FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles Kings forward prospect Jordan Weal took some time to speak exclusively with Frozen Royalty during the Kings’ 2012 Development Camp early last month.
to the media during the Los Angeles Kings’
2011 Development Camp.
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
…that he was way too small to play junior hockey, let alone at the professional level.
“It’s something I’ve had to deal with all my life, being a smaller guy,” said Weal, who was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round (70th overall) of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft. “People have always said that I’m too small to play, even going into the WHL draft, people thought I was too small to make it.”
Two years later, Weal has added seven pounds to his 5-9 frame, now weighing 180 pounds. He is also enjoying greater success in maintaining his playing weight and adding muscle.
“Maintaining my weight [has] been a tough thing for me to do these last couple of years because I’m still young, and my metabolism is racing along,” the twenty-year-old native of North Vancouver, British Columbia explained. “If I don’t eat a bunch, I’m losing weight. This year, I didn’t lose any weight. I maintained it, so I’m really happy with that.”
“Nelson Emerson [who oversees player development for the Kings] came to one of my games, and I saw a couple of the scouts at some of my games,” Weal elaborated. “They like how I play, they just know that the off-ice part is going to be [my biggest challenge], just gaining size, and maturing. But I’m starting to [maintain] weight easier, and put on weight easier.”
“It’s going to be a big summer, working five or six days a week [with a bit of a break that followed the Kings’ annual development camp in early July].”
Although adding size and strength will continue to be the biggest challenge in his quest to make it to the NHL someday, it is definitely not Weal’s only one.
Indeed, Weal is a skilled offensive forward, but the knock on him has been his play in the defensive zone, not to mention his play away from the puck. But he has been working on those aspects of his game.
“I think I made a lot of strides in both areas, especially in the defensive zone,” said Weal. “Our new coach, Pat Conacher, really stressed that a lot with his top players, that you have to be responsible at both ends of the ice.”
“As you get older, you begin to understand the game a little more in the defensive zone,” added Weal. “Sometimes less is more in the defensive zone. You can be more efficient in getting pucks out of your zone, and into the offensive zone. That’s what I learned how to do.”
“Once you learn the defensive game, it becomes a little more fun. You can definitely use it to your advantage.”
Prior to the 2011-12 season, Weal’s team, the Regina Pats, was one of the worst teams in the WHL. But last season, they turned things around in a big way, reaching the playoffs for the first time in recent memory.
“It was good, it was really fun,” Weal said about last season. “We got a new coaching staff this year, and we picked up some new players in the off-season. That really helped a lot. It was a fresh start for a lot of guys.”
“We had a really good start, and I think we carried that out through the whole season,” Weal added. “We had a lot of guys who really worked hard, a great coaching staff that brought the guys together well. It all meshed well together. We didn’t do what we wanted to do in the playoffs, but it was a fun ride.”
Weal credited Conacher, who played for the Kings from 1992-93 through about half of the 1995-96 season, as a big reason for the turnaround.
“He’s been around, and he’s been around [Wayne Gretzky], the greatest player to ever play the game,” said Weal. “That really helped, because everything he said, the guys were really listening. When you have a coach that guys really respect, it can help a team a lot.”
“He’s a real [hard-nosed coach], and I think that’s exactly what we needed in Regina,” added Weal.
Despite Conacher’s efforts, the Pats were bounced out of the WHL playoffs by the Moose Jaw Warriors in five games.
“We were up against a really good team, the Moose Jaw Warriors,” Weal noted. “We were down [in the series], 2-1, and we were [leading Game 4], 4-3. But with five minutes left in the game, we got a five-minute major [penalty]. We would’ve tied the series, 2-2, if we had won that. But we took that penalty, and they scored on the power play, and won it in double overtime.”
“When they were up, 3-1 [in the series], they had a real stranglehold on the series,” Weal added. “That was tough. If we could’ve tied the series, it could’ve been a different story. But it’s one of those experiences that you have to go through. Hopefully, everyone learned something from it.”
Despite being eliminated from the WHL playoffs in fairly short order, after three seasons of not making the WHL playoffs with the Pats, Weal accentuated the positive.
“We actually won Game 1 in Moose Jaw, and I think they only lost three games all year in their own barn,” he said. “We played one hell of a game. All of our lines were going, It was pretty cool to get our first playoff win. It didn’t go our way after that, but to get our first playoff win in that rink was pretty special.”
“For a couple of years, we didn’t have a winning team, or a winning attitude,” he added. “Just getting back on track with that—winning is so much fun. It makes your life much more enjoyable, and I think I forgot what that [felt] like. This [past] season, I got a feel for it again, with all the wins coming together. Being on a good team, that came together as a 24-man unit was the highlight [of his season].”
