early April.

Until then, remember this – to properly build a team for a potential Stanley Cup run, five essential pieces usually have to be in order – two centers, two defensemen and a top goalie. With the moves Lombardi made this summer, he finally has the right roster on paper for the Kings.

Will it work?

Time will tell.

Or, said differently, has the time finally arrived for the LA Kings?

In about two months we’ll have an early read on things.

Until then, leave some of your predictions down below.  Let’s see what you think too.

Where do you agree or disagree?

Oh, and one more thing, Penner scores 35 goals this season.

The Mayor
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photos above appear via courtesy from Michael Zampelli at LetsGoKings.com

If the summer long drama between the Los Angeles Kings and defenseman Drew Doughty has been resolved with an ‘all’s well that ends well’ solution, we’ll know soon enough.

The primary fact at the moment though is that a contract has been agreed upon and he’ll be rejoining his teammates soon, as they prepare for what many expect to be a big year for the Kings.

Doughty is set to receive $7 million per season for the next years. That’s slightly more than the $6.8 million Anze Kopitar is under contract for and pushes Doughty’s potential free agent years out a bit. Thus, it appears to be a win-win for both sides.

There are still many questions to be answered – like when will he practice, when will he play his first game, etc.? Most importantly though, he’ll be in the line-up next Friday when the Kings open the season against the New York Rangers in Stockholm.

Doughty was originally selected by the Kings with the number two overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. At the time, he was coming off of being named the Ontario Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year. He played for the Guelph Storm in the OHL, the same team as Kings’ captain Dustin Brown (they missed each other by a few years there, with Doughty arriving two years after Brown had moved on).

He has since gone on to win a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics, was nominated for the Norris Trophy (best defeseman) the same year and was selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season.

The 21-year old native of London, Ontario has also received several awards – including being named the Kings Outstanding Defenseman for three straight seasons (2011, 2010, and 2009) and he was voted as the Kings Best Newcomer (Mark Bavis Memorial Award) following his first year with the club (2009).

Last season he led the team in minutes played (25:38) and was tops among all Kings defensemen with 11 goals.

In 239 regular season games in his young NHL career, he’s recorded 126 points (33 goals, 93 assists). He’s also recorded 11 points (5g, 6a) in post-season games with the Kings.

Will Doughty be making an appearance at Frozen Fury this weekend?

According to Helene Elliott of the LA Times, Doughty says he thinks he can play as soon as the team asks him to – including this weekend. “I think I’m in great shape,” said Doughty. From various reports, it appears he’ll be leaving for LA soon to complete a physical officially sign the deal.

Goalie Jonathan Quick wasted no time thumbing out the following tweet upon the news being released tonight – ‘Congrats to drew doughty on his new deal, who’s pickin the restaurant? #thanksdewey #surfnturf’

For the first time in months, Kings GM Dean Lombardi is probably going to sleep like a baby. Mission accomplished – he now starts the year with the best Kings roster in team history.

More information will be posted on www.MayorsManor.com as it becomes available.

We’ll also have live reports and updates all weekend long from the Kings-Avalanche game in Las Vegas – follow along on twitter and facebook.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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It’s time for the return of the Yooper.

Ray Kaunisto, a 6-foot-4 left wing, played 57 games for Manchester last season, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. He had 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) and finished with a minus-6 rating. Not exactly numbers that will shoot him past Brandon Kozun or Tyler Toffoli on the depth chart.

“To be realistic, I’m not a top-two liner,” Kaunisto says.

He knows his role and he’s sticking to it – “I like to be a defensive forward and I think I’m getting better at that as a pro – after being good at it in college.”

With four years at Northern Michigan under his belt, he signed with the Kings as a free agent in March 2010.

Even though the odds may be stacked against him flying to Europe with the Kings to start the season, he’s had a straight forward approach to training camp this week.

“How I look at it is, I come to camp and I do what I can,” said the 24-year old, who hails from the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. “I’m going to go out there and play rough, I’m going to hit and try not to turn the puck over. I want to be good in my own zone. I’ll try to put in a couple of goals and be there for my teammates. If it doesn’t work out here – I hope to make the team here, that’s what everyone hopes here – but, I know that may not be the most realistic thing right now. The step after that is, go to the AHL and be a top player there.”

Right before camp opened though, he had to ship something back home – his wife. Married over the summer, the Mrs. was in town for a few days.

“She took a flight back to Vancouver for the next couple of weeks though.”

