NHL FanHouse

Kings Ship Visnovsky to Edmonton

Eric McErlain — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:07:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Oilers, Kings

Over at Inside the Kings, Rich Hammond pulled the following Lubomir Visnovsky quote out of his archives, one that the defenseman uttered about a year ago when he signed a 5-year, $28 million contract extension with the team:

``I'm very happy that I'll be staying with this organization for a long time,'' said Visnovsky from his offseason home in Slovakia. ``I love Los Angeles and I want to play in the playoffs with the Kings.''

As it would turn out, Lubo's stay was only for one more year, as Kings GM Dean Lombardi shipped the puck-moving defenseman to Edmonton in return for center Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene. One fact that Hammond uncovered last night: Visnovsky has a no movement clause in his contract that kicks in on July 1 and runs to 2012, after which it turns into a limited no-trade clause. Looks like Visnovsky is going to be in Edmonton for a long time.

To take a look at how the trade shakes out for the Oilers, stop over at Lowetide, where the reaction seems uniformly positive, while Covered in Oil seems more than a bit hesitant. In any case, with Visnovsky in the fold, it looks like Joni Pitkanen's days in an Oilers uniform may be coming to an end.

Then again, I'm sure there's at least one party who is probably happy with the deal: That would be Los Angeles-based supermodel Rachel Hunter, who will probably be happy to have her boyfriend, Stoll, back in town a little more often.

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Kings Ship Visnovsky to Edmonton originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lombardi Shoots Down Malkin to LA Rumor

Eric McErlain — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:03:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Kings, NHL Draft, NHL Rumors

The best hockey blog you're probably not reading these days is Inside the Kings, where Rich Hammond, deputy sports editor at the Los Angeles Daily News, is the man in charge. About 30 minutes ago, he got the skinny on the Evgeni Malkin to LA rumor that Bruce Garrioch floated recently. This comes straight from LA GM Dean Lombardi:

``There's absolutely nothing to it,'' Lombardi said of rumors that the Kings might trade for Malkin. ``I talked to (the Penguins) as part of my due diligence to talk to every team. Then I hear all these reports that we're getting him. I had to call Ray (Shero, Penguins GM) this morning and say, `I hear I'm trading for him. What am I giving you?'''

Meanwhile, across town at the LA Times, Lisa Dilman has her own interview with Lombardi where he declares he's keeping the second pick in the draft even though three teams have made him offers. And though it's widely though that Lombardi would select defenseman Drew Doughty of the Guelph Storm, he declined to say anything definite about who he would pick.

Pittsburgh, breathe easy now.

Lombardi Shoots Down Malkin to LA Rumor originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malkin to Los Angeles?

Eric McErlain — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, General NHL, Penguins, Kings, NHL Rumors

Over at Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski is pondering the hottest rumor in hockey: Bruce Garrioch's report that the Pittsburgh Penguins are actively shopping Evgeni Malkin for salary cap reasons and that the Los Angeles Kings are first in line:

Malkin for [Mike] Cammalleri and what could be blue-chip defenseman Drew Doughty or Russian dynamo Nikita Filatov would be at best a steal for the Kings and, at worst, close to equal value once the rookies ripen.

No kidding. Greg goes on to add that a deal like this could be a real moment of truth for the Kings franchise, and I can't disagree. If this rumor is even close to being true, and when you're dealing with Garrioch you always have to wonder out loud whether or not it is, there's no reason in my mind that LA GM Dean Lombardi wouldn't be doing anything and everything in his power to get the paperwork on this signed, sealed and delivered before Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero changes his mind.

But as mind boggling as this deal might be, there's another question we ought to be asking: Whether or not Malkin wants to stay in Pittsburgh, is it really in his best interest to do so?

I can't help but think back to the just completed season and recall that Malkin didn't come into his own until Sidney Crosby was lost to injury. No matter how long Malkin might be in Pittsburgh, the Penguins will always be Crosby's team. Maybe moving 3,000 miles and lifting a team on his own shoulders might just show us what Malkin could really do?

Malkin to Los Angeles? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lidstrom and Osgood on Last Call

Eric McErlain — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Wings, NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos, Stanley Cup

No, Last Call with Carson Daly isn't Leno, but when you're on the talk show circuit promoting the hardest working professional sports league in North America, you go when you're invited. I'm guessing this was taped earlier in the week so Nick Lidstrom could get back to Toronto in time for last night's NHL Awards Show.

Lidstrom and Osgood on Last Call originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PuckToons: Speculating Why Marc Crawford Was Fired This Week

Earl Sleek — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

Every Thursday, Earl Sleek will conspire with his pen and scanner to bring you another installment of PuckToons. Hopefully you will find these amusing, relevant, well-drawn, or you're a person who is tolerant towards mediocrity.

To tell the truth, like a lot of Southern California hockey fans, I'm not really sure why the Los Angeles Kings suddenly fired head coach Marc Crawford this week. Sure, the Kings have been suffering through miserable results the last couple of years, compiling a cumlative 76-105-24 record since January 2006, but General Manager Dean Lombardi could have fired Crawford for that two months ago when the regular season ended.

