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Greg Wyshynski | December 18, 2009

Every airport has its Hudson News-esque shop filled with local keepsakes, overpriced beverages and the latest issue of every magazine except the one you’re looking to read.

The one I ducked into at Los Angeles International Airport this week was no different, prominently featuring swag from the local college and pro sports team … and yet nothing from the Los Angeles Kings.

Seriously, there were more "Star Trek" T-shirts than anything Kings-related in the store.

This isn’t to say that the Kings are invisible in that part of town. A giant billboard with the team logo, the word "PASSION" and ticket information casts a shadow over the freeway. Then again, it sort of looks like an ad for a designer men’s fragrance, and the slogan sort of misses the mark in the eyes of LA-based hockey blogger Dave Bartkowiak:

Here in LA, I see Kings billboards with one-word phrases like "Passion," "Pride" and "Believe". My first question is, what have the Kings done since the Gretzky era? I don’t think there has been much "passion."

There is now, of course, with this collection of hungry young talents meshing with cagey vets for what’s been a thrilling journey to the top of the Pacific Division, with 47 points in 37 games. (The San Jose Sharks also have 47 points, and are technically the top team in the division because they have two games in-hand.) They’ve got the passion, the fan base believes … so now the question is whether the rest of Los Angeles will once again take pride in its NHL franchise.

In our conversations with LA fans, it may not be anytime soon, for a variety of factors.

In the flawed and unreliable public attendance numbers for the NHL, the Kings are listed as averaging 16,325 fans per home game, good for 88.2-percent capacity. They’ve had a loyal following, a thriving blogosphere and the promise that years of building under GM Dean Lombardi were eventually going to lead to success.

What they haven’t had is buzz in a city were it’s mandatory for any media or cultural traction. You know the drill: Lack of chatter in local media; televisions tuned to hoops in most bars; and, as mentioned above, a lack of gear in airport newsstands (which is, of course, the ultimate barometer of a team’s success, right?).

In reading Stephen Brunt’s book "Gretzky’s Tears" about The Great One’s trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Kings (hopefully reviewed here next week), it’s incredible to think how instantaneous the transformation of Los Angeles into a "hockey town" was upon his arrival. Brunt, on the massive interest and ticket sales after the trade:

"They were responding to Gretzky’s star power. They had bought into the idea of Gretzky — faster than anyone could have imagined. No one dismissed the phenomenon by suggesting it was just the Kings, it was just hockey, so it couldn’t possibly matter."

Right there is the issue for the 2009-10 Kings, from the conversations I had with Los Angelenos of all types: No matter their success in the standings, they are just the Kings. It is just hockey. And Anze Kopitar’s(notes) 38 points in 37 games does not a star make, let alone one that would bring Neil Diamond to hockey like The Great One did.

Bartkowiak, from his blog in October:

Although the California hockey market has continued to flourish thanks to Anaheim and San Jose, the Kings are all but forgotten. It’s a dead franchise lurching in the shadows of it’s two younger brothers – the Ducks and Sharks. LA is experiencing its own curse of The Great One.

In fact, the team has made the playoffs just four times since ‘93. They haven’t played a series since 2002, and they haven’t won one since 2000 – against Detroit. That is the one highlight of the last 15 seasons. The Kings have had seven coaches in the past 15 seasons. They’ve had a rotating roster of rejects and has-beens.

The best that could happen to the Kings would be another Gretzky figure. Someone like Alexander Ovechkin could save this team and this market. But what if there isn’t anyone to do that? This is where the Kings stand – without a savior and with little faith.

Here’s what I see now: A team with a bunch of young guys who have something to prove. This may be the first year since the ’90s the Kings have even the slightest chance at making the post season.

But that doesn’t translate to buzz. LA fans aren’t opening the paper, looking at the standings, seeing the Kings atop the division and calling their ticket broker.

