Time For LA Kings Defense Prospect Colten Teubert To Take A Big Step Forward

August 15, 2010 by Gann Matsuda 9 Comments

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Earlier this summer, during the Los Angeles Kings’ annual Development Camp for their young prospects, while the players were out on the ice, trying to make a solid impression on the coaches and scouts, a couple of players were standing on the sidelines due to injury.

Colten Teubert
Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

For defenseman prospect Colten Teubert, missing out on this opportunity to wow the Kings’ coaches, scouts and front office could easily turn out to be a big step backwards.

This past season, Teubert, 20, put up the best numbers of his career in the Western Hockey League, scoring twelve goals and adding 25 assists for 37 points while racking up 136 penalty minutes in sixty games with the Regina Pats. But there have been rumblings from the Kings that he has not progressed as much as they had hoped since they selected him in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

The 6-4, 201-pound native of White Rock, British Columbia was drafted fairly high in the first round back in 2008 because of his size, strength and his mean streak, something the Kings have sorely lacked on their blue line in their recent history…and even their not so recent history. The Kings decided he was worth the gamble, even though he was a raw talent who was going to need a good deal of polishing before he could make the jump to the NHL. Read more of this post

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LA Kings Prospect Kyle Clifford Working To Be More Than A Tough Guy

August 9, 2010 by Gann Matsuda 8 Comments

EL SEGUNDO, CA — When the Los Angeles Kings selected left wing Kyle Clifford in the second round (35th overall) of the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, it was because he was able to contribute offensively as well as play a tough, physical game and drop the gloves when needed.

Kyle Clifford during a pre-season game against the Phoenix Coyotes on Septmber 15, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The 6-2, 208-pound native of Ayr, Ontario scored just one goal with 14 assists for 15 points in 66 games in the 2007-08 season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (his first season in the OHL) while racking up 83 penalty minutes.

Clifford, 19, improved in a big way after that, scoring 16 goals and adding twelve assists for 28 points with 133 penalty minutes in sixty games in 2008-09, and topping that in 2009-10 with 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points with 111 penalty minutes. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Forward Prospect Oscar Moller: About To Take A Big Step?

August 4, 2010 by Gann Matsuda 10 Comments

Oscar Moller
Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Two seasons ago, forward prospect Oscar Moller made the Los Angeles Kings’ roster out of training camp and after putting in some effective minutes where he showed a good scoring touch, it appeared that he could be on his way to solidifying a spot at the National Hockey League level.

Fast forward to 2010 and Moller now finds himself just trying to make the Kings roster.

The 5-10, 186-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden started the 2009-09 season with the Kings and showed some ability to finish right from the start, including his first multi-goal game in the NHL against Calgary on November 1, 2008.

Moller, who played in forty NHL games that season, also captained Sweden’s team in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships, but suffered a fractured clavicle during the tournament, forcing him out of the Kings’ lineup upon his return to the NHL. Read more of this post

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LA Kings Prospect Thomas Hickey Looking To Bounce Back In A Big Way

July 18, 2010 by Gann Matsuda 29 Comments

LA Kings defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey was the captain of Canada’s gold medal-winning team in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa in January 2009.
Photo: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The 2009-10 season could not have gone much worse for Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey.

After completing his career in Canadian junior hockey in 2008-09 with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, turning in his best season in the WHL with 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in 57 games, the 5-10, 182-pound native of Calgary, Alberta graduated to the American Hockey League.

But once Hickey donned the sweater of the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL [the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate] this past season, his hockey career was put mostly on hold due to injury—a shoulder injury suffered in late November, 2009 that required surgery, keeping him off the ice until April 1, 2010, just four games before the Monarchs began their run in the AHL playoffs.

“I got into four [games] before the regular season was over,” said Hickey.

But Hickey’s bad luck was not yet over, as he wound up on the shelf once again just before the playoffs began. Read more of this post

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LA Kings Sign All Restricted Free Agents For One Year

July 17, 2010 by Gann Matsuda Leave a Comment

EL SEGUNDO, CA — On July 17, the Los Angeles Kings signed five players—all were their restricted free agents—including center Brad Richardson, who signed a one-year contract, rumored to be worth $900,000, avoiding arbitration.

The 25-year-old native of Belleville, Ontario scored eleven goals and added 16 assists for 27 points in 81 regular season games last season, setting career highs in assists, points and games played. He also set a new career high with four game-winning goals.

Brad Richardson celebrates after scoring a goal during Game 3 of the Los Angeles Kings first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks on April 19, 2010 at Staples Center.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

The Kings were 10-0-1 in games when Richardson scored a goal last season.

In six playoff games, Richardson scored one goal, the game-winner in game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks. He also added an assist for two points with two penalty minutes.

The 5-11, 195-pound center was the Kings nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

In 112 regular season games with the Kings, Richardson has scored eleven goals and has added 21 assists for 32 points with 48 penalty minutes. In 248 National Hockey League regular season games with the Kings and Colorado Avalanche, he has scored thirty goals and has tallied 42 assists for 72 points with 96 penalty minutes. Read more of this post

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LA Kings Work Young Prospects Hard At 2010 Development Camp

July 5, 2010 by Gann Matsuda 19 Comments

EL SEGUNDO, CA — While many who follow the Los Angeles Kings were glued to the World Wide Web and Twitter to follow the news about what unrestricted free agents were going where, most notably, superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk (who is still unsigned as of this writing), the Kings were busy conducting their annual Development Camp for their young prospects, which began on June 28 and ran through July 3.

LA Kings 2010 first round pick Derek Forbort participated in the team's
2010 Development Camp.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

Three days of the six-day camp were open to the public and the media, comprised of a scrimmage game sandwiched between two practice sessions, featuring prospects ranging from those who have been in the system for awhile to their most recent draft picks.

“I’ve been impressed with some of these players, and, certainly, everybody as far as the work ethic,” said head coach Terry Murray. “It’s been outstanding with the conditioning level and what they’ve been through over the past several days, on and off the ice.”

“A lot of focus, a lot of digging in, hungry and they want to learn,” added Murray. “Attitude. It’s really coming along well. As a group, it’s been tremendous.”

Murray also took note of his team’s five 2010 draft picks, who were all present at the camp.

“All the draft picks seem to be really good kids,” he said. “They’re good people with good character.” Read more of this post

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