Entries with the tag: los+angeles+kings

The Afternoon Line

by Alanah on 01/26/08 at 02:03 PM
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From Alyssa Milano at her NHL.com blog,

I actually bumped into Luc Robataille last night, and I haven’t seen Luc in probably 15 years. When he saw me, he said to me “I used to carry you around on my back!” because when I met him I was so little. When we spoke last night, I said “you know what? You were like my only high school friend. I never got to go to high school, so you’re like my only high school buddy!” He laughed.

note: more on Alyssa yesterday, as she promotes her line of NHL fashions at the ASG.

Luc Shares His Luck

by Alanah on 01/16/08 at 12:20 PM
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This week, Luc Robitaille of the LA Kings will be hosting a Celebrity Shoot-Out—a charity event in Utah to raise money for a spinal care center there. 

This is just one of the many ways Robitaille involves himself in charitable causes; not only just throwing money onto a collection plate, but getting involved in a very personal, hands-on way.  From Mike G. Morreale at NHL.com,

”Following Hurricane Katrina (in 2005), my wife and I started our own foundation (Shelter for Serenity) and actually went to New Orleans, picked up a bunch of families and brought them back to live in our house in Utah,’’ Robitaille told NHL.com. “We wanted to provide them a chance to restart their lives. But during this process, we realized that the people most affected and in need of help were the children. The kids were the ones at risk since they came mostly from poor families.’’

continued with much more about Robitaille’s various personal and team commitments to good causes.

Tough Times in Finland

by Alanah on 01/15/08 at 03:41 PM
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From CBS Sports wire,

Karalahti is one of 19 suspects in a widespread case of alleged smuggling and distribution of amphetamines in Finland, officials said. He will face trial in the Vantaa prison court near Helsinki on Jan. 29, the Espoo Regional Court said without announcing the exact charges.

Local media have reported that the 32-year-old Karalahti was linked to a drug smuggling network that imported and distributed drugs in Finland in July. Karalahti was taken off the ice for police questioning during a practice session last month with his Karpat team. 

Karalahti left the NHL before the beginning of the 2002-03 season after being suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

more...

Looking for Love

by Alanah on 12/14/07 at 03:42 PM
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Hockey invading Hollywood pop culture… a good thing, right? Errr… well, from Extra TV,

Now Canadian cutie Michael Cammalleri is ready to set up a power play for that special someone in his life.

Video here.

LA Kings on Carson Daly

by Alanah on 12/06/07 at 12:34 PM
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Derek Armstrong and Mike Cammalleri were on the Carson Daly show last night, (though it might have been a rerun? I’m not sure).  Anyway, here’s their appearance, including an entertaining revelation about Armstrong at about the 5 minute mark that might keep you from inviting him over for dinner…

Thanks to a KK reader for sending the link…

Oh Those Rumors!

by Paul on 11/28/07 at 10:44 PM
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from Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings,

I typically dislike commenting on rumors, because anyone can start them without naming sources and 99 percent of published rumors turn out to be exaggerated or just simply B.S. I don’t know the gentleman who wrote the FoxSports.com piece about Lombardi being on the hot seat, and I’m certainly not going to question his motives or sources. And given where the Kings stand—that would be last place in the conference—I suppose it’s fair to question whether Dean Lombardi SHOULD be on the hot seat. Any GM whose team is at the bottom of the conference is going to come under some scrutiny.

I would be completely stunned if Lombardi got fired this year, even if the Kings finished in last place.

continued… and the gentleman at FoxSports is Al Strachan…

Scoring Woes in Los Angeles

by Alanah on 11/24/07 at 04:34 PM
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From The Sports Nework,

LA lost a home-and-home set by scores of 4-3 and 6-3 before the lights went out on the offense. The Kings were then shutout by Phoenix, 1-0, and Dallas, 3-0, in consecutive games and didn’t score in their 4-1 loss against the Coyotes on Wednesday until there was 4:53 left on the clock in the first period.

Matt Moulson’s goal, his third of the year, halted Los Angeles’ scoring drought at 138 minutes and 26 seconds.

“We’re having a tough time scoring and it’s very frustrating,” said goaltender Jason LaBarbera. “We’re not playing that bad, but not playing that well, either.”

more

At the LA Times, it’s noted that Kyle Calder might be back tonight, which may add a spark to the Kings’ powerplay, which has struck for zero goals in its last 14 tries.