It doesn’t work that way. The fans I spoke to said it would take a run — potentially as deep as the Stanley Cup finals — to turn the Kings into a must-see-and-be-seen event in town. That’s a hell of a marketing challenge.

Then again, so is a lack of media visibility. When the locals do open their paper, they might find NHL standings; they might not find any Kings coverage worth a damn, especially when the team travels. That’s why the Kings hired Rich Hammond as their own beat guy from the LA Daily News; he’s been dynamic for fans that follow the team, but the casual fan isn’t being exposed to the Kings through dwindling mainstream media.

Television is a problem, too. Mike Dark, a Kings fan in Long Beach, contacted us about a lack of TV coverage for the team, noting that at least 11 games won’t be televised from Dec. through April and that his cable system, Charter, doesn’t offer Center Ice. (DirecTV does … but then he loses Versus, of course.)

We asked Michael for his lay of the La-La land for hockey, and he passed along some eye-opening observations for fans outside of the Golden State:

The Kings haven’t made the playoffs in six years so the buzz is LOW. Really what buzz?  Locally, the media focuses on the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels and USC football. The Los Angeles Times doesn’t even have a beat writer that covers the Kings (or Ducks). The reality is that hockey is an after thought in LA. Since Gretz left things have gone down hill for the Kings and the media. It seems hard to sell a team that hasn’t won for several years, without a marquee player who has an American/Canadian surname. I don’t ever remember seeing Dustin Brown(notes) being thrust out in front of the media.

While the marketing of the Kings is a problem, I think that the greater problem is with the NHL. The NHL isn’t trying to market their product to LA. While we get the NBC game of the week, the hype isn’t there locally. Can I really get excited about another game that features Crosby? 

It seems to me that hockey players in general are very laid-back, cool guys from the farms of Canada. The interviews are honest, insightful and lack a lot of the ego that the NBA players carry. Can’t the NHL through the NHLPA make the players do more media junkets?

The national Fox radio drive time show features two LA guys, Petros and Money, who will talk hockey, but it seems that it is rare. Actually, tomorrow at 1830 EST, they will be talking some hockey but it seems rare. Jim Rome used to have great interviews with Ray Ferraro and other NHL guys but it seems that those are getting fewer and father between.

I really think that the NHL needs to sure up their TV contracts to resemble what the NFL has. All games need to be televised in all markets. All games have to be in HD. The local teams need to parade out the local talent as much as possible (think Reggie Dunlop). If the Kings could get people talking about hockey, good bad or otherwise, then more people would want to be a part of the buzz.

Can winning accomplish that? Perhaps, but it’s still a tough task in a town when it’s all about names above the title, and for a franchise that needed the best player in the history of pucks and skates (pipe down, Gordie and Orr loyalists) to enchant the locals.

Can marketing accomplish that? The Kings are trying to prove it can. They’ve served hockey fans well, from the hiring of Hammond to ticket deals to — let’s face it — one of the greatest team-produced commercials of all-time. Now, with the team contending, the focus expands; for example, the Kings’ new initiative to share advertising space with sponsors. From All Business:

One co-branded billboard with sponsor San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino has the tag line "Great Games," with logos for both. Kings executives said that the double meaning emphasizes the partnership.

"This is a great example of how we can go that extra step with one of our partners and go beyond just the elements of a contractual agreement," said Luc Robitaille, Kings president of business operations. "We like this strategy going forward and believe it benefits all parties involved."

It’ll take innovation to create buzz; sustaining it will be contingent on what the Kings do on the ice. The fans we’ve talked to said that there are scores of hockey fans who’d come out to support a winning product in LA; imagine who else would hit the rink if, say, the Cup was on the line?

And by "who" we mean "actresses who play indestructible cheerleaders on shows that set the bar way too high in Season 1":

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Ryan Lambert | November 30, 2009

 

Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend’s events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

We are now sufficiently deep into the season that we can start looking at whether or not a team’s offseason moves have worked out for the best. If nothing else, it will give you a reason to feel really good or really bad about the team you have chosen to support.

