Jeff Zatkoff (left) and Martin Jones (right), shown here during the
Los Angeles Kings 2011 Training Camp on September 23, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan

As such, the Kings have continued to draft and develop young goaltenders, and they have two young netminders having solid years with their primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.

To this point in the AHL season, Martin Jones and Jeff Zatkoff have pretty much split time in goal, with Jones playing in 27 games, earning a 12-12-1 record, with a 2.86 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage.

But the story in goal for the Monarchs this season has been Zatkoff, who has a 13-8-1 record, a 2.18 GAA, and a .932 save percentage (ranked third in the AHL) in 26 games—stellar numbers.

Zatkoff began the 2011-12 season with the Kings, as their third goaltender during their trip to Europe to open the season. As a result, playing time was scarce during the early going.

“[The trip to Europe, and not getting ice time early in the season affected me] a little bit,” said the 24-year-old, 6-2, 179-pound native of Detroit, Michigan. “It took me a couple of games just to get the feel for game action again.”

“I only played one pre-season period, so that first game [with the Monarchs] was like a pre-season game for me,” added Zatkoff. “Fortunately, I was able to find my game pretty fast. The work that I was able to do in the off-season has started to pay off.”

Unlike last season, when Jones got off to a fast start during the first half of the season, while Zatkoff struggled a bit, Zatkoff has taken the reins this season.

“Zatkoff has really earned his ice,” said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. “Coming out of training camp, and having been over in Europe [with the Kings], Jones had been with us longer, and we had [Kings goaltending prospect Jean-Francois] Berube, at the time. Zatkoff came back, and I told him, ‘you’re going to have to earn your keep,’ and he certainly has.”

“He and Jones have pretty much split the first half of the season, but his numbers indicate that he’s got a slight edge right now,” added Morris. “Last year [at this point in the season], Martin Jones was taking the lion’s share [of the minutes], but this year, the shoe is on the other foot. It’s not carved in stone, but, as of late, Zatkoff has played extremely well.”

Indeed, Zatkoff has played so well, that he was selected to play in the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic on January 30.

“I put a big emphasis on getting stronger this summer, and I worked a lot with [former Kings strength and conditioning coach Tim Adams], and with [Kim Dillabaugh, who oversees goaltender development for the Kings] on giving up some depth, and not being so aggressive,” Zatkoff explained. “That’s allowed me to read the game better.”

“That’s the biggest reason for some of my success, because now I’m able to read plays, and anticipate,” Zatkoff elaborated. “That allows me to be in the right spot to take shots off the chest.”

But a lot of Zatkoff’s progress in his development can be attributed to a stronger mental game, something he made big strides on last season, especially after Jones played his way into getting the lion’s share of starts through the first half of the season.

“[That experience] taught me to work for everything I have, and not take my position for granted,” said Zatkoff. “Last year, sometimes I expected to have the ball handed to me, but Jones came in, played well, and took it away.”

“This year, from the start, and even last year, I started focusing, day-by-day, on working hard, and getting back to the level that I know I’m capable of playing at,” added Zatkoff. “I think I’ve found my stride, especially towards the end of last year. I finished the way I wanted to play the whole year. It’s something I wanted to carry into the start of this year, and try to keep things simple, controlling the things I can control. That’s given the team a chance to win every night.”

“Especially with the goaltender position, a lot of it is mental, and you have to have that confidence in yourself, so you’ve got to learn to play the game, one night at a time, one shot at a time, and [only] worry about what you can control. That’s stopping the puck, and if you worry about that, the rest will work itself out.”

With Quick and Bernier, it is easy to think the Kings are set in goal for several years. But Quick will enter the final year of his contract next season, and will undoubtedly demand a huge raise. If he prices himself out of the Kings’ budget, there could be an opening on the roster for a goaltender.

Could Zatkoff be the one to fill that roster spot? Maybe. But he is not concerned about that now.

“I feel like I’m close,” he said. “Given the opportunity, I could prove, not only that I could play, but I could win at the next level. But it’s about controlling what I can control, and that’s here [in Manchester]. Hopefully soon, I’ll get the opportunity to show what I can do [at the NHL level].”

“I try not to look into that because, like I said, that’s really nothing I have control over,” he added. “They’ve got two tremendous goalies up there, both number one [goaltenders]. I’ve played with [Jonathan Bernier] down here. If things shake out for me, then I’ll be happy. But I’m just worrying about playing for Manchester, and getting us into the playoffs.”

While Zatkoff has shined this season, Jones has taken a small step backwards this year.

“It’s pretty difficult, [and] some of the young goalies have a little bit of a slide,” said Morris. “Maybe there’s not quite the urgency they had when they were first breaking into pro hockey, but Jones still has had some great games for us, and we’re going to need him to continue to improve his game all the way around. He’s got unbelievable potential.”

“He quietly won the job last season, in the early going, and was rewarded with a trip to the All-Star Game,” added Morris. “[He] played very solid. His second half wasn’t quite as memorable as the first, but still, for a guy his age, and with his presence in the net—he fills a lot of the net. He’s working towards improving.”

“I know I can be a little bit better, but I’m working hard in practice, and working on things in my game,” said the 21-year-old, 6-4, 189-pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia. “But for me, it’s keep doing what I’m doing, and keep working hard on my game. Eventually, you’re going to get some bounces here and there, and hopefully, get those numbers [up] a little [more].”

In just his second year at the professional level, Jones appears to be developing at the expected pace. Nevertheless, knows that more work is needed.

“[I’m] just trying to follow up last year, and prove that I am that goalie, and that I can maintain that level of play,” Zatkoff noted. “You’re going to go through ups and down, and there’s going to be tough stretches. But to remain consistent, and play your best every night, at this level, is definitely different from junior [hockey].”

“For me, when I’m at my best, it’s because I’m patient,” Zatkoff added. “Coming out of junior, the biggest change in my game was not being so one-dimensional, like dropping into the butterfly every time, and being more patient.”

Experience and maturity are also key.

“Just maturing a little bit, and having been through it before, you get used to the lifestyle, and you know how to deal with certain things,” he said. “As a goaltender, I’ve worked on things here and there, but the same kind of core technical aspects are still there, and the same foundation, as far as my game goes.”

“Jones is still young, and he’s a great goalie,” said Zatkoff. “He’s big, so there’s not a lot for shooters to shoot at. He’s athletic for his size, which is something you can’t teach. He plays a very solid technical game, and he’s continued to get better and better.”

As reported earlier, Jones and Zatkoff have, essentially, split time in goal for the Monarchs this season. So far, it appears that they are handing the situation well.

“Fortunately for me, it’s something I’m used to,” said Zatkoff. “I split for my first two years at school on a rotation basis. It’s not as difficult as you think. The hardest part is staying sharp, mentally. Physically, it’s not as [demanding] on your body, [so] there’s positives and negatives on both sides. It’s tougher if you get into a little bit of a groove, but, on the other hand, you’re a little more rested, and you’re more focused. You kind of know what you have going into [your next game].”

“It’s something we dealt with last year—we were splitting the games,” said Jones. “I’ve dealt with it before. It’s kind of nice to know when you are going to play—you can kind of plan your days around that. But, at the same time, we both want to play all the games, so you just have to be sure that when you do play, you take advantage, and play your best.”

Indeed, Jones and Zatkoff have a strong relationship, especially after being roommates last season.

“[Zatkoff is] a great guy, a really hard worker,” said Jones. “For me, coming in last year, being my first year as a pro, he was awesome. He showed me the ropes. He showed me how to work and be a pro. He’s a really great mentor, and a great goalie as well.”

Despite all that, there is competition involved.

“We both want to play, that’s the nature of the game,” Zatkoff stressed. “But we understand the situation, and it’s a competitive relationship. Jones playing well is going to push me that much more, and, I’m sure, vice versa. At the same time, I want him to play well. At the end of the day, it’s about wins and losses, and we need wins to advance to the playoffs.”

“He’s a great guy to play with,” Jones noted. “We’re both competitors, and we both want to play. But, at the same time, we both want to see each other succeed as well.”

Morris said that the strong relationship between the two has been a huge asset for the Monarchs.

“[Jones] and Zatkoff have a great relationship,” said Morris. “We feel very confident [with both netminders]. They’ve won us a lot of close games, and I give Zatkoff a lot of credit for all the hard work he’s put in, having a real professional attitude. Jones is the same way.”

“They’re trying to help each other improve, and I think there’s great respect that works both ways for those guys,” added Morris. “A lot of credit goes to Kim Dillabaugh. He works with those guys on a regular basis. Once in awhile, [Kings goaltender coach] Bill Ranford comes in.”

“I think they’ve got a couple of really excellent mentors there to help them work on their games. But even when those guys aren’t here, they’re out there, working on all the things they need to [do] to get themselves ready for us.”

Raw Audio Interviews

(Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• Strong Goalie Pipeline Is A First And A Sign Of Strength For The Los Angeles Kings
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus
• Down On The Farm With LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Deslauriers, Hickey and Muzzin
• Los Angeles Kings Forward Prospects Brandon Kozun and Linden Vey Face Similar Challenges

Tickets for the Kings’ upcoming games against the Columbus Blue Jackets (February 1, 7:30 PM – Blue Jackets vs. Kings), the Phoenix Coyotes (February 16, 7:30 PM – Coyotes vs. Kings), as well as for other games on their schedule, are available from Barry’s Tickets, an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings. Use the code, “Royalty010” to get a 10 percent discount on their “Best Value” tickets.

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Right wing prospect Brandon Kozun, shown here speaking to the
media during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

But with the rule changes after the 2004 NHL lockout that have brought speed and skill back into the game by clamping down on obstruction, smaller, speedier players once again can thrive in the NHL, but only if they can hold their own with the big boys.

Size, or lack thereof, is something Los Angeles Kings right wing prospect Brandon Kozun has been hearing about since he started playing hockey.

Indeed, one look at Kozun, who is generously listed at 5-8, 162 pounds (yours truly is 5-9, and Kozun is at least one inch shorter, maybe two), that his lack of size certainly stands out, immediately begging the question of whether he could ever make it at the NHL level.

Just don’t try telling him that.

“I don’t think size is an issue for me,” said the 21-year-old native of Los Angeles. “If you ask anyone [about] the way I play, I don’t think size comes into it that much. I don’t get pushed off the puck, and out of my twelve goals, I’d say eight or nine of them have come from around the net, so I’m not afraid to go to those areas where you have [go] to score goals.”

“I’ve always played big my entire life,” added Kozun, who was selected by the Kings in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. “Even though I’m a smaller guy, I think I play big. I’m not a guy who is limited by size, and get pushed around. I think I’m strong on my skates, and that’s good for me.”

But Kozun, who is playing in his second season with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, still has an uphill battle ahead of him.

“He’s getting better,” said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. “He’s got to learn be stronger on the puck, and win more puck battles on the wall. If you’re going to be an effective winger in pro hockey, you have to find ways to make plays when a guy is pinching down on you, and you’ve got to find ways to protect the puck.”

“When you’re his size, body position is critical,” added Morris. “He’s pretty light, so he’s got to be quick, and be able to surround the puck, keeping it in areas where it’s not going to get exposed. You can’t be carefree, you can’t be careless with the puck. You’ve got to make sure that it’s in an area that’s not going to hurt us.”

Coming from a highly successful career with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, where he lit up opponents night after night, scoring goals in bunches, Kozun, who is ranked third on the Monarchs in scoring with twelve goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 45 games this season (through games played on January 28), is finding things to be rather different in the AHL.

Indeed, Kozun, who led all Canadian junior hockey leagues in scoring in the 2009-10 season, did not have to pay much attention to defense during his career in junior hockey. But all that has changed.

“The biggest thing for me is my play without the puck, and taking care of the puck as well,” he noted. “They know my offensive capabilities, and I’ve got to be good in [the offensive] zone. But for me, it’s those battles along the boards in my own zone, getting those pucks out, playing in the defensive zone, being a complete player, and playing with structure. That’s what I have to do to get to the next level. When I do get my opportunity, I’m going to be expected to be that kind of player.”

“They’ve wanted me to become a better two-way player, he added. “I think everyone knows about the offensive ability I’ve had [over] my entire career. The biggest thing for me is to make sure [that] I do get better on both ends of the ice, and I think I am. I’m more of a complete player. I’m learning, and getting better as a pro.”

“If you look at my game now, it’s definitely more rounded, and more structured. I play more of a pro game, compared to when I was in junior. I think I was a little sloppy, and was thinking about offense all the time. Now, I’m a way better two-way player, and I’m a lot better in [the defensive] zone.”

The mental aspect of the game are often an issue with young prospects, and Kozun was no exception. But he is making progress in terms of his maturity and ability to think the game.

“Consistency is a big thing, and for me, it’s to focus on each shift,” said Kozun. “Sometimes, I get ahead of myself, and I focus on long-term goals. But I’m getting better at focusing on one shift at a time. When that shift is over, you focus on the next one. I’ve gotten better at that. When I ran into a slump at the beginning of the year, I was dealing with that, and I was a little low on confidence.”

“It’s good that I experienced that early in my career, so the next time it happens, I know how to deal with it,” added Kozun. “It’s about growing as a player, and maturing as a player. The whole mental aspect.”

Morris noted Kozun’s added maturity and the growth in his mental game.

“He’s grown up as a person,” said Morris. “He’s more willing to listen. Often times, the smaller players who score in the leagues below [the AHL]—they’ve got to learn humility, they’ve got to learn patience. Sometimes your egos get bruised when you’re playing in a league where guys are bigger, stronger, and intense. It gets frustrating for a guy that things came easy to at lower levels.”

“He’s had to learn that,” added Morris. “He’s been rooming with Justin Johnson, a 31-year-old, a guy who’s our enforcer. He’s taken him under his wing, and deserves a lot of credit for how Kozun is starting to mature as a young man.”

Morris indicated that Kozun is making progress in his development.

“He’s learning, and, the other thing is, he’s not turning the puck over nearly as much as he used to,” Morris noted. “He was high-risk, but now, he’s learning to be a more complete player.”

“He defends better, he’s more aware in his own zone, and he’s using his speed,” Morris added. “We’re still working on things, like making sure he hits the net more, finishing his checks, and so forth. He’s got pull-away speed, and he’s very creative.”

“He’s way more effective as a forechecker, he’s going into the traffic in front of the net, and he’s paying the price to be around the net, to get the tap-in goals, and to use his quick hands, and goal scoring touch to get his points. He still lacks some strength, but he’s a guy who’s improving every time out. I give him a lot of credit. It’s been a big jump for him.”

Going back to that size issue…as reported earlier, Kozun has had to deal with that throughout his career. His attitude about it is to ignore it, except for one thing…

“I hear about size a lot, and it’s cliché, but it pushes you to work harder, and it’s something I use as motivation,” he said.

“I’m getting there. I’m in the wings. I’m waiting for that opportunity [to make it to the NHL level], and when it comes, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Center prospect Linden Vey, shown here speaking to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

Indeed, just like Kozun, Vey, who ranks fifth in scoring on the Monarchs with eleven goals and eleven assists for 22 points in 45 games, lit up junior hockey with a boatload of goals, and also led all Canadian junior leagues in scoring, with his turn to do that coming in the 2010-11 season.

But even with all that talent, Vey, who was selected by the Kings in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, got off to a rocky start in his first year at the professional level.

“He’s made some real nice improvements,” said Morris. “His big jump in improvements happened when he moved from center to wing. He couldn’t handle the defensive end in the early going, but, because of injuries, he’s been put back at his normal position.”

“When he got on the wing, he was afforded an opportunity to get his offensive game in order,” added Morris. “[Then, when] he moved back to the center position, he had a better understanding of the responsibilities down low. He’s still working on that, but he’s vastly improved.”

Playing on the wing for the first time in his career helped him see things from a different perspective.

“Early on, [Morris] probably couldn’t trust me [to handle the defensive responsibilities of the center position],” said Vey. “He felt better with me on the wing. That helped me out a little bit. It got me more ice time, and more involved.”

“[Playing on the wing, as opposed to at center is] a whole lot different,” added Vey. “At center, you’re always in the game, you’re always the guy with the puck. But on the wing, you’ve always got to be open, and get the puck out of your zone.”

“It’s tough when you haven’t played a whole lot of wing. You’re not used to guys bearing down on you, and you’ve got to chip pucks past them. At center, you’re always involved in the play, and you have a little more time and space with the puck.”

Also like Kozun, Vey did not have to pay much attention to defense during his time in junior hockey. But cannot get away with that now.

“[Defensive play] was one thing the coaching staff stressed to me that I have to work on if I want to play more minutes,” Vey noted. “It’s a big part of the game, especially in the Kings organization. They like to be defensively sound, so I’ve been working on that in the first half. It’s getting better, and now, I’m starting to get a little bit more ice time.”

But the bigger issue for him is getting stronger, something he did not pay close attention to until after his third season with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

“[The Kings] just said the biggest things for me are the defensive part of the game, and my strength,” he noted. “That’s a big issue for me. I’ve never been one of the stronger guys on the ice. I’ve always been last in that department.”

“The biggest difference is the strength, and the guys battling down low,” he added. “It’s a lot different [compared to junior hockey in Canada]. [Early in his junior career he] wasn’t in the best condition. I recognized that. I know I have a long ways to go on the strength and conditioning part. But I know that the reason I am where I am is because of [his improved strength and conditioning heading into the 2010-11 season]. You can only get better from that.”

During the summer, Vey hinted that he thought he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. But his stint with the Monarchs this season has opened his eyes a bit.

“[I’m] probably not [ready to play at the NHL level],” Vey admitted. “I think, because of the strength part, I’m a little bit behind. I know I need to put in a lot of work to get it there. At the NHL level, there’s men playing in that league, and you’ve got to be strong to be able to handle the constant battling in the corners.”

“The game is a tad faster, but I don’t consider that to be a major issue,” Vey added. “For me, [a big thing] is strength. When you’re going up against guys who are 25 or 26 years old, when you’re used to playing against guys who are the same age, or close to the same age, it’s a totally different ball game. It’s such a physical game, that’s [one of] the biggest issues for me.”

Although strength may be Vey’s biggest challenge, it is not all he needs to work on.

“It’s not just one thing that you have to work on to make it to the NHL level,” said Vey. “You have to be a well-rounded player, and improve on every aspect. It’s also about improving in everything you can. The day you stop improving, your career is [over]. You have to constantly improve—every day, every year. That’s your main focus.”

“The good thing about the American Hockey League is that it prepares you for the next step,” added Vey. I’m down here, I’m going to make sure that I work on my game every day, improve my strength, and, hopefully, one day, I can crack the [Kings] lineup. [But] I know I need to put in some more time [in the AHL], and make sure that I keep on improving.”

Vey still has quite a bit to work on before his chance to crack the Kings lineup comes. Despite that, his development appears to be progressing at an accelerated pace.

“Linden Vey has come around nicely,” Morris noted. “He’s gotten a lot of valuable minutes under his belt now, and he seems to be playing with a lot of confidence now.”

“He’s in on a lot of goals, he’s got great vision, and [he has] patience with the puck,” Morris added. “The odd time, he’ll hang onto it too long, but his shot is improving, and, defensively, he’s making the necessary adjustments. Once in awhile, he’ll get too focused on the puck, but he’s learning.”

“He’s coming around. I would say that, based other guys who have come through, he’s probably ahead of the learning curve.”