Earlier this summer, he also told us she was a big Ducks fan. So, how does he know she didn’t just head down the I-5 towards Anaheim to go check out their training camp?

“She might have snuck off that plane. You never know,” replied Kaunisto.

Although it didn’t make his bucket list, one of his stated goals this summer was to convert her to a Kings fan. Any luck?

“I think she’s a lost cause,” he quipped. “She likes goalies in the first place. So, we’re just on a totally different page there. She’s a fan of goalies and the Ducks, so I just don’t know what to do. I just won’t talk hockey with her anymore.”

With her out of SoCal now – supposedly – he’s taken to rooming with Rich Clune. Has there been any chirping going on back at the hotel?

“If you chip Cluner, he might give you the People’s Elbow from the other bed. Kozy’s (Kozun) always a good target because I know he’s not going to hit me with anything.”

Kaunisto saves most of his hits for ice these days, even though he’s rather do it as a center than his current wing position.

“I feel more comfortable at center,” explained Kaunisto. “In college it’s a little bit of a different system. It’s more guys running around like crazy. Just learning the pro game, everyone isn’t always in the right spot. It’s a lot harder to defend guys who are this good and this patient with the puck.”

Back in college, his point total also was much different as a center.
“I think it’s because I have a lot of speed coming through the neutral zone, coming through the middle. I want the puck all the time. So, when I’m at center, I can just curl low, get the puck from either the ‘D’ or the winger on the breakout. I like to carry the puck and I think that carries to a lot of points because I can just dish to the side, take a shot or go to the net. I’m always a guy who goes to the net when I play center.”

It’s not just the offense he can display at center, he thinks he’s a better defender from that position as well.

“The hardest part about playing wing is not seeing what’s coming from your back,” Kaunisto said. “When you’re getting a breakout pass to the d-man, you don’t know where that d-man is behind you, stepping down at the blueline. At center, when I get the puck, my head is already up – looking up ice. So, I know where everyone is at. A downfall of my game is I don’t have the best vision out there. When I’m at center, I’m looking up, my toes are pointed up ice and I can see everything in front of me. At wing, there’s always guys coming at your back that you can’t see. So, a lot of times I’ll get the puck poked off my stick or I’ll try to through a pass through the middle to a centerman and it will get picked off by their F3.”

Putting it simply – “I need to learn a few more things in the d-zone at center. Then, hopefully I’ll get my chance there again.”

With Corey Elkins and Oscar Moller not returning to Manchester this season, he plans on lobbying Monarchs coach Mark Morris to move back to center.

He’ll leave that for a face to face conversation.  Most of his other thoughts these days end up on twitter.

“Sometimes I cross the line. I think it’s funny to cross the line. I like doing that,” admits Kaunisto. “It’s fun and I just say whatever I feel like.”

Occasionally, people can take offense to things written on twitter. Has he had to block anybody yet?

“No, not yet. I’ve probably been blocked a few times though.”

His approach on twitter mirrors his approach when playing – “If somebody chrips me, I chirp back.”

The first round of roster cuts took place yesterday and he’s still here. Now, if he gets to play on Sunday against the Ducks – that could be interesting.

The Mayor
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Most of the NHL players were in town for about a week prior and had been working out and scrimmaging at the team’s training facility in El Segundo.

Meanwhile, over 20 prospects were engaged in Rookie Camp, including a two-game series with the Phoenix Coyotes. According to MayorsManor readers, Brandon Kozun was the star of both games.

We were on hand all weekend with live tweets and facebook posts. Plus, there were a number of articles posted on MayorsManor. Knowing that many of you may have been busy over the weekend and missed out on some of the information served up, here’s a recap of the training camp related articles and quotes from players as they came off the ice…

Rookie Camp – post-game notes vs Coyotes

Sinon Gagne likes what he’s seen so far, even the travel

Dustin Brown not buying that he lacks chemistry with Anze Kopitar

Matt Greene calls out Dustin Penner and Ethan Moreau

The ‘all injured players’ quotes – comments on and from Doughty, Murray, Williams, Kopitar, etc.

Dustin Penner on his weight and notes on the overall team conditioning

Matt Greene gets serious

The ‘all Drew Doughty’ article – notes and quotes from coach Murray and many players

Kopitar, Penner and Hunter on the Kings new top-line

Kyle Clifford raising his own questions during training camp

Brandon Kozun puts the ball in the Kings court

Terry Murray on camp MVP (so far)

There will be several more articles going up today – including features on Penner, Mike Richards, Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Slava Voynov and more.