Inside the Kings' Rich Hammond also was surprised by the timing of the firing:

I really thought that once Crawford survived January, he would be around at the start of next season. I figured that he would be fired if the Kings got off to a rocky start next season, but never did I imagine he would be fired two months after the season. Lombardi also gave no indication that it was coming, and he was asked on a semi-regular basis. To hear him explain it, it's a decision he reached only in the last week or so.

So really the question becomes: what in the last week changed Lombardi's mind? As a cartoonist with no insider information, I can only speculate, of course. Who knows? Perhaps it was a case of Crawford using the Kings' zambonis to gel up his hair. I'm usually wrong on these things, but in the face of imperfect information, I usually go with what I know.

If anyone has any better theories on why Crawford was let go this week, let me know in the comments.

PuckToons: Speculating Why Marc Crawford Was Fired This Week originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Kings Dump Mark Crawford

Eric McErlain — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:53:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

When word of the firing of Mark Crawford crossed the wire this afternoon, the rest of the folks on the NHL team here at FanHouse started to ask an obvious question: Why in the world did the Kings wait so long after the season to cashier him?

It's not like the handwriting wasn't on the wall a whole lot earlier. In just two seasons in Los Angeles, Crawford was a rather unimpressive 59-84-21, not exactly what GM Dean Lombardi was hoping for when he tapped the former Stanley Cup-winning head coach to take over the Kings in the Spring of 2006.

Back in September I wrote in my season preview that this season might present Crawford with the greatest challenge of his career -- namely, how to integrate a raft of second-tier veteran talent imported via free agency with a respectable core of young players. Before the season even started, one of those veterans complained rather publicly in the European press about Crawford's methods. But as Life in Hockeywood explained, that's not really what Crawford was best at anyway:

[I]f you look at the progress of the young players, namely Brown, Kopitar and O'Sullivan, you can see where his value truly is: molding young talent.

Crawford was always known as a young players coach, not able to really connect with the older vets. This also happened on the Canucks. And although the team finished last in the West, I can't really fault him for that. His biggest mistake was backing Dan Cloutier, and he has apologized profusely for that.

As we already know, L.A. is rebuilding from the ground up. They've revamped the farm system and stockpiled it with talent. They're one of the best clubs who have figured out how to deal with working under the salary cap. And the future looks bright, with the Kings really in no position but to get better.

Just one day ago, Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings posited that the team was at a crossroads: It was time for it to decide whether or not to go all in with the young prospects on the blue line:

It's no secret that since Kings president/general manager Dean Lombardi was hired two years ago, his main focus has been on improving the Kings' defense. It seems as though a crucial point has been reached. You might remember that in my last interview with Dean Lomardi, he debated whether now was the time to go ``all in'' with the Kings' young players, perhaps even at the risk of exposing them too early.

[...]

So here's the question. You bring a prospect to the NHL next season, and there's a 50-50 chance he will either succeed or have his development stunted. Or, you wait one year, and there's a 90-percent chance he will succeed and a 10-percent chance he will have his development stunted. But during that year, that roster spot is filled by a nondescript veteran plugger.

Might this indicate that Lombardi has decided to keep his defensive prospects stacked for another year at Manchester, rather than let Crawford develop them at the NHL level where their confidence could well have been shattered playing on a squad that just couldn't stay glued together? Who knows? In the meantime, a poll by Hammond seems to suggest that Kings fans would be happy to welcome John Tortorella or even Barry Melrose with open arms. At this point, with the Kings at the bottom of the NHL, I'm sure the team's fan base would welcome just about any new face that came in the door.

LA Kings Dump Mark Crawford originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cuthbert and Phaneuf: The Photographic Evidence

Eric McErlain — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:12:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Rangers, Canadiens, Flames, NHL Rumors

For the past couple of months now we've been reading rumors of a relationship between Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf and actress Elisha Cuthbert. Now it seems as if we've got some serious photographic evidence via that paragon of journalistic integrity, Hollywood Tuna:

So it looks like Elisha Cuthbert gets passed around the NHL more than a hockey puck. Here she is with Dion Phaneuf from the Calgary Flames. Now I'm not 100% sure that's him since his face looks like it's taken more beatings than Lindsay Lohan's ...

Yowch, feel the snark! Hollywood is a rough place.

Though the folks at HT don't seem to be completely sure that it's Phaneuf that they've captured walking beside Cuthbert, the hockey braintrust here at FanHouse is happy to confirm their suspicion -- that's certainly Phaneuf in this blowup.

As other have noted, this would mean that Cuthbert has completed something of an NHL dating hat trick, progressing from Rangers bad boy Sean Avery, through Habs defenseman Mike Komisarek and now to Phaneuf, the highest paid of the three.

As far as I'm concerned, we're very happy that Cuthbert has decided to cut a swath through the NHL. In fact, we're just waiting for the moment she gets hitched to a hockey player and starts dishing to the press much like Willa Ford, aka Mrs. Mike Modano.

HT: The Big Lead.