To be honest, a shocking number of huge decisions have turned out to be very, very good. The Dany Heatley(notes) trade is working out for everyone, Phil Kessel’s(notes) been lights-out in Toronto, Jay Bouwmeester(notes) has helped the Flames’ defense be not-terrible and Ryan Smyth(notes) was dominant in LA before going down with an injury.

But those aren’t as interesting as some of the massive blunders GMs across the league have made in acquiring what they thought would be exceptional players only to find they got a dud.

What, for example, were the Edmonton Oilers thinking?

[Coming up: Jordin Tootoo's(notes) No. 1 and so is Corey Perry(notes); Angelo Esposito's(notes) old trick knee is acting up again while Patrice Bergeron's(notes) (unspecified) is bothering him; Miller's save-of-the-year candidate; the Wings revel in beating St. Louis in a shootout; the Sharks' power play goes in search of the Washington Generals; the Habs get a participant trophy; and the Leafs hire Mocha Joe to mediate a dispute.]

Edmonton could have re-signed Dwayne Roloson(notes) on the cheap for a year or two and gotten a somewhat effective goalie. Instead Steve Tambellini gave a four-year, $15 million deal to injury-prone, 36-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin(notes), who couldn’t even out-duel Cristobal Huet(notes) for a starting job in Chicago.

The results, of course, have been predictable. He’s played 18 games with a 3.03/.909 line, and — guess what? — now he’s hurt, leaving the Oilers to rely upon Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, who is somehow even worse. And jeez, that Mike Comrie(notes) deal worked out too, didn’t it? I still don’t know how people thought this team would make the playoffs.

But it’s hard to have done a worse job than the Canadiens did over on the other side of Canada. Mike Cammalleri has been just fine, but Scott Gomez(notes), Brian Gionta(notes) and Hal Gill(notes) were hilariously bad decisions, especially considering what the Habs gave up to get Gomez in the first place, not that anyone thought the Habs were getting their loonie’s worth when they signed anyway. And here I would also list some of the Maple Leafs’ offseason acquisitions like Mike Komisarek(notes) and Francois Beauchemin(notes), but that’d feel too much like kicking the slow kid.

The Rangers, too, have problems. Sure, their three big free agent signings of Marian Gaborik(notes), Vinny Prospal and Ales Kotalik(notes) are leading the team in scoring, but by acquiring them, the Rangers went all-in on a defense made up of two rookies, two decent second-pairing guys, and Michal Roszival and Wade Redden(notes). Couldn’t have invested $11.6 million in defense?  Offense is nice but when you score better than league average and then allow more than you score, that’s a very, very bad thing.

Speaking of Gaborik, Minnesota replaced him with Martin Havlat(notes) which seemed like a good idea at the time. Consider, then, that Kyle Brodziak(notes) has twice as many goals as Havlat, ye fantasy owners, and weep.

And finally, what was going through Ken Holland’s head when he let Marian Hossa(notes) walk, and then replaced him with Jason Williams(notes) and Todd Bertuzzi(notes)? Keeping the team together is important, I guess, but you can’t know you’re going to let a 40-goal guy go and not have some sort of contingency plan. That blunder is a huge reason they’re 10th in the West right now.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: As bad as Anaheim has been this year, Corey Perry been just as amazing. On Friday he tied Teemu Selanne’s(notes) club record for consecutive games with a point, getting a point in 17 straight. Then last night he picked up a helper on Bobby Ryan’s(notes) late game-tying goal to break the record. During the run, he’s scored 9-15-24.

Atlanta Thrashers: That’s two ACL tears in two seasons for Angelo Esposito. Oh yeah, and it was the ACL in his right knee both times, which, speaking as an unlicensed and untrained medical professional, isn’t good.