Raw Audio Interviews

(Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• LA Kings Right Wing Prospect Brandon Kozun Is Not Allowing His Size To Be An Obstacle
• Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Prospect Linden Vey’s Goal Is To Get Out Of The Cold
• Down On The Farm With LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Deslauriers, Hickey and Muzzin
• Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Zatkoff Having An All-Star Season In Goal, While Jones Takes Small Step Backwards

Tickets for the Kings’ upcoming games against the Columbus Blue Jackets (February 1, 7:30 PM – Blue Jackets vs. Kings), the Phoenix Coyotes (February 16, 7:30 PM – Coyotes vs. Kings), as well as for other games on their schedule, are available from Barry’s Tickets, an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings. Use the code, “Royalty010” to get a 10 percent discount on their “Best Value” tickets.

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Nicolas Deslauriers
Photo: Scott Slingsby

Sure, I could have watched the All-Star draft (yawn), and I will watch tonight’s skills competition, the only redeeming spectacle during All-Star weekend. But with some extra time on my hands, why not see how the kids down on the farm are doing?

Indeed, the time has come to take a look at some of the Los Angeles Kings’ young prospects, and, in this installment, the focus will be on the blue line corps.

Deslauriers Already Making An Impact

In his first season in professional hockey, defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers’ development appears to be proceeding at a good pace, despite not being able to crack the lineup with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, right off the bat.

“For anyone in my place, you know that with a veteran team, it’s hard to find a spot, [with the top six defensemen, including] guys who have played in the NHL,” said the 6-1, 214-pound native of LaSalle, Quebec. “I knew that, so I worked hard to earn a place in the lineup.”

“It was kind of hard at the beginning, because there were a lot of defensemen, but I got my chance with all the injuries [the Monarchs have been hit very hard by injuries this season], and I think I’m doing pretty [well] now, playing on the power play, and on the penalty-kill, so, for half of a season, I’ve had a great year,” added Deslauriers. “At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t playing a lot, so I was working hard in the gym to prove to the training staff and coaches that I could have a spot in the lineup.”

Deslauriers, who was selected by the Kings in the third round (84th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, is starting to turn some heads with his play.

“Nicolas Deslauriers is really coming on,” said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. “He’s made huge strides for us. He’s one of the guys who’s made tremendous improvement since the get-go. He’s done a great job.”

“Nick is a beautiful skater,” added Morris. “He’s got a real heavy, hard shot. He’s an extremely strong guy, he’s becoming more positionally sound, and more poised with the puck. He’s not afraid to stick his nose in there—he’ll go into the fray.”

“He does a real good job of moving the puck up the ice, and rushing it himself, and he’s getting pucks to the net, too. He scored his first goal recently. We’ve seen tremendous strides in his game.”

As with any young defenseman, especially one with the offensive skills Deslauriers honed in three seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and one season with the Gatineau Olympiques, both in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Deslauriers is learning that, often times, less is more.

“Nick just has to be more consistent,” Morris noted. “For him, it’s the finer details of the game—being a little more poised to support the rush, rather than leading it. It’s typical of guys from major junior and the [other] leagues beneath us, where they have the ability to go coast-to-coast. In the pro game, things have to be a little more predictable. There aren’t many guys in the game who can get the puck, and go the length of the ice, and it’s not really what we’re after.”

“We want guys to distribute the puck, and support the rush, instead of leading it,” Morris added. “We’ve seen him do a more thorough job of getting the puck to people, backing up his passes, and jumping into the rush at the appropriate times as a secondary threat, as opposed to trying to get it and go himself.”

Deslauriers appears to be making the adjustment.

“Mark [Morris] put it in my head that in junior, you can try to do a little too much [and get away with it],” said Deslauriers. “This year, I tried [leading the rush] a couple of times, but I sat down with Mark, and he agreed that I can rush the puck when we need a goal. But when we’re winning or tied, I usually don’t do it [because there’s no need to take that risk].”

“Just moving the puck and following the rush as a second wave is way better,” added Deslauriers. “You see the game easier, and I have more juice after, instead of just picking up the puck and rushing it all the way down. Don’t be afraid to join the rush. Just don’t lead it [unless there’s a clear opportunity].”

Deslauriers added that making this adjustment continues to be a challenge, but that improving his defensive play is the area where he needs the most work.

“[I have] to get it into my head to not rush the puck, because I’m more of an offensive defenseman,” he noted. “I need to [improve my] defensive [game].”

“I [do] think my defensive zone [play has improved],” he added. “That’s probably the biggest thing the Kings and the Monarchs [have stressed]. I got way better, and going to the development camp in Los Angeles helped me a lot.”

Lack Of Consistency Slowing Muzzin’s Development

Although defenseman Jake Muzzin has the physical tools and skill that would translate well to the NHL level, to this point in his professional career, consistency has been a major sticking point.

“Consistency is a concern we have with Jake,” said Morris. “He has all the physical tools—the shooting, the passing, the skating. His biggest challenge is to put it all together, and to have a consistent focus.”

Jake Muzzin
Photo: Steve Babineau

Last season, the 6-3, 217-pound native of Woodstock, Ontario, made the Kings’ opening night roster, while veteran defenseman Matt Greene recovered from off-season shoulder surgery.

Muzzin, who was signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent on January 4, 2010, showed flashes of what he could become in the NHL, but poor decisions and positioning mistakes landed him in Manchester after eleven games.

Despite suffering a concussion during the Kings training camp to start the 2011-12 season, Muzzin got off to a strong start with the Monarchs, but tailed off as that consistency thing caught up with him.

“I had a really good start to the year,” he said. “The concussion really didn’t affect me. But then I started to do a little too much, complicating things. Lately, I’ve been a lot better. I’ve been simplifying my game, and things have been a lot better.”

“Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of video, and I’ve seen how little mistakes can cost you,” he added. “I’ve learned a lot. Working with Mike O’Connell [who handles Pro Development and Special Assignments for the Kings], and going over video has helped me a lot.”

Morris pointed out that Muzzin is a prime example of how inexact the science of developing hockey players can be.

“Everybody has a different timeline,” Morris explained. “Some guys figure it out quicker. We’re constantly reminding guys to simplify our game, and that sometimes, the most obvious play is the right play, instead of looking for options two, three, and four.”

“We often complicate things by trying to do too much, but it comes down to simplifying things, and compartmentalizing our games, and learning how to play well in all three zones, all 200 feet,” Morris elaborated.

Simplifying and compartmentalizing is the immediate goal for Muzzin.

“I feel more comfortable on the ice this year, more confident,” he noted. “But, [at times], I’m trying to do too much [out there], trying to do other people’s jobs. That doesn’t get you anywhere. I have to focus on my job, and on what I need to do.”

“I have to come to the rink, play in every game, and try to improve,” he added. “It’s a long season, and sometimes you get tired, but you have to stay focused, and want to get better every day. It’s just a matter of bringing that consistency. You’ve got to want it.”

Will Hickey Ever Meet High Expectations?

Defenseman Thomas Hickey was selected fourth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and has had to bear the burden of the lofty expectations that most high, first-round draft picks have to deal with if they fail to make it to the NHL right away.

Indeed, out of the thirty players selected in the first round that year, only nine have not played in the NHL yet, including Hickey, leading many to claim that he is a draft bust, and that Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi made a huge mistake, wasting a high, first-round pick on the 22-year-old, 5-11, 190-pound native of Calgary, Alberta.

Despite all that, Hickey has turned heads this season, emerging as the Monarchs’ top defenseman.

“Thomas is learning the same things [Deslauriers] is, that is, to support the rush rather than lead it,” said Morris. “Sometimes, as a defender, it takes awhile. But, often times, less is more, and I think Thomas is a lot more predictable in delivering the puck to other players.”

“He’s improved his shot, he’s played in a lot of penalty-kill and power play situations, where he’s not trying to be too fancy,” added Morris. “He’s just moving the puck to the places it needs to go.”

Hickey has always been skilled at moving the puck, but, as players move up to higher levels, everything gets increasingly difficult. On top of that, the play must be faster and quicker as well.

“It’s always been about [increasing] my pace,” said Hickey. “You want everything to be a bit quicker, and I think I’ve done a good job with that. But it’s more about getting the puck, distributing it, and joining the play. That’s something I’ve gotten a lot better at.”

“In the NHL, [the pace is] crisp, it’s fast, and the puck needs to get places,” added Hickey. “Even if you have time to do more, often, the first play is the best one, and that’s something we’ve been working on. That’s helped my game. Get [the puck], distribute it, and then, get into position be open for a teammate.”

Many have pointed to Hickey’s physical stature, or lack thereof, as a major reason why the Kings should not have selected him so high in the 2007 draft. But, as seen during the Kings Development Camp last summer, and in training camp this past September, Hickey has added some muscle to his frame, and has continued to work on getting stronger.

“He’s a lot stronger than he was [compared to] the [last] couple of seasons,” Morris stressed. “The other day, I slapped him on the shoulder, and realized how thick he’s getting through the chest and back.”

“These guys are working hard down here,” Morris added. “They’re doing everything they can to try to be ready for when they’re opportunity comes.”

Thomas Hickey
Photo: Steve Babineau

“[My game has] come a long way since last year,” said Hickey. “The first year was a feeling out process, and I didn’t play a lot of hockey due to injury. Last year, you’re trying to get comfortable. There are times when things are easy, but there are stretches when they’re difficult. This year has been more consistent, and my confidence is up. I feel good every night. There’s no guessing to my game.”

“Maturing from a 17-year-old, I’m bigger and stronger,” added Hickey. “I’ve relied a lot on positioning, and I’ve learned a lot about it. I’m to the point where I don’t get myself into a lot of one-on-one battles, but when I do, I’m stronger, I’m able to push off and gain some ground, or hold it, in the tough areas of the ice.”

“I’ve gotten stronger, and I’ve learned to use my body smarter, where I don’t have to get in those battles. You’re in the right spot, you own that ice, you don’t have to fight for it. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

With the added strength, better positioning, and the ability to think the game better, Hickey’s chances to make it to the NHL are on the rise, and surprisingly, his defensive play may be the biggest factor—his +12 plus/minus rating certainly stands out.

“I think it’s huge, and I’m more impressed with that than any offensive numbers,” said Morris. “It tells me that he’s taking pride in his defensive game, he’s not risking as much now, as he had in past years where he tried to do too much. Right now, he’s learning the puck will come to him if he’s in good position.”

With better defensive awareness, Hickey now has greater responsibilities.

“I think [I have] more responsibility this year,” Hickey noted. “Guys have graduated, and moved on. Every year, my role gets a little bigger, and this year’s the same. In special teams, or five-on-five play, I think I can be counted on more than I was last year, whether it’s situations at the end of games, or handling a little extra ice time here and there. I’m picking my spots better to jump in, and to be involved in the offense, and the other side of the game has improved as well.”

“It’s a nice challenge,” Hickey added. “You get to go out there and try to kill off a penalty. I’ve done that all my life, coming into pro hockey, but to be able to help out is enjoyable.”

Nevertheless, there are still challenges to meet.

“Last year, I would’ve said consistency,” said Hickey. “You want to stay consistent, and I think I’ve done a really good job of that this year. You want to come in and play the same game every time you’re out there, the same style, and I’ve done a good job of that. But it’s a tough league, with the schedule we have, so just bringing it every night is a challenge, but it’s something that I think I’ve done well. You see the same game from me, night in, and night out.”

As mentioned earlier in this story, Hickey will represent the Monarchs in the AHL All-Star Game, and like most, he was honored to be selected.

“Every day, you have to concern yourself with your own game, and take pride in it,” he said. “That’s something I’ve been working on, and I’ve been really proud of myself for that transition I’ve made.”

“I’ve grown as a player a lot, and I’ve been a lot more assertive,” he added. “I can see that in my own game. But for other people to notice, and get selected, it’s an honor, because I just look after my game. I’m not concerned about what other people are thinking. It’s nice to see that other people are noticing. It’s a nice feather in the cap.”

Will Hickey ever fulfill the expectations that such a high, first round draft pick has, sitting on his shoulders, or will he be crushed under their tremendous weight?

Although many have concluded that he has already been crushed under the weight, in reality, that question has not yet been answered.

“I feel real comfortable down here, I’ve seen enough guys, and played with enough guys who went [up to the Kings], and have done really well,” said Hickey. “They [haven’t had] to stand out, but they’ve done well, and they’re everyday guys.”

“Just from playing against guys every night, and having teammates getting an opportunity to do that—I understand that they’re very good players—but I’m comfortable enough with my game to know that I could contribute the same way.”

Will Hickey’s confidence help him fulfill those expectations? Not necessarily. But it certainly can’t hurt.

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Related Stories:

• Showing Signs Of Progress: LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Forbort, And Kevin Gravel
• Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Blue Line Corps May Be Their Greatest Asset
• Los Angeles Kings Forward Prospects Brandon Kozun and Linden Vey Face Similar Challenges
• Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Zatkoff Having An All-Star Season In Goal, While Jones Takes Small Step Backwards

Tickets for the Kings’ upcoming games against the Columbus Blue Jackets (February 1, 7:30 PM – Blue Jackets vs. Kings), the Phoenix Coyotes (February 16, 7:30 PM – Coyotes vs. Kings), as well as for other games on their schedule, are available from Barry’s Tickets, an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings. Use the code, “Royalty010” to get a 10 percent discount on their “Best Value” tickets.

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KingsCast is starting off 2012 with a bang, with two new episodes featuring Dancing In The Reign blogger Alex Kinkopf’s analysis of the Kings, joining hosts Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski.

In Episode 138 – Drew Doughty for Norris, the three look at trade speculation surrounding Kings defenseman Jack Johnson, they push goaltender Jonathan Quick as the team’s most valuable player in the first half of the season, and more.

Episode 139 – Ovechkin is Still a Douche harkens back to an earlier episode, when Washington Capitals superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin gave our boys from KingsCast some attitude a couple of seasons ago. But in this episode, they look at the games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with the Caps. They also look at Kings prospects down on the farm with the who were named as American Hockey League All-Stars.

You can watch these episodes below:

Tickets for the Kings’ upcoming games against the Dallas Stars (January 12, 7:30 PM – Stars vs. Kings), and the Calgary Flames (January 19, 7:30 PM – Flames vs. Kings), as well as for other games on their schedule, are available from Barry’s Tickets, an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings. Use the code, “Royalty010” to get a 10 percent discount on their “Best Value” tickets.

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In Episode 127 – Voynov Is My Homeboy, Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski sing the praises of Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman prospect Slava Voynov. They also review recent games, and resurrect an old KingsCast segment, “How’s That One Guy Doin’?”.

You can watch below:

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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

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.

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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

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

Although it is unlikely to happen this season, the Kings are all but assured to eventually trade Quick or Bernier in an attempt to improve themselves at other positions. Add to that the possibility of injury, or other potential circumstances, the Kings, like other National Hockey League teams, cannot stop drafting and developing young goaltending prospects.

Behind Quick and Bernier are Martin Jones and Jeff Zatkoff, both playing for the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.

Last season, Jones came out of nowhere and lit up the AHL, playing his way into the AHL All-Star Game.

Jones, who was signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent on October 2, 2008, had an outstanding rookie season in the AHL, playing in 39 regular season games for the Monarchs, earning a 23-12-1 record, with a 2.02 goals-against average (GAA), a .926 save percentage, and four shutouts.

In the playoffs, Jones played made four appearances, earning a 2-1 record, with a 2.54 GAA, and a .921 save percentage.

Jones got the majority of the starts for the Monarchs fairly early in the season, after 24-year-old Zatkoff struggled.

“In the beginning, Jeff Zatkoff carried the lion’s share of the workload, but the wins started piling up for Jones any time we gave him the net,” said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. “Slowly, but surely, he started balancing out the goaltending tandem, and, by mid-year, he was right at the head of the class for choices for the [AHL] All-Star Game.”

“From that point on, he came back to the pack a little bit, and Zatkoff garnered a little bit more of the net again,” added Morris. “They traded off on who was going to be our man on any given day.”

“[I was] a little bit [surprised],” said Jones, a 6-4, 191-pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia. “I think I handled it well, I guess. I didn’t expect to play as much, or have as much success I did.”

When the 2010-11 season ended, Jones had likely moved ahead of Zatkoff on the Kings depth chart.

“I didn’t start the year the way I wanted to,” said Zatkoff, a 6-2, 179-pound native of Detroit, Michigan. “I had high expectations going into the year, but I got off to a slow start. I let some things bother me that I shouldn’t have.”

“I just think, mentally, [everything starts to get to you],” added Zatkoff, who was selected by the Kings in the third round (74th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. “I had big expectations going into the year. I wanted to play every game, [but] I got off to a slow start, and didn’t get into as many games as I wanted to. Instead of working through it, I stopped up a little bit.”

Zatkoff ended the 2010-11 season with a 20-17-5 record, a 2.68 GAA, a .911 save percentage, and three shutouts. In the post-season, he recorded a 1-3 record, a 3.80 GAA, and a .891 save percentage.

The emergence of Jones is what stopped Zatkoff in his tracks.

“[You have to give] credit to him,” Zatkoff noted. “I’m not taking anything away from him. He deserved to play, but that’s when you start taking care of your game. You stop worrying about other things.”

Despite the obvious rivalry, Zatkoff wound up handling the situation like a pro.

“In an ideal world, an older player wants to get the benefit of the doubt, if there is one,” said Morris. “Zatkoff was a good teammate about things when Jones started to really get hot. They supported one another, and I give [Zatkoff] a lot of credit for that. He did a very good job for us. In fact, in the playoffs, they traded duties back and forth, and I thought it was a very professional relationship that they had. We were quite pleased with the goaltending we got throughout the season, and Zatkoff was a big part of the success we had.”

Manchester Monarchs head coach Mark Morris
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

“Sometimes, in-house competition is the best thing that can happen for anybody,” Morris explained. “We all take the path of least resistance. Sometimes, you get a little complacent. Perhaps you need a little bit of motivation from time to time.”

“He took a great approach, that, ‘I need to be the best that I can be, and I can’t let any coaching decisions affect the way I think or play. All I can do is take care of the here and now, and do the best I can,’” Morris elaborated. “When you do those things, you’re bound to have a better outlook, and there’s no room for feeling sorry for yourself or dragging other team members down by showing your emotion.”

Zatkoff admitted that what Morris described was exactly what was affecting him.

“Everyone goes through that,” said Zatkoff. “I just had to come to terms with it, block it out, and control what you can control. At the end of the day, that’s all you can do. [I had to] just block it out. It’s a maturation process. I’d never been through that before. Even though college, or even the start of my pro [career], I’ve always been the guy. But Jones had a great year.”

“I was able to keep my composure, and stick with it,” added Zatkoff. “Things turned around for me in the second half. I think I turned it around well, and that’s the way I need to play. If I play like that, the way I’m capable, I’m one of the top goalies in the American Hockey League, and I just have to be consistent. [I’ve come] through it. I’m stronger today—mentally stronger.”

Only time will tell if Zatkoff’s demons have been completely defeated. But Morris was impressed with the way he turned things around last season.

“I thought that was a good test for Zatkoff,” said Morris. “I have a lot of respect for him, as a person, and as an athlete. He’s not blessed with a lot of girth on those bones, but for a guy to get in that net and handle the shots the way he does, get out and play the puck the way he does, and get himself involved into the action, he deserves a lot of credit.”

Fast forward to the present, and Zatkoff is already chasing Jones. But Jones did have a head start.

Indeed, while Zatkoff accompanied the Kings on their season-opening trip to Europe, Jones began the season with the Monarchs. He started the four of their first five games, earning a 3-1-0 record, with a 1.26 GAA, and a .956 save percentage—eye-popping numbers.

Zatkoff, who was assigned to the Monarchs on October 10, returned to Manchester a bit rusty after not seeing game action in several weeks. He finally saw his first action on October 16, when he got the start in the final game of a three-games-in-three nights road trip at Springfield. But the Monarchs dropped a 5-3 decision to the Falcons, with Zatkoff allowing five goals on 27 shots.

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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

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.

Joining the Manchester blue line corps will be defenseman prospect Nicolas Deslauriers, selected by the Kings in the third round (84th overall) of the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, who will join defenseman prospect Andrew Campbell (selected in the third round, 74th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft)—both will hold down blue line spots at Manchester this year, with Deslauriers an AHL rookie. But AHL veterans will shoulder most of the load for the Monarchs, led by defensemen Thomas Hickey, Jake Muzzin, and Slava Voynov.

“We’ve got some guys who have been here for a few years now, and we’re fairly mobile, given the projected lineup that we have,” Monarchs head coach Mark Morris said during an exclusive interview with Frozen Royalty on October 6. “Slava Voynov will be heading our way, and Jake Muzzin is slated to be heading back this way. If those guys are here, it makes for six guys who we are familiar with, who know about the American Hockey League, and have progressed to this point.”

“They continue to improve with their awareness on the ice, they continue to be creative, and are getting better [defensively],” Morris added.

Hickey has been slow to develop for a prospect who was a high first round draft pick—he was selected by the Kings in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

But much of that can be attributed to injuries that, for all intents and purposes, resulted in the loss of two years of valuable development time.

Last season, and again during the Kings’ 2011 training camp, the 22-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta showed that he may have turned the corner in his development.

“I think there’s a lot more control [in his game],” said Hickey. “Just learning the pro game, especially defense. On the offensive blue line, I used to move way too much, a lot more than you need to. I’m much more conservative now. I can use my energy in short bursts, to step up to hit, or make plays, and the pucks always come to you as opposed to using a lot more energy and not being efficient at all.”

“If you look at any of the veteran [NHL] defensemen, or around the [NHL], they certainly try hard, but they conserve their energy,” added Hickey. “It looks like, ‘hey, he’s not doing as much,’ but they’re just smarter. As a young guy, you want to take parts of that, and conserve more energy for when you really need to turn the jets on.”

In other words, Hickey is maturing as a player, both mentally and physically.

“He’s a very smart kid,” Morris noted. “He’s very diligent about the way he trains, and the way he approaches the game—he’s pretty cerebral. I think the work he’s done with our coaches, and with the staff is starting to pay dividends.”

“It’s just maturity,” Morris added. “Physically, mentally, he’s a lot stronger than he was when we first saw him. There were some pretty lofty expectations for a guy drafted that high. Sometimes, that’s not fair to the player. But he’s always been aware that the expectations are high, and, sometimes, a little bit unrealistic for a guy who Mother Nature has taken her sweet time with.”

Listed at 5-11 and 190 pounds, Hickey can use all the help he can get from Mother Nature to further his chances of making it to the NHL.

“I stood next to him on the ice today,” said Morris. “He’s starting to spring up, height-wise, and is starting to fill out more. People mature at different rates, and he’s one of those guys who’s a little bit of a late bloomer. As he gains size and strength, his confidence is growing.”

Although size and strength may still be Hickey’s biggest challenges, his game still needs work. But he appears to finally be developing at the rate that was expected when he was drafted. Nevertheless, he still has work to do.

“He just needs to continue on the path that he’s on,” said Morris. “There’s no one thing. I’d like to see him move the puck a little quicker, to continue to work on his shot, and to be a little sturdier in puck battles.”

“Again, it relates to size, strength and maturity,” added Morris. “He does have some qualities that most people don’t have in that he’s got [great ability] to hang onto the puck. In some regards, that’s great, but in others, it’s like the quarterback looking for his third or fourth options [at times] when the first pass is the right one.”

LA Kings defenseman prospect Jake Muzzin will be one
of the anchors on the Manchester Monarchs’
blue line in 2011-12.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

A little after the midpoint of the first period, Coyotes forward Mikael Boedker hit Muzzin from behind, running him into the glass between the player benches.

Boedker received a major penalty and an automatic game misconduct on the play. Muzzin returned to the game, but did not practice the next day, and was sidelined long enough to be placed on injured reserve on October 5. But that was merely a formality, as he was activated the next day, and was loaned to the Monarchs.

Muzzin is expected to be in the lineup for tonight’s game at Providence.

Like Hickey, Muzzin is also 22 years old. Signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent on January 4, 2010, he spent the vast majority of last season with the Monarchs after starting the year with the Kings.

“To come out of junior, right to the NHL was [difficult],” said Muzzin. “The guys are so much better. You go from playing with kids to guys who’ve been playing in the [NHL] for ten years—it was a big jump for me. I learned a lot, and I’ll build as a player from that experience.”

One of the reasons Muzzin was unable to remain with the Kings was that his defensive zone positioning needed a lot of work.

“Plays down low in the defensive zone—positioning is huge in the NHL, because if you’re out of position, they’re going to make you pay,” he noted. “Some of my mistakes were being out of position.”

Like Hickey, the weaknesses in Muzzin’s game can be attributed to youth and his maturity level.

“Muzzin is a guy in whom you can see all the components of an NHL defenseman,” said Morris. “He’s got the size, the shot, he passes well, and he can throw his weight around, too.”

“His challenge is just tightening up his game, to be quicker to spots, positioning, and then work on his stick positioning, to carry a low stick, being able to close on people faster in the defensive end, and just making better reads,” added Morris.

Muzzin added a few things to the list as well.

“Skating, being aware, composure with the puck, [building on those aspects will help him become] more confident playing at the pro level,” said Muzzin. “It’s a learning curve for me, being up in the NHL and then down in the AHL. But I’m young enough in the organization where I can continue to improve and, one day, be up with the big club.”

Morris stressed that expecting all players to be ready for the NHL by the time they are Hickey and Muzzin’s age is unrealistic.

“To expect these guys to jump in at the age they are—sometimes, that’s a little bit unrealistic,” he said. “It’s a big jump to go from junior hockey to the American Hockey League, and then it’s an even bigger jump when you go from the American league to the NHL.”

“That’s a huge transition, and, once in awhile, these young guys show flashes of brilliance, or they’ll play well for a couple of weeks,” he added. “Then, you see the youth come to the forefront. That’s a natural thing for guys who are learning about consistency, and how to sustain a high level of play over an eighty-game schedule.”

LA Kings defenseman prospect Slava Voynov was one
of the best defensemen in the AHL last season, and
almost made the Kings’ roster this year.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

Indeed, even though he quickly caught the attention of Kings fans, many of whom wanted Voynov to remain with the big club, even though Doughty was back in the fold, the 21-year-old native of Chelyabinsk, Russia was assigned to the Monarchs on October 5.

But by that time, the Kings were already on their trip to Europe, where they played an exhibition game in Hamburg, Germany on October 4 before opening the regular season against the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden on October 7, followed by a matchup the Buffalo Sabres on October 8 in Berlin, Germany.

The 5-11, 199-pound, puck-moving defenseman was on that trip, and did not hop onto the next flight across the Atlantic. As such, he missed the Monarchs’ first two games of the season, even though he was in Manchester by that time.

But with a week of practice under his belt, Voynov is expected to be in the lineup tonight at Providence.

“He’s such a dynamic player,” said Morris. “He had a real strong showing in training camp. To watch him there—I sat in a video session with [Kings assistant coach] John Stevens. He was showing the positive things about his game. His positioning was impeccable.”

“When he was paired up with [veteran Kings defenseman] Willie Mitchell, he looked like he fit right in,” added Morris. “I’m not sure what happened after [Morris and assistant coach Scott Pellerin] left camp, but they’ve got excellent depth.”

Voynov, who played in the 2010-11 AHL All-Star Game, and was named as a second-team AHL All-Star at the end of last season, certainly got a long, hard look from the Kings’ coaching staff and management during training camp and in pre-season games.

“I think he’s done a great job,” said Kings assistant general manger Ron Hextall, who also serves as the Monarchs’ general manager. “The kid has really grown. He’s a real good puck-moving defenseman.”

“He’s kind of the ‘new age’ defenseman,” added Hextall. “He’s a smart player, he’s a competitive player, he moves the puck real well, he skates the puck out of trouble. He’s going to be a real good addition to the Kings at some point, whether it’s this year or next year.”

Perhaps the weakest part of Voynov’s game was physical play. But Morris said that has improved in that area since his draft year.

“He can hold his own,” said Morris. “He does here. He’s hard to knock off his feet, and he breaks the puck out as well as most people you’re going to see. He’s pretty sturdy, and if there’s any hesitation, it might be because of the quickness of the NHL game, but I think he figured that out pretty quickly because he’s an exceptional talent.”

But after getting a taste of life in the NHL, will Voynov be satisfied playing at the AHL level, or will he be disillusioned by the fact that he is not playing in the big show with the Kings?

If Morris is worried, he isn’t letting on.

“I can’t speak for Slava, and he’s not the most vocal guy in the world,” Morris explained. “I’m sure that when he’s ready, he’ll know it, and the Kings will know it.”

“I’m sure he’s getting a little antsy, but there’s no question his upside is huge,” Morris elaborated. “He’ll continue to get better now that he has the past few years under his belt. He’s poised with the puck, he rushes it well, he defends well. The more he learns to communicate [in English], he’ll be even better.”

In Other News…

On October 12, the Kings announced that they have acquired forward Stefan Legein, along with a sixth round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations.

Legein, who will be 24 years old next month, played for Adirondack in the AHL, and with Greenville in the ECHL last season.

Legein was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round (37th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

The Kings are expected to assign Legein to Manchester.

The Kings also signed forward prospects Robert Czarnik and Andy Andreoff to three-year, entry-level contracts on October 12.

Czarnik was loaned to Manchester, while Andreoff was loaned to the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Czarnik, 21, played last season with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, last season, scoring 33 goals and adding 44 assists for 77 points in 61 games. He was selected by the Kings in the third round (63rd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Andreoff, 20, was selected by the Kings in the third round (80th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in June. He will play an over-age year for the Generals, where he has spent the last three seasons.

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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

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.

Right wing John Zeiler, who was not offered a new contract by the Kings, is also playing in Europe this season.

The loss of Holloway and Moller, in particular, is painful.

“We’re going to miss them,” Monarchs head coach Mark Morris said during an exclusive interview with Frozen Royalty. “Those were three of our top scorers, and a gritty forward who was able to play against most of the top lines in the American league. At our level, John Zeiler was an extremely effective player. Bud Holloway led our team in scoring, Oscar Moller was instrumental in generating a ton of offense, and Corey Elkins had his fair share of goals.”

“Those guys added puck possession time, and playmaking ability,” added Morris.

Although Holloway and Moller were on the Kings’ short list of forwards who would be called up in case of injury, or other potential circumstances, it is not difficult to reason that the acquisitions of left wing Simon Gagne, right wing Ethan Moreau, and center Mike Richards had much to do with their decisions to head across the pond.

“I can’t speak for them, I can only surmise, as everybody else can, that they probably looked at the acquisitions that happened over the summer and realized that it was getting pretty crowded,” said Morris.

“Selfishly, we, as an organization, would love to have those guys in the fold, because you’ve invested a lot of time and energy into helping get to the level that they’re at, and never to see the final product is a little disconcerting,” added Morris. “But players come and go over time. You just have to learn to deal with the business side of the game. I’m sure those guys will each have their own reasons as to why they left, and it’s hard for me to speak to their reasons. We didn’t have an opportunity to discuss it.”

It is a virtual certainty that money had a lot to do with their decisions as well.

“From what I gather, some of those teams [in Europe] are paying a lot of money,” Morris noted. “Those are all elements of the equation that I’m sure their agents discussed with them as they plan out their careers.”

“When you can make two or three times as much as you can make in the American league, I guess it’s less of a gamble, that would be my guess,” Morris added. “At the same time, if they were to come back, they’d certainly have a lot of experience, and, hopefully, they do, in time.”

Kozun, Loktionov, Vey Likely To Benefit

With the loss of Elkins, Holloway and Moller, other players will get greater opportunities to contribute.

“We planned on having those guys, and, obviously, it’s an opportunity for somebody else now to take some of those valuable minutes and turn that into scoring,” said Morris. “I think the guys who are here, with added ice time, will improve, and put more responsibility and accountability in their [own] laps. It’s a proving ground for those guys, for sure.”

“[Andrei] Loktionov, without question, will be relied upon for the time that he’s here to be a dominant player for us on both sides of the puck,” added Morris. “His skating ability, his on-ice presence, and his enthusiasm for the game is infectious. I expect him to gobble up as many minutes as we’ll give him.”

Loktionov, a 5-10, 179-pound center prospect, was selected by the Kings in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

“There’s never been a question about his effort,” Morris said about the 21-year-old native of Voskresensk, Russia. “He’s been pretty proficient, defensively, at the American league level, and he brings everybody right out of their seats when he’s got the puck on his stick, so I can see him gobbling up those minutes, and relishing every moment.”

Right wing Brandon Kozun, who enters his second season in the professional ranks, and right wing Linden Vey, an AHL rookie, are also likely to be relied upon to fill the void. But they will need to improve their defensive play in order to earn a significant increase in ice time.

“For guys like Kozun and Vey, their offensive abilities are really noticeable,” said Morris. “Both guys are continuing to improve their strength and their awareness on the defensive side of things. In order to make the jump to the NHL level, those guys have been working diligently to improve their defensive games, and that’s essential.”

Kozun, who was selected by the Kings in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, entered his first season with the Monarchs last year with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, even though he was a mere 5-8 and weighed just 162 pounds.

“He was pretty sure of himself when he first got here,” Morris said with a smirk. “It was a humbling experience for him when he sat a few games, and realized the importance of maintaining possession of the puck, and learning how to protect it. [He also learned] that it wasn’t going to be as wide open, care free, and, maybe, a little bit loose, at times [like it was for him in the Western Hockey League].”

“I would say that it had to be humbling for him because he was pretty sure of himself, and he is a dynamic scorer, but, again, it was a little bit of tough love at the start,” Morris added. “But, as the season progressed, I think he became a little bit more humble, and he was humbled by the fact that he had to earn his keep.”

Right wing Brandon Kozun, also a Kings prospect,
enters his second season with the Manchester Monarchs
as a more humble player than he was
entering his rookie season in 2010-11.
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

“It was different,” said the 21-year-old Los Angeles native. “It was a humbling experience for me. I came in and didn’t really know what to expect. I was double-shifted all the time in junior, and I got all the opportunity in the world, even if I made a mistake, I got thrown right back out there. Coming into [the pro ranks], there’s a lot of guys already there, and you have to compete with them. You have to pay your dues first before you can get those opportunities.”

Morris stressed that being humbled as Kozun was is not a bad thing.

“Over the long haul, I think it proved to be a good thing,” he said. “He’s a much better player, and is more accountable now than he was when he showed up. There’s nothing wrong with it, as long as you’re willing to recognize where your shortcomings are on the defensive side.”

“Our main emphasis with him is to take better care of the puck,” he added. “He’s as quick as you’re going to find in finding an opening down low, making the clever pass, burying a big-time goal, or making a move. I think it’s important that he approaches his defensive game with the same type of commitment, and, for offensive players, those guys are highly gifted. To get them to appreciate what defense does is, sometimes, a challenge. It’s harder to learn the defensive side. It’s usually the last component to teach on the learning curve.”

In most cases with young, dynamic, skilled forwards such as Kozun and Vey, the last thing that develops is their defensive game.

“They just like to see that red light come on,” Murray explained. “That’s great, if you’re scoring forty or fifty of’em. But, in order to help these guys develop, we feel an obligation to make them complete players. It’ll most certainly improve their chances of making it to the NHL, as opposed to being a fly-by-night, short-term player. When they master the defensive side, and they’re working hard to defend, they’re going to get more offensive chances. It’ll only emphasize even more how gifted they are.”

“You’ve got to take good care of the puck, be good support players, and be reliable defensively to advance your career,” Morris elaborated. “Those are all things we’re trying to impart upon them here in Manchester.”

Kozun appears to be learning the right lessons.

“I learned to take care of the puck, not force plays, and play well in your own zone,” said Kozun. “After that, the offense came. I’ve always been an offensive player, and as soon as I started playing a well-rounded game, everything started to click for me. I felt like I went to [the pro level] and paid my dues. I got better, took care of the puck, and, by the end of the year, I think you could [see] a huge difference.”

As started earlier, Vey, who was selected by the Kings in the fourth round (96th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, is entering his rookie season in the AHL, and faces a big challenge…in more ways than one.

“For Linden, this is a big step,” said Morris. “For the first time, he’s playing against guys who are bigger, stronger, and more experienced. He’s been here for less than a week, but he’s starting to show signs of better awareness, being stronger on the puck, and being more defensively aware.”

“He’s earning his ice, but I haven’t penciled him into any particular spot,” added Morris. “We do know that he is a goal scorer and a playmaker, but we a want to make sure he’s a well-rounded player.”

The 20-year-old, 6-0, 183-pound native of Wakaw, Saskatchewan will need to be a quick study if he expects to get ice time on the Monarchs’ top line.

“We try to reward guys who are able to play on both sides of the puck, and give them ice time as they make advances with their overall game,” Morris stressed. “You have to keep in mind that there are veteran players here as well, and they are not going to give up their spots easily. They’ll garner any additional ice time they can get, and make it difficult in newcomers to try and shoulder their way in.”

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LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty speaks to the media on September 30, 2011, at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California after signing an eight-year contract.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

Late Thursday night, the Kings announced that they had reached a verbal agreement with their top defenseman, who missed virtually all of training camp as a contract holdout.

In the end, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi sweetened the pot by offering Doughty an average of $200,000 more per year above his reported original offer of $6.8 million per season, the same average annual value of center Anze Kopitar’s contract.

For their part, Doughty and agent Don Meehan reportedly budged on the length of the contract, so the deal ended up at $7 million per season for eight years.

“The cap is a delicate balance,” Kings Assistant General Manager Ron Hextall told LAKings.com (Kings executives were not available for comment on September 30). “Every year, there’s moving parts just to try and stay under it. But we’re really excited to have Drew under contract, and, obviously, Kopitar, long-term, along with the rest of our guys.”

“We’re excited about the timing,” added Hextall. “It could have, obviously, been a little bit better at the start of camp, but we’re excited to have our team whole again.”

The 21-year-old native of London, Ontario met with the media before hitting the ice for a skate with assistant coach John Stevens.

“It sucked being at home, and it sucked going through this process, but I’m just really thankful that I’m here, and I’m going to be a member of the LA Kings for eight years,” said Doughty. “[The waiting] sucked, it really did. I didn’t plan to be back home in London for that long. I wanted to be here the whole time. There was never a question about leaving the Kings, or anything like that. But we had to get done what we had to get done, and it’s done before the season. That’s the most important part.”

“I’ve had a lot of stress,” added Doughty. “The season’s approaching. I was counting down the days until the season started. At first, I didn’t want to miss camp, either. I was counting down the days until camp started, but I ended up having to miss that.”