If you want to head down to TSC and catch some of the action, here is the schedule and the player groups.

Enjoy…and remember to leave a comment on the articles you read.  Your feedback helps drives the direction of future content.  It’s really easy, just type a sentence or two.  Hint, hint…

The Mayor
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Fresh on the heels of yesterday’s official release of the Kings 2011 Rookie Camp roster and schedule, below is some additional information to get you primed and ready to go.

KINGS PROSPECTS

Andy Andreoff – 6-foot-1 center, drafted in 2011, third round – played 66 games for Oshawa (OHL) last season, scoring 33 goals and was impressive at the Kings’ July Development Camp – if he a signs pro contract, could end up in Manchester this season – his most recent MayorsManor interview was just yesterday morning, linked here

Robert Czarnik — 6-foot forward, drafted in 2008, third round – originally was at the University of Michigan, then ‘transferred’ to the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) – scored 33 goals and 44 assists last season – most recent MayorsManor interview went up yesterday also, linked here

Ray Kaunisto — 6-foot-3 left wing, signed as a free agent in 2010, following his college career at Northern Michigan – played 57 games for Manchester last season – one of the best (and most respected) chirpers among the prospects – gave an epic interview on MayorsManor earlier this week, where he provided his ‘bucket list’ – check it out here

Brandon Kozun — 5-foot-8 forward, drafted in 2009, sixth round – has proclaimed he’s ‘ready for the NHL’ – played 73 games for Manchester last season (23 goals, 25 assists) – expected to get a long look by the Kings leadership group at this year’s camp – frequent guest on MayorsManor, with his most interview posting later today (in what will be a partial follow-up to Kaunisto’s bucket list)…update: it’s been posted, link here

Jordan Nolan — 6-foot-3, drafted in 2009, seventh round - played three games with Ontario Reign at the end of his junior career, moved on to play 75 games last season for Manchester – primarily plays a tough guy role, however he has decent hands – appeared on MayorsManor last September, linked here

Michael Schumacher — 6-foot-3 forward, drafted in 2011, seventh round - played in Sweden last season and is coming over to the OHL this season (note: was drafted by Owen Sound, recently traded to Sault Ste Marie) – tall, lanky player with good vision and high compete level – showed some flashy moves at times during Dev Camp, will be interesting to get a longer look at him in scrimmages next week – all the way from Europe, here’s a link to his first MayorsManor interview

Tyler Toffoli — 6-foot-1 right wing, drafted in 2010, second round - scored 57 goals in 68 games for Ottawa last season, winning the OHL scoring title – along with Kozun, he’s expected to be the star of camp this year – was originally coached by legendary bench boss Brian Kilrea (the first man to ever score a goal for the LA Kings) – Toffoli has been a regular guest on MayorsManor, including this exclusive look at his time with Team Canada this summer

Linden Vey — 6-foot right wing, drafted in 2009, fourth round - scored 46 goals in 69 games for Medicine Hat last season and won the WHL scoring title – appeared on MayorsManor several times last season and provided a few funny comments during Dev Camp, linked here

Jordan Weal — 5-foot-10 center, drafted in 2010, third round - spent last season with Regina (WHL), scoring 43 goals, and then played seven games with Manchester – if he returns to Regina, he’ll be playing under new coach (and former LA King) Pat Conacher – his most recent MayorsManor interview is linked here…he also talked Kozun and Toffoli here

INVITED PLAYERS:

Taylor Carnevale – 6-foot center – new addition to the invitee list, as he was not at Dev Camp in July – scored 35 goals last season – finished the year with the Windsor Spitfires (under GM Warren Rychel, a former King) – previously played for three different OHL teams, including Oshawa (with Andreoff, listed above) and Barrie (with Kyle Clifford for two seasons) – and if that’s not enough, he was traded this summer to Sarnia! – if he returns to junior hockey for his over-age season, it will be with his FIFTH team

Michael Kantor — 6-foot forward – ended last season in Sault Ste Marie (OHL), after coming over in a trade from Saginaw – in 52 games last year he had 20 points (11g, 9a) – Kantor played physical and kept his feet moving during scrimmages at Dev Camp (as noted in a game recap here), which is probably what earned him a second invitation – also, his current GM (Kyle Dubas) likened him to Kings prospect Rich Clune in a MayorsManor interview here