Elisha Cuthbert Photos

Actress Elisha Cuthbert during The Rock Party at the Viceroy on April 25, 2008 in Palm Springs, California..Gap Presents GQ Lounge - The Rock Party .Viceroy.Palm Springs, California United States.April 25, 2008.Photo by Alexandra Wyman/WireImage.com..To license this image (15750007), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 23: Actress Elisha Cuthbert arrives at the premiere of Screen Media Film's "Trailer Park Boys: The Movie" at the Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theater on January 23, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 23: Actress Elisha Cuthbert arrives at the premiere of Screen Media Films premiere of "Trailer Park Boys: The Movie" at the Laemmle Sunset 5 on January 23, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Cuthbert and Phaneuf: The Photographic Evidence originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 04 May 2008 15:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The LA Kings are... Losing Money?

Kevin Schultz — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:53:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings, Western, NHL Economics

That can't be right. Or can it? The Kings have always seemed to have some financial trouble, dating back to before the lockout. That's common knowledge. After that we went through an entire year without hockey for the sole purpose of restoring the financial viability of all the clubs. There were, and are, no guarantees that the clubs are all in the green, but from everything we have been told over the last three years they are doing much better than prior to the lockout. But wait ... The Los Angeles Daily News reported today that the Kings are losing more money now than they were prior to the lockout. Those emboldened words are key here.

I'll let that you soak that in for a moment while I present you with an excerpt from the Daily News.

The Kings declined to release specific numbers, but said they're losing more money per year now than before the lockout. At the start of the lockout, the Kings claimed to be losing $8 to $10 million a year.

"We're building our organization differently, to meet the reality that we're losing even more than we did before the lockout," chief marketing officer Chris McGowan said. "We have to run a better business."

Thus, the ticket-price increases, even coming off a season in which the Kings tied for the fewest points in the NHL. The Kings believe the increases are necessary, in part, to help stabilize their bottom line.

So are the Kings really losing more money now than before the lockout? Wasn't the point of the lockout to fix problems such as these?

Now I know there are teams that still have issues in the post-lockout world that we live in. The Islanders are seemingly going to have issues until the day that they get a new lease/arena. I reside in the Carolinas and the word around here in some circles is that the Canes are struggling and with their lease expiring, they may be in limbo. Is it so far fetched to believe that the Kings are losing money at a higher pace than prior to the lockout? Would it (again) save them money if they closed up shop for a year?

The answer is that there is no clear answer. It's a little from Column A and a little from Column B. There's no doubt that there are teams in the league that are losing money. In professional sports, it's hard to keep 30 teams above water unless, of course, you are the NFL and have a billion dollar television contract. The NHL is not the NFL and thus, does not have it's financial situation handed to it on a silver platter. I can't say I think the Kings are lying. They finished tied for dead last in the NHL this year and, if you believe ESPN's attendance numbers, they were 21st at the gate this year. Those are not good numbers.

But there's one thing that everyone seems to overlook here. The Kings are not a sole entity. That is to say, they're not akin to a mom and pop store down the street (I know it sounds weird, but let me explain). What I mean is that the Kings have backing and other assets, even if it's not owned in title. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a mom and pop operation, owned by the Rooney family for ages. The Rooneys did not make their money elsewhere and then buy the franchise -- just the opposite. The Steelers are the family business. This is what the Kings are not. What the Kings are is a subsidiary of Anschutz Entertainment Group. Anschutz is a big conglomerate of sports and entertainment properties and, locally speaking, they own Staples Center, the Kings, Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS and have a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. And that's not even the half of it. It's quite the lineup they have there.

Now here's what I'm not trying to say. I'm not saying the Kings are a big bad corporation. I'm not saying Anschutz is either. What I am saying, however, is that when you have a large corporation that owns many properties and has private books, money can get hidden. For example, the Kings pay rent to Staples Center so that they can play 42 home games a year there. But in reality, it's like writing a check to your significant other. The money is still in the family.

That is precisely why there is a question mark in the title. It's a cloudy and confusing matter and is not as cut and dry as it may seem to be. The Kings may not be in imminent danger but the quirky part is that we really don't know. While they may certainly be in trouble, the money may not be as far from the roost as you may think. It's tough to tell. It's not something I -- or any of us not directly associated with a private company can say for sure.

The LA Kings are... Losing Money? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 01 May 2008 21:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Kings Action Figures Are Awesome!

Greg Wyshynski — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings, NHL Videos

As a child of the '80s, the art of the goofy action figure commercial has always fascinated me. Somehow, two little kids holding up He-Man figures, talking to their father on an exercise bike while a bombastic theme song pounded in the background was the pinnacle of marketing genius back in the day. Hell, just seeing it again made me want to run out to Toys 'R Us and purchase Man-E-Faces.

The Los Angeles Kings have captured the spirit of those ads in one of the single greatest NHL commercials I've ever seen, produced to pimp a "player figurine" ticket package. The attention to detail is stunning, right down to the G.I. Joe-style font for the logo at the end. Awesome doesn't do this justice. Whammy! "GO KIIIIIIINGS!"

