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LA Kings Goalie Prospect Martin Jones Is Making Progress In Spite Of Tough Season With Manchester

LA Kings goaltender prospect Martin Jones has been be under the
spotlight as the clear-cut number one goalie for the AHL’s
Manchester Monarchs this season.
(click to view larger image)
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES — Heading into the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and again this past summer, Los Angeles Kings backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier expressed his desire to become a number one goaltender in the National Hockey League, as all netminders aspire to be in their professional careers.

Bernier even asked to be traded before the playoffs began. However, at the time, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi was not in a position to grant his request because he had no goaltenders in the system ready for backup duty at the NHL level.

That fact was all too apparent once the NHL lockout ended, and the questions about Bernier being traded started up again. In fact, just prior to the start of the abbreviated 2013 season, Lombardi indicated that he would not be able to trade Bernier yet.

“I don’t think that’s feasible at all right now, for the team,” said Lombardi. “He’s an important part of this team. Let’s face it. Our guys in the minors aren’t ready for that role, and that’s an important role.”

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LA Kings Prospect Jean-Francois Berube Is Struggling To Earn #1 Goalie Spot With ECHL’s Ontario Reign

LA Kings goalie prospect Jean-Francois Berube continues to struggle to
secure the number one goaltender spot with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign.
(click to view larger image)
Photo: David Sheehan

ONTARIO, CA — Even though 22-year-old goaltending prospect Martin Jones was never selected by a National Hockey League team during their annual Entry Draft, Los Angeles Kings scouts saw something special while he played for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.

After signing with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent, Jones’ development has progressed faster than expected, and he has replaced Jeff Zatkoff as the number one goaltender for the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League Read more of this post

2012-13 Will Be A Big Test For Los Angeles Kings Goaltender Prospect Martin Jones

LA Kings goaltender prospect Martin Jones will be under the
spotlight as the clear-cut number one goalie for the AHL’s
Manchester Monarchs this season.
(click to view larger image)
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES — It was not so long ago that goaltender Martin Jones of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen was passed over in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Talk about discouraging.

But scouts for the Los Angeles Kings were impressed by his play—18-8-1 record, 2.12 goals-against average (GAA), .911 save percentage, and one shutout—in the 2007-08 season. That earned him an invitation to the Kings Development Camp in July 2008, where he made an even bigger impression, so much so that they signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract on October 2, 2008.

Jones went on to shine in goal for the Hitmen for two more seasons before making the jump to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings’ primary minor league affiliate), splitting time with netminder Jeff Zatkoff, also a Kings prospect at the time, in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

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