Frolov Out With Strained Groin

by Paul on 11/23/07 at 05:14 PM
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from Inside the Kings,

Alexander Frolov will be out for at least the next two games with a strained groin. You probably remember his strained groin from the end of training camp. Well, this is the other one. It’s always something, isn’t it? So they will shut him down for a few days, perhaps even a week’s worth of games, and see how it goes.

Scott Thornton out too…

The Kings New “Terminator”

by Alanah on 11/19/07 at 03:36 PM
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From Lisa Dillman at the LA Times,

The left side of his face has been surgically reinforced and then some, with four plates, and that means Kings enforcer Raitis Ivanans might require a new nickname.

“Terminator,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll set off the machines going through security at airports, not that the Kings will be flying commercial any time soon.

“Everyone says that there would be beeping,” he said. “But it’s titanium.”

continued... (may require free registration)

*Ivanans is expected to return to the Kings lineup by Wednesday, and wearing a face shield for at least 4 weeks

Still Talking About Rinkside View

by Paul on 11/18/07 at 09:59 AM
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from Erin Nicks at the Ottawa Sun,

That’s what made this FSN broadcast all the more enjoyable, because the lack of irrelevant chatter from a two- or three-piece media team allowed the game to stand on its own merit.

The crowd was engaged, the players were chirping and all necessary information was conveyed with a simple graphic.

There was the occasional vignette during timeouts, where a commentator would provide some inside information on the teams (think along the lines of the pay-per-view segments), but that’s the only time the media made their presence known.

more

In case you missed the previous discussion on this topic, start here and video is included…

All Luc Robitaille

by Paul on 11/15/07 at 02:37 PM
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from John Ondrasik at Sports Illustrated,

Over a pre-game beer in the Grand Reserve Room at Staples Center, I recently had the chance to talk to Hall of Fame-bound and current L.A. Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille....

John: I actually went to Game One of [last season’s] Stanley Cup Final and I sat next to Mr. Bettman. It was all I could do to restrain myself [laughs] about some of the marketing choices the NHL’s made in the last few years. What specifically do you think the NHL could really do for outreach?

Luc: The biggest thing is you gotta find a way for people to see the game. It doesn’t matter what channel it’s on, it’s how you market and promote it. You gotta tell people to go to a certain station, but I think we need to work harder at it. Look at the NFL. The NHL’s never really done a good job of marketing players. People on the inside say that hockey players are the nicest guys, but then nobody talks about them....

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Like You Were There

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 10:54 AM
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from On Frozen Blog,

Something very cool is happening at the Honda Center in Aneheim. The FSN West feed on NHL Center Ice is showing the LA Kings / Anaheim Ducks game. That’s normal. What isn’t is that there are no FSN Westannouncers. Just the sounds of the game and the crowd. Oh, and all the camera angles are from ice level with what they call “Rinkside View.”

continued…

I happened to catch the first period and really enjoyed the look.  First off, game in HD, lots of shots from behind the net and in the corners.  Crowd noise was picked-up very well and you had the feeling you were at the game. 

I would like to see more teams try this and see what the reaction would be from fans…

Update 12:45pm ET: More on the Freeway Face-Off and the broadcast in this post and its comments

added 12:52pm, John Shannon was just on Hockey Central and said he thought it was fascinating.  Produced by Fox Sports and John mentioned you could have received the regular broadcast of the game on another Fox Sports West channel.

John said it worked well, good production people and the low angle view was great, especially in HD.

John said it would work great in Canada too, but you need a station with multiple channels to broadcast on.

It’s the Freeway Face-Off

by Alanah on 11/13/07 at 11:06 PM
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Press Release from the Los Angeles Kings,

Southern California hockey fans have spoken and selected a name for the local NHL rivalry.  Following a seven-week online contest, “Freeway Face-Off” has become the name by which all future competitions between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings will be called.  “Freeway Face-Off” received over 4,800 votes, besting three other finalists:  “Freezeway Series”, “Ice-5 Series” and “Crosstown Showdown.”

Also, I’m told the Kings/Ducks game tonight is an unusual broadcast being done—at least in part—with no announcers commenting during the action, and some unique camera angles.

Is anyone watching this? Any thoughts?

Ducks/Kings Battle

by Paul on 11/13/07 at 09:19 AM
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from the LA Daily News,

During tonight’s Kings-Ducks game in Anaheim, the announcer at Honda Center will unveil the new name for Southern California’s hockey rivalry.