“I’m not happy about going through all that, but it’s done. I’m just happy that I’m here, happy to be a member of the LA Kings. I want to apologize to all those who had to patiently wait for me to get here, but, now that I’m here, I’m fully committed to making this team better.”

Doughty also addressed some of the criticism aimed at him due to his holdout.

“It was never a question of me not wanting to be with the Kings, or trying to ruin the team, or anything like that,” he stressed. “I apologize [for not] being here on time. Maybe some people think I didn’t go about doing things the right way. It’s part of the business. That’s in the past. Now I just have to focus on this season, [getting] this team to the Finals and winning it.”

Doughty’s absence has been the big story hanging over the Kings’ 2011 training camp. But the players took it all in stride.

“Everyone knew it was a matter of time, and they finally figured it out, a deal that worked for both parties,” said right wing and team captain Dustin Brown. “It’s good to have him back. Going through training camp, that was probably the biggest story, unfortunately—him not being here. But we’ve got him back now, and it’s just a matter of getting ready to go.”

“From a player’s standpoint, guys aren’t coming to the rink and saying, ‘oh wow…we’re going to have to start the regular season without [Doughty],’” added Brown. “That’s not the mentality of the group of guys who are in here. I think it was more, ‘let’s get ready to go.’”

“It was a real non-concern for players. I’m sure, for the coaches, management, ownership—they were all worrying about it. But, as a group of players, we did a pretty good job—the situation was what it was. It was more about getting ourselves ready, because had he not signed, we were going to have to play without him. But now that he has signed, it’s a big plus.”

Kings blue line corps member Matt Greene shared a similar view.

“I think everyone was confident that [an agreement] was going to happen, it was just a matter of time,” said Greene. “It’s good that they could finally reach an agreement and get this going, because he’s a big part of our team. It’s going to be nice having him to start the year.”

“He’ll be in shape, he’ll be fine, ready to go,” added Greene. “Missing training camp—nobody’s going to hold that against him. It’s something that happens. Everybody has either been in that situation, or knows somebody who has, so it’s not a distraction. There’s nothing against him for not being here. That’s just the way it worked out. We’ll welcome him with open arms today.”

Management was also keeping tabs on the reaction in the dressing room.

“I thought the whole group did a good job of staying focused,” said Hextall. “The coaching staff did an outstanding job getting the players that we had [here] ready to play. I think the guys were really good about it, they understand the business part of the game. Again, the organization’s focus, as a whole, obviously, in the back room, we had some stuff going on. Overall, our focus was terrific.”

Newcomer Mike Richards is rather familiar with Doughty since the two were teammates on Canada’s Gold Medal-winning team in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“He started as a sixth or seventh defenseman [for Team Canada], and just worked his way to the top,” Richards noted. “He’s a confident, skilled hockey player. When you have those two [attributes], you make for a dangerous player on the ice. He’s just got so much skill, and the confidence to go along with it. But, even though he’s got all that skill, he doesn’t put his team in difficult positions if something doesn’t go right.”

“He’s a good player, we’ll obviously welcome him to the team,” Richards added. “It’s nice to see that he’s taken that step, and will be here for awhile. He’ll help with our defense in a big way.”

Having signed a lengthy contract of his own, Richards shared his own perspectives.

“You’re more relieved when it’s done, knowing that you’re going to be an NHL player for the next X amount of years that you’ve signed for,” he explained. “You’re excited to get started.”

“For him, it’s more getting excited to get back to the team, where he’s wanted to be all along.” he elaborated. “It’s unfortunate that the business side sometimes gets in the way, but I think everyone’s excited to have him back.”

Aside from Doughty, head coach Terry Murray may be the happiest person of all about having his best defenseman back in the fold.

“Drew Doughty is back,” Murray beamed. “I’m going to give him a big hug when I see him. It’s ‘welcome back, and get going.’”

“I’m real happy for him, and I’m real happy for the organization that this got done,” Murray added. “Mr. Anschutz and Tim Leiweke, they obviously stepped up big time here with a very important player to our team, and I know Dean [Lombardi] and Hexy [Hextall] have been working very hard over the summer, and through the training camp, to get this finalized.”

“Now we get everything back to being about the LA Kings, and the team. We move on.”

Although the players were all saying the right things, Doughty’s situation had to be, at the very least, a bit of a distraction.

“No question,” said Murray. “It was in the front of my mind the whole training camp. He’s a very important player, a very good player. You miss him.”

“You know everybody’s working very hard towards getting it resolved, and that’s the most important thing that you can hope for, that there’s a lot of communication going on,” added Murray. “Now that it’s done, we’ll bring him along very quickly, and get him ready to play the first game of the season.”

“As a coach, you’re just hoping it happens, that he’s able to get back, and get some quality practice time with the team before the season starts.”

Doughty said that his strength and conditioning has improved over last season, and that he is already rarin’ to go.

“I’ve been skating back home pretty hard, so I think I can jump right into it,” said Doughty. “But whenever they want me to play, I’m available to play, and I want to get back in action as soon as I can.”

“I feel stronger, and I feel better conditioned as well,” added Doughty. “I’m a little bit slimmer, but, at the same time, I have a little more muscle, and my body fat is lower. I worked really hard in the gym, and I was on the ice as well. I feel good. I’m a little bit lighter than I usually am…about 203 [pounds], and I usually play at 210.”

Doughty is not expected to be in the lineup when the Kings face the Colorado Avalanche in the annual Frozen Fury pre-season game at the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight in Las Vegas, but will skate with players not in tonight’s lineup. Going forward, Murray will put Doughty on a fast track towards getting into the lineup.

“It’s gas pedal right to the floor boards out there in practice,” Murray stressed. “You’re going to push him right through, and get the amount of work that you feel, as a coaching staff, a player needs in order to get him up to playing speed as quickly as possible.”

“[It will be the] ‘Lamborghini’ approach,” Murray added. “Now we can get a week or practice time before the season starts.”

With the big contract, Doughty now has to prove that he is worthy of it over the term of the deal, and, after heading in the other direction last season, he will need to make the mental adjustments necessary to improve.

“Last year was a little bit of a down year for Drew, when you look at the numbers and the performance from the year before,” said Hextall. “But I think, as a second year player, to be runner-up for the Norris Trophy, and to really raise [his] game to that level, I think, last year—there’s a human tendency to think that you’re going to be that player every year.”

“I think Drew probably learned the lesson that you’ve got to push through every year, you’ve got to push through every summer, you’ve got to work hard, and get yourself in the best shape possible, so there’s some good lessons there,” added Hextall. “In saying that, Drew was still a pretty darn good player for us last year. I think he’s one of the elite, young defensemen in the league, and we expect him to be one of the elite defensemen in the league for many years.”

Doughty acknowledged that he took a step backwards last season, and that he needs to be better.

“I just want to improve every year,” he said. “I’ve been with this team for a long time. I want to win many Stanley Cup Championships. That Norris Trophy would be amazing to win. I know a lot of people didn’t think my last season was great, but I know I’m going to be a lot better this season.”

Winners And Losers?

As the Doughty Saga wore on during the off-season and through training camp, the contract terms that were being negotiated leaked out, and everyone began taking sides.

In the end, Lombardi and the Kings sweetened the deal, offering an average of $200,000 per year over the life of the contract, as reported earlier.

But in order to get that payout, Doughty and Meehan had to accept what they reportedly did not want…a long-term deal, one that keeps him in the fold for four years beyond the age of 25, when he can become an unrestricted free agent (he will have played seven seasons in the league at that time).

Looking at the terms of the deal, it makes you think, ‘why didn’t Doughty and Meehan make that offer much earlier in the process?’

After all, even with the extra $200,000 per year above the annual average value of Kopitar’s contract, one would have to think that Lombardi would have jumped at such a proposal, and the whole squabble could have been avoided.

For his part, Doughty has moved on.

“I don’t know if I need to talk about [the negotiations, the process, or the specifics of the contract] anymore,” he said. “It’s in the past now. I’m just really focused and really happy about being here. [Everything about the contract] is in the past, and I’m happy to be a part of this organization for a long time, and just really excited to be here, and [to] be back.”

Brown noted that the ordeal had to be tough on Doughty.

“I think, for him, [reaching a deal] was sigh of relief,” said Brown. “I think what a lot of people forget is that he’s 21 years old, and [is] in a situation that not a lot of 21-year-olds have to deal with. Whatever your opinion of how it went down [might be], he definitely wanted to be here from day one, and what happens in negotiations—a lot of people don’t understand. He had to deal with it pretty much by himself, seeing how he wasn’t around the guys at all.”

But the guys were with him, anyway.

“I probably talked to him two or three times a week, either text or voice, so I was probably in contact with him since the beginning of June, just seeing how things were going, and talking to him about what was going on here, once training camp got started, and trying to give him different perspectives,” Brown explained. “When you’re in a negotiation like that, it’s very hard to step outside. Sometimes, you need someone just to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes, he asked for ideas and opinions, so I just tried to be there for him.”

Doughty said that he knew he had the support of his teammates.

“They know it’s part of the business, and they supported me the whole time,” he noted. “They made sure that I knew that if I ever needed someone to talk to, they were there for me.”

But…who won, and who lost?

Given that both parties got something they wanted, there were no clear winners or losers. However, the advantage goes to Lombardi and the Kings, who did not have to break the bank when they sweetened their previous offer. More importantly, Lombardi stood firm on requiring a long-term commitment from Doughty—being able to buy out a handful of Doughty’s unrestricted free agent years and locking him up until he is 29 years old is the most critical aspect of the deal.

“He’s a young man, a very gifted young man,” said Murray. “He’s blessed with a lot of skill, a lot of talent. He’s a critical part of our organization. We’re all very happy that he’s back on board with an extended contract, an eight-year deal.”

“That shows the commitment that Mr. Anschutz is making to this team, that he’d sign a young guy to [a contract of] that length,” added Murray. “It’s tremendous, on his part. Now, it’s our job, as a coaching staff, to get the team to say, ‘thank you,’ by being a good team, play well, and play the kind of game that our fans want to see.”

Before too long, Doughty is going to “celebrate” his new contract with his teammates…by treating them to a meal…or two.

“I’m sure he’ll be paying for the first team dinner whenever the guys get together,” said Murray.

“He’s buying more than lunch, that’s for sure,” said Brown.

“That’s a definite,” said Doughty. “I know the boys won’t let that one slide. I think I [owe] it to them to take them to more than one dinner.”

In Other News…

On September 30, the Kings signed veteran right wing Trent Hunter to a one-year, $600,000, one-way contract.

Hunter, 31, was in the Kings’ training camp on a professional tryout contract. The 6-3, 210-pound native of Red Deer, Alberta has scored 99 goals and has added 130 assists for 229 points with 201 penalty minutes in 459 career NHL regular season games with the New York Islanders.

Hunter has twice reached the twenty-goal plateau. His best season was in 2003-04, when he scored 25 goals and tallied 26 assists for 51 points in 77 regular season games.

The Kings also assigned center prospect Andrei Loktionov to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, their primary minor league affiliate.

Additional training camp roster cuts are expected to be announced on October 1.

Raw audio interviews (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

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LA Kings goaltender prospect Jeff Zatkoff.
Photo: David Sheehan

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.

Felix Potvin also had a couple of good seasons for the Kings in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Beyond that small handful of quality starting goaltenders, the Kings’ goal crease has been pretty much empty, figuratively speaking—they have been cursed in goal for the vast majority of their 44-year history.

But that curse appears to be broken, or close to it, anyway, with Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier giving the Kings elite-level goaltending, not to mention a one-two punch in goal the franchise has never had before.

Perhaps just as important is that both Quick and Bernier are home-grown talent, with Quick having been selected in the third round (72nd overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, while Bernier was a first round pick (11th overall) in the 2006 draft.

As the old saying in hockey goes, you can never have enough goaltending, and the Kings are not resting on their laurels in that regard.

Indeed, they are continuing to draft and develop young goaltenders, even though Quick is just 25 years old, and Bernier is only 23.

This past June, the Kings used their second round pick (49th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft to select 18-year-old goaltender Christopher Gibson of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Down on the farm, goalie prospect Jean-Francois Berube (selected in the fourth round, 95th overall, in 2009) is expected to play for the Kings’ ECHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, this season.

Jeff Zatkoff and Martin Jones backstopped the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings’ primary minor league affiliate) last season, and are destined to do so once again this year.

Jones, who was signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent on October 2, 2008, had an outstanding rookie season in the AHL last year, playing in 39 regular season games for the Monarchs, earning a 23-12-1 record, with a 2.02 goals-against average (GAA), a .926 save percentage, and four shutouts.

In the playoffs, the 21-year-old native of North Vancouver, British Columbia played made four appearances, earning a 2-1 record, with a 2.54 GAA, and a .921 save percentage.

“[He was] lights out,” said Kings goaltending coach Bill Ranford. “Nobody would’ve expected—we thought he was going to be in the ECHL the whole year, learning and becoming a good pro. He definitely fast tracked. To go to the AHL All-Star Game in your rookie season is pretty impressive.”

Jones was so good, he got the majority of the starts for the Monarchs early in the season while the 24-year-old Zatkoff struggled, even though he would finish the year with a 20-17-5 record, a 2.68 GAA (2,508 minutes played), a .911 save percentage, and three shutouts in 45 regular season games.

In the playoffs, Zatkoff played in five games (253 minutes played), earning a 1-3 record, a 3.80 GAA and a .891 save percentage.

“I didn’t start the year the way I wanted to,” said the native of Detroit, Michigan. “I had high expectations going into the year, but I got off to a slow start. I let some things bother me that I shouldn’t have.”

“I just think, mentally, [everything starts to get to you],” added Zatkoff, who was selected by the Kings in the third round (74th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. “I had big expectations going into the year. I wanted to play every game, [but] I got off to a slow start, and didn’t get into as many games as I wanted to. Instead of working through it, I stopped up a little bit.”

What stopped Zatkoff was the emergence of Jones, who came out of nowhere.

“[You have to give] credit to him,” Zatkoff stressed. “I’m not taking anything away from him. He deserved to play, but that’s when you start taking care of your game. You stop worrying about other things.”

Zatkoff got his head in gear and turned his season around.

“[I had to] just block it out,” said Zatkoff. “It’s a maturation process. I’d never been through that before. Even though college, or even the start of my pro [career], I’ve always been the guy. But Jones had a great year.”

That scenario might sound awfully familiar to Kings fans, who may remember that Bernier went through that same process after he was drafted by the Kings and spent time at Manchester.

“Everyone goes through that,” Zatkoff noted. “I just had to come to terms with it, block it out, and control what you can control. At the end of the day, that’s all you can do.”

“I was able to keep my composure, and stick with it,” Zatkoff added. “Things turned around for me in the second half. I think I turned it around well, and that’s the way I need to play. If I play like that, the way I’m capable, I’m one of the top goalies in the American Hockey League, and I just have to be consistent.”

“[I’ve come] through it. I’m stronger today—mentally stronger.”

Zatkoff (left) and Jones (right) wait their turn in goal during drills at the
LA Kings 2011 Training Camp on September 23, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan

“We live together,” said Zatkoff. “That’s something I always pride myself on—having a good relationship with my goalie partner, no matter who it is.”

“We both have the same goal, we both want to play in the NHL, and I don’t wish harm upon him,” added Zatkoff. “When he’s in there, I want him to play well, and I’m sure he wants me to play well.”

Moving forward, Zatkoff is focusing on becoming one of the top goaltenders in the AHL on a consistent basis—another step towards making it to the NHL.

“I think they’re just looking for me to play my game, and play the way I did towards the end of the season last year,” he said. “I think, if you look at my numbers towards the end of the season, they’re in the top five in the AHL, and that’s the way they think I’m capable of playing, and that I believe I’m capable of playing, but not just that last half of the year—consistently the whole year, and being confident. That’s my mindset coming [into training camp], trying to turn as many heads [as possible] while I’m here, and play my best.”

As Zatkoff stated earlier, he came out of last season stronger, especially in terms of his mental game.

“[I have a much] different approach, a lot more confident,” Zatkoff emphasized. “I think maturity is the biggest thing. I’ve been through the ups and downs last year, and I know how to handle it. I have to worry about myself, stop the puck, and give the team a chance to win, whereever I’m playing.”

Goaltenders also never stop working on the fundamentals.

“If you look at my game from my freshman year in college, it’s like night and day,” said Zatkoff. “But if you look at Jones, Quick and Bernier, we’ve been working with [Ranford and Kim Dillabaugh, who handles goaltender development for the Kings] for five-plus years. So, in terms of fundamentals, it’s all pretty much there.”

While Jones was assigned to Manchester on September 26, Zatkoff is still with the Kings. He will remain on the roster until the team returns from their two games in Europe against the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres on October 7 and 8, respectively.

Zatoff will serve as the third goaltender, and is not expected to play in the remainder of the Kings’ pre-season games, or in the games in Europe.

“No, he’s not going to play anymore,” said Kings head coach Terry Murray. “There might be an opportunity to be the backup goaltender, if the goaltending coaches, in particular, come to me and say that this would be a great time to get some extra work with one of your two guys after a morning skate, when we can get another 45-50 minutes of real hard work in.”

“Then I wouldn’t have to dress that guy as the backup,” added Murray. “I could put Zatkoff in, and let the other guy rest.”

Being third or fourth on the organizational depth chart behind Quick and Bernier, is certainly not an ideal situation in terms of making it to the big club’s roster.

Nevertheless, if there is an injury or a trade, Zatkoff knows he is just a call-up away from living his dream of making it to the NHL.

“That’s something I learned that you can’t really worry about,” he said. “Obviously, you’d like to be up here, and get some experience, but you’ve got two, arguably, number one goaltenders, probably one of the best tandems in the league.”

“They’re both great goalies,” he added. “That’s where you just have to worry about yourself, worry about playing your game, because eventually, something’s going to have to give. When you get that call, you’re going to have to be ready for that opportunity.”

“If I take care of what I need to take care of, things will happen for me.”

Raw audio interview with Jeff Zatkoff (2:24; Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• Making Do Without Doughty: Los Angeles Kings Open 2011 Training Camp
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Netminder Jonathan Bernier Is Focused On His Game…And Nothing Else
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: No More Stick Handling In A Phone Booth For Dustin Penner
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Time To Start Thinking About The Stanley Cup
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Andrei Loktionov Clears The Air While Thomas Hickey, Tyler Toffoli Turn Heads
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Scott Parse May Be Playing Himself Out Of A Job

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

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LA Kings center prospect Tyler Toffoli.
Photo: David Sheehan

Center prospect Tyler Toffoli, the Kings’ second round selection (47th overall) in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, has taken some big steps forward in his development over the past year, enough to win the scoring title in the Ontario Hockey League with 57 goals and 51 assists for 108 points in 68 regular season games with the Ottawa 67’s.

Although the 19-year-old native of Scarborough, Ontario got off to a bit of a slow start in the split-squad pre-season game at Phoenix on September 21, Toffoli was able to turn things up as the game went on.

“I was really nervous at the beginning,” said Toffoli. “The first shift, [Kings left wing] Ethan [Moreau] scored. That was kind of a big boost for me. It got me really excited.”

“After that, as each shift went by, I kept getting better,” added Toffoli. “I thought, in the third period, that’s when I played my best.”