LA Kings Action Figures Are Awesome! originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ice Sheet: Worst-Place Kings Defeat First-Place Wings

Earl Sleek — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit, Los Angeles, General NHL, Wings, Kings, NHL Fights

Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.

One aspect of NHL hockey that I really appreciate is how there are no sure bets. Most of the time, the best teams will beat the worst teams, but on any given night, the odds could get thrown right out the window.

Take last night's game between the last-place L.A. Kings visiting the first-place Detroit Red Wings. Even though the Kings brought a 6-2-1 record in their last nine road games, Detroit was the class of the league. The Wings had won eight straight games, and had amassed a whopping 21-4-2 record at the Joe Louis Arena.

Going into the third period, the Red Wings appeared to have another victory predictably wrapped up, having built a 3-1 lead on the strength of two Henrik Zetterberg goals. Only once this season had Detroit blown a 3rd period lead at home, so seemingly the mighty Goliath had David by the throat.

In biblical fashion, though, David forgot to die.

(More after the break, plus nine other games of varying significance!)

Against all odds, the pesky Kings scored four unanswered goals in the 3rd period to secure the win. Alexander Frolov and Brad Stuart led the charge with a goal and two assists apiece; both were on the ice for all four tallies.

It really was a result of no significance, though. Detroit is still sitting comfortably atop the league and the Kings are still struggling in 30th, but for one night at least, Los Angeles owned the night. Oh, and my boy Nick Lidstrom? He was a game-worst -3. Kings 5, Red Wings 3.

More western conference results:

Stars 1, Wild 0. Goaltender Mike Smith made 25 saves for the shutout, and Niklas Hagman scored his 20th goal of the season early in the third period. Who could have guessed that Dallas + Minnesota = Yawn?

Blackhawks 3, Flames 1. Chicago snapped a 5-game winless streak to maintain their lead over the Kings for 14th. Nikolai Khabibulin made 12 saves in the 3rd period to allow Patrick Sharp's 25th goal to stand up as the game-winner.

Blue Jackets 2, Coyotes 1. Chimera and Zherdev scored goals for Columbus in the first half of the first period, and Frederik Norrena made them stand up for the win. The Blue Jackets broke a 4-game winless streak. Mike York scored the lone goal for Phoenix.

Eastern conference results:

Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 2. Vesa Toskala made 34 saves for Toronto in this Northeast Division matchup. Similar to the Kings' upset, it was a bit of a hollow victory, as the Habs look to be safely in the playoff picture while the Leafs look safely on the outside. Alexei Kovalev scored his 25th goal for Montreal in the losing effort.

Penguins 4, Islanders 3. Kris Letang scored an unassisted goal with 3:39 left in regulation to give Pittsburgh the win. Ryan Whitney had two power play goals and Malkin added three assists. Mike Comrie had two goals for New York.

Senators 5, Panthers 4. Dany Heatley scored two goals and an assist in his return from injury. The Senators had gone 3-8-0 in his absence, but Heatley's 3rd period power play goal proved to be the game-winner. Ray Emery managed to show up on time to pick up the win.

Interconference results:

Canucks 2, Thrashers 1. Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows scored 3rd period goals to get Vancouver a much-needed win. The Canucks had only picked up two wins over their past dozen games. Burrows caught a break on the winning goal when Atlanta forward Eric Perrin managed to knock over his own goaltender, Kari Lehtonen.

Lightning 2, Predators 1 (OT). Tampa Bay managed to win its sixth straight road game, led by Vinny Prospal's overtime winner. In regulation, Alexander Radulov scored for Nashville and Brad Richards scored for the Lightning. While Nashville did pick up the "loss", over their last 18 games they have only lost three times in regulation.

Ducks 4, Rangers 1. J.S. Giguere made 32 saves to keep the Ducks perfect in their two games since Teemu Selanne's return. Just like in his debut, Selanne picked up a power play assist, and is now one point behind Paul Kariya on Anaheim's franchise points record.

Overall observations:

(1) It was an interesting evening of hockey, if for no other reason that the four teams with the lowest point totals all came away with wins. (2) Out of all ten games, only Ottawa and Pittsburgh managed to get wins on home ice. (3) Eleven western teams surrendered a total of 20 goals-against; nine eastern teams surrendered a total of 29.

What to watch for tonight:

Hurricanes at Capitals: Since Christmas, Washington is 13-5-1, and in those 19 games, some kid named Ovechkin has picked up 21 goals. Carolina over that stretch is 7-11-1, but whoever wins this game will at least for the evening sit atop the Southeast Division. I'm predicting this as the highest-scoring game of the night.

Ducks at Devils: This is a huge game for two reasons: (1) It will mark Scott Niedermayer's first game in Jersey since he left the team in 2004. He didn't actually sign with the Mighty Ducks until 2005, but that's what a lockout year will do to things. (2) It will mark Anaheim's first game in Jersey since the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7, which is a particular painful moment for me. I'm pouring two drinks tonight for Adam Oates and Steve Thomas.