The finalists, as voted upon by fans on the Internet, are “Ice-5 Series,” “Freeway Face-Off,” “Freezeway Series” and “Crosstown Showdown.”

continued

Crawford With Flat Hair

by Paul on 11/11/07 at 10:14 AM
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The Montreal Gazette has a Q & A with Tom Kostopoulos...

What is the craziest prank you have seen?

“In Los Angeles, I used to switch the gel and the shampoo, and one day Marc Crawford went to gel his hair and used the shampoo. And the way he likes his hair perfect, it was pretty funny when he came out and it was all flat and he was pretty fired up about it. Marc Bergevin, when I was in Pittsburgh, he was crazy. He used to dress up like the other team’s mascot before the games, wear wigs or dress up like a 1970s dancer and dance for everyone. He was probably the funniest prankster and craziest guy I have met.”

more with Tom…

What A Comeback

by Paul on 11/11/07 at 08:47 AM
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Normally I don’t do game recaps, but last night the Kings were down 4-0 going into the 3rd period and came back to win 6-5 in OT…

from the AP via NHL.com,

Marty Turco didn’t seem too rattled after Dustin Brown spoiled his shutout bid with 7:14 left in the third period. After all, the Dallas Stars still had a three-goal lead, so what could possibly spoil it?

How about five goals on six shots?…

“The whole third period was brutal,” Turco said. “Other than embarrassing, it’s a total lack of respect for each other. You can’t just sit back and wait for it to go your way. You’ve got to make things happen. And we haven’t been making enough happen. We were just lucky to get a point out of all that.”

read on…

Watch the comeback…

Continue Reading »

The Kings Version Of Amazing Race

by Paul on 11/08/07 at 07:25 AM
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from Inside the Kings,

The Kings had a day off Tuesday, at least from hockey. They were told to assemble at the training facility at 7:30 a.m., at which point they were told to hand over their wallets and cell phones. (No, it wasn’t Tim Leiweke collecting them to sell on EBay to pay for L.A. Live.) The players divided up into four teams for an amended version of The Amazing Race, CBS’s Emmy-winning reality show.

continued

Big Hit By Jack Johnson

by Paul on 11/03/07 at 07:58 AM
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According to this Institute, the hit Jack Johnson put on Milan Michalek last night registered a 5.7!

Masked Men In Columbus & LA

by Paul on 10/31/07 at 09:21 AM
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from E.J. Hradek at ESPN,

Halloween is a time for masks, right?

That being the case, I guess I should talk about the two masked men who’ll likely face one another Wednesday night in Hollywood.

Those two goaltenders are the Kings’ Jason LaBarbera and the Blue Jackets’ Pascal Leclaire. The Kings bring a four-game winning streak into their meeting with the Jackets, who are on their own three-game roll.

I’ll start with the 24-year-old Leclaire, who might be living up to the billing that led the Jackets to select him with the eighth overall pick in the 2001 draft.

continued

LaBarbera Sweating Up His Jersey

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 10:50 AM
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From Lisa Dillman at the LA Times,

Hockey players sweat.  So, tell us something we don’t know.

Except not all sweating athletes are created equal, and some perspire more than others. Put Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera squarely in that latter camp, which has created some interesting challenges for this season.

The new Reebok Edge uniform system may be too efficient in repelling sweat from jerseys, so much so that it is wreaking havoc with LaBarbera’s gloves. He said that he probably doesn’t shoot the puck quite as well at the end of the period because of his slippery hands.

“I sweat a lot. I’m kind of known for it,” LaBarbera said recently. “I’ve always been like that. I’ve noticed it more so in my gloves this year than anything. You can feel it dripping into your gloves.”

continued...

Penner Gets His Ring

by IwoCPO on 10/29/07 at 06:43 AM
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From the Edmonton Sun,

Ducks owner Henry Samueli, his wife Susan, and general manager Brian Burke presented the ring to Penner after the game.

“I shook Burke’s hand, he said ‘Good luck’ and that was it,” Penner said. “I really didn’t know what to expect because it was a unique situation. But I’m done with this one and now I’m moving on to the next one.”

Continued...with more on a silent night between Burke and Lowe.