Boston Bruins: So Patrice Bergeron drops in front of a Filip Kuba(notes) slapshot in Saturday’s game and blocks the shot, but immediately begins writhing in pain on the ice (he returned later but was not available to the media after the game and his status is uncertain for Wednesday). But to make matters worse, while Bergeron was still lying on the ice, the Senators scored a goal. That’s literally adding insult to injury.

Buffalo Sabres: Hey Ryan Miller(notes), can you stop making saves like this so these games can be fair?

Calgary Flames: Kind of interesting to see players talking shop on shootout technique. At least I think so. I also think it’s interesting that Saturday’s shootout victory over Columbus was only Calgary’s fifth win ever at Nationwide Arena.

Carolina Hurricanes: Despite whatever moves the team makes in the next few days, don’t go around thinking that Paul Maurice is going to get shuffled out as well. Jim Rutherford backs him 100 percent. What’s less clear is why he does so.

Chicago Blackhawks: Things are taking a turn for the worse in Chicago. They didn’t score in close to two games’ worth of hockey before Jonathan Toews(notes) picked up his fifth of the year early in the third period. As such they haven’t won in TWO WHOLE GAMES. Time to panic!

Colorado Avalanche: Jibblescribbits takes a whack at breaking down the Avs’ flaws. Whether or not you agree with them, he at least nails this part: "Well, the critics may be insufferably smug now that the Avs have been a very pedestrian 4-5-3 in November, and falling out of 1st place in the Northwest." Yes, yes we are. Very smug. I do find being right all the time rather burdensome.

Columbus Blue Jackets: It won’t be a trade that fixes Columbus’ recent struggles. Someone, says GM Scott Howson, has to step up. You’d think they would have realized this prior to Saturday night’s loss when they had a .500 record but a minus-13 goal differential. Just for fun: I blame Ken Hitchcock!

Dallas Stars: Said Marc Crawford of his team’s late comeback against Tampa on Saturday: "It’s all about patience with our club. We have to show patience throughout 60 minutes as the game unfolds. We can’t change the way that we play. The lesson for us is to stay with it." Patience, staying with it, and playing Tampa’s backup goaltender. All recipes for success.

Detroit Red Wings: As if we needed more proof that even when the Red Wings suck, that’s when they’re most dangerous — it took them 175:57 to break their scoreless streak (the team’s longest since 1977), but when they did, they scored three goals in the third period and won 4-3 in a shootout.

Edmonton Oilers: You mean Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers coughing up four goals on seven shots in 8:25 cost his team the game? Get outta here.

Florida Panthers: A lot of questions to ponder following Florida’s demoralizing loss to Nashville, but this is probably the best one: "Why – OH WHY – did defenseman Bryan McCabe(notes) lead his team in SOG?"

Los Angeles Kings: Ryan Smyth is already back practicing. Bad news for the Western Conference.

Minnesota Wild: So I’m on Twitter last night, checking out what people think about their team’s games as I do. And I stumble across this from the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Michael Russo: "Get Hnidy off the PP." This should be common sense, but that tells you just how bad the Wild offense is. Sheriff Shane Hnidy’s(notes) career high in points after nine years in the league is 12. And he’s on Minnesota’s power play. Yikes.

Montreal Canadiens: Normally, Mike Boone is one of the best hockey writers alive, but I hate stuff like his "‘A’ for effort" talk regarding the Habs’ shootout loss to the Caps. Yeah, they didn’t get embarrassed by a skills-y team. They also blew a 2-0 lead and gave up the tying goal with 12 seconds left. Good work everyone.

(Ed. Note: As pointed out by a few of ye, including Puck Buddy Matt B. over email, the Habs rallied from 2-0 down and then blew their lead late. Bad Lambert!)

Nashville Predators: Congratulations are in order for Jordin Tootoo, who got into his first fight of the year on Saturday, and then his second about eight minutes later. The two scraps moved him into the top spot on the Preds’ all-time penalty minutes list. Well done.