Bruins at Sabres:This game is intriguing because currently Boston sits in the 8th seed in the east, and Buffalo is 9th, two points back. Boston's been playing a regular win-some, lose-some pattern all year, while Buffalo is on a six game unbeaten streak (whereas last month they were on a ten game winless streak). If I ever start an amusement park, I'll have a roller coaster called "Buffalo Sabres".

Blue Jackets at Sharks: Columbus is hanging on the fringes of its first-ever postseason appearance, and San Jose is trying to figure out how to imitate their road record (17-5-3) at home (12-12-4). This game will also help answer the question of whether it's better to trade for Jody Shelley or to trade Jody Shelley away. I know that's been keeping me up at night.

Your obligatory YouTube video:

Every time Scott Niedermayer plays against the New York Rangers, I'm reminded of this less-than-classic hockey fight. It really teaches three lessons: (1) If you're not a regular fighter, you shouldn't pick fights with a guy named Valeri, (2) It often goes unsaid, but it's best to avoid pulling your opponent's jersey over your own head, and (3) Failing the first two rules, make sure to give your opponent's jersey a good drop-kick; it can be as emphatic as actually winning a fight.

The Ice Sheet: Worst-Place Kings Defeat First-Place Wings originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caption This Photo: Emilio Estevez

Jes Golbez — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Anaheim, General NHL, NHL Fans

Emilio Estevez will forever be immortalized in hockey circles for his role, as coach Bombay, in the awful Mighty Ducks movies that helped bring another franchise to Southern California.

Well, it appears that Emilio really does love hockey, and attended the recent tilt between the Kings and Canucks. Here, we see him conducting and interview with Fox Sports Network.

Now, without the benefit of seeing the LA broadcast, it's up to us to come up with a good caption for this photo. Look at the smug look on the face of Emilio and his girly-pal as they watch the Kings tear apart the Canucks.

"Yeah, you know I could coach better than this doofus in front of me." or "Can you believe they named an NHL team after a movie? What kind of Mickey Mouse league does THAT?" or "Yeah, that chick in front of me is SO much hotter than my wife."

C'mon, help me out here!

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Caption This Photo: Emilio Estevez originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rob Blake Has a Potty Mouth

Greg Wyshynski — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:51:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings, Coyotes, NHL Injuries

Whatever Rob Blake said to referee Dan O'Halloran last night, the Los Angeles Times couldn't print it. (Maybe he was arguing in favor of conservative political ideology.) Whatever the Kings captain uttered, it was good enough to earn him 22 penalty minutes and a game misconduct, with Phoenix's Radim Vrbata scoring on an ensuing power play to break a 1-1 tie and help lead the Coyotes to a 4-2 win in Los Angeles. The Canadian Press considered the ejection of Blake to be a "huge break" for Phoenix, which means that the Canadian Press must believe it's still 2002.

So what set Blake off? Kings Coach Marc Crawford acknowledged that Blake had earned an earlier roughing penalty, but brazenly criticized O'Halloran's harsh rebuke of Blake's yapping; arguing that Blake was simply reacting to the Coyotes crashing goalie J.S. Aubin's crease about a week after the Kings lost starter Jason LaBarbera to injury after the Avalanche crashed him. "The referee should know what the climate of the team is," he told the Times after the game. Not only that, but Crawford said O'Halloran was out of line for daring to slap the hand of a "hall of famer," a "classy guy" and a "character guy" like Blake. "He didn't get the benefit of the doubt tonight. Usually those guys do," said the Kings coach, as relayed by Matthew Kredell of the L.A. Daily News.

Whatever valor Crawford was lauding, it was lost on many of the fans on the Let's Go Kings boards. I agree with him that it's a captain's duty -- depending on that captain's predisposition for physical play -- to make sure the opponent isn't taking liberties with any of his teammates. But Crawford is defending the indefensible when it comes to Blake's ejection; all that did was hand Phoenix a power play and limit the Kings to five D-men for 40 minutes as their captain was back in the players' lounge. But if we've learned anything about Marc Crawford this week, it's his warped sense of justice and retribution.

Rob Blake Has a Potty Mouth originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L.A. Kings Play Amazing Race, Then Stage Amazing Comeback

Earl Sleek — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

The Los Angeles Kings had a seven-day break in their schedule last week, and used the opportunity to play a team-building game, based on the CBS series The Amazing Race. Basically, the game involves deciphering clues to get to the next location in order to complete a set of tasks. Here was the Kings' task list, according to Inside the Kings:

A) To hit a fly ball beyond the infield grass at Dodger Stadium. Tommy Lasorda was there to provide assistance and, I'm told, a profane pep talk, as only Tommy can provide.

B) To have an artist in Venice Beach sketch a portrait of one of the players.

C) To teach a 10-minute lesson in a classroom at Torrance Elementary School.

D) To stand on a surfboard for at least five seconds in the Manhattan Beach water.

E) To find Jim Fox in Hollywood. A clue was posted near Bob Miller's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which the players also had to locate.

Of course the Kings are not the first Southern California hockey team to take inspiration from a Hollywood concept, but it may have rubbed off on them. In their first game back after the weeklong break, they did construct a dramatic ending that would make The Amazing Race producer Jerry Bruckheimer proud.

