Advertisements

Lest We Forget: Justin Auger Was Solid In His NHL/LA Kings Debut

October 21, 2017 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings right wing Justin Auger
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
(click above to view larger image)

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Last Wednesday, when the Los Angeles Kings handed the Montreal Canadiens a 5-1 loss, the stars of the show were forwards Adrian Kempe, who recorded the first hat trick of his National Hockey League career, and Michael Cammalleri, who scored two goals and added two assists for four points after being a healthy scratch in the team’s previous two outings.

To be sure, Kempe and Cammalleri were surrounded by a throne of reporters after the game, and they were pretty much all reporters asked head coach John Stevens about during his post-game press conference.

Completely lost in the excitement was the fact that yet another young player, right wing Justin Auger, who was selected by the Kings in the fourth round (123rd overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, became the fourth this season to make his NHL debut with the Kings.

Read more of this post

Advertisements

Filed under News, Prospects Tagged with , , , , , ,

What’s Fueling The Flying Start By LA Kings Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown?

October 14, 2017 by Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings center and captain Anze Kopitar
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
(click above to view larger image)

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The Los Angeles Kings are only three games into the 2017-18 National Hockey League season, but with Anze Kopitar scoring three goals and adding three assists for six points, with a +6 plus/minus rating in those games, he is already way ahead of the curve.

Indeed, last season, although the entire team struggled, Kopitar scored just twelve goals. He didn’t score his third goal of the 2016-17 season until December 13, 2016, against the Buffalo Sabres (a 6-3 loss), 23 games into the season.

“I’m happy with my start, and the way things are going right now, but not a whole lot has changed,” said Kopitar. “I had a good off-season. I feel good, and there’s definitely one of those [luck] things going, where you see a couple go in, especially [my] second one in San Jose [a 4-1 win on October 7], when it bounces off the guy’s stick and goes in. That makes you feel good, feel the puck a little bit better, and see the ice a little bit better. You just try to ride the wave as long as you can.”

Read more of this post

Filed under News, Prospects Tagged with , , ,

LA Kings Alex Iafallo: Not Your Typical NHL Debut Story

October 7, 2017 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Iafallo
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
(click above to view larger image)

EL SEGUNDO AND LOS ANGELES, CA — For any hockey writer covering a young player making his National Hockey League debut, chances are astronomical that he or she is secretly hoping that the player in question will, at least, record an assist, if not score a goal, that his team will win, and that his family, especially his parents, were able to be there to witness it all, first-hand. After all, those factors generally make for a better story.

But for Los Angeles Kings rookie forward Alex Iafallo, he didn’t need to figure in the scoring on October 5, when he made his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, a 2-0 win for the Kings.

Read more of this post

Filed under News, Prospects Tagged with , , ,

Alex Iafallo Seems To Be A Shoo-In To Make LA Kings Opening Night Roster

October 2, 2017 by 2 Comments

Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Iafallo
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
(click above to view larger image)

LOS ANGELES — As reported in this space on September 10, Los Angeles Kings forward Alex Iafallo was a young player who the Kings had their eyes for much of his college career.

“He’s a special kid, and since he signed with us, we’ve felt he was a kid who gives us another swing in the skill and speed area,” said assistant general manager Michael Futa. “He had a great college career, and he presented himself so well to [Director of Amateur Scouting] Mark Yanetti, [amateur scout] Tony Gasperini and [amateur scout] Teddy Belisle throughout [last season]. They were all over us about this being a guy who we had to go after.”

“He was strictly an undrafted kid who had an incredible college career,” added Futa. “He gave himself the opportunity to pick his landing spot. Our crew did an incredible job of just being honest with him about, not only what we do, development-wise, but also the opportunity that’s here for him, with his speed and skill.”

Read more of this post

Filed under News, Prospects Tagged with , , ,

Kurtis MacDermid’s Time With The LA Kings Might Be Starting Now

September 28, 2017 by Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Kurtis MacDermid
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net
(click above to view larger image)

EL SEGUNDO, CA — After their 3-2 pre-season overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 26, the Los Angeles Kings were expected to make a slew of training camp roster cuts the following day.

As it turned out, 26 players left training camp. 23 were assigned directly to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League or just for their training camp. Two were assigned to their junior teams in Canada, while forward Andrei Loktionov was released from his professional tryout agreement.

What might be a surprise to some, but really shouldn’t be, is that defenseman Kurtis MacDermid remains on the big club’s roster, and at least for now, looks he he has an excellent chance of being on the Kings opening night roster.

Read more of this post

Filed under News, Prospects Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts