News & Views on the Los Angeles Kings and the National Hockey League by Gann Matsuda
July 12, 2011 10 Comments
EL SEGUNDO, CA — The Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp for their young prospects was already well underway by the time their first on-ice session that was open to the public and the media on July 11 came around. Read more of this post
June 26, 2011 1 Comment
LOS ANGELES — The 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft, held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 24-25, was expected to be quite uneventful for the Los Angeles Kings, who did not have a pick in the first round after they traded it to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline in the deal that brought winger Dustin Penner to the Kings.
Logo courtesy: National Hockey League
“We’re excited,” Kings Co-Director of Amateur Scouting Michael Futa told LAKings.com. “You always talk about that when you’re leaving the draft, about your excitement level, and the energy.”
“Today was a long day, especially for the first time for us, as a group, to go through yesterday without a pick—that was an eternity,” Futa added. “To be active [in the first round the last handful of years], and then to see things fall the way they did [this year], we were thrilled.” Read more of this post
October 30, 2010 2 Comments
LOS ANGELES — With the Los Angeles Kings back home from a five-game road trip in which they earned a solid 3-2-0 record, they now find themselves in a rather lofty position, atop the Western Conference standings and second in the overall National Hockey League standings (through games played on October 29).
As one might expect, players such as Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Jonathan Quick have played key roles in the team’s strong 7-3-0 start through ten games. But role players are making solid contributions as well, including versatile forward Brad Richardson, whose strong play has earned him a promotion to the Kings’ top line, skating alongside Brown and Kopitar.
But at the start of that five-game road swing, beginning with a 4-2 loss at Phoenix on October 21, Richardson found himself in his usual spot on the fourth line.
Little did he know that big changes were in store for him, and they came rather unexpectedly early in the second period at Colorado on October 23.
In that game, Richardson, 24, started the game on the fourth line, but Kings head coach Terry Murray, as he is wont to do, decided to tinker with his line combinations, moving Richardson up to play left wing on the first line, while moving rookie forward Andrei Loktionov down to center the fourth line. Read more of this post
October 6, 2010 2 Comments
EL SEGUNDO, CA AND LAS VEGAS, NV — As the Los Angeles Kings emerged from their 2010 training camp and exhibition season, conventional wisdom was that, with veteran defenseman Matt Greene on the shelf as he recovers from shoulder surgery, one young defenseman would make the Kings’ 2010-11 opening night roster.
All eyes were on highly-touted blue liner Thomas Hickey, who was selected by the Kings in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and was a fairly heavy favorite to make the big club’s roster. Read more of this post
September 7, 2010 6 Comments
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: In part 2 of a series of stories based on an interview with Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray, we look at the Kings’ defense and goaltending as their 2010 training camp approaches. Look for the third and final installment of this series on Thursday, September 9.
EL SEGUNDO, CA — As the saying goes in hockey, defense and goaltending is what wins championships and for the Los Angeles Kings, while their goaltending looks to be on the rise, there may be a question or two on defense, despite the presence of James Norris Trophy finalist Drew Doughty and the increasingly confident Jack Johnson. Read more of this post
September 3, 2010
David Kolomatis
Photo: Manchester Monarchs
The 5-11, 189-pound native of Livingston, New Jersey played in 76 regular season games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (Kings’ primary minor league affiliate) last season, scoring eight goals and adding 21 assists for 29 points, tying him for second among Monarchs defensemen in points. He was also tied for second among club defensemen in goals and assists, while ranking seventh in the AHL in points for rookie defensemen.
Kolomatis topped Monarchs defensemen last season with five power play goals. Read more of this post
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