The visiting Dallas Stars had built up a 4-0 lead in Staples Center midway through the 3rd period, and even though the Kings had been generating shots and scoring chances, Stars netminder Marty Turco had been stopping everything sent his direction. With 7:15 left to play, Turco made his 28th consecutive save, and a Kings' loss seemed all but over.

Without warning, though, the Kings' newfound flair for Hollywood endings kicked in; they managed to score on their next five consecutive shots in the next 5:07 -- a franchise record -- to pull into a late lead. Even then, the heroics weren't over. After Dallas center Mike Modano scored to re-tie the game and force overtime, sophomore centerman Anze Kopitar completed the Hollywood-style comeback in overtime, propelling the Kings into an unbelievable comeback win. Incredibly, once the first King goal went in, Marty Turco failed to make another save for the rest of the game.

It's tough to say how much the Kings' Amazing Race and their miracle comeback over Dallas were related, but in both cases they do promise for some pretty exciting television. FSN will be airing a special featuring the Kings' race results at a later date.

L.A. Kings Play Amazing Race, Then Stage Amazing Comeback originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL Rookie Review

Jes Golbez — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Los Angeles, General NHL, Oilers, Kings, Coyotes

Every few weeks, FanHouse will feature a look at this season's rookie class, spotlighting surprising diamonds on the rough, struggling blue chippers, and everyone else in between.

After about a half dozen games, we're approaching the point where teams with junior-eligible players have to decide to keep the player for the entire season, or send him back down. Sam Gagner (pictured) of Edmonton, as discussed previously, is the biggest such name. Teams must weight the benefit of developing and having the player on their roster against the possibility that said player will become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 25 or 26.

Now that we're well underway, we've also had a pretty decent look at this season's rookie class, and can see a few trends.

1. Rebuilding teams are doing well. The Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and Chicago Blackhawks each two of their rookies in the top 10 in the rookie scoring race.

2. Andrew Cogliano = The early leader. While Sam Gagner grabs all of the headlines, Cogliano has been the one churning out the offence for the struggling Oilers. With five points in six games, the 20-year old 2005 first rounder looks to have arrived in style. He's also the only rookie to have a short-handed goal, pointing to his flexibility to adapt to many roles and kill penalties.
3. From the 'Jes isn't always right' category: Sam Gagner. I'd have to say that he's exceeded my expectations thus far. Apart from some ill-advised cross-ice passes, Gagner certainly appears to belong in the NHL, and has himself four assists in five games. While I believe the Oilers ought not to waste a year of Gagner's contact status, the kid is certainly making a good case for him to remain with the Oilers for the whole season.

4. Milan Lucic, who was kept by the Bruins for his size and brawn, scored himself a "Gordie Howe Hat-Trick" against the Los Angeles Kings on October 12. As "Cheech" is playing just nine minutes a night, one would have to think he's likely to go back to juniors when his 10-game audition is up.

5. Jonathan Bernier had his 15-seconds of fame when he won the season opener, for the LA Kings, in London. Well, Bernier lost his next three games, and sports an awful 4.03GAA and 86.4SV%. The Kings realize that Bernier isn't quite ready, and demoted him back to juniors. Will we see the return of Dan Cloutier? *shudder*

Previously on FanHouse:
Seven to Watch: The New Generation

NHL Rookie Review originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Puckingham Palace: A Dim Start for the NHL

Greg Wyshynski — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 12:27:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Ducks, Kings, Western

As I flipped over to HDNet for the start of the NHL season at the O2 Arena in London, I noticed that for a game set to start around noon EST in the U.S., it was looking a little dim. The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings were skating around trying to stay loose, the announcers were painfully filling time with storylines of the season, Led Zeppelin and Madonna songs were blaring over the PA as blue mood lighting and spotlights swirled around the rink.

Eventually, the announcers addressed the delay: The arena lights had failed to ignite for the start of the game. Which is great, because the bored faces of the London faithful were obscured. After 20 minutes, the teams returned to the locker rooms. At 12:30 p.m. EST, the Ducks returned to the ice under the glow of the lights in the rafters. At 12:32, the game was underway. Rich Hammond of Inside the Kings is live-blogging (as live as it can be) the NHL's opening game, and said it best:

The lights won't come on, apparently. Perhaps a test run would have been in order...

We're about nine minutes into the season, and we've already had five penalties. I'd say this is a bad example of hockey for the UK newbies, but as long as they understand it's the NHL's version of a yellow card, we're in business.

Previously on FanHouse:
Puckingham Palace: Kings, Ducks Blitz London
Puckingham Palace: The Cruel Realities of Being an NHL Fan in London

Puckingham Palace: A Dim Start for the NHL originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 29 Sep 2007 12:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kings Name Teen Wolf Mascot

Greg Wyshynski — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings, NHL Fans

OK, so it's not Teen Wolf. Hell, it's not even a wolf. Meet Bailey, a 6-foot lion and the Los Angeles Kings' new mascot, unveiled today on the team's official Web site and making his debut on Saturday during the Kings-Colorado "Frozen Fury 10" preseason game at the MGM Grand.