“The way we were winning, it was a real team effort. There wasn’t pressure on one or two guys to get the job done, like there was in previous years in Regina. It was all the guys firing, and all lines contributing. We had great goaltending all year, and we had one of the best defensive corps in the league.”
On the offensive side of the red line, Weal scored 41 goals and contributed 75 assists for 116 points in 70 regular season games, improving upon his 2010-11 regular season numbers, 43 goals and 53 assists, good for 96 points in 72 games.
“I got to play with some guys who were really hard workers, and that’s all you can ask from your wingers, and I played a lot at center,” he explained. “They did a lot of hard work along the walls to get me the puck, and to get the puck up to the offensive zone [and they] gave me time and space to make plays and create scoring chances.”
Consistency has also been an issue for Weal, but he is making strides in that aspect of his game.
“It’s always a challenge to be as consistent as you can throughout the year,” he stressed. “It’s something I take pride in. You know that you’re not going to be at your best every day. But that’s when you know that you have to bear down, and give the team all that you can.”
Despite his lack of size, Weal added a bit of physical play to his repertoire last season, something he will need at the NHL level.
“Another thing I was doing a lot more this [past] year was hitting, and it’s knowing when to hit,” he noted. “When you’re a smaller guy, you can’t just go running at a 210-pound guy when he’s looking at you. It’s got to be as he’s turning—you’ve got to catch him by surprise, get on’em as quick as you can, while he’s off-balance, to knock him over.”
“It’s something I’m starting to get a hang for,” he added. “Everyone needs to have [some physical play] in their game. If I can keep improving on that, it’ll really help me.”
Even more important than hitting, for a smaller player, is the ability to win loose puck battles against bigger, stronger opponents, something that will likely play a huge role in determining whether or not Weal can make the jump to the NHL.
“Loose puck battles are something that I’ve always worked on,” said Weal. “I think I do pretty well in the corners. I’ve tried to work on that a lot, because it’s a big part of anyone’s game. If you can [win those battles] anywhere on the ice, you really give yourself opportunities to have success.”
Although he was not among the players the Kings brought to Los Angeles during their playoff run to the first Stanley Cup Championship in the 45-year history of the franchise, Weal watched all the games and drew inspiration from them.
“What the Kings did was pretty spectacular, losing only four games throughout the playoffs,” he emphasized. “That’s pretty unheard of, and they [had to play] the top three seeds in the Western Conference, all pretty awesome teams.”
“I was thinking that I was skating with [Kings captain Dustin Brown] nine months ago [at training camp], and now he’s lifting the Stanley Cup,” Weal added. “It just shows you that if you keep working hard, and keep going after your goals, maybe one day, I’ll have an opportunity to play [for the Kings].”
After winning the Stanley Cup, expectations are now higher for everyone in the Kings organization, and that includes their young prospects. But Weal knows that his focus cannot change.
“It took a lot of hard work, and they wanted it more than anyone else—that’s why they won the Cup,” said Weal. “But that doesn’t change [things for me]. I just have to stick to business, and keep doing what I’m doing.”
“If you let too much stuff get into your head, you start thinking about everything, you stray from things that you really want to do,” added Weal. “I want to play [at the professional level], and that’s going to be my goal this summer, in training. If I don’t reach that goal, it’s going to be disappointing, so I’m going to work as hard as I can.”
Weal is realistic enough to know that he has virtually no chance of making the Kings roster for the upcoming season, but their American Hockey League farm team, the Manchester Monarchs, is a distinct possibility (he could also wind up back with the Pats as an over-ager). But then there’s that big, annoying monster that has followed him throughout his hockey career…
“It’s just a matter of proving people wrong,” he stressed. “There’s been so many stories of guys who were smaller, but they defied the odds, and made their dreams come true by playing in the NHL, and winning Stanley Cups.”
“I’m just going to have to take a page out of their book.”
If nothing else, you have to admire Weal’s determination…
Frozen Royalty’s Jordan Weal Coverage
- LA Kings F Jordan Weal Remains Focused Despite Disappointing NHL Debut
- Jordan Weal and Nick Shore: Who Has The Edge For LA Kings 3rd Line Center Spot?