Rob Mignardi — 6-foot right wing - played 68 games for Owen Sound (OHL) last season, scoring 30 goals – looking to turn pro this month – showed good grit and compete at the Kings’ July Development Camp – according to his twitter, he rocks Dr Dre headphones and likes to stalk Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke at airports – could be a great fit for Ontario (ECHL), if he doesn’t land a deal with Manchester

J.D. Watt – the oldest player in this group, he turned 24 in May – was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames (fourth round, 2005) – has played 19 games in the ECHL and spent the last two years in the AHL – in 37 games total last year he netted two goals and 86 penalty minutes – the year prior he racked up 267 PIM in 70 games with the Abbotsford Heat (draw your own conclusion) – random fact: one of his Heat teammates was former King Jamie Lundmark

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Several other Kings prospects who were in LA for Development Camp in July have returned to college, thus they won’t be participating in this week’s rookie camp. That list of forwards includes Joel Lowry (fifth round, 2011 – Cornell), Michael Mersch (fourth round, 2011 – Wisconsin), Nicholas Shore (third round, 2011 – Denver) and Nic Dowd (seventh round, 2009 – St. Cloud State).

Later today, we’ll look at the defensemen and goaltenders.

[update: we breakdown the eight defensemen in camp here]

Beginning tomorrow, we’ll have live updates from Rookie Camp in El Segundo – including comments from players and the Kings coaching staff.

The Mayor
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First off, even though it’s a one-year contract, he doesn’t see this as his last year in the NHL. Sure, he’s already played 900 games over 15 seasons in the league. However, he says he’s finally healed up and ready for more – much more.

In fact, at 35, he says he wouldn’t mind playing until he’s 40.

Yet, that’s the road ahead. And before moving on to training camp with the Kings in a few weeks, he reflected back on the travels that have brought him to this stage of his career.

“Going to the Finals was probably the high and the low point,” he said, when speaking of his time playing in Edmonton. “We were one game away from winning a Stanley Cup. Then, losing was probably the low point because you come so close to realizing a dream that doesn’t happen – you’re left with a very, very empty feeling – which is motivation to get back there with this team and to win it. That’s the only thing that will kind of make that feeling go away.”

Things were different in Columbus, where he was limited to just 37 games last year due to injuries.

“It was exciting to start last season there. I had a lot of responsibility and I played a lot early in the season. Unfortunately, I broke my hand and had to have surgery, which really derailed my year. Like you said, I only played 37 games, so it was tough to get a great feeling for the organization or the city. But, I enjoyed my time there, even though it was short.”

Although Moreau and fellow LA roster addition Mike Richards are very different players, one thing they have in common is knowing what it’s like to play in a hockey-crazed market.

Richards has already acknowledged he thinks he’ll like it better in LA, where he can focus more on the game and less on answering questions away from the rink.

Moreau already had a taste of a ‘less intense’ market when he was the Blue Jackets last year. Did he find it any easier?

“As a player, when you come to the rink, this is your place of work and you’re going to prepare the same way, regardless of what city you’re in,” Moreau explained. “When I was in the environment of Edmonton, you couldn’t really get away from it. Your privacy is next to nothing – you can’t really live a normal life without talking about hockey ten times a day. If you want to go to your kids’ school or the grocery store or a restaurant, you’re constantly talking about the team. Which is OK. But, after a while, it does wear on you. So, I think the difference in a less-than-traditional hockey market is you don’t have as many conversations about hockey. That’s probably the best way to put it.”

Although nobody would ever mistake Los Angeles for Edmonton, Moreau still sees similarities in the overall approach – “Your focus is still the same. There’s still a passionate fan base here and an organization that really wants to win, as do the players.”

To see a 90-second time lapse video of the ice coming to life at Staples Center this week – featuring the entire start to finish process – click here.

Or…for more with Moreau, including him explaining why he’d rather be playing with the Kings than against them this season, click here.

The Mayor
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It’s only been a few months since an earthquake-like rumbling was felt around the National Hockey League, as the Philadelphia Flyers traded away two of their most important players.

From the moment he joined the Los Angeles Kings, Mike Richards has been asked a lot of questions about his now former teammate and best friend, Jeff Carter.

Yet, there’s another person from that dressing room who helped play a small part in shaping him into the person he is today…

“Lappy was – I can’t put into words, how loyal and honest and hardworking…there’s a lot of words I could use to describe him,” said Richards when reflecting on the impact Ian Laperriere has had on him.