It's hard to bring the snark when the Kings have done a very honorable thing here and named their mascot after Garnet "Ace" Bailey, the NHL veteran who was working as director of pro scouting for the Kings when he tragically perished aboard United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Bailey left a staggering legacy of charity through the Ace Bailey Children's Foundation; kudos to the Kings organization for sharing that legacy with younger generations of hockey fans who may have otherwise been unaware of this great man of character.

All that said, the mascot looks like the love child of Jack Black and a Nick Nolte mug shot, and his uniform number means that Peter Schaefer of the Boston Bruins is now the second most popular No. 72 in the NHL.

Kings Name Teen Wolf Mascot originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sean Burke Calls it a Career

Jes Golbez — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:53:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

Another one of the league's older veterans, and players I grew up watching, decided to call it quits today as Sean Burke announced his retirement.

"I have been very fortunate to enjoy a long and eventful professional hockey career," said Burke. "In retirement, I will certainly miss the camaraderie with my teammates and the interaction with the fans most of all."

Burke's main focus in retirement will be enjoying more time with his daughter Andie (14), son Brendan (12) and pursuing other interests within hockey.

"I am looking forward to the beginning of this new phase of my life," said Burke. "It will be nice to have more time to watch and encourage my children as they pursue their own sporting endeavors."

Sean Burke has rarely gotten the attention and notoriety he deserves, thanks to spending many of his years in quiet markets such as Hartford and Phoenix, playing behind bad teams and getting little press in the process. I can always remember arguing with friends and foes about the fact that Burke was a great goaltender, despite the fact that his win totals weren't always impressive and his teams rarely made the playoffs. They didn't believe me, and went back to worshipping Patrick Roy.

While Sean Burke will probably not make the Hall of Fame, his hockey career has been very distinguished and successful. The totals? 820 GP, 324W-341L-110T, 2.96GAA, and a 90.2SV%. The only blemish on his record is the fact that, thanks to playing for crappy clubs, Burke only ever played 38 playoff games, getting past the first round only once in his NHL career. A lot like Marcel Dionne, Burke was a great player that rarely got the opportunity to play with a powerful hockey team.

Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail will miss Burke and his contributions to Canadian Hockey:

In his later years, Burke became known as much for his leadership as his goaltending and could never duplicate the magic of his early career. Still, in [Dave] King's mind, he was probably the single greatest goaltender ever to don Canada's colors internationally - and always answered the call. Hockey Canada should have put him on the 2002 Olympic roster as the No. 3 man instead of Ed Belfour so that he could have been the only Canadian hockey player to play Olympics in three separate decades (and Burke was still a viable player then, so it wouldn't have been a huge stretch). They didn't and I know he was disappointed by the decision, although he would never say anything publicly about it.

He will be missed.

Sean Burke Calls it a Career originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHL Season Preview: Los Angeles Kings

Eric McErlain — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

Who's In: G J.S. Aubin (FA-TOR), LW Kyle Calder (FA-DET), C Michal Handzus (FA-CHI), D Jon Klemm (FA-DAL), LW Ladislav Nagy (FA-DAL), D Tom Preissing (FA-OTT) and D Brad Stuart (FA-CAL).

Who's Out: G Sean Burke (FA-Limbo), G Mathieu Garon (FA-EDM), RW Tom Kostopoulos (FA-MTL) and D Aaron Miller (FA-VAN).

What's Changed: What hasn't? As FanHouse's Jes Golbez pointed out back in July, Kings GM Dean Lombardi bypassed the big name free agents an opted for importing reasonably priced second tier veterans. The result: He filled the holes in the roster to supplement a promising core of young talent that includes Anze Kopitar, Mike Camalleri, Dustin Brown, Patrick O'Sullivan and Jack Johnson.

Better yet, most of the new imports are coming to town with something to prove. Calder was an enigma during a season where he quietly migrated from Philly to Detroit. Nagy made his way from Phoenix to Dallas and passed without a trace, while Stuart couldn't find his game in either Boston or Calgary. Are we sensing a theme here?

With the Kings boasting additional depth up front and on the blue line, the open question now falls in net, where five different goalies, including disastrous Japanese import Yutaka Fukufuji, gave up 283 goals last season. Second year head coach Marc Crawford admitted he made a hash of the situation, settling on a tandem of Dan Cloutier and Garon, a decision that sentenced Jason LaBarbera to a full season in the minors in order to keep him from being snatched off waivers. But another injury limited Cloutier to only 24 games, opening the revolving door to misery.

This year Cloutier and LaBarbera are back, along with free agent import Aubin. LaBarbera, who had a career year while he was trapped in the AHL and has a quick start in 2005-06 on his resume may be the best bet, but I have my doubts that anybody currently with the big club offers any sort of long-term solution. Here's hoping Rob Blake, Johnson, Stuart and the rest of the blue liners like blocking shots.