“I just started playing my game. I wasn’t trying to do too much, and I was keeping things simple, which is what I was supposed to do, and I thought I did it well.”

Although he played well, Toffoli is not expected to be in the lineup tonight against Anaheim.

“I always want to play, but I just have to work hard every day,” he said. “It’s their decision.”

“I think I’ve done well so far,” he added. “I’ve done everything they’ve wanted me to do. I’ve worked hard, I got myself in better condition, and I played well in the game.”

Better conditioning was the biggest improvement in Toffoli’s game last season, and the Kings coaches and management are getting an up close and personal look at it now.

“We’ve seen it right from the start of the training camp, and in the two games in the rookie camp,” said head coach Terry Murray. “He’s a guy who shows a lot of composure, he’s very strong on the puck, and his skating has improved dramatically from last year when I first saw him.”

“Now, he’s getting that confidence that some players get early, [while others] need to go through some time to get it,” added Murray. “Right now, he’s strong on the puck, playing very confidently, he’s really seeing the ice, making plays, and taking pucks to the net.”

“When you hear about all that stuff, and you see it, you get a little bit excited. There’s a lot of potential there for being a good pro.”

As reported in this space on September 19, defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey, selected by the Kings in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, was noticed by the coaching staff right from the start of training camp.

The 22-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta was even more noticeable in their split-squad pre-season game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center on September 21, when he was one of the best players on the ice.

His play followed right where he left off last season with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate.

“I got my bearings, and, once I got my feet under me, everything slowed down,” Hickey said about his play last season. “After a long summer, I played well, I played physical, and I played my position well, so I was happy with it.”

“I think there’s a lot more control [in his game],” Hickey added. “Just learning the pro game, especially defense. On the offensive blue line, I used to move way too much, a lot more than you need to. I’m much more conservative now. I can use my energy in short bursts, to step up to hit, or make plays, and the pucks always come to you as opposed to using a lot more energy and not being efficient at all.”

“If you look at any of the veteran defensemen here, or around the league, they certainly try hard, but they conserve their energy. It looks like, ‘hey, he’s not doing as much,’ but they’re just smarter. As a young guy, you want to take parts of that, and conserve more energy for when you really need to turn the jets on.”

What Hickey described above is exactly what the Kings are seeing now.

“[He’s doing] a much better job,” said Murray. “Thomas Hickey’s game, and what I saw last night [against Phoenix on September 21], is a dramatic improvement from the first exhibition game that I coached, which was against Phoenix—the same kind of a game—my first year.”

“[In that game], he was holding onto the puck too long, trying to fake everybody, trying to freeze people, and turning pucks over,” added Murray. “Last night, I thought he moved the puck quickly, it was off his stick at the right time, fast enough for the forward to maintain his speed, and get on the attack.”

“On the other side of it, something I didn’t see very often [in past years], was that strength in one-on-one plays along the boards. He was pinning some guys, sealing guys off, and closing fast on defensive zone, low, three-on-three coverage. Positive steps there. He’s a player we’ll continue to see and watch through the training camp to see if there’s development that keeps pushing [him] up the ladder.”

Hickey spent the summer back home in Calgary, taking some time off to recharge his batteries before getting back to work.

“I didn’t take a longer break, but I took a different approach to training,” he explained. “I was down here all last summer. The [former] strength coach [Tim Adams] is very good, and he knows what he’s doing, but, for me, I needed to be home to refresh the mind. The workload was the same, the amount of effort you put in is the same. It’s just a different style of doing it.”

“I was saying the other day, I love playing hockey,” Hickey elaborated. “You love being at the rink. But, at the same time, to really appreciate it, you have to take a little time away. Being back home with family and friends helped me refresh that. Before too long, you’re hungry to get back to the rink, and you wish training camp was a week away, and I felt that way quite early in the summer.”

Like the rest of the Kings’ best young prospects, Hickey is also hungry to make the big club’s roster, even though fellow defenseman prospect Viatcheslav Voynov is coming off an All-Star season with the Monarchs last year. That, along with the fact that he is a right-hand shot, gives Voynov, who would replace contract holdout Drew Doughty on the power play, an edge over Hickey, and other defenseman prospects.

Despite that, Hickey is not discouraged.

“I’m concerned about myself,” he stressed. “Slava and I are teammates, and you always want your teammates to do well, because you want your team to win.”

“As far as me making this team [is concerned], it’s going to be [based on] what I do,” he added. “[It’s going to be] if I play myself onto the team, not other factors, so I’m just concerned about taking care of myself, and showing them that I can fill in right now.”

Clearing The Air

On September 19, one of the Kings’ top prospects, center Andrei Loktionov, discussed his future.

When asked for his thoughts about the strong possibility that he could be assigned to Manchester to start the season, Loktionov declared, “I will be so mad. I’m not thinking about Manchester. My plan is to play here.”

As stated in that September 19 story, Loktionov’s English language skills leave a lot to be desired, and that is putting it mildly. As such, without the opportunity to follow up at the time, no firm conclusion could be reached on what he meant by his comments.

Would he be mad at the Kings management and coaches if he were assigned to Manchester, resulting in him not playing well there, or worse, refusing to report and, perhaps, opting to play elsewhere?

The other option would be that he only meant that he would be disappointed and upset with himself.

Loktionov cleared the air on September 22.

“I’ll be mad about me, about myself,” said Loktionov. “But I don’t want to talk about Manchester. I want to stay here, just focus on here.”

Enough said.

The 21-year-old native of Voskresensk, Russia was one of the Kings’ best players in their split-squad pre-season game against the Coyotes at Staples Center on September 21.

“I played good, actually, maybe, in the first period,” he said. “But then I slowed down. Then, I started playing good again in the third period. I think it was a good [first game].”

But Loktionov did not think he was one of the Kings’ best players in the game.

“I don’t think so,” said Loktionov. “I played my first game in a long time. I think I played, last time, February 28 [due to injury]. I think I played not too bad.”

“I think I played good offensively,” added Loktionov. “We had a lot of good chances to score, we had a lot of shots. I think we played good in the defensive zone, too.”

Loktionov is expected to get another long look tonight against Anaheim.

“We’ll see how things go,” said Murray. “I liked his game [against Phoenix]. He’s a very good hockey player, and a very good person who has shown great growth in a couple of years.”

“There’s a lot of hockey here in front of us,” added Murray. “There’s a lot of games to play, and he’s going to be a part of that. We’ll see how it all unfolds later on.”

Power Play Looks Better In Split-Squad Game

In the split-squad pre-season game against Phoenix at Staples Center on September 21, the Kings power play, which was a major sore point last season, displayed improved puck movement, and, perhaps more significant, movement by the players.

“Early, I liked it a lot, and it wasn’t the fact that we scored and it was called back, and then we did score a goal on the power play,” Murray explained. “It was the movement away from the puck that was very good. That’s something that we talked about from the end of the year last year, about the importance of getting five people playing a team game in that situation more consistently. I liked the rotations, I liked the puck movement.”

Voynov made an impression on the power play, scoring the goal.

“I thought Voynov was very good on the back end,” said Murray. “He’s a young guy who I don’t know very well. He’d been injured. He had a couple of training camps, and I went to watch him down in the American Hockey League, in the playoffs, a year ago, and he played OK. But he’s a much better hockey player [now]. He wants the puck on his stick, and he made a lot of good things happen.”

Raw audio interviews from the 2011 LA Kings Training Camp (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

The Mayor from Mayor’s Manor contributed to this story.

Related Stories:

• Making Do Without Doughty: Los Angeles Kings Open 2011 Training Camp
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Netminder Jonathan Bernier Is Focused On His Game…And Nothing Else
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: No More Stick Handling In A Phone Booth For Dustin Penner
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Time To Start Thinking About The Stanley Cup
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Scott Parse May Be Playing Himself Out Of A Job
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

TRAINING CAMP COVERAGE: In this story, forwards Trevor Lewis and Ethan Moreau share their thoughts about training camp and what lies ahead for them, left wing Dustin Penner talks about his increased speed and quickness, and…did you know that left wing prospect Richard Clune is a food critic?

LA Kings left wing Ethan Moreau (left) is shown here during a drill at
the Kings’ 2011 Training Camp on September 19, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan.

“It’s been good, it’s been fast,” said veteran left wing Ethan Moreau, who was signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent to a one-year deal on August 23. “We’ve been on the ice a lot, probably more than I’ve been on the ice in the last ten years. We’ve been working on system play, which is important.”

“Sometimes, when you don’t do that, and you’re go into exhibition play, it’s a little chaotic out there, so it’s been a good start,” added Moreau. “It’s been hard, but it’s been good.”

The 35-year-old native of Huntsville, Ontario was happy to learn that the Kings’ systems fit his style of play.

“The last couple of days, we’ve focused on our systems a little bit,” he noted. “Some of it is new for me, and some of it is really good for me. I like the freedom you have on the forecheck. There’s going to be a lot of opportunity for a lot of contact, which is the way I like to play.”

“It’s going to take a few days, a few practices to get adjusted to the different systems, but the way we play is fast and aggressive, which is good for me,” he added.

Last season, Moreau missed 37 games due to a broken hand, but is feeling no ill effects now.

“I feel awesome,” he stressed. “I felt great last year, but I had [to deal with] unfortunate hand surgery. I feel the same as I did at the start of last year, and I started really well.”

“Physically, I’m good. Mentally, I’m good. The name of the game is to stay healthy and play well.”

Will Added Confidence Help Trevor Lewis’ Hands Catch Up To His Feet?

Last season, when asked about the play of speedy forward Trevor Lewis, head coach Terry Murray would often remark that he hoped that, some day, Lewis’ hands would catch up to his feet.

Although the book is still out on when or if that will ever happen, Lewis did improve last season from being a healthy scratch to a guy the team depended on, especially in defensive situations, and on the penalty-kill.

Heading into the new season, Lewis hopes to continue right where he left off.

“[He intends to] stick to the same plan, but, with a little more confidence, maybe produce a little bit more, showing more of my offensive side,” said Lewis. “When you’re confident out there, you’re going to play more with the puck, and do more with it.”

LA Kings forward Trevor Lewis.
Photo: David Sheehan.

“It’s a big thing for me, coming back this year, knowing I can play here [with the Kings at the National Hockey League level], knowing that I should be here,” added Lewis. “Hopefully, that translates onto the ice. It’s one less stress, but we’ve got a lot of good talent here, so it’s good to really push yourself in these camps, and make sure you’re ready to go for the start of the season.”

“It feels great to get back out there, and start competing again. I played a lot of summer hockey, but it’s good to feel someone on your back, and stuff like that. It’s been pretty fast-paced, so it’s fun.”

Lewis spent the summer at home in Utah.

“I was in Salt Lake City for most of it, back home, visiting family and friends, and working out there,” he said. “I’ve been out here for about a month or so, training and getting ready to go.”

But now, as stated earlier, Lewis is looking to add some offense to his repertoire at the NHL level.

“[He still needs to work on his] consistency, but everything, really,” Lewis noted. “And, like I said earlier, producing more, showing a little more of my offensive game.”

“[He also needs to] be a little stronger,” Lewis added. “Again, it goes back to the confidence thing there. Just playing hard on someone, knowing that you should be here, and that you should be doing these things.”

This season, the Kings appear to have a glut at the center position, and it is all but a foregone conclusion that Lewis, a natural center, will play on right wing this season. But that will not faze him one bit.

“I’ve played everywhere,” he said. “I’ve played a little bit more at center, bit I’m pretty comfortable on the wing.”

“It doesn’t really matter where I play. Whatever works, works. I’m ready to play anywhere.”

Citius, Altius, Fortius

In case you don’t recognize the Latin phrase above, Citius, Altius, Fortius, which means, Faster, Higher, Stronger, is the Olympic Motto.

But in the case of the Kings, one might also apply it to left wing Dustin Penner, who is noticeably faster and stronger after a summer dedicated to rather grueling workouts.

As for the “higher” portion of the motto, try standing next to him one day. You’ll instantly know how “higher” applies to him.

After three days of watching him during training camp drills, it is obvious that the hard work during the summer has paid off, as Penner is faster and quicker than at any point last season…maybe even in his NHL career.

“I can feel it out there,” said Penner. “My cruising speed is a lot faster than it used to be. It’s getting into open ice quicker, and creating separation.”

“The biggest thing for me, and for most big guys, is that you often look slower than you’re actually going, and that translates to the [opposing] defenseman as well,” added Penner. “When you create that separation, you’ve already got a high-end cruising speed. Your moves become more effective, because your first move—the [defenseman is more likely] to bite on it, or respect it.”

“You can have the best hands in the world, but if you don’t have any speed, you’re literally stick handling in a phone booth…because you’ll stay there.”

With the speed and quickness already on display, now he has to work to be able to maintain it over a longer period.

“I’m just working on my endurance, and that’s what training camp helps with,” he explained. “The fact that I’m able to push from the bottom of my stride to the end helps me work harder and stronger. I think it’s going to pay off.”

Although Penner will never become one of the fastest players in the NHL, with the considerable increase in speed and quickness, what kind of offensive output, namely goals, should be expected from him this season?

In jest, I asked, “Forty goals? Fifty?”

Penner, who frequently turns scrum interviews with the media into his own, personal stand-up comedy theatre, decided on a more subtle approach to humor this time around.

“You’ll have to talk to Kopi,” he said with a laugh.

Richard Clune: Food Critic

Richard Clune is a 24-year-old left wing prospect who is more than a long shot to make the Kings’ 2011-12 roster. Indeed, as a 5-10, 199-pound checking forward who is known far more for using his fists than for having soft hands that can put the puck in the net, he is a virtual lock to spend another season with the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League in 2011-12.

Although he has a burning desire to make it to the NHL, Clune is definitely not the type to be deterred or discouraged.

“I don’t give a [expletive deleted], the odds are against me,” said Clune. “Bring it on. I don’t care. I’m not going to quit and go to Europe. This is what you play for, right?”

Clune’s mention of not leaving the Kings organization to play in Europe, where he could earn more money, was some not-so-thinly-veiled criticism aimed directly at Kings forward prospects Corey Elkins, Bud Holloway, Oscar Moller and John Zeiler, who all bolted for Europe this summer.

“Those guys are all my friends, but, that said, when you sign a contract, you live up to it,” Clune emphasized. “I’m here to see it out. I want to make this team just as bad as anybody else. I’ll go through a wall for anybody here. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”

“I love this team, and I owe a lot to the management and coaching staff for giving me my shot two years ago, and I think I’ve come a long way as a player, on the ice and off the ice,” Clune added. “I just leave it all out on the ice. I think I’m definitely better than I was when I played here [two seasons ago]. That said, the team is a lot better [now], too. But I’ve got nothing to lose. I know what it’s like to be cut, I know what it’s like to make the team.”

With the addition of forwards Mike Richards and Simon Gagne over the summer, the Kings are expected to contend for the Western Conference title, and push deeper into the playoffs than their first round exits the last two seasons.

Those expectations are not lost on those who are not expected to make the team.

“The feeling here is that you want to do anything you can to push this team in the right direction,” said Clune. “You want to go through a wall to make this team. You can tell this team is going to go somewhere this year.”

“There’s not a lot of guys in here who are going to win the scoring title,” added Clune. “Maybe [star center Anze] Kopitar. But everyone else is going to be judged based on the team’s success, and they’re going to be able to live their lives as champions, hopefully.”

“I’d rather be on a team that’s got 23 guys looking to be champions than have a couple of guys trying to win the scoring title.”

But anything can happen, and Clune will be ready, just in case.

“I think everyone here knows what they want, and what they have to do, from the draft picks to the guys who are going to play,” he said. “For a guy like me, it’s kind of like being a Navy SEAL. You never know when you’re going to get thrown into action, right?”

“In a perfect world, I make this team, and I start on opening day, maybe kick the [expletive deleted] out of someone, score a goal,” he added. “But I’m just here to be ready, and show the organization what I can bring, and I think I can make an impact in this league. I’m going to try and show that.”

“I’m just going to lay it all out on the ice. [After that], it’s in God’s hands.”

Clune also had one other thing to say about why he will not to go to Europe…

“I don’t think I’d like the food over there, anyway,” he quipped.

In Other News…

On September 19, the Kings signed right wing enforcer Kevin Westgarth to a two-year contract extension reported to be worth $1.45 million. Westgarth will earn $700,000 in 2012-13, and $750,000 in 2013-14, for a salary cap hit of $725,000 per season.

“I’m ecstatic to extend my time here in Los Angeles,” said Westgarth. “It’s an extremely special group of people who I think are going to do some special things in the next couple of years. It’s fantastic to be a part of that.”

The Kings also announced their lineups for both split-squad exhibition games on Wednesday, September 21.

Kings vs. Phoenix Coyotes (at Glendale, Arizona, 7:00 PM PDT)

Goaltenders
Jonathan Bernier
Jeff Zatkoff

Defensemen
Andrew Campbell
Matt Greene
David Kolomatis
Alec Martinez
Willie Mitchell
Patrick Mullen

Forwards
Justin Azevedo
Richard Clune
Dwight King
Anze Kopitar
Brandon Kozun
Trevor Lewis
Ethan Moreau
Dustin Penner
Brad Richardson
Tyler Toffoli
Kevin Westgarth
Justin Williams

Coyotes vs Kings (Staples Center, 7:30 PM PDT)

Goaltenders
Martin Jones
Jonathan Quick

Defensemen
Davis Drewiske
Thomas Hickey
Jack Johnson
Jake Muzzin
Rob Scuderi
Viatcheslav Voynov

Forwards
Dustin Brown
Marc-Andre Cliche
Kyle Clifford
Simon Gagne
Trent Hunter
Ray Kaunisto
Andrei Loktionov
David Meckler
Jordan Nolan
Scott Parse
Mike Richards
Jarret Stoll

Raw audio interviews from Day 3 of the Kings 2011 Training Camp (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• Making Do Without Doughty: Los Angeles Kings Open 2011 Training Camp
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Netminder Jonathan Bernier Is Focused On His Game…And Nothing Else
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Time To Start Thinking About The Stanley Cup
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Andrei Loktionov Clears The Air While Thomas Hickey, Tyler Toffoli Turn Heads
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Scott Parse May Be Playing Himself Out Of A Job
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

TRAINING CAMP COVERAGE: On Day 2 of the Los Angeles Kings’ 2011 Training Camp, backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier talked about what he is focusing on heading into the new season, head coach Terry Murray talked about defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey’s development taking big strides, and about Jack Johnson’s play in the defensive zone. Raw audio interviews included.

LA Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier is shown here during a drill at
the Kings’ 2011 Training Camp on September 17, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan.

Day 2 of training camp was much the same as Day 1, with three groups of players going through two sessions of drills, followed by a tough conditioning skate.

While management, coaches, scouts and development staff watched intently, evaluating players, prospects and those in camp on tryout status, one area they do not have to pay as much attention to is in goal.

Indeed, they might as well etch the names of Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier into both goal creases at Staples Center for the year right now.

Quick remains the number one goaltender after a season where one could argue that he deserved consideration for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League’s best goaltender.

Bernier will be the backup goalie once again this season, something that became an issue early last season when he struggled while adjusting to being a backup for the first time…ever.

But after Christmas, Bernier got his head on straight and turned his season around. Indeed, he was so hot in the second half of the season that he could have easily left a puddle of blue water in front of his net every time he played.

