Frozen Royalty Audio: Los Angeles Kings Prepare For 2011-12 Home Opener

October 18, 2011 by Leave a comment

Rookie defenseman Slava Voynov will make his NHL debut on October 18, 2011, when the LA Kings host the St. Louis Blues at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA —The Los Angeles Kings are back from their four-game, European/East Coast trip to start their 2011-12 season, and they were hard at work at practice on October 17, 2011, at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.

Left wing Dustin Penner, who suffered what was called a knee contusion during the first period at Philadelphia on October 15, left the ice after about twenty minutes. He went to see Kings doctors for an evaluation.

Defenseman Slava Voynov, who was recalled from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League on October 16, due to an apparent shoulder injury suffered by defenseman Drew Doughty at Philadelphia (he was placed on injured reserve), practiced with the team and was paired with defenseman Willie Mitchell.

Voynov is expected to see a lot of ice time on October 18, when the Kings host the St. Louis Blues in their home opener. Read more of this post

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Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Can Jeff Zatkoff Reclaim Top Goalie Spot?

October 17, 2011 by Leave a comment

DOWN ON THE FARM: Los Angeles Kings goaltending prospects Martin Jones and Jeff Zatkoff are expected to improve upon solid 2010-11 seasons with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. But can Zatkoff, who got off to a bit of a slow start last season, and has likely been passed by Jones on the Kings depth chart, bounce back this season?

Goaltending prospect Jeff Zatkoff will likely need an outstanding
season to reclaim the number one goaltender position with
the Manchester Monarchs, which would also make him the
third-ranked goalie on the LA Kings’ depth chart.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — As was reported in this space this past summer, with Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier giving the Los Angeles Kings a one-two punch in goal that, arguably, they have never had before, the Kings are set in goal for the foreseeable future.

But with two netminders who are good enough to be number one goaltenders, something will eventually have to give. Read more of this post

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Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Blue Line Corps May Be Their Greatest Asset

October 14, 2011 by 3 Comments

DOWN ON THE FARM: Between goaltending and their defensive corps, the Manchester Monarchs’ greatest strength will be on their side of the red line in the 2011-12 season.

Thomas Hickey is beginning to look like he might develop
into the defenseman the Los Angeles Kings were hoping
for when they selected him with the fourth overall pick
in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — The Manchester Monarchs, the primary minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, are 1-1 after their first two games of the 2011-12 season, allowing just three goals in those games. They return to action tonight against the Providence Bruins, the start of a three-games-in-three-nights road trip in which they will also face the Portland Pirates on October 15, and the Springfield Falcons on October 16.

Although no one in their right mind, would draw conclusions about a team based on just two games, especially so early in a season, the Monarchs figure to be one of the stingier teams in the American Hockey League.

Indeed, with goaltenders Martin Jones and Jeff Zatkoff expected to improve upon solid seasons in 2010-11, the rest is up to the skaters in front of them. Read more of this post

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Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Departures Create Opportunities

October 9, 2011 by Leave a comment

DOWN ON THE FARM: Frozen Royalty begins its expanded coverage of the Los Angeles Kings’ prospects with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League this season with a feature on new opportunities for some after the departure of several Kings prospects for what they apparently perceived to be greener pastures in Europe.

Center Andrei Loktionov, a skilled forward who was a fifth round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in 2008, is expected to be an offensive leader for the Manchester Monarchs this season.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — Barely noticed here in the Los Angeles area, where hockey fans were primarily focused on the Los Angeles Kings opening their 2011-12 season with two games in Europe, their prospects down on the farm were also getting their new season underway.

In similar fashion to the Kings, who split their two games in Europe, the first, a 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday, and a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Berlin, Germany on Saturday, the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, split their first two games of their 2011-12 American Hockey League season.

An unexpected challenge facing the Monarchs this year is the loss of forwards Corey Elkins, Bud Holloway, and Oscar Moller, who opted to play in Europe this season. Read more of this post

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LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus

September 28, 2011 by 7 Comments

LA Kings goaltender prospect Jeff Zatkoff.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Outside of the years superstar and should-be-Hall-of-Fame netminder Rogie Vachon dominated while toiling between the pipes, goaltending has traditionally been the weakest link for the Los Angeles Kings.

Even goaltender Mario Lessard only had one outstanding season with the Kings in 1980-81. He even played in the 1981 National Hockey League All-Star Game that year, along with the Kings’ “Triple Crown Line,” which featured Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor.

Kelly Hrudey backstopped the Kings during the Gretzky Era, and helped lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992-93. But that team won by outscoring its opponents, not because of its defense and goaltending. Read more of this post

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Frozen Royalty Audio: Anaheim Ducks JV Team Has Easy Time With LA Kings Varsity In Pre-Season Action

September 26, 2011 by 1 Comment

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings “varsity” faced the Anaheim Ducks “junior varsity” team in pre-season action at Staples Center on Sunday night, but the results were not what you would expect, as the Ducks were dominant from start to finish, handing the Kings a 3-1 defeat.

Indeed, the Ducks dressed veterans Andrew Cogliano, Jason Blake, and Lubomir Visnovsky, but they surrounded them with young prospects.

Nowhere to be found were the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, or Teemu Selanne. Read more of this post

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