Who's On The Hook: Lombardi shopped for the groceries, so it's up to Crawford to cook the meal. Safe to say, it's probably the steepest challenge of his NHL career for a man who enjoyed coaching deep lineups in Colorado and Vancouver -- and there are indications that some folks on the roster aren't fans of his motivational methods. While he doesn't need to get the team to the playoffs (not that anybody else could in light of the competition), the Kings do need to show some sort of improvement in what may be the toughest division in hockey.

Where They'll Finish: If the Kings were in the East, life would be a lot easier, but alas they're not that lucky. Heck, if they could flip places with St. Louis in the Central, I'd give them half a chance to make some noise. Instead, they're stuck playing an unbalanced schedule in the Pacific, which means they'll be seeing plenty of the Sharks, Ducks and Stars all season long. They'll challenge Phoenix for fourth in the division, but not for much else.

Blogs To Watch: Life In Hockeywood, Inside The Kings and Battle of California.

Gratuitous YouTube Embed: There are a lot of reasons for long-term hope in Los Angeles, but the biggest one has got to be Kopitar, who you can see here undressing Colorado's Peter Budaj for his 18th goal last season.

Previously on FanHouse:
Kings Coach Admits Goalie Goof
Klemm Crowns Kings Free Agent Signings
Los Angeles, Kings of the Free Agent Frenzy
Kings D-Man Calls Coach 'Fool' with a 'Communist Style'

NHL Season Preview: Los Angeles Kings originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kings Coach Admits Goalie Goof

Greg Wyshynski — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:22:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

When Marc Crawford was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings just over a year ago, I had only two questions about the move: How would the California weather affect that stylish coiffure of his, and would a season at the beach provide him with a George Hamilton-like perma-tan?

Obviously, the questions have gotten tougher as Year 2 approaches; namely, what will Crawford do about the cluster-frack that is the Kings' goaltending situation? Last season, the Kings used five goaltenders after injuries limited the already quite limited Dan Cloutier to only 24 games, and gave up the fourth-most goals against in the league. As Rich Hammond reports in today's LA Daily News, Crawford candidly admits that he botched the goalie shuffle last preseason:

Even though Cloutier was coming off knee surgery, Crawford kept only two goalies, Cloutier and Mathieu Garon, on the roster at the start of the season. The demotion of Jason LaBarbera to the minors meant that he was stuck there all season, as the Kings risked losing him off waivers if they attempted to recall him. "I just made the decision way before I had to," Crawford said. "I came from a market (as coach in Vancouver) where I spent eight years, and the No. 1 goalie was a big subject and you wanted to get that out of the way. We won't make that mistake this year."

LaBarbera is coming off an outstanding season in the AHL and Cloutier, presumably, is healthy. Free-agent addition Jean-Sebastien Aubin, Swedish import Erik Ersberg and rookie Jonathan Bernier will also get looks, but Crawford said he will be comfortable if he still doesn't have a No. 1 goalie by Sept. 29.

Crawford said he'll be more patient this season in choosing which goalie will backstop the Kings ~~back to the draft lottery~~ in the Pacific Division, which may be a kind way to say he's desperately hoping either Aubin or LaBarbera bury Cloutier on the depth chart during the exhibition season. Because if Cloutier isn't the worst (potential) starting goalie in the NHL, he certainly may have the worst fan site in the NHL: Dan Cloutier Central, which not only is a Geocities page but hasn't been fresh since 2003 -- just like Cloutier.

Kings Coach Admits Goalie Goof originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klemm Crowns Kings Free Agent Signings

Jes Golbez — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, General NHL, Kings

After losing reliable veteran Aaron Miller to the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings needed a solid depth replacement on the blue line.

After many weeks, GM Dean Lombardi finally got down to business and signed the 37-year old Jon Klemm (and his crazy hair) to a one year contract.

After spending the season as the Dallas Stars' 7th defenseman, and playing only about 13 minutes a night, Klemm will re-unite with coach Marc Crawford, and play a similar part-time role with the LA Kings. With the signing, the Kings boast an offensively talented defence corps of Visnovsky, Modry, Preissing, Stuart, Blake, Jack Johnson, and Jon Klemm.

All in all, this has been a great off-season for LA Kings fans, as they've seen their team improve immensely without signing a lot of insane contracts like the New York Rangers or Philadelphia Flyers. Sure, the Mike Cammalleri situation wasn't exactly a bright spot for the LA Kings organization and Cammy's greedy agent, but the Kings can certainly feel much better about their playoff chances, now that they have a lot more talent to work with.

Of course, that big gaping hole in GOAL still remains, with the corpse of Dan Cloutier eating up $3.1mil in cap space. After signing Klemm, the Kings will have $47.3mil/$50mil in cap space committed (Including $6mil for Rob Blake. OUCH!), and the worst goaltending duo in the NHL.

Unless the Kings bite the financial bullet and buy out Cloutier, this should be it for the Kings in terms of off-season moves.

Overall, a B+ summer. No 'A', because the goaltending is going to kill them, and probably just leave them short of the playoffs, despite all of their improvements.

Previously on FanHouse:
Los Angeles, The Kings of Free Agency
NHL Fantasy Analysis: Is Ladislav Nagy Worth the Risk?

Klemm Crowns Kings Free Agent Signings originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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