“He was somebody who helped me out and guided me in the right direction sometimes when things were frustrating. When things aren’t going very well he just seems to have that sense of calmness about him, where no matter what’s going on he kinda puts things in perspective. He’s a guy who keeps everybody loose around the dressing room. He and I had a unique relationship and it’s something where I was pretty privileged to play with him for a year.”

Laperriere was on MayorsManor soon after the Kings announced their acquisition of Richards back in June. He described the former Flyers captain as a ‘leadership kind of guy’ and somebody who ‘the bigger the game is, the bigger his game is.’

To read the full interview with Laperriere – where he talks more about Richards, the feud with Chris Pronger, leadership of Dustin Brown and impression of Kyle Clifford - click here.

The Mayor

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When Kings GM Dean Lombardi speaks, he almost always makes sense.

People may not like what he has to say at times, but he pretty much tells it as it is.

Several years ago when some questioned his signing of Dan Cloutier to an extension before he was fully healthy, Lombardi explained that it was a calculated gamble. He looked ahead to the next summer’s free agent goalie market and didn’t like what he saw. So, he tried to lock up Cloutier at a discount. It backfired, sure. But, it’s too easy to evaluate performance after the fact. Go back to the day he did the deal. His logic was correct.

When he once referred to some of his free agent signings as ‘bridge’ players, all but admitting they weren’t that good – or were just good enough – and their primary purpose was to buy time for a few prospects to further develop, it might have sounded harsh. But, it was true.

So, you can imagine the raised eyebrows recently when he referred to the Kings failed attempt to sign unrestricted free agent Brad Richards as the organization’s ‘finest hour.’

Wait, what? Does the expression now have a new meaning? He clearly wasn’t being sarcastic.

Here’s what he said, in full, when asked what he would change about how the Kings approached the Richards pursuit – “We’re getting there. As much as we’re respected now, until it gets done here, we’re not going to create that destination site, like the Lakers are. It’s really hard - for the American kid, the baseball player or the basketball kid, the whole LA thing, it’s very much a part of our culture. For so much of the hockey on the east coast and up north though, (LA) still seems like it’s out in nowhere land. But, it’s been proven that once you get it going here, you will be attractive. When Gretzky was here, every player wanted to play here. So, we’re close. We’re respected, where people will seriously consider us. But, to beat out those guys in the east, who have the tradition and everything else, we’re going to have to get it done and then we’re going to go to the top.

So, all of that said, were the Kings ever really close to landing Richards?  “After talking to his agent, given where we were proximity wise (to New York), we weren’t a favorite,” said Lombardi.   “We turned it into a real close call. But, in the end, what would we have done different? I’m not so sure. As an organization, I thought it was our finest hour. You had the business department, ownership, the hockey people put a tremendous amount of work into planning that. The presentation, everything was covered. I wouldn’t have changed a lot there.  It just proves to me that we still have to get it done – where now LA is winning and it’s now at the forefront like it was back then, to where every player is like ‘whoa’ and every kid says ‘I want to be there.’”

How close are the Kings to being able to land a top-flight, big-name free agent?  “Now, most people know us and when Richards looked at us he said ‘these guys are going to be good.’ So, we’re now in a position where we can get there (in people’s minds). This was the first guy we really went after hard, the right way. I thought this was the right time to add a top guy,: said Lombardi.  “When all those other guys were up before, you know I feel about free agency, it’s a dangerous thing. I liked using it for the right pieces, like (Rob) Scuderi and (Willie Mitchell). But, you have to have it in place before you go get that top guy. You have to have your nucleus, like (the Yankees) getting (Alex) Rodriguez to add to (Derek) Jeter. So, I thought this was the time.”

As for the now-infamous video they showed Richards and his team of representatives - “It was off the charts. They’re still talking about it back in the agent’s office. It was a great community effort, with Jerry Bruckheimer, Wayne Gretzky – it was great to see him on there representing the Kings – and Kobe Bryant. So, it was a great effort all around. It almost had a community feel to it because you had some of our biggest show pieces (in there).”

Hence, the comment about it being the organization’s finest hour makes sense. They put their best foot forward – a collective effort – and it came across so well that they were able to get Richards to sleep on it and heavily consider the LA Kings.