“I started feeling pretty good after the All-Star break,” said Bernier. “I was a lot more confident after Christmas. It was my first full year. [He had] to get to know the system, and I had to get to know the guys.”

“Everyone was expecting me to do so well [based on his play during] the previous year when I came up [to the Kings for three games in 2009-10],” added Bernier. “I wish I had the same start, but it’s a learning process.”

Bernier pointed out that his problems were rooted in his mental approach.

“I think a lot of people who don’t know much about hockey, they think it’s more physical—they think you’re not ready,” he explained. “But we had those hard practices that get you ready for games. It’s all mental.”

“Sometimes, you get into a game, and you don’t feel as confident as you should,” he elaborated. “But I found the right [attitude]. After Christmas, I just told myself, ‘you’re up here [at the NHL level]. Enjoy the time that you’re here. No matter what happens, you can’t control it.’ From that point on, things turned around.”

For Bernier, it is no longer about the number of starts he gets, let alone when he will climb to the top of the mountain, becoming the Kings’ number one netminder.

“When I got here, a lot of people were asking me that question, and I think it got to my head a little bit,” said Bernier. “It’s a learning process—how to deal with those issues. It just makes me stronger as a person, and as a player. Now, I just have to focus on my game, and nothing else.”

“Quick is a great goalie,” added Bernier. “It’s going to be pretty hard to push him out of the net. He’s had a lot of success here. That’s why I said that I can’t worry about him playing well, or him playing badly. It’s just how I play. For both of us, it’s just trying to win as many games as possible for our team. That’s my only focus.”

Bernier added that he has a solid relationship with Quick.

“We have a really good relationship—good friends,” Bernier noted. “When we step on the ice for practice, it’s just a little, friendly battle. During games, if he sees something, he’s going to tell me, and if I see something, I’ll let him know, too. It’s a good tandem.”

Last year, Bernier played in 25 games, and, in an exclusive interview with Frozen Royalty in late August, head coach Terry Murray indicated that Bernier could see more action in 2011-12.

“There will probably be more games there,” said Murray. “I don’t have it planned out as I did last year at this time. Jonathan Quick is our number one goaltender. That’s the way it is coming [into training camp].”

“Bernier, post-All-Star game, his game really improved,” added Murray. “He really stepped up. So it’s going to be exciting here in camp, in exhibition games. We’ll get going at the start of the year, and see where everything is at.”

As stated earlier, Bernier is not thinking about now many games he’ll be playing.

“You can’t expect anything,” he said. “I know now that I can’t really worry about that. Last year, I think I played 25 games, and, at the end of the season, when I looked at it, [he thought] it was pretty good. I’m just going to focus on practice right now, and get my game ready for the start of the season.”

“I’m more than ready this year,” he added. “I’m a lot more confident in my second year. I’m excited to start the season.”

Hickey Finally Takes A Big Step Forward

After being selected by the Kings in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey has missed a boatload of time due to injuries, stifling his development.

But last season, Hickey scored six goals and added 18 assists for 24 points with a +9 plus/minus rating and 38 penalty minutes in 77 regular season games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate.

He also contributed two assists in seven playoff games.

Although those are far from being eye-popping numbers, Hickey took the biggest strides forward in his development since he was drafted.

“I just made a comment to Hickey as he walked by—I said that he’s flying out there,” said Murray. “That’s a big change from what I saw in year one. His overall body strength is much better. If I go back to the first year that I was here, or even last year, he’s got another year or pro [hockey] under his belt in the American Hockey League. You come away at the end of the season, and you evaluate your own performance. He spent time during the off-season working out, getting stronger, physically.”

“He’s got better jump, he’s up in the play better than he was, he’s moving the puck more alertly, it’s not on his stick as long as it was before,” added Murray. “I always felt that Thomas Hickey was one of those guys who was going to look you off, fake you off. At the pro level, that’s a very hard thing to do.”

“The decision you have to make when you’re holding onto the puck too long is that it’s not working. The faster you advance the puck in transition, on breakouts, and get it off your stick to the forwards, the better off you’re going to be as a player. Then there are those opportunities when you need the puck on your stick as a power play defenseman. You now need to hold onto the puck, make plays, freeze the [high] penalty killer, find the open guy, and make those kinds of decisions, but I’m seeing a change in that mindset in terms of his five-on-five play, and that’s a good thing.”

Hickey has also made solid progress on the defensive side of the puck.

“It’s coming,” Murray said of Hickey’s defensive game. “We ran some defensive drills today, with the three-on-three, one-on-one, and two-on-two. They get you into those areas that can expose you, or you see an improvement, and we’re seeing an improvement.”

“What it comes down to, in playing the defensive part of the game in terms of low coverage, it’s not about being 6-5,” Murray added. “There’s a lot of players in the league who are smaller defensemen who have had great, long careers. But it is about body positioning. It’s not getting to the wrong side of the man, it’s that two or three-foot positioning where you’re eliminating those turn backs, those cut backs that opens the play underneath you, and now, you’re really exposed, and bad things happen. Plays come to your net, goals happen, and you end up being on the ice, and you’re saying, ‘what’s going on? Why me?’”

“Now he’s reading it. His angles are better, his positioning is much better, and we definitely see the improvement.”

Although he did not mention it specifically, when you talk to Hickey, it seems that he knows his game has taken several big steps forward—one could feel the confidence exuding from him during an interview on the opening day of training camp, when he told the gathered media of his hopes to make the big club’s 2011-12 opening night roster.

“You can just feel the excitement around this year,” he said. “It’s a fun thing to be a part of, and you hope, moving forward, that you’re going to be part of the big picture. There’s a lot of pressure from everyone, but I’m concerned about doing my own thing, and playing the best I can.”

“I want to make this team really bad,” he added. “There’s pressure, there’s expectations, but I’d say mine are higher or greater than everyone else’s. It’s an exciting time of the year for me.”

Murray addressed the pressure Hickey is feeling.

“To me, that’s a good thing,” said Murray. “That kind of feeling is what every player who makes it to the NHL feels at some time—’it’s time to step up. My contract’s up. I need to do more. I’ve got to be better.’ All this is self-talk you go through as an athlete, pushing yourself to the next level.”

“I believe that when you have a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, now you’re going to listen,” added Murray. “Now you’re going to push yourself. Now you’re going to improve, and that’s a critical step for every player to get to, and, as that decision is made in your own mind, now there’s a good opportunity, if you have the ability and skill, that you’re going to start to pay the price to play the game the right way, to be a pro player, to live the right way, to do everything that’s possible to lay it on the line and see where it takes you.”

Jack Johnson’s Defensive Play To Be Addressed

As reported a few weeks ago in another story based on the exclusive interview with Murray mentioned earlier, Kings defenseman Jack Johnson not only had the worst plus/minus rating on the team last season (-21), but he was the only one of their top six blue liners to be in negative territory.

Johnson indicated that his plus/minus numbers are not something he is too concerned about.

“As long as the coaches keep saying that I’m playing well, and they keep playing me good minutes, that’s all the reassurance I need from them,” he said. “If they see anything wrong, they let me know.”

“I don’t want to say that I don’t care,” he added. “Are there minuses that are my fault? Absolutely. But sometimes, there’s nothing you can do about it, so it’s something I don’t lose sleep over. If there’s something I can improve on, I try to improve on it. But I’m not worried about it.”

Although Murray has indicated that Johnson’s game has improved since Murray’s first year with the Kings, he is about to let Johnson know that yes, there is a problem.

In that late August interview, Murray indicated that Johnson’s physical play slipped in the second half of the season, a primary cause of his defensive zone issues.

“As we got into the second half of the year, maybe post-All-Star game, I saw a little bit of a drop-off in that area,” Murray noted. “That buys that extra second for those good players, and that’s who he’s out against. If you give good players half a step, sometimes, that’s all they need to make a play.”

“When I go back and think about Jack’s game, the physical part of it can be harder, he could close a little faster, [he could be better with his] stick to eliminate those passing and shooting opportunities,” Murray added. “That can clean up a lot very, very quickly.”

Murray also stated in the interview his intention to meet with Johnson to address those issues.

“It’s a conversation that I definitely want to have with Jack,” said Murray. “I love his game when he’s playing that gritty, physical game. That’s the way he started in the first half of [last season]. He’s hard to play against because he is a strong individual. He can get some impact hits. He can close on you, and really lean on people very quickly.”

“Sometimes, you have to be careful how you look at [plus/minus], but other times, you do need to say, ‘we need to look at this. What’s going on?’”

On Day 2 of training camp, Murray elaborated on what Johnson’s problems were in the second half of last season.

“The one thing I want to see him continue with this year, that I thought he backed off on around January last year, is that attitude of going after [opponents], pinning and sealing, and being nasty one-on-one,” Murray stressed. “I think you get into that stick-checking, softer play by him, and now, players are going to take advantage of it when [he’s] out there against the best players.”

“That was the meeting I wanted to have with him at the end of the season, the exit meeting,” Murray added. “But he ended up going to the World Championships right away. I’ve talked about it with Dean upstairs, and with the coaching staff, that this is the meeting we’re definitely going to have as we get into the latter part of the training camp.”

If Johnson can clean up his defensive game, he could become a impact player who finds himself on the ice a lot, and in key situations.

“You just want to keep growing as a player,” said Johnson. “Keep making sure that the coaches know they can use me in big moments, and that I can play well in big games. I want to be an even better player on the power play, I want to be able to be used more on the penalty-kill, and in all situations.”

“I feel that I’ve gotten better every year, and I know the coaches have agreed.”

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Raw audio interviews from Day 2 of the Kings 2011 Training Camp (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• Making Do Without Doughty: Los Angeles Kings Open 2011 Training Camp
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: No More Stick Handling In A Phone Booth For Dustin Penner
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Time To Start Thinking About The Stanley Cup
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Andrei Loktionov Clears The Air While Thomas Hickey, Tyler Toffoli Turn Heads
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Scott Parse May Be Playing Himself Out Of A Job
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

TRAINING CAMP COVERAGE: Frozen Royalty’s coverage of the Los Angeles Kings’ 2011 Training Camp begins with details on who might get ice time as a replacement for holdout defenseman Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar’s ankle and how it held up on the first day, more on Dustin Penner’s conditioning, and on Dustin Brown trying to build chemistry with new line mates. Includes 15 audio interviews from Day 1 of training camp.

LA Kings left wing Dustin Penner lost more weight during the 2011 off-season than originally believed.
Photo: David Sheehan.

Indeed, the 21-year-old defenseman was nowhere to be found when the Kings hit the ice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, their practice facility.

With no end in sight in the Doughty saga, the story was not just his absence, but who might fill his skate boots should he continue to holdout.

“The plans [for training camp] do not change at all,” said head coach Terry Murray. “We’re going to miss Doughty. I wish he was here to be a part of it. He’s a very important player, he’s a big part of the locker room, and a fun guy to be around. He’s a great player for us, but the plans do not change for the training camp. We have to get ready for the start of the year.”

“The opportunity is there for someone to grab a position if Doughty does not show up here near the end of training camp, to be a part of the team on opening night,” added Murray. “It changes things with Doughty out of the training camp right now. There’s no question that other defensemen are going to be looked at closely.”

“It’s a great opportunity for guys to play a lot in exhibition games and show us what they can do. I’m talking about Viatcheslav Voynov, who’s coming off an all-star year at Manchester. Davis Drewiske was here all last year, and didn’t play a lot, so it’s a great chance for him to step up and grab ahold of some minutes. You can go though the different names, but there’s no question that someone’s going to get rewarded with Doughty not being here.”

As of now, Voynov, has an advantage over the rest.

“He has a little bit of an edge because he’s a right-hand shot, but also because he’s a skilled guy who plays on the power play,” Murray noted. “That’s one of his strengths—carry the puck, see the ice, make plays. He’s got a nice shot, good quickness and instincts, and he’s a skilled player.”

“The other part of that is he’s coming off an all-star year,” Murray added. “When you pay your dues the last couple of years, like he has, and his game keeps getting better, he’s a player I’m going to keep a close eye on.”

Kopitar Feeling No Pain

Star center Anze Kopitar, who suffered a broken right ankle with torn ligaments in a freakish fall in late March, forcing him to miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season, along with the playoffs, looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.

“I’m real happy with what I saw,” said Murray. “He’s 100 percent, as far as his recovery [is concerned]. Kopitar is looking really good. He’s skating, he’s strong, he’s enthusiastic. He wanted to get going even before I ended the video session. As he said to me, ‘it’s been a long time since I’ve played.’”

Well, maybe 99.99999 percent.

“It’s a little tough to be in a skate for three hours, but, other than that, it felt good,” said Kopitar. “[He did not feel] pain. It’s still a little sore from the swelling [a normal condition following his injury that he will have to deal with for about a year]. But it’s more uncomfortable than sore, so I’m not concerned about it at all.”

“I’ve been doing all the [conditioning work and skating] for the last two months,” added Kopitar. “Maybe it’s not as flexible as I want it to be, but again, it’s just the swelling. It’s not pain.”

Kopitar stressed that whatever flexibility issues he is experiencing is of no consequence.

“We’re talking about a couple of degrees here and there,” he noted. “It’s not affecting me at all. I’m not worried about that at all.”

Speaking Of Conditioning…

Outside of Doughty’s contract situation, perhaps the biggest story has been left wing Dustin Penner’s strength and conditioning, in light of him being in sub-par physical condition when he joined the Kings on February 28, 2011, the result of a trade deadline deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

But Penner dedicated himself to the strength and conditioning program prescribed for him during the summer, and it showed as early as mid-July, when he looked trim and very fit, having lost about ten pounds.

Murray has been keeping a close eye on Penner all summer long, and he finally got to see the results of all that hard work in action, and not just from Penner.

“Overall conditioning, the results were good [for everyone],” said Murray. “We do the off-ice and on-ice testing, and, most importantly for me, the actual hockey test, the on-ice skating was really good. The times—the heart rate recovery is what I look at as a primary number, and I’m seeing a real good look from every player who’s come into the camp.”

Penner said that he could tell the coaching staff was pleased with his physical testing results.

“The ones that I was worried about, I don’t know,” Penner explained. “They’re more intricate, like the rest and recovery [test] with the six sprints and then rest. They were pretty happy, based on the looks on [assistant coaches] John [Stevens’] and Jamie [Kompon’s] faces.”

When asked about his weight, Penner, as he often does, launched into his one-man stand up act.

“I tried this new thing where I close my eyes when I step on the scale, so I don’t find out until the media guide comes out,” he quipped. “It’s more exciting that way, so I don’t know, either.”

“We could have a watch party when it comes out,” he added.

But, thanks to Hockey Hall of Fame writer Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times, who cornered Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi, the gathered media were finally able to find out what Penner’s magic number was.

As it turns out, Penner lost not ten, but 18 pounds, dropping down to 242 pounds coming into training camp from the 260 pounds he weighed in late February.

Lombardi told reporters that while Penner still has work to do in terms of his physical conditioning, he is on the right track, and appears to have been sold on the benefits of hard work during the off-season.

“This year, what I focused on was body fat,” said Penner. “That dropped four percent.”

With the improved strength and conditioning, Penner appeared to be faster during puck pursuit and rush drills.

“I felt quicker, stronger,” he beamed. “From the start of my push, it’s strong all the way through, as opposed to before [his off-season training regimen] when I was losing power halfway through the push. I can finish my stride.”

Chemistry 101

Having played together when they were with the Philadelphia Flyers, center Mike Richards and left wing Simon Gagne are expected to quickly rebuild the chemistry they had with in the City of Brotherly Love.

Center Mike Richards (left), left wing Simon Gagne (center) and right wing Dustin Brown (right) hope to develop chemistry
quickly as one the Kings’ top forward lines.
Photo: David Sheehan

“Both players are world-class players,” Murray elaborated. “They played for Team Canada, they played in the Olympics. Those are teams that are put together very quickly. They have different looks, different systems, so it’s just a matter of presenting everything, and those guys have a very high IQ, so they’re going to adapt and adjust to stuff you’re putting in place very quickly.”

But over on other side, right wing and team captain Dustin Brown is the “new” guy on that line, and its going to take some time for the line to develop chemistry.

“It feels good,” said Brown. “I played against Richards, so I know his style. I don’t know Gagne nearly as well, but that’s what training camp is for, to work out the kinks.”

“Having played in Philadelphia, they have a good idea of how each other plays,” added Brown. “I’m just trying to incorporate myself into how they did things in Philadelphia, because they were very successful there.”

Richards pointed to communication as being a key factor towards building chemistry.

“[Gagne and Richards] did a lot of communicating out there, trying to get back to the old habits we had together a couple of years ago,” Richards noted. “It’s going to take some time, but the biggest thing is just talking it through and communicating, learning the game plan.”

“It’s not always about X’s and O’s, although some of it is,” Richards added. “It’s where people are going, and trying to get what they’re thinking as you get into games, and, obviously, games are the biggest thing. At practice, you do your best weed out the bad habits and push forward.”

With Gagne and Richards already having some chemistry, as much as Brown has to do to fit in with them, they have to work just as hard to fit with Brown.

“As a player, you want to go out there, just let it go, and see how we’re going to go,” said Gagne. “Brown was pretty good today, adjusting himself to us. But, at the same time, Mike and I have the responsibility to adjust to him, too.”

“I think that could be a really good line,” added Gagne. “We have three more practices before we play a [pre-season] game, so that’ll give us time to know each other pretty good and find ourselves on the ice. It’s going to be good to see how it goes in a real game.”

“It’s tough out here, because it’s practice situations, and we’re doing very specific drills,” Brown noted. “Once you get into a game, it’s more about chemistry and creativity.”

Although chemistry can take awhile to develop, Murray has high hopes it will come sooner rather than later during training camp.

“I’m just hoping that the chemistry is going to hit right away, as quickly as possible, and that I don’t have to change things are we get near the end of [training] camp,” he said.

Raw audio interviews from Day 1 of the Kings 2011 Training Camp (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

Related Stories:

• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Netminder Jonathan Bernier Is Focused On His Game…And Nothing Else
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: No More Stick Handling In A Phone Booth For Dustin Penner
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Time To Start Thinking About The Stanley Cup
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Andrei Loktionov Clears The Air While Thomas Hickey, Tyler Toffoli Turn Heads
• 2011 LA Kings Training Camp: Scott Parse May Be Playing Himself Out Of A Job
• LA Kings 2011 Training Camp: Goalie Prospect Jeff Zatkoff Approaches 2011-12 Season With Renewed Focus

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Logo courtesy LA Kings/NHL

The Kings rookies big line of Brandon Kozun, Linden Vey and Jordan Nolan accounted for most of the Kings’ scoring, accounting for three of their four goals, including two by Nolan, and four assists.

Center Jordan Weal also scored for the Kings rookies.

Nolan’s second goal capped a five-on-three power play in the waning seconds of the game, giving the Kings rookies their margin of victory.

Martin Jones, who faced eleven shots, played in goal during the first and second periods, allowing just one goal, even though it was a soft one that deflected into the net off his skate on a puck thrown towards the net from the left corner.

Michael Morrison, who was invited to the Kings rookie camp on tryout basis, played in the third period, allowing two goals on nine shots.

View the official scoresheet via Pointstreak.com.

Raw audio interviews (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Logo courtesy LA Kings/NHL

In Game 1 of the two-game tourney, the Coyotes rookies stormed back from a 6-3 deficit after two periods for a come-from-behind, 8-7 win over the Kings rookies on Wednesday night at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, the Kings’ practice facility.