New Jersey Devils: Early in the week it looked like the Devils could be in trouble. Hosting then-Northeast leaders Ottawa Wednesday night, visiting current Northeast leaders Boston Friday afternoon, then hosting the Islanders Saturday afternoon. The results: 3-1 win, 2-1 shootout win, 6-1 win. This is a pretty good team right here.

New York Islanders: There was one interesting note from the Isles’ embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Devils — Andrew MacDonald(notes) finished a plus-1 and therefore was not on the ice for any of New Jersey’s four even-strength goals. In fact, he hasn’t been on the ice for one in any of his games this season (okay, so he’s only played three, but still).

New York Rangers: Saturday’s ugly 8-3 loss to the Penguins may not have Ranger fans abandoning ship, but they’re definitely getting the vests on and queuing up next to the lifeboats.

Ottawa Senators: Even when Tim Thomas(notes) stinks on ice in the first period, the Sens just can’t beat him. Thomas is now 14-5-2 against Ottawa in his career.

Philadelphia Flyers: Why aren’t more people talking about the contributions of James van Riemsdyk(notes)? The kid has 19 points in 20 games as a rookie, including four of his six goals being game-winners. And by the way, this is his first full year as a pro.

Phoenix Coyotes: Viktor Tikhonov(notes) got loaned to the KHL on Saturday. That usually ends well, right?

Pittsburgh Penguins: Matt Cooke(notes) has been suspended two games for a hit on Artem Anisimov(notes) that Pensburgh says, "was away from the play [and] targeted the head." Well that’ll do it, eh?

San Jose Sharks: Todd McLellan is now critical of his team’s third-ranked power play, referring to it as "Globetrotters" because it looks great doing nothing. That’s a fantastic term right there, and I like it so much I think I’m going to steal it.

St. Louis Blues: Remember like a week ago when everyone was all upset that David Backes(notes) had essentially played himself off the U.S. Olympic team with four points in 21 games? Well he might just play his way back on it. With Saturday’s two-point night, he’s got five in his last three games and has gone from a minus-4 to a plus-2. Not bad.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Least-surprising headline of the week goes to the St. Pete Times for: "Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos in the mix for Canada’s Olympic team." Scoring more goals over the last 49 games than everyone in the league but Ovie and Rick Nash(notes) will do that, I guess.

Toronto Maple Leafs: So Mikhail Grabovski(notes) took a swing at Francois Beauchemin at Leafs practice Sunday. Actual Ron Wilson quote: "They were arguing over the last ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ episode. Grabo did not quite understand of those some of the little idioms, and Francois, who is a master of the English language, was explaining to him." I now suspect that Beauchemin revealed to Grabovski that he does not respect wood. That being said, Grabovski apparently wrote the pamphlet on fighting teammates, since he scrapped with Jason Blake(notes) in practice last year. Now that’s acting without acting.

Vancouver Canucks: I love how, thanks to one stupid empty net goal that he needed two tries to score, Kyle Wellwood(notes) has achieved some sort of folk hero status among the media in Vancouver. Same thing goes for the chuckleheads on Hockey Night in Canada. "HOW DID HE DO IT?" they asked. Oh I know, it must’ve been by 86′ing the composite stick. That was the problem. He’s gonna make a serious run at the Rocket Richard now. (Ugh, after I wrote this he went and scored early against San Jose. Now I really hate Wellwood for going out of his way to make me look bad.)

Washington Capitals: Memo to the good folks at Geico Sportsnite: Maybe next time you wanna wait on a game to end before declaring it over.

Play of the Weekend

Have a look at this golazzo by Phil Kessel on Friday.

Golly.

Gold Star Award

Well, Sid Crosby, if you’re gonna score a hat trick (and add two assists, but who’s counting?), you might as well do it on Hat Night, eh?

Minus of the Weekend

Patrick Kaleta(notes) wins this one in a runaway. Not for the big, illegal hit on Jared Ross. It happens, whatever. But he pulls down this award for turtling like a scared schoolgirl the second someone challenges him.