Which is something Luc Robitaille says has helped the Kings organization take a huge step up forward – “The biggest thing about (the pursuit of Richards) is we made a statement that we’re going for guys. Our team got a lot better and what I love about it is we’re a contender. Right now, every team is taking us seriously. Brad Richards listened to us and took us seriously. I think everybody around the NHL is suddenly paying attention to us. To me, that was the biggest positive. Nobody thought we’d go for Brad Richards once we got Mike Richards. And we went all out for him. We kind of had an idea he might be set on going to New York. But, we came really close and that’s a really good statement for us for the future.”

Regardless of how much money Drew Doughty ultimately signs for, there should be plenty of money for Lombardi to use next summer towards the pursuit of other free agents. He (potentially) has Dustin Penner, Willie Mitchell, Jarret Stoll and several others coming off the books.

Zach Parise anyone?

Now, now, don’t get ahead of yourself.

The Mayor
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During a conversation with coach Terry Murray just a few days after the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs, he acknowledged that Wayne Simmonds “hit a bit of a wall” last season.

It wasn’t that surprising of a statement from the coach though. After all, Simmonds saw his goals, assists and penalty minutes decline from the year prior.

Murray went on to say this would be a crucial summer in Simmonds’ development – one in which he would need to analyze his self and his game.

Even so, those weren’t cryptic statements about a winger needing to be traded. He was simply describing part of the natural evolution some players need to go though.

Coupled with the fact that Simmonds seemed to find his game in the playoffs, some people were slightly caught off guard when he was included in the trade for Mike Richards. Others saw it as simply moving value to get value.

By all accounts, Simmonds was well liked by his teammates – especially those that sat around him in the locker room – i.e. Brad Richardson, Kyle Clifford, etc.

Recently, I spoke with Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez about the loss of Simmonds…

Stoll – “He’s going to be a very good player, he is a very good player. It’s tough. You have to give up some good players to get a guy like Mike Richards. And we did that. It sucks for a guy like Wayne, and to lose him. But, we have to look forward and look at the team we have now. I wish him all the best in Philly. He’s a great guy, he was roommate on the road. We had some good times together and some good talks. He’s a good kid. He’ll figure it out in Philly and he’s going to be a well liked player there, for sure.”

Martinez – “As a younger guy (on the team), I hung out with him a lot. So, I was disappointed to see him go. He’s a good kid and he’s one of our buddies. But, you have to think about when you get a great addition like Mike Richards you’re going to have to give up something really great too. Wayne’s a good kid, good buddy and obviously a really good player.”

Simmonds, Richards, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, etc.  It’s a story that won’t die down anytime soon – especially considering the Flyers and Kings will meet up in the fourth game of the season.

To read Murray’s full comments on Simmonds from his season-ending exit interview, click here.

The Mayor
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Granted, he didn’t take the team to the playoffs his first year behind the bench in Los Angeles.

However, in year two, Kings head coach Terry Murray guided the club to 101 points and they returned to the post-season for the first time in nearly a decade.

He backed that up with what may have been his finest coaching job in LA – as he had to calmly maintain order through two messy, extended losing streaks, where he easily could have lost the confidence of his team.  Instead, they made the playoffs for the second straight year.

Still, a small group of vocal detractors continue to point criticism his way. They don’t like his power play system (a fair complaint, considering the poor conversion last season). They question his goaltending rotation (really, it was more an issue the year before, when he all but refused to play back-up Erik Ersberg).

And the most common complaint is his apparent fascination with juggling lines. There probably wasn’t a post-game Kings Talk radio show last season when the subject wasn’t brought up at least once.

Part of the issue really hasn’t been his fault though. When you don’t have the necessary pieces to truly assemble two top lines, you’re left scrambling. It’s like a cat constantly chasing its tale. Or, better yet, like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

So, now that he has a legit top-six…and by the far the deepest Kings roster he’s ever had – on paper – will he be putting the blender away?

When talking to the coach about his new options, the obvious place to focus was on the addition of a pair of former Flyers. “Those are two really good adds to our team,” Murray started by saying. “Mike Richards is an outstanding hockey player. When you look at (Simon) Gagne being part of the team now, they’ve played together before. There was good chemistry, good results on both sides of the puck. So, I have a tendency when I’m writing down lines – which I have done already – to have those guys together on a line.”

Then came the comment that can be used for some fun debate over the next six weeks until camp opens – “I do have a tendency to go with two players on a line and kind of fit it in from there and see how it falls in place.”

Which he went on to explain, is how he’s setting up the top two lines – “With (Dustin) Penner and (Anze) Kopitar (on the first line), Gagne and Richards (on the second line) – I’m kind of playing around with that in my mind and on paper right now.”