After strong first and second periods by the Kings rookies, they took the third period off, leaving goaltender Christopher Gibson to fend for himself while they allowed five straight goals before the Kings scored their lone goal of the period with just three seconds left in the game.

Gibson started the third period after Martin Jones played in the first and second periods.

Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, September 15, 2011, at 2:00 PM PDT, also at the Toyota Sports Center.

View the official scoresheet via Pointstreak.com.

Raw audio interviews (Extraneous material and dead air have been removed; requires Adobe Flash Player):

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Ever since he completed his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, head coach Terry Murray has graciously taken time out of his busy schedule during the late summer when he is busy preparing for the upcoming season—rookie camp, rookie tournament, training camp—to talk with Frozen Royalty about the previous season and what’s ahead for the upcoming one.

Los Angeles Kings head coach
Terry Murray
Photo: David Sheehan

• Los Angeles Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Looks Back At 2010-11 Season
• Terry Murray Dishes On 2010-11 LA Kings’ Offensive Zone, Power Play Struggles
• LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray: Drew Doughty And Jack Johnson Need To Take Steps Forward In 2011-12
• Terry Murray: Added Talent Up Front Does Not Mean A New Style Of Play Is On The Horizon For LA Kings
• LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Talks Prospects, Goaltending, And The Return Of The Trap

You can also listen to the raw audio of the interview below (58:38; edited only to remove extraneous material and dead air; requires Adobe Flash Player):

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Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: In Part 5, the final installment of a series based on an exclusive interview with Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray, he talks about the chances for the Kings’ young prospects, such as center Andrei Loktionov, to make the big club’s opening night roster. He also discusses the loss of some of the Kings’ prospects to European leagues, his team’s goaltenders, and he warns of the return of the neutral zone trap…or a variation thereof.

Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray (right) talks with (from left) Kyle Clifford, Willie Mitchell and Trevor Lewis during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

Then you have Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Scott Parse, and heavyweight enforcer Kevin Westgarth—these forwards will likely fill out the remaining left and right wing spots on the third and fourth lines.

There is also a yet unknown factor…center Colin Fraser, who was acquired in the trade that sent left wing Ryan Smyth back home to the Edmonton Oilers on June 26 . Even though the Kings have filed a grievance with the National Hockey League, alleging that the Oilers misrepresented his condition at the time of the trade, it is unlikely that any remedy will result in Fraser being returned to the Oilers. As such, it appears that young prospects, such as center Andrei Loktionov, among others, are going to have a fierce battle ahead of them to get ice time, let alone a spot on the Kings’ 2011-12 opening night roster.

Indeed, the Kings do not appear to have any open spots in their lineup. Nevertheless, one can never say never—anything is possible.

“You never say no,” said Kings head coach Terry Murray. “You don’t know. Young guys improve over their time in Manchester. They’ll come to training camp, and there’s going to be lots of [exhibition] games. Players are going to play. You have to look at where their games are at.”

“There’s always opportunity, so we’ll see where it’s at,” added Murray.

Although Loktionov spent a little time on left wing during a short stint with the Kings last season, he was much better as a center, his natural position. But the Kings are now loaded at center, with Anze Kopitar, Richards, Stoll and Richardson expected to fill the four center spots. Then you have Lewis and, if he ends up with the Kings, Fraser, who are also natural centers.

Murray also noted that Loktionov is better as a center.

“I think he’s a center ice man,” said Murray. “He played pretty good as a winger last year when we asked him to. Obviously, a young player wants to play, and he’ll say, ‘yes coach, I’ll do it.’ But he’s a better center ice man, and when we got him to the middle last year, you could see he was better. He was more confident, more comfortable.”

“[Loktionov is] not going to play [as the third line center],” added Murray. “Stoll—that’s going to be his position. We have Lewis, we have Richardson. Lewis played some right wing last year. We’ll just have to wait and see how this all shakes out through the training camp and as we get through the exhibition games. He’s going to get an opportunity to play.”

True or not, as the head coach, Murray cannot admit that his lineup is pretty much set heading into training camp. Indeed, he cannot afford to have the team’s young prospects thinking there is no hope of making the big club’s roster, no matter what point they may be at in their development.

“I don’t want to rule anybody out, or discourage anybody,” Murray explained. “It’s important that everybody come in hungry and feel that they’re going to get a fair look at making the hockey club, especially when they’re knocking on the door as Loktionov is.”

“He’s close,” Murray elaborated. “There’s no question that he’s going to be a player who plays in the league and a good player.”

“We’ll see where things fall into place. We’ve got lots of players with the deals that have happened during the off-season, new guys coming in, so we’ll see where it’s at.”

Some of the Kings’ prospects, whether it was for more money, impatience, or other reasons, have decided to play in Europe next season, rather than play for the Kings or their primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.

Forwards Corey Elkins (HC Pardubice, Czech League), Oscar Moller and Bud Holloway (both will play for Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Elite League), have all departed for Europe.

Murray said, flatly, that these young players are not helping themselves in their quest to play in the NHL.

“Players like Oscar [Moller], I don’t get it, personally,” said Murray. “This is just my own feeling, it’s not a reaction from any conversation I had with anybody in the organization. To me, if you want to be a hockey player, and play in the best league in the world, the NHL, those players made a mistake.”

“You’re 22-23 years old, Elkins is a little older at 25,” added Murray. “Bud Holloway’s game, in the last two years in Manchester, has improved dramatically. He’s knocking on the door. Even if you start [the season] in Manchester, with the course of the way things go in a season, he’s right there as a call-up.”

“Oscar played in the playoffs last year. When Stoll got suspended, he played in Game 2 and he played well. To me, I don’t get it.”

In Elkins case, it makes even less sense because he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2011-12 season.

“Even with Corey Elkins, he becomes a Group 6 free agent at the end of the year,” Murray noted. “Why would you go [to Europe] when the spotlight is on you? There’s an opportunity with 29 other teams if you don’t feel that your opportunity is here.”

“When you’re young, and you want to play in the NHL, you hang in through the adversity, the grit—it’s a good thing,” Murray added. “You’re going to become a better player if you can deal with all this. Your opportunity will get there. At the young age of 22-23—to me, that’s a move you would make if you were 28, 29 or thirty years old, when you’ve been in the minors through your whole career.”

For A Change, Goaltending Not A Concern

Switching gears from young prospects to established strengths…for the vast majority of the Kings’ 44-year history, their goaltending has been the stuff that jokes are made of, rather than a strength. But last season, Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier showed that they may be the best pair of goaltenders the Kings have ever had.

Indeed going into the 2011-12 season, goaltending seems to be the least of the Kings’ concerns.

“The goaltending is very good,” said Murray. “Both guys are incredibly young, and the tandem is outstanding together. They really play hard for the team, and support each other, so we’re in a nice place there.”

“Jonathan Quick, if you go back and break down the [2010-11] season into quarters, the first quarter of the year, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” added Murray. “With Bernier, he got his taste of the NHL, he learned a lot, and it all paid off in the second quarter of the year. He was on his game, and won some big games for us.”

Quick got the majority of the starts as the team’s number one netminder, earning a 35-22-3 record, with a 2.24 goals-against average (GAA), a .918 save percentage, and six shutouts in 61 regular season games.

Bernier, who played in 25 regular season games, earning an 11-8-3 record, with a 2.48 GAA, a .913 save percentage and three shutouts, may see a bit more action in 2011-12.

“There will probably be more games there,” said Murray. “I don’t have it planned out as I did last year at this time. Jonathan Quick is our number one goaltender. That’s the way it is coming [into training camp].”

“Bernier, post-All-Star game, his game really improved,” added Murray. “He really stepped up. So it’s going to be exciting here in camp, in exhibition games. We’ll get going at the start of the year, and see where everything is at.”

The Second Coming Of The Neutral Zone Trap?

Last season, the Kings struggled offensively all year long, and that was no different late in the season and in the playoffs. But the reason was not just the absence of star center Anze Kopitar, who suffered a broken right ankle and torn ligaments, and missed the last seven games of the regular season, and all playoff games.

Indeed, late last season and in the playoffs, the Kings often saw opponents drop four or five players back to their blue line, a variation of the neutral zone trap, made famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view), by former New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire, who won the Stanley Cup in 1995 with neutral-zone-trapping Devils.

“The other thing that plays into [the Kings’ offensive struggles] big time, now, in this league, without the red line, you can go back through the playoffs, in almost any series,” Murray explained. “When teams lose possession of the puck, they’ve got four or five guys back on their own blue line. When you have that kind of mentality on the checking part of the game, it is literally impossible to enter [the attacking zone] with possession, and have a good rush attack game. Literally impossible.”

“Vancouver played a one-one-three game,” Murray elaborated. “Dallas, who we played a couple of times near the end of the year, they changed their checking game, dropping five guys back on their blue line. Anaheim—the last two games we played in the regular season, they had no forecheck going whatsoever. If you take a look at that game, they just lined up four across, their first man standing at the red line, center dot, and their other four guys across their blue line. It’s impossible to have any kind of possession/entry game [against that]. Absolutely impossible.”

Murray warned that the neutral zone trap, or a variation of it, is being used by an increasing number of NHL teams.

“That’s where our game is right now,” he lamented. “That’s the one thing, in losing the red line [in determining two-line passes], which has been going on in Europe for years, the old neutral zone trap that the New Jersey Devils were winning with—we knew, when the red line was going to come out, where the trap was going to go to. It was going to go from the red line back to the defensive [team’s] blue line. We knew that, we talked about it, and that’s exactly where the game is at.”

“You watch this year…as more and more teams go to that kind of philosophy when they lose possession,” he added. “There’s going to be less rush/possession game [play] than what there [has been].”

“If you look at the seventh game between Tampa Bay and Boston, as an example. When Tampa had no possession of the puck, where did they go? Their first man was at the red line, they had three guys across their blue line, and their fifth guy? He was at the hashmarks in front of his net, sometimes, he was almost touching the crease. The puck gets dumped in, he goes back and gets it, and rims it off the glass, out to the neutral zone. It’s only going to get harder and harder to score off the attack, and it’s harder to score in the offensive zone because of the shot block mentality.”

Murray is not the only one who has observed the return of the trap.

“…Five players idling in the neutral zone in a 1-3-1 configuration has become more prevalent than the stretch pass,” wrote Darren Eliot of Sports Illustrated, in his “View From The Ice” column (see “Return Of Neutral Zone Sludge,” January 24, 2011). “I even saw up-tempo aficionado Peter Laviolette of the [Philadelphia] Flyers pull all five of his guys into the neutral zone for long stretches recently. And why not? It conserves energy because less skating is involved. Defensive players are getting away with more while moving their feet less.”

“…I’m not blaming the coaches,” added Eliot. “If they can gain an advantage, they have to take it. Guy Boucher is bogging down the ice from blue line to blue line, but he has his Tampa Bay Lightning in first place atop the Southeast Division, and is challenging Laviolette’s Flyers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Boucher’s team gives up the fewest shots on goal in the NHL. His formula works.”

If Murray and Eliot are correct, this is a big, big problem for the NHL in term of growing the game and attracting new fans. After all, many hockey fans will tell you that watching Lemaire’s Devils and Wild teams was often about as entertaining as watching paint dry. Of course, that is an exaggeration, but not by much.

“Why [is the NHL] having all these research and development camps in the summertime? They’re trying to find ways to score,” said Murray. “It’s because of the attitude that’s out there right now, and with the red line being out, you don’t want to get caught with that long transition pass from behind the net to the far blue line, so everybody’s just staying above the puck.”

“With the way the game is set up now, with the five back mentality, you’re going to see it game after game after game.”

Related Stories:

• Los Angeles Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Looks Back At 2010-11 Season
• Terry Murray Dishes On 2010-11 LA Kings’ Offensive Zone, Power Play Struggles
• LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray: Drew Doughty And Jack Johnson Need To Take Steps Forward In 2011-12
• Terry Murray: Added Talent Up Front Does Not Mean A New Style Of Play Is On The Horizon For LA Kings
• Frozen Royalty Audio: Interview With LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray, August 24, 2011

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Right wing prospect Brandon Kozun spoke to
the media during the Los Angeles Kings
2011 Development Camp at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California, July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

But with changes in rules and in the interpretation of existing ones that have cut down on the hooking, holding and other means of obstructing an opponent’s ability to skate and maneuver, smaller players have, once again, found a niche in the NHL. Nevertheless, they still have to be able to compete and hold their own, physically, with the big boys, or they will not last.

When the Los Angeles Kings selected him in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, they knew they taking a bit of a gamble on right wing prospect Brandon Kozun, who was highly-skilled. But the knock on him was his size, or, more specifically, the lack thereof.

Kozun, now 21, is listed at 5-8, and weighs 156 pounds, very small by NHL standards. Nevertheless, he has no doubt that he can make it at the NHL level.

“I’ve heard every compliment [for being a good player for his size],” said the native of Los Angeles. “It doesn’t affect me. I’ve heard every small joke, [or that] ‘you can’t play here,’ or, ‘you can’t play there.’ I just don’t listen to it anymore.”

Kozun scored 32 goals and added 75 assists for 107 points in 65 regular season games for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (Canadian junior team) in 2009-10, topping the Canadian Hockey League (encompasses the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada) scoring list in his final season in the WHL.

Last season, he moved up to the American Hockey League level, playing for the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, where he scored 23 goals and tallied 25 assists for 48 points in 72 regular season games. He also added a goal and three assists for four points in seven playoff games.

Not surprisingly, moving up a couple of notches was an eye-opener for him.

“There’s a lot of things in pro [hockey] to learn, and I learned a lot this year,” said Kozun. “I think I’m a better player because of it. I’m a better pro. That’s something you need to learn. As a rookie, you come in, and it’s kind of tough. You don’t really know what to expect, and you kind of get thrown into it.”

“A lot of the play away from the puck is important,” added Kozun. “It’s taking care of the puck, and playing in your own end. Defense leads to offense, and the biggest thing for me was that I could get away with a few things in junior. I could force some plays and get [the puck] by some guys. But [in the AHL], I couldn’t do that.”

“[In junior hockey], I had a [tendency] to force plays out of the corner, trying to hit the far defenseman. Now, instead of trying to hit that defenseman, I’ll tight-turn back into the corner, and play the puck down low more.”

The experience gained from a year in the AHL was noticeable at the Kings’ 2011 Development Camp for their young prospects, held in July.

“I think there’s a big change in Brandon Kozun from last year at this time,” said Kings head coach Terry Murray. “In the scrimmages last year, he was a speedster, running around, hitting some speed bumps, falling down, getting up, and doing it all over again. This year, there’s more structure and purpose to where he’s going to go and how he’s going to get there. There’s more control and speed.”

“He still competes very hard,” added Murray. “He takes some hits and dishes them out, as we saw in the scrimmage here today. That’s a year of pro [hockey] under his belt, and he’s heading in the right direction.”

Despite the steps forward in his game, Kozun’s arrival in the AHL, like many before him, was not smooth sailing right off the bat.

“It was different,” he noted. “It was a humbling experience for me. I came in, and didn’t really know what to expect. I was double-shifted all the time in junior, and I got all the opportunity in the world, even if I made a mistake, I got thrown right back out there. Coming into [the pro ranks], there’s a lot of guys already there, and you have to compete with them. You have to pay your dues first before you can get those opportunities.”

“I learned to take care of the puck, not force plays, and play well in your own zone,” he added. “After that, the offense came. I’ve always been an offensive player, and as soon as I started playing a well-rounded game, everything started to click for me. I felt like I went to [the pro level] and paid my dues. I got better, took care of the puck, and, by the end of the year, I think you could [see] a huge difference.”

Kozun has had to work hard to be effective while being dwarfed in size by most defenders he has faced, and that was more evident than ever before at the AHL level. But, if you ask Kozun, that was not the biggest obstacle he had to overcome last season.

“I adapted to that pretty quick,” said Kozun. “Obviously, the first couple of games was a lot different. But as you play against them, you adapt to it, you get used to it, and I didn’t have too big of an issue with that.”

Speed is Kozun’s primary means used to negate his size and strength disadvantage.

“He’s a guy who always gets better every time you see him,” said Kings center prospect Jordan Weal, who played against Kozun as a member of the Regina Pats of the WHL. “He’s always been a guy who’s really fast, really strong. He’s just bringing that to the table here. Like you saw out there today, he’s making plays and moving his feet. As a smaller guy, that’s what he’s got to do.”

Kozun continues to work hard in the gym and on the ice to get stronger and faster, assets he must improve upon just to survive against the hulking behemoths he will face at the NHL level.

“I’ve been working hard all summer,” he said. “You’ve got to be in great shape to come in and crack the big club’s [lineup], and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Realistic or not, Kozun has his sights set firmly on the big club’s opening night roster this fall.

“I’m trying to continue to improve, but I think I’m getting to that point where I’m good enough to play at the next level,” he stressed. “Hopefully, I can get a chance to.”

Kozun is all but assured to be heading back to Manchester for the 2011-12 season, given that he is a small, skilled, speedy winger, and would need to play on the Kings’ first or second line, which appears to have all roster spots filled. Nevertheless, you never know what might happen, in terms of injuries, trades, or anything else that might impact the Kings’ roster.

Could he get a chance with the Kings this season? Although it is not at all likely, especially at the start of the season, it is not entirely out of the question, either.

Related Stories:

• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 1
• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 2
• Strong Goalie Pipeline Is A First And A Sign Of Strength For The Los Angeles Kings
• Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Prospect Jake Muzzin Likely To Be Waiting Awhile For His Turn
• Showing Signs Of Progress: LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Forbort, And Kevin Gravel
• Despite Long Odds, LA Kings Prospects Jordan Weal And Tyler Toffoli Have Sights Set On The NHL For 2011-12
• LA Kings Center Prospect Robert Czarnik Is Working Hard To Stay Out Of The Shadow
• Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Prospect Linden Vey’s Goal Is To Get Out Of The Cold
• Los Angeles Kings’ 2011 Late-Round Draft Picks Working To Beat Long Odds

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The National Hockey League Entry Draft is one huge crapshoot in terms of teams landing prospects who will make it to the NHL level to stay, let alone big stars, even for those who are lucky enough to be first round picks.

Left wing prospect Joel Lowry spoke to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

The most notable cases in point among Kings draft picks (not including active NHL players) would be:

• Butch Goring, Center (fifth round, 51st overall, 1969)
• Billy Smith, Goaltender (fifth round, 59th overall, 1970)
• Dave Taylor, Right Wing (15th round, 210th overall, 1975)
• Mark Hardy, Defenseman (second round, 30th overall, 1979)
• Bernie Nicholls, Center (fourth round, 73rd overall, 1980)
• Kevin Stevens, Left Wing (sixth round, 108th overall, 1983)
• Luc Robitaille, Left Wing (ninth round, 171st overall, 1984)
• Rob Blake, Defenseman (fourth round, 70th overall, 1987)
• Alexei Zhitnik, Defenseman (fourth round, 81st overall, 1991)

While that is more than a handful of players who went on to become impact players in the NHL, including five who won the Stanley Cup with other teams, they are a small drop in a huge bucket of draft picks who have mostly disappeared into hockey oblivion.

Not to be discouraged, later round draft picks usually march on, working hard to beat the long, long odds against them, and the Kings’ 2011 picks are no exception.