Even if you think he didn’t deserve to sit out two games for that hit (you’re wrong, by the way), he deserved it for that Cold War-quality duck-and-cover job. What a punk.

Perfect HFBoards trade proposal of the week

The username "Blackhawkswincup" is a tipoff that the poster of this proposal is a Blackhawks fan. The proposal itself is a tipoff that he’s out of his mind.

Edm- D Cam Barker(notes)

Chi -D Joe Corvo(notes)/Carolina 2nd in 2011

Car – D Tom Gilbert(notes)

Yeah, because Joe Corvo’s having such a great season?

Signoff

Let’s see some smiles, people. It’s a party, not a shareholders’ meeting.

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness pretty much every day over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don’t you? Or you can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

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Greg Wyshynski | November 6, 2009

Verizon Center in D.C. is considered by some to be the epicenter for fans placing photos of rival players next to men’s room urinal cakes. But Staples Center in Los Angeles has experienced its own steady stream, with Anaheim Ducks players the victims in the past.

The Royal Half reports that some enterprising Los Angeles Kings fan decided to once again turn the porcelain spotlight on Sidney Crosby(notes) during last night’s 5-2 Kings victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins:

Allusion to diving? Check. Infant iconography? Check. We’re always amazed at the level of intense thought that goes into something as frivolous as this; the notion that this guy and D.C.’s infamous propagator of "Pee-Pics" actually take the time to laminate their creations is as laudable as it is disturbing.

(This bicoastal work couldn’t be from the same steady hand, could it? Jokes about diving and crying just seem beneath the comic genius that gave the world "I’m Thirsty" at a Washington Capitals home game.)

We’re probably not alone in saying that Crosby’s performance in the playoffs last season impressed the hell out of us, not only from a numbers perspective but with his toughness in going to the net. Despite that, the mold for mockery has been cast for NHL fans and old memes die hard; perhaps that’s why some in the Pittsburgh media are calling for a rebranding of Crosby’s nickname.

He may have been golden last night in LA, but he gave Penguins fans the silver last summer – as The Royal Half was reminded after the Kings’ win:

As we exited the Staples Center he said to us… "it’s not like the Penguins aren’t going to make the playoffs." And as we stood on a street corner with Pens fans, decked out in Penguin wear, a car drove by and said "Screw Pittsburgh!" When I repeated what the car had screamed out… one of the Pens fans looked at me and said "I couldn’t hear him because our Stanley Cup rings are clogging my ears." I smiled at the dude and had the horrible pangs of jealousy fill my body. Goddamn I hope I can use that line one day.

Hey, stealing jokes from Patrick Roy isn’t a sign of greatness. Finding Anze Kopitar’s(notes) face circling a urinal drain … now that’s when you’ve arrived.

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Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Kings, Louisiana, nhl, Patrick Roy, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup, Staples, The Kings, Verizon, Washington Capitals

Greg Wyshynski | November 5, 2009

Remember Kevin Dallman(notes)? You’re forgiven if you don’t. His NHL career lasted 154 games between the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, with whom he played from 2006-08.

He was a serviceable spare-part defenseman, on the road to becoming a journeyman shuttled between the NHL and the minor leagues. That was until he made the bold career decision last year to sign with Barys Astana of the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League, where he scored 58 points in 53 games, including 28 goals. He was an all-star, a team captain and recipient of the first-ever best defenseman award from the League.

Dallman’s stats were treated by some as evidence that the KHL isn’t exactly the highest level of competition, and at one point the plan for Dallman was to post killer numbers in the Russian league and then return to North America.

But the KHL experience exceeded his expectations, as did living in Kazakhstan with his wife and two children. Dallman signed a contract extension that he doesn’t intend to break.