What about the captain, Dustin Brown? He started last season on the top line with Kopitar. Where is Murray thinking of playing him next season? “I’ve gone through that process. I’ve moved it around to different looks. Justin Williams is in there too. I have Williams with Kopitar sometimes.”

Nothing is set in stone quite yet though. “Again, getting some thoughts down on paper right now is all that I’m doing,” explained Murray. “Just getting myself ready for what I want to do as training camp approaches. We’ll just play it out. I’ll have some conversations with players by phone over the rest of the summer and see how they’re feeling.”

Like with most conversations you have with Murray, he found a way to get it back to one of his favorite topics, defense. “I go back to Richards and Gagne in Philadelphia. They had some good things going. They were players who played together on the penalty kill and they were dynamic on penalty kills.”

Moving down to the third and fourth lines, Murray admitted the picture isn’t quite as clear yet – especially considering the Kings have an abundance of centers.

First up, Trevor Lewis – “I think he’s a better center iceman than he is a winger.”

Which is the same thing he said about Andrei Loktionov last season, after the failed experiment to move him to the wing. Comments he was quick to repeat again, “Yeah, Loktionov is a better center iceman than left winger. And that’s his natural position. To me, that’s where he wants to play.”

Well, with Jarret Stoll as the assumed third-line center, that gives you five centers coach.

“Yeah. It’s a good thing,” quipped Murray.

When the coach says he has you penciled in, he means it – literally.

The Mayor
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The Los Angeles Kings haven’t played a game since April 14th. And they’re not scheduled to return to their practice facility in El Segundo until mid-September.

Which means we’re past the midpoint of the summer break. So, what have the players been up to? Here’s a brief rundown of some of their activities…

Anze Kopitar – According to coach Terry Murray, “Everything is great with Kopitar.” That’s how he described things during a conversation following the team’s Development Camp. Murray went on to explain, “It was a very serious injury (broken bone), but he’s been cleared. He’s doing all the off ice things necessary…and his plans were to get back on the ice at the end of this month.”

Dustin Penner – The D.Penner comedy tour made a stop here at MayorsManor last week. Seriously, if you missed the interview, do yourself a favor and read it. He talks about his intense summer training, mixed in with some great one-liners on NHL marketing, the NBA lockout, his shoes and much more. (full interview)

Justin Williams – In our season-ending debrief with GM Dean Lombardi, he spoke of Williams needing to decide if he wanted to have surgery or go through more physical therapy this summer. “Obviously, there’s an issue there,” Lombardi said regarding his right shoulder. “It’s going to be a player (decision),” he explained. “He can get it 90% back” without surgery, but “the issue is obviously the long term effect.” A few days later it was reported that Williams opted for surgery and he’s expected to be ready for training camp in September. (interview with Lombardi)

Simon Gagne – Have you heard, the Kings signed another former Philadelphia Flyer (LAKings.com)

Mike Richards – He’ll be introduced to the LA media next Wednesday afternoon.  MayorsManor will be on hand with full coverage.

Dustin Brown – According to his twitter postings, he’s been at a wedding near Oneida Lake in New York, golfing with his wife (raising money for child abuse prevention) and of course, he won the Foundation Award at the NHL Awards last month (video and award notes).

Jarret Stoll – For the sixth straight year, Stoll hosted a golf tournament back home in Canada, raising $250,000. Joining him was teammate Brad Richardson, Shane O’Brien, Paul Bissonnette, uber prospect Brayden Schenn and his new teammate Scott Hartnell (Flyers), plus members of the Blue Jackets, Ducks, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Stars and Wild. (details here)

Brad Richardson – Now that Alexander Frolov has returned to Russia, Richardson is said to be the guy keeping South Bay fashion boutiques in business.

Trevor Lewis - His hometown paper reports he was on hand for last Friday’s press conference regarding the 2012 USA Hockey High School National Championships. (Utah Desert News)

Kyle Clifford – Although Kentucky Fried Chicken has yet to call The Colonel with an endorsement offer, he did recently sign a multi-year contract with Bauer.  Somebody’s getting new equipment for next season.

Jack Johnson – Unconfirmed reports say he’s been spending some time under the needle, taking the advice of Matt Greene and getting a bald eagle tattooed across his chest. (Greene interview)

Willie Mitchell – He joined Calgary Flames forward Brendan Morrison for a fishing tournament recently, all to raise money for schools, hospitals and parks in British Columbia.(full story)

Rob Scuderi – Being a huge New York Jets fan, he finally exhaled yesterday when it was announced the NFL season will be played as scheduled.  Or will it?  (NFL.com)

Alec Martinez – Signed a new two-year contract with the Kings. (contract notes and other signings here)

Davis Drewiske - Recently hosted a 3-on-3 charity hockey event for kids. Joining him were fellow Kings Matt Greene, Kevin Westgarth, Peter Harrold and Scott Parse – plus members of the Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators. (Hudson Star Review)

Jonathan Quick – According to his twitter postings, he’s been spending quite a bit of time with Matt Moulson (Islanders), Cam Atkinson (Blue Jackets), Matt Lashoff (Maple Leafs) and Mark Arcobello (Oilers). They’ve been working out together, playing Cranium and going deep sea fishing – where they caught some baby sharks in the Atlantic. (pictures here)

Jonathan Bernier - Played in the IIHF World Championships for Canada a few weeks after the Kings season ended.  He posted a 2.01 goals-against average and a record of 2-1 in three games played, including a 3-2 win over former Kings goaltender Erik Ersberg and Team Sweden. (game sheet here)

Drew Doughty – He’s had a fairly uneventful summer. I haven’t seen or heard his name in the news much at all. Last summer was different, he even squared off against team captain Dustin Brown. (story here)

The Mayor
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In the article below, Kings coach Terry Murray responds to some of Penner’s comments and weighs in on the somewhat volatile ‘Penner Debate’ currently circulating among Kings fans.

On Penner’s commitment to summer workouts, Murray said – “This goes back to a conversation we had, right at the end of the year. It’s important to know who we are as an LA King and become part of our team and our culture, our structure and to be a player that I expect him to be. To play upwards of 20 minutes a night in a game, it’s going to demand a lot on the physical part of it. He’s been here from the end of the season (at TSC). He’s worked very hard with Tim Adams and we’re starting to see some signs of progress.”

Was it pride that got to him, hearing all of the criticism? – “I hope that’s the right way to define it, to term it. ‘Pride’ is a very good word,” explained Murray. “I think sometimes as coaches and people in management, even the media, we have a tendency to go that direction to see if there’s going to be a response. Definitely there’s a reaction here and it’s a positive reaction. We need him to just follow through with what he’s been doing so far (over) the rest of the summer. It’s a big, big push. He’s got some catching up to do, I know. This last couple of months here is going to be critical and important, so that I can use him in those situations – and live up to the expectations of being the player he knows he can be.”

On the changes he’s hearing and seeing from Penner, Murray said “When I was here before the draft, I went over and watched them workout at the field – (Scott) Parse, (Dustin) Brown, Penner and Matt Greene were there. That’s very intense. When you get Tim (Adams) out there for a couple of hours, doing lunges and squats – you’re going the full length of the football field. It’s very, very intense at the end of that time. He’s pushing through it. You’re pushing through on the emotional part of things too. You’re trying to dig in and get to one more step further than, maybe, you ever went before. That’s mental toughness. And that’s really what it’s going to take in order get young players and veteran players to a higher standard than the standard we’re trying to uphold.”

On Penner saying he was surprised at the intensity of the workouts in LA, well – “I don’t like to hear that,” Murray shared. “I think players should know that you do have to work hard. This is a business where that’s a given. Hard work is the foundation of what it’s all about, to bring your skill out. Most importantly for Dustin though is that he’s talking about it and he’s doing it. He’s getting himself ready for the training camp here. I want him to be able to step on the ice and go through the testing that we do on the first day. Then, as we get into the practice, start to play at a high level, execute the structure and the system that we want to play and be able to do it through the 60 minutes. That’s what it’s all about – play the game the right way. That, to me, means being in top physical condition.”

On what he’s seen from Penner so far – “I’m very encouraged, absolutely,” said the Kings head coach. “We’re pushing him here. There’s no doubt about that way. We met on this right at the end of the year and he understands. This is a big year for him – coming from Edmonton and coming back to California, playing for the Los Angeles Kings. He knows he has something to prove. He has great talent and great ability. It’s at a time when you have to make that decision to get it done. Time moves on very quickly. If you’re going to let it slide until you’re 30 years old, you might not be able to catch up. So, he’s doing the right thing and I’m excited for him. He’s been hungry, excited and on board with everything we’ve asked him to do.”

If you missed the full interview with Penner, do yourself a favor and check it out here. You’ll laugh out loud more than once.

The Mayor
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