The NHL runs in the blood of left wing prospect Joel Lowry, who was selected by the Kings in the fifth round (140th overall).

Indeed, he is the son of Calgary Flames assistant coach Dave Lowry, who scored 164 goals and added 187 assists for 351 points with 1,191 penalty minutes in 1,084 regular season games as a left wing with the Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks from 1985-86 to 2003-04.

“Not everyone has the opportunity to experience a lot of the stuff that I experienced while growing up,” said the 6-1, 180-pound native of St. Louis, Missouri. “Going to a lot of games, and being around a lot of NHL players when I was really young, [he got to] see how hard they work every day, watch a lot of games, and see how plays develop.”

Joel Lowry, 19, scored 24 goals and tallied 43 assists for 67 points in 42 regular season games with the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League last season. He also scored five goals and added twelve assists for 17 points in twelve playoff games.

One does not often hear of prospects coming from the BCHL, which is a Junior A league in Canada, not one of the three Major Junior leagues (Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League). As such, Lowry has certainly chosen a different path to the NHL, but his short-term goal was to play collegiate hockey in the United States.

“I didn’t make [the] Red Deer [Rebels of the WHL] as a 17-year-old, so I started looking at the college route,” he explained. “[Playing in the] BCHL was probably my best option in order to go that way.”

“I went [to Victoria] in my 18-year-old season,” he elaborated. “I had an ‘OK’ season (15 goals and 29 assists for 44 points in 57 regular season games; one goal and four assists for five points in six playoff games). Then, I went back last year, and ended up getting a commitment to Cornell [University in the East Coast Athletic Conference], so it worked out pretty well for me.”

At the Kings’ 2011 Development Camp for their young prospects, held in July, Joel Lowry got a taste of what’s ahead, as he had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the level of play in the scrimmages.

“The speed is definitely pretty high,” he said. “You don’t have too much time out there to make a play.”

But one or two scrimmages during a summer development camp, especially the first one for a young prospect, does not mean a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things. What is far more important is what they take from it, and, like the other prospects at the camp, Joel Lowry had it drilled into him that he must get stronger and improve his conditioning.

“I have to make sure that I’m heading to campus in the best shape possible, skating-wise, and in the gym as well,” he noted. “I’ll be working out every day, and skating every day to get into the best shape possible.”

Left wing prospect Michael Schumacher spoke to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

“I’ve never been [in North America] before,” said the 6-3, 198-pound native of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. “It’s been great, [but] I haven’t seen much of LA. The rink, the hotel are all around here.”

Schumacher, 18, comes from a town that is a hockey hotbed.

“It’s an amazing hockey town,” said Schumacher, who played for Frolunda HC of the SuperElit, Sweden’s top junior league. “Everyone there loves hockey. It’s a special feeling to win a hockey game there.”

Given that retired NHL superstars Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund, along with current NHL stars, Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin, all came from or played in the same town as Schumacher, it is no wonder that Örnsköldsvik is such a big hockey town.

“Peter Forsberg [is his favorite player], said Schumacher. “He’s a big idol of mine. Actually, I was born in Örnsköldsvik, where he was playing.”

“The NHL is a special thing,” added Schumacher. “I want to see it right now. Almost 20,000 watching each game. It’s amazing. Where I live now, we get 10,000 or 11,000 for each game.”

Schumacher, who towered over the members of the local media during his interview, will need to add muscle to his frame if he hopes to be a power forward at the NHL level. Nevertheless, that is the game he plays.

“I would describe myself as a power forward,” he said. “But I can score goals, too, make plays, go hard to the net.”

Schumacher is expected to cross the Atlantic this season to play in the OHL, where the Owen Sound Attack selected him with their first pick (40th overall) in the 2011 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

“North American [hockey] is different from in Sweden,” he explained. “Much tighter games, more speed, more people watching the games—everyone loves hockey in Canada. It will be a big experience for me to play in Canada.”

“I’m just going to play my game, go hard every game, that’s all.”

Center prospect Andy Andrehoff spoke to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

“I play with a little edge,” said the 6-1, 198-pound native of Pickering, Ontario. “I was trying to throw a couple of hits to get the guys going.”

“I’m trying to show everything I can do,” added Andrehoff, 20. “Obviously, they like how I play, so I’m just trying to do it out here now. It’s a little different, but we’ll see how it goes the rest of the week.”

As he alluded to, Kings scouts saw something in Andrehoff, who had more than one interview with them prior to the draft. Despite that, he had no idea that they would select him.

“I had a couple of interviews with them, [but] they never told me that I would be picked or anything,” he said. “I was pretty happy that I got picked by them, because I liked the scouts that I [met with].”

What got him noticed was, aside from his ability to play a physical brand of hockey, was a big improvement in his offensive numbers last season with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, when he scored 33 goals and added 42 assists for 75 points with a +34 plus/minus rating and 108 penalty minutes in 66 regular season games. He also tallied three goals and contributed eight assists for eleven points with a +3 rating and 16 penalty minutes in ten playoff games.

Andrehoff’s regular season numbers were a far cry from the 15 goals and 33 assists for 48 points with a -18 rating and 70 penalty minutes in 2009-10, not to mention that he failed to get on the scoresheet at all in nine playoff games that year.

As with all players, confidence was key.

“I think my confidence [increased] a little bit,” Andrehoff explained. “My coach gave me a bunch of chances, and I capitalized on [them].”

“We had a great team, and we made the playoffs this year—we had a good run through the playoffs,” Andrehoff elaborated. “I think a little bit of everything helped me.”

Off-season work, including time spent with a Generals alumnus, played into the equation as well.

“Over the summer, I was working pretty hard on my skating, puck protection, stick handling, shooting,” said Andrehoff. “That helped out during the season.”

“Practicing with [current New York Islanders and former Generals center] John Tavares helped me a little bit,” added Andrehoff. “Little moves that he has, the way he shoots—just the little things [helped him].”

Although Tavares helped him train, Andrehoff looks to another NHL star as a role model.

“[He patterns his game after Flames star winger Jarome] Iginla, just because he’s an all-around player,” said Andrehoff. “He’s a leader, he can hit, score, pass, fight, everything.”

Not a bad choice as a role model, to be sure.

Matt Reitz, who covers the NHL for NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk, and is the Editor-In-Chief of View From My Seats, contributed to this story.

Related Stories:

• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 1
• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 2
• Strong Goalie Pipeline Is A First And A Sign Of Strength For The Los Angeles Kings
• Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Prospect Jake Muzzin Likely To Be Waiting Awhile For His Turn
• Showing Signs Of Progress: LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Forbort, And Kevin Gravel
• Despite Long Odds, LA Kings Prospects Jordan Weal And Tyler Toffoli Have Sights Set On The NHL For 2011-12
• LA Kings Center Prospect Robert Czarnik Is Working Hard To Stay Out Of The Shadow
• Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Prospect Linden Vey’s Goal Is To Get Out Of The Cold
• LA Kings Right Wing Prospect Brandon Kozun Is Not Allowing His Size To Be An Obstacle

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Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Center prospect Linden Vey spoke to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

Indeed, no matter what position you look at, the Kings have skilled, young players who are developing in Canadian junior leagues, in collegiate hockey, and at the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.

On the offensive side of the ledger, the Kings have a few forward prospects who lit up Canadian junior hockey, finishing among the top scorers in their respective leagues, if not leading all junior leagues in scoring.

One of those prospects, right wing Linden Vey, finished the 2010-11 season as the top scorer in the Canadian Hockey League, which encompasses all Canadian junior hockey leagues, scoring 46 goals and added 70 assists for 116 points with a +37 plus/minus rating and 36 penalty minutes in 69 regular season games with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League.

In the playoffs, Vey scored twelve goals and tallied 13 assists for 25 points with eight penalty minutes.

Last season was a breakout year for the 6-0, 181-pound native of Wakaw, Saskatchewan, compared to his 24 goals and 51 assists for 75 points in 72 regular season games in 2009-10.

Vey’s 2010-11 post-season numbers were also a big improvement over the previous year, when he scored just two goals with six assists for eight points in twelve playoff games.

Selected by the Kings in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Vey said the biggest reason for his improvement last season was added strength and better conditioning.

“Last summer, I spent a lot of time training with [Kings strength and conditioning coach] Tim [Adams] here in Los Angeles, and I think that was one of the things that benefitted me the most,” said Vey who was in Southern California in July for the Kings’ 2011 Development Camp. “I had always struggled a little bit with my conditioning and strength. Last season, I think I took big strides in that department, and it helped me to be more consistent throughout the year.”

“Being in better shape, I could play each and every night,” added Vey. “When we had three games in three nights, I could play at a high level each night, [as opposed] to a couple of seasons before, I’d have a good first game, but then I’d have to take the next couple of games slower.”

“When you’re in [good physical] condition, you can play more consistently throughout the whole season.”

As stated earlier, Vey’s 2010-11 numbers were not only the high mark for the WHL, but he led the entire CHL in scoring. But, as far as he is concerned, that is old news.

“[The CHL scoring title is] something you don’t think about too much,” he stressed. “Last year is done with. Now I’ve got to focus on the upcoming season. This is a big summer for me, training-wise. I want to make the jump to pro hockey, and I know I have to enjoy last season, but make sure to put that behind me and start getting ready for next year.”

Vey, 20, played four seasons with Medicine Hat (plus two regular season games in 2006-07), and has reached the age limit for Canadian junior leagues. Although he could play an over-age year with Medicine Hat, given what he has already accomplished during his junior career, the Kings are virtually guaranteed to have him play within their system, either with the Monarchs, or with their ECHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

In either case, Vey said that, in addition to other aspects of his game, like last summer, he must focus on his strength and conditioning once again this summer. To that end, he will do some strength and conditioning work in Minnesota, before returning to Los Angeles for more training with Adams.

“It’s a big thing for me to work on my strength,” said Vey. “I’ve always struggled a bit with that. I’ve got to make sure to get stronger.”

“There’s nothing you can’t get better at,” added Vey. “You’ve always got to keep improving as you move up. I’ve got to make sure that I improve in all aspects of my game this summer. I’ve got to be a well-rounded player, someone who’s able to play in all areas of the rink. Just to be able to play in the NHL one day, it doesn’t matter what role you’re in. You just want to be able to put on that Kings uniform and be a part of the team.”

Like Kings forward prospect Tyler Toffoli, Vey was not invited to participate in Hockey Canada’s evaluation camp for their 2010 World Junior team.

As in Toffoli’s case, Vey used the snub as motivation.

“It gave me extra motivation to go out there and work harder in the second half [of last season],” Vey noted. “I knew that I didn’t have the best camp I could when I went to the World Junior camp.”

“You can’t let those things affect what’s going on in your season,” he added. “You just have to push through, put it behind you, and use it as motivation. Every kid in Canada wants to play on that team, but there’s only twenty spots. You have to make sure that when you go to those things, you have to play well.”

“You don’t really worry about [things like] that. You can’t control [them]. The only thing you can control is what you do on the ice, and how you prepare. That’s what I focused on. All those other things are not up to you. I just have to stay focused. My dream is to play in the NHL one day. I just have to keep improving, one day at a time.”

Something else Vey shares with Toffoli…a very special role model.

“There’s a lot of guys you look up to, and you take things from each [of them],” Vey emphasized. “I just like the way [Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center] Sidney Crosby plays. He’s got that competitive edge, and he’s a guy who can play in every situation.”

“You want to be that kind of guy,” Vey added. “Not everybody’s got the skill that Sidney Crosby’s got, but his work ethic is pretty amazing.”

Vey also has some extra incentive to make it to Los Angeles as soon as possible…getting out of the icy cold back home.

“In Saskatchewan, where I grew up, the winters are a little tough,” he explained. “When you get the -40 degree weather, it’s not much fun.”

“I think I could handle the weather here [in Southern California]. I don’t think it’s too hard to adjust to this kind of weather.”

Related Stories:

• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 1
• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 2
• Strong Goalie Pipeline Is A First And A Sign Of Strength For The Los Angeles Kings
• Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Prospect Jake Muzzin Likely To Be Waiting Awhile For His Turn
• Showing Signs Of Progress: LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Forbort, And Kevin Gravel
• Despite Long Odds, LA Kings Prospects Jordan Weal And Tyler Toffoli Have Sights Set On The NHL For 2011-12
• LA Kings Center Prospect Robert Czarnik Is Working Hard To Stay Out Of The Shadow
• Los Angeles Kings’ 2011 Late-Round Draft Picks Working To Beat Long Odds
• LA Kings Right Wing Prospect Brandon Kozun Is Not Allowing His Size To Be An Obstacle

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

Center prospect Robert Czarnik spoke to
the media during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp at the Toyota Sports Center
in El Segundo, California, July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

Czarnik, 21, is no longer eligible to play in Canada’s junior hockey leagues (he had an over-age year of eligibility left for 2010-11), so the Kings will now have to find room for him with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, their primary minor league affiliate, or with the Ontario Reign, their ECHL affiliate.

The 6-0, 185-pound native of Detroit, Michigan was selected by the Kings in the third round (63rd overall) of the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft, fresh out of two seasons with the United States Under-18 Team.

“It was after my freshman year in high school, I was invited to play for them right away,” said Czarnik. “It was a junior team, and I always wanted to play for Team USA, so as soon as they offered that to me, I jumped on it, and took advantage of it. I think it was the best decision I’ve made.”

Once there, Czarnik got a bit of a rude awakening.

“It taught me a lot,” he noted. “I went in there, expecting to be good, because I was good when I was younger.”

His teammates quickly knocked that chip right off Czarnik’s shoulder.

“[Playing for that team] taught me that I had to play harder and play [well] at all times,” he said.

Czarnik was recruited by the University of Michigan, and played one full season and part of another for Red Berenson’s team, but decided that the Wolverines were not for him.

“I got an offer, and that’s the school I wanted to go to,” Czarnik explained. “But I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t weigh all my options. I think I [decided to attend the University of Michigan] too early. I didn’t think it through. I did that after my freshman year in high school, so I was really young, 15 years old.”

“When I got there, it wasn’t the place I [felt that] I should be,” Czarnik elaborated. “I didn’t think I was developing I should’ve been. That’s why I decided that I should leave, and go to the [Ontario Hockey League].”

Indeed, Czarnik said good-bye to the Wolverines after playing in twelve games in the 2009-10 season. He then signed with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, going on to score 17 goals and add 32 assists for 49 points with a +10 plus/minus rating and 28 penalty minutes in 43 regular season games. He also contributed four assists with six penalty minutes in nine playoff games that season.

Last season, Czarnik had a breakout year, nearly doubling his goal production from the previous year, scoring 33 goals and adding 44 assists for 77 points with a +4 rating and 46 penalty minutes. He also scored four goals and contributed five assists for nine points with six penalty minutes in eleven playoff games.

“[Canadian juniors is] a different style of game,” said Czarnik. “College is completely run-and-gun. You only play two games a week, forty games a year.”

“When you go to the OHL, it’s more of a pro style game,” added Czarnik. “You play more games, and you also have to be better positioned in the defensive zone and the offensive zone.”

Czarnik was in Southern California in mid-July to participate in the Kings’ 2011 Development Camp, where more highly-touted prospects, such as forwards Brandon Kozun, Tyler Toffoli and Linden Vey, received much of the attention.

Indeed, wth Kozun, the leading scorer in the Canadian Hockey League (encompasses all Canadian junior hockey leagues) in 2009-10, Toffoli, who led all OHL scorers last season, and Vey, who topped the CHL in scoring in 2010-11, who was paying any attention to the other forwards?

Despite hitting the same ice with those gifted goal scorers, Czarnik was not going to hide behind their shadow, even though he knows it will not be easy to be noticed down the road as a forward prospect with those three also in the Kings’ system.

“They’re goal scorers,” said Czarnik. “I put up points, but I have another side of my game, too. I’m excited that I’m a two-way forward.”

Like all the other prospects, Czarnik has a lot of work to do before he can have anything close to a realistic hope of making it to the NHL.

“I need to get better in all areas,” he stressed. “I’ve been doing skill [work] with [Kings collegiate scout and former left wing] Mike Donnelly a lot. I’ve been doing that every single day this summer, and my skills have been improving a lot.”

“I also need to work on puck protection, just competing at all times, defensive zone play—I think I’ve improved in every area of my game.”

Related Stories:

• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 1
• Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 2
• Strong Goalie Pipeline Is A First And A Sign Of Strength For The Los Angeles Kings
• Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Prospect Jake Muzzin Likely To Be Waiting Awhile For His Turn
• Showing Signs Of Progress: LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Forbort, And Kevin Gravel
• Despite Long Odds, LA Kings Prospects Jordan Weal And Tyler Toffoli Have Sights Set On The NHL For 2011-12
• Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Prospect Linden Vey’s Goal Is To Get Out Of The Cold
• Los Angeles Kings’ 2011 Late-Round Draft Picks Working To Beat Long Odds
• LA Kings Right Wing Prospect Brandon Kozun Is Not Allowing His Size To Be An Obstacle

All stories and audio content on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this blog are required.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies

EL SEGUNDO, CA — With the Los Angeles Kings having acquired two, top-six forwards this summer in center Mike Richards and left wing Simon Gagne, their top two lines appear to be set for the 2011-12 season.

Center prospect Jordan Weal spoke to the media
during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in
El Segundo, California, July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

Despite the astronomical odds against making it onto the Kings’ opening night roster, two of their young prospects, centers Jordan Weal from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and Tyler Toffoli from the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League, have their sights set firmly on the National Hockey League for the 2011-12 season.

“I’m going to try and make the Kings,” said Weal, who was selected by the Kings in the third round (70th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. “I’m going to come [to Southern California] in the Fall, and give it all that I’ve got. If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll know that I’ve given it everything I can, and that I’ll be that much better going back to Regina to help my team out there.”

“There’s been tons of guys who’ve come into [an NHL training camp fresh out of junior hockey], kind of [coming] out of nowhere for the organization,” Weal added. “If you don’t set your goals high, you’re just going to come in lackadaisical. If I set my goals to make the team, maybe I get into a couple of exhibition games and get some experience there.”

A noble attitude for a young prospect, no doubt. But before the 5-10, 170-pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia gets a real shot at making the big club, even he knows he has a long way to go. Nevertheless, he spoke of making significant progress last season.

“I’m a little more defensively responsible, actually, I’d say a lot more,” he noted. “Last year, I learned a lot about the game away from the puck, watching video and stuff like that with my coach. It was an area I definitely needed to work on, and I think I improved [in that area] dramatically.”

On the other side of the red line, quickness will be a factor in Weal’s potential ascent to the NHL.

“Quickness, moving my feet in the offensive zone [are keys to his game], because it’s a lot harder to hit a moving target than someone who’s standing still,” said Weal. “If I keep my feet moving, and think the game a couple steps ahead of the other guys, I can stay on top of that and create chances.”

At his first Kings Development Camp in 2010, Weal, who is now 19 years old, was more than a bit surprised at the intensity of the physical training the team put their young charges through.

“The workouts…they’re extremely tough,” Weal said at the time. “Working out at the next level is a whole new ball game. You’ve got to push yourself that much more. I was a little shocked at the first workout, at how hard it was and how hard it has been [during the camp].”

“The warm-ups we do for workouts are almost harder than the workouts themselves,” Weal added. “[Kings strength and conditioning coach] Tim Adams pushes us really hard.”

Weal, who scored 43 goals and added 53