- LA Kings’ Rob Blake On Jordan Weal: “There’s Not A Lot of Players Like That Around”
- From Doubts To Dominating: LA Kings F Prospect Jordan Weal Has Risen To The Top Of The AHL
- LA Kings Center Prospect Jordal Weal Is “Doing Everything He Possibly Can To Become An NHL Player”
- Center Prospect Jordan Weal Is Turning Heads At LA Kings 2013 Training Camp
- LA Kings Center Prospect Jordan Weal Talks About 2012-13 Season, Challenges Still Ahead
- Despite Long Odds, LA Kings Prospects Jordan Weal And Tyler Toffoli Have Sights Set On The NHL For 2011-12
- Frozen Royalty Audio: LA Kings 2012 Development Camp
- Frozen Royalty Audio: 2011 Los Angeles Kings Development Camp – Part 1
- LA Kings Work Young Prospects Hard At 2010 Development Camp
- LA Kings Take Some Risks In 2010 NHL Entry Draft
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i really hope if the Kings dont keep Weal in the AHL that they dont send him to the worst pro league in north america in the ECHL where players go & rot away. I would love to see him back in Regina but id rather see the Pats trade him to the Saskatoon Blades (host of the 2013 Memorial Cup) or trade him to the Edmonton Oil Kings then see him rot away in the ECHL.
Weal is welcomed back in Regina any day to work on the things he needs to work on to become a better pro in the years to come. He is always knocked on his defensive play but he has taken huge strides in becoming alot better in his own end, which does come with maturity and being stronger as these junior kids get older.
If Weal is returned to the Regina Pats he has a great chance at becoming the Regina Pats All-Time leading scoring in franchise history (which has been around for 95yrs) currently Weal sits 106pts behind a Regina Pats legend in Dale Derkatch who amassed 491 career pts. Weal sits only 34pts behind 2nd all-time which is currently held by Mike Sillinger with 419pts. Would be a great feat to accomplish by a player in todays modern era of the game. He currently sits 4th all-time.
A side note Jordan Weal has put up more points then his former teammate Jordan Eberle here in Regina with the same amount of games played (254 career WHL games with the Pats) Weal had 338pts compared to Eberle’s 310pts…. Now by no means am i comparing these 2 players as 1 was a pure goal scorer in Eberle where Weal is a playmaker. But the caparision is closer then u may think….. Weal is listed at 5’9 180lbs where Eberle was listed at 5’11 184lbs when his junior career was over…. is 2″ & 4LBS really that big of a deal when talking about pure skilled players? Weal is alot better of a skater then Eberle ever will be, Eberle had the same doubters as well saying he was too small to become an every day pro at the NHL level…. where is Eberle now?? 1 of the preimer scorers in the Western Conference.
My gut feeling is that Weal will end up back in Regina for the 2012-13 season. He’ll be disappointed, but Kings prospects are in standstill mode now with the big club returning their entire roster from last season, with one exception that won’t change anything. The only question is: will returning to Regina slow his development, as opposed to playing at a higher level? That’s always a possibility.
thanks Gann for another good in depth look at a player..and thank you Scott for your insight as well. I do agree the ECHL does not seem to do anything for players..at least not for the King’s Ontairo Reign.
How easily we forget…Dwight King, a key member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup team last season, played a stint with the Reign. While it’s debatable how much that did for his development, you can’t say they don’t get some credit for his improvement.
Gann i really hope ur right that Weal gets returned to junior for another season. I know he isn’t even on the Kings top 10 prospects, which is hard to believe. A kid who puts up 116 pts in the WHL is not considered a top prospect for a club, but yet the #10 prospect (from The Hockey News) is a Russian kid 1 yr older who put up like 7 pts in 40-ish games who is a forward as well… Yes he does have 3 inches on Weal, but where does the skill level of a kid start to pay off instead of the kids size.
You apparently haven’t seen Weal in the Kings Development, Rookie or training camps. His lack of size and strength has been a significant issue. It’s also why he didn’t play during the AHL playoffs when he was called up to Manchester after the WHL playoffs ended for Regina. Until he puts on more muscle and learns to play bigger than he is, he’ll continue to be ranked lower, and for good reason.
thanks for ur input & no i didnt see any of the games he played in but i did know he didnt dress for playoffs… reading what u have just said i hope ur right that he ends up back in junior then, i always knew he could be abit better away from the puck… another year of growing & adding muscle in junior wouldnt hurt him at all the guy has all the offensive talent a team could ask for but i must say not sure if u had seen it while he was down there playing but his little spin hit that he does in the corners is effective against the younger inexperienced Dmen but once he tries it against a Mcilrath or Petrovic it was very ineffective.
Send him back to Regina let him become the Pats all-time leading scorer that will end up being his legacy in his hockey career anyways.. i never for 1 second thought hed be a NHL regular but i do think a decent AHL career could be in store for him
But will another year in junior hockey be the right thing for his development? He’s already played his four years in juniors, so I’m inclined to think that he’d be best served by learning at the AHL level…if he can make the Monarchs’ roster…