EL SEGUNDO, CA — For Los Angeles Kings faithful, if the name “Jeff Zatkoff” doesn’t ring a bell, beyond the fact that he played for the 2016 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, it should. Indeed, Zatkoff got his start in professional hockey with the Kings, who selected him in the third round (74th overall) of... Continue Reading →
Rob Scuderi: “It Was A Breath Of Fresh Air” To Return To LA Kings
<pEL SEGUNDO, CA — Before finalizing the trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on February 26 for veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi, in exchange for defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi took the unusual step of speaking with a player prior to trading for him. “We got permission from Chicago to talk to... Continue Reading →
Rob Scuderi Looks To Regain Success In Return To LA Kings
EL SEGUNDO AND LOS ANGELES, CA — Early in the first period on February 27, when the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Buffalo Sabres, a video played on the Staples Center scoreboard, honoring a player from their not-so-distant past. But this player is also a part of their present and foreseeable future—veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi,... Continue Reading →
One Of The Most Lopsided Trades In NHL History Involved The LA Kings And Larry Murphy
LA KINGS HISTORY: Selecting defenseman Larry Murphy in the first round on the 1980 National Hockey League Entry Draft was a momentous occasion for the Los Angeles Kings. After all, they had a long history of trading away their first round picks and drafting poorly. But Murphy went on to become a star in the... Continue Reading →
LA Kings Losing Scuderi, Richardson Shouldn’t Come As A Surprise
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY - DAY 1: After bidding farewell to Rob Scuderi and Brad Richardson, the Los Angeles Kings welcomed defenseman Jeff Schultz to the team, signing him to a one-year deal on Day 1 of unrestricted free agency. LOS ANGELES — Day 1 of the feeding frenzy in the National Hockey League, otherwise known... Continue Reading →
LA Kings Defenseman Willie Mitchell On Concussions: “I Get Into A Car Wreck Six Times A Night”
EL SEGUNDO, CA — We’re not even at the halfway point of the 2011-12 National Hockey League season, but far too many players have already gone down due to concussions. In no particular order, the NHL has lost stars like Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers, Milan Michalek of the Ottawa Senators, Jeff Skinner of... Continue Reading →
Los Angeles Kings Need Center Anze Kopitar To Be A Little Greedy
EL SEGUNDO, CA — The Los Angeles Kings appear to have turned things around, earning a 5-0-1 record in their last six games, and a 6-3-1 record in their last ten. All that comes after an absolutely dreadful stretch from late December through much of January that saw them lose ten out of twelve games.Even... Continue Reading →
LA Kings: Can Third Line of Handzus, Ponikarovsky, Simmonds Be More Than A Shut Down Line?
EL SEGUNDO, CA — As the Los Angeles Kings head into their 2010 exhibition season tonight (September 22, 2010) at Colorado, much of what head coach Terry Murray has in mind for his team is already apparent, especially in terms of his forward lines. At this point in the Kings’ 2010 training camp, Murray has... Continue Reading →
Los Angeles Kings Fill 3rd Line Winger Spot: Alexei Ponikarovsky Signed
EL SEGUNDO, CA — On July 27, the Los Angeles Kings signed unrestricted free agent left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky to a one-year contract worth $3 million. The deal also paid the 30-year-old native of Kiev, Ukraine a $200,000 signing bonus, bring his salary cap hit to $3.2 million for the 2010-11 season. Last season, Ponikarovsky... Continue Reading →
Los Angeles Kings: Something New Is In The Air
LOS ANGELES — These days, the air smells different in the Los Angeles Kings’ dressing room at Staples Center. Over the summer, the “Event Level” corridor and most of the dressing rooms at Staples Center were renovated. Included in the renovations was the Kings dressing room, which has a much more clean, modern look to... Continue Reading →
Frozen Royalty Audio and NHL Video: LA Kings Hand Pittsburgh Penguins First Road Loss
LOS ANGELES — With the Sidney Crosby-led Pittsburgh Penguins, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, in town for a visit, a sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans descended onto Staples Center on Thursday night. A good portion of the crowd came to see Sid The Kid, a bona fide superstar, and to see the defending champs. But... Continue Reading →
July 1 Was The Time For Dean Lombardi To Gamble
COMMENTARY: Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi filled a hole on July 2 with the signing of unrestricted free agent defenseman Rob Scuderi but still has a huge, gaping hole to fill on left wing. Should he have gambled on one of the top free agents on July 1? LOS ANGELES — After day... Continue Reading →