Early Beliefs

by Paul on 10/25/07 at 08:19 AM
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from Spector at his Fox Sports Blog,

Who would’ve believed:

Mike Cammalleri of the LA Kings would be the league’s leading goal scorer? As of this writing he leads all scorers with ten goals. He’s an emerging talent and could be poised to become a big star. Right now, he’s outshining teammates Anze Kopitar and Alex Frolov, as well as more big name “snipers” like Vincent Lecavalier, Dany Heatley, and Alexander Ovechkin.

more would you have believed…

Line Of The Day

by Paul on 10/23/07 at 02:35 PM
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from the LA Times,

This one, in the Ottawa Sun, involved the Kings listening to offers for forwards Alexander Frolov and Dustin Brown in exchange for a goalie.

“There’s no basis to that,” Kings Coach Marc Crawford said Monday after practice in El Segundo. “Everybody, reporters and probably coaches alike, try to fantasize about trades. They’re exactly that—they are fantasies. That trade would never happen. Ever.

“It’s a fabrication by somebody saying, ‘That might work. They need a goalie. And boy, who could we get that’s young and inexpensive?’ And those are the names. They look at the salary chart and say, ‘These guys are inexpensive. That makes sense.’ But it really doesn’t.”

more on the Kings (reg. req.)

Schneider Loses the Ball & Chain

by Alanah on 10/20/07 at 12:46 PM
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From Eric Stephens at the LA Times,

Mathieu Schneider felt so good about having the protective boot removed from his left foot that he found a way to celebrate the occasion.

“I feel like I’ve lost my ball-and-chain,” Schneider said, beaming. “I’m going to run over it with my car. Maybe I’ll have my kids do it.”

It has been a mostly solitary existence for Schneider thus far with the Ducks.

The 38-year-old defenseman broke a bone in his ankle in his first appearance with his new team—during in an exhibition game against the Kings on Sept. 15.

continued... (*Schneider expects to return to the ice by late next week)

Luc Has Big Plans For The Kings

by Paul on 10/19/07 at 08:52 PM
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from LA Downtown News,

Robitaille foresees a not-too-distant future where the adage “Think King” is just as common as “Think Blue.”

“We are the biggest market. We should be the [NHL] team that everybody wants to copy,” Robitaille said. “It’s a challenge and it’s a lot of fun for me to build this organization that I love so much.”

That’s a line of goods that he’s definitely selling, not renting.

read on about Luc’s plans for the Kings…

Marc Crawford Talks Booing

by Paul on 10/19/07 at 03:35 PM
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

However, Crawford thought the prevalence of new media — round-the-clock highlights packages, an endless parade of Internet information — has heightened scrutiny everywhere around the NHL. And in places such as Toronto and Montreal, the attention is so great as to become almost suffocating.

“Truthfully, I think it’s compounded, especially in hockey markets, by the volume of information that’s available — with blogs, with all the replays, those things become such a big fabric of hockey life,” said Crawford. “It’s a different environment now than even 10 years ago.”

much more on the “booing” subject and other NHL bits…

Rob Blake A Victim Of Circumstance

by Paul on 10/17/07 at 08:48 PM
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from the LA Times,

The questions posed in El Segundo likely will be following Kings defenseman Rob Blake to Canada here for the start of a two-game trip, and will probably be even edgier and to the point.

Uh, Rob, what about that minus-nine, worst in the NHL?…

“He’s been more a victim of circumstance,” Crawford said at Wednesday’s practice in El Segundo. “There’s been a big difference of his level of performance than Nagy’s. If you’re gonna look at statistics, sometimes they can be misleading and in his case, that is a misleading stat.”

read on (reg. req.)

Bernier Back To Juniors

by Paul on 10/15/07 at 04:17 PM
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from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

Jonathan Bernier is heading back to junior hockey.

Sources tell TSN the Los Angeles Kings are in the process of returning the 19-year-old underage netminder to Lewiston of the Quebec League. He is expected to be back with his junior team as early as tomorrow.

continued

Updated 6:32pm ET:
Kings activate Jean-Sebastien Aubin from IR.

Searching For Answers

by Paul on 10/15/07 at 01:49 PM
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from Inside the Kings,

The dressing-room chemistry seems to be good. It’s a real good group of guys, on a personal level, and they seem to like each other. So I don’t think that’s a problem. Is the coaching staff getting through to them? Maybe that’s an issue. The fact that Dave Lewis was brought in, as sort of a ``father figure’’ to the players, tells me that there might have been an issue with Crawford’s ability to relate to the players. I don’t know that for a fact, but if there is, that’s a bigger issue than any X’s or O’s problem or an inability to kill penalties.

much more on the Kings slow start…

Kings Losing Streak At Five

by Paul on 10/15/07 at 08:24 AM
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from Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings,

At some point, it just becomes counter-productive to discuss all of these dreadful losses. The worst part about it, from the Kings’ perspective, is that these aren’t even close losses. The Kings have now trailed at the end of 10 consecutive periods. If they could even put together ONE solid period and generate some momentum, it might get something going, but they have been unable to achieve that since London, really.

Michael Cammalleri is a one-man team at this point. That might be a bit of an overstatement, but not much. When you’re looking for a second-best forward, and your eye is drawn to John Zeiler’s name, that’s not a good thing. And that’s no disrespect toward Zeiler, but he shouldn’t be the team’s second-best forward.

continued

O’Sullivan’s Annual Dental Problems

by Alanah on 10/09/07 at 03:30 PM
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From Lisa Dillman at the LA Times,

“I was just chasing after the puck and the defenseman got to it before me and shot it and [it] went directly into my mouth,” said O’Sullivan, who thought that the shot came from defenseman Christian Backman.

“It’s funny. Well, it’s not funny but it’s ironic, almost a year ago to the day I got my other two teeth knocked out” against Colorado.

“Both times I saw it but I just couldn’t move quick enough to do anything about it,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s something about early October that’s not good for my mouth.”

This time, O’Sullivan said he lost three teeth, needed about six stitches and suffered a broken bone below his nose. “These [the teeth] were still in but they were back in my throat almost. It was pretty gross.”

continued... (ouch… plus, link may require free registration)

Luc Robitaille Taking Kings Back to Hollywood

by Alanah on 10/06/07 at 02:26 AM
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From Lisa Dillman & Lonnie White at the LA Times,

“I think this city is waiting for us to do something special,” said Robitaille, who acknowledged the franchise had lost focus. “For a long time we didn’t pay attention to our neighbors in Hollywood.”

The first significant move to rectify that was a red-carpet affair and party for the team at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Thursday night, with TV and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is a Kings season-ticket holder and potential future NHL owner in Las Vegas, serving as host.

more... (*link may require free registration)

All In the Family

by Alanah on 10/04/07 at 06:56 AM
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From the LA Times,

You would have thought rookie Brady Murray would have grabbed the NHL schedule when it was released and circled this Saturday. Not only is it the home opener, but it is against the Blues, led by former Kings coach Andy Murray, Brady’s father.

“I didn’t really know,” Murray said. “I was more concerned about making the team.”

Consider that done.

Murray is one of the 14 forwards on the 23-man roster, and his mother is flying in for the game.

more... (*link may require free registration)

No Namby-Pamby Refs In The NHL

by Paul on 09/30/07 at 08:24 PM
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from the Telegraph,

Though there are penalties in ice hockey, for high-sticking, for holding and holding the stick, there are no penalties for body checking your opponents at full speed, into a wall. Indeed, that kind of behaviour is rapturously applauded by knowledgeable fans. Such fans will need no explanation of the finer points of the game. Which is just as well. This is a sport of speed, power and violence, played without the inconveniences of offside or touchlines or namby-pamby referees. Indeed, ice hockey referees may well be the least namby-pamby officials in the sports world, since four of them must not only share the ice with two teams of aggressive hulks, but sort out the game’s near obligatory brawl.

There was one of those last night, and highly entertaining it was too. The fight ended as an honourable draw, with one player from each side sitting out a five-minute penalty.

read on about the 2 games in London…

Looking At The Big Picture

by Paul on 09/30/07 at 07:17 PM
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from Scott Burnside at ESPN,

What is undeniable is there was a palpable thrum in the O2 Arena for both games, which were listed as sellouts even though Saturday’s attendance was reported as 17,551 and Sunday’s attendance given by NHL officials was 17,239. Hundreds of fans crowded around the Stanley Cup, which was on display in the atrium of the arena.

The fact there were fans in attendance from throughout Europe’s hockey community should be a positive sign if the NHL does move forward with plans to visit Prague or other European hockey cities beyond.

“Obviously we’re not pleased with our result from tonight,” Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford said. “But I think if you take a big-picture view of it, they had two very entertaining games, two games with sell-out crowds here and a wonderful venue. They saw some inspired hockey by both teams.”

more

Euro Hockey Fans Invade London

by Paul on 09/29/07 at 05:16 PM
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from the Guardian,

Jyri Talja, 35, came from Finland hoping to see national treasure Teemu Selanne. The Finnish Flash, last year’s leading scorer, did not play for Anaheim but Talja said watching a live NHL game was well worth the trip anyway.
“It’s fantastic,” he said between periods. “It’s much faster live."…

Judging by the number of countries represented on jerseys as fans streamed into London’s O2 Arena and filled the stadium’s numerous pubs, the NHL succeeded in attracting a wide range of people from countries across Europe.

read on

Kings Name Blake Captain

by Paul on 09/28/07 at 02:10 PM
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via the LA Kings,

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Rob Blake will serve as Kings captain for the 2007-08 season, Kings head coach Marc Crawford announced from London.  Joining left wing Scott Thornton as assistant captains are defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and left wing Michael Cammalleri.

“Rob and these players have the professionalism, drive and intensity that will be necessary for the Kings to keep improving in a very competitive NHL,” said Crawford from London. 

2007-08 Regular Season Starts Tomorrow!

by Alanah on 09/28/07 at 01:40 PM
Comments (2)

From the CP via the Globe & Mail,

Now it’s for real. The first points of the 2007-’08 NHL season are at stake Saturday when the Los Angeles Kings get first crack at taking down the Stanley Cup-champion Anaheim Ducks.

Practice for both teams seemed to have a little more edge on the eve of the NHL’s regular-season opener (CBC, noon ET).

“There’s a subtle feeling that comes over a team,” said Kings head coach Marc Crawford. “And you can see it in the players, there’s a little more focus in their eyes.

continued... (*regular season in North America starts next Wednesday)

Kings Feel Good With Bernier

by Paul on 09/28/07 at 06:45 AM
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from the LA Times,

By the time Bernier arrived at training camp, the Kings were eager to see what he could do and he was added to the goaltending mix with Dan Cloutier, Jason LaBarbera and Jean-Sebastien Aubin.

“I got to camp, there were three veteran goalies, so I said to tell myself, ‘Just play like I know and just worry about the game,’ “ Bernier said. “And that’s what I did.”

“You don’t want to get too overly excited, but he’s showing some very good poise in the net,” said Coach Marc Crawford, who last Friday sent Cloutier to Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League. “For a goalie to play at this age, they need to have a real strong fundamental game.

“He has a sound package, especially with his skating. . . . He has a great foundation to his goaltending game.”

more (reg. req.)

Uncharted European Territory

by Alanah on 09/27/07 at 03:17 PM
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From the Daily Mail,

The NHL will enter uncharted territory and return to its outdoor roots during a new season that begins on Saturday with the Anaheim Ducks starting their Stanley Cup defence on European ice.

The Ducks and Los Angeles Kings travel to London to play the first NHL regular season game in Europe as the NHL bids to gain a foothold in a market which has also attracted serious attention from the NFL and NBA.

“We’ve got to look at extending our brand outside of North America, whenever we can,” Ducks general manager Brian Burke said. “We think that to take regular season games to Europe is a milestone for our league. Is it ideal from a preparation standpoint? No. But I think when the league asks you to go, you go.”

continued...

Goaltending #1 Concern For Kings

by Paul on 09/27/07 at 11:58 AM
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from Pierre LeBrun of Sportsnet,

The Los Angeles Kings will definitely be the forgotten team here in London this week as the Anaheim Ducks parade the Stanley Cup around the English capital.

The question is whether they’re on the right track to one day duplicating Anaheim’s Cup triumph. It’s Year 2 of GM Dean Lombardi’s rebuilding job and what a massive facelift it’s been.

continued

Brits Paying High Price To See The Games

by Paul on 09/26/07 at 09:09 PM
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from USA TODAY,

Tickets for the 17,500 seats, priced at $50, $90 and $130, were sold out in 2 1/2 weeks with very limited advertising, says Lucy Ellison, spokeswoman for the O2 arena, site of the games.

The price on the scalpers’ black market is way above that.

Andrew Morris, a Canadian expat and fan of his hometown Vancouver Canucks, says his girlfriend planned to get him a ticket as a 30th birthday present. She wasn’t fast enough and found scalpers wanted $770.

“It was really amazing not to get tickets,” says a disappointed Morris, who works in a London nightclub. “If you’re a hockey fan, it doesn’t make much difference who is playing. You just want to see the game.”

more