We spoke with this NHL ex-pat about the still-mysterious Russian league and how a North American handles playing in it; about his decision to leave for the KHL as a free agent; about the perceptions of his peers about the KHL and its bad PR; as well as fast food, puck bunnies, music and why Kazak fans are better than NHL fans.

Q. You’re in Kazakhstan. What percentage of "Borat" was accurate?

DALLMAN: You know, where we are in the capital of Astana, it’s really nice. Really modern. Building a lot of new apartments, a lot of great hotels. It’s really Americanized. All the restaurants have English menus, English food. There are KFCs and in Russia there’s a McDonalds and Burger Kings.

On the outskirts, there are still some places that are pretty [undeveloped], but that’s like any other city, even in North America.

So to answer your question: It’s nothing like the movie.

In "Pulp Fiction," they talked about what a Big Mac was called in France. Does a Big Mac taste the same in a McDonalds in Kazakhstan as it does in America?

(Laughs) There isn’t a McDonalds in Kazakhstan but there’s a McDonalds in Russia. I had a Big Mac two days ago, and it tastes exactly the same.

Take us back to your decision to leave for the KHL. You were a free agent in the Kings system, right?

I finished off the year in LA, and finished off kind of strong. We shopped around a little bit and there were a few teams interested. San Jose and Chicago wanted two-year deals like I had in LA; the first year a two-way [contract] and the second year one-way.

Then an offer came from Riga in Latvia, and an offer came from [a few Russian teams]. It was a lot of money, and I knew some other guys were coming over to the KHL. It was a chance for me to come over and get away from American hockey and the NHL, where I wasn’t playing as much and getting lost in the shuffle. I’d come over, prove myself, be a go-to guy and then come back after one year.

Then I had a great year last year, everything took care of itself, and I’m here from a few more years.

How do you end up being headhunted by the KHL? Were they scouting you?

They obviously did some scouting because they put out a contract, but my agent has a Russian agent and he shopped around for me. They did background, and the rest is history.

What were the most difficult aspects of the transition to playing in Kazakhstan?

The time change is 11 hours, which was hard at first. And not so difficult for me in the hockey world, but for my wife — the language barrier is tough. Not so much in Kazakhstan, but here in Russia there’s no English.

What was it like breaking the news to your family that they’d be moving overseas?

My wife just wanted me to do whatever I wanted. I was here for two and a half months before she came over. I told her it was really nice. She still didn’t believe me until she got here.

So having played in the KHL for a bit, what are the major differences in styles with the NHL?

Because the ice surface is so much bigger, you have a lot of time [to make play]. You don’t get hit as much. The players over here are really skilled and fast. In the NHL, you get hit a lot. There are a lot of big players, the ice surface is smaller, and there’s no time or space.

There are a few North American coaches over here that bring a North American style.

When you started to get a feel for the level of talent over there, were you like ‘Oh sure, I could lead the League in scoring as a defenseman here’?

I knew there were skill players here, but I thought it was a more of a defensive league than an offensive league when I was first coming over. But then when I started off really hot, things just kept going. I never thought I was going to lead the league in points or set league records. It just kept going and going.

It would be hard to repeat that season.

One of the interesting things about you is that you’re the captain of the team. You’ve got a few other North American guys on the roster, but what’s it like being the captain of a mostly Eastern European team?

It was really weird how it happened. We were maybe 15 games into the season, and they started healthy scratching our captain last year. One day I came in for the game, and I had a ‘K’ on my jersey. I was like, "What the heck?" The coach came over to me and said "cap-tain," and everyone started clapping. And that was it.

It’s definitely difficult because of the language, but I have guys like Maxim Spiridonov who played in Hamilton with the Bulldogs, and he speaks both. It’s easy with those guys around.

Do players like you and Jozef Stumpel(notes) who played in the NHL carry a bit more cache in the locker room?

Oh, definitely. When they see what we do in practice, they try to copy it. They always ask us questions, especially with a guy like Stumpel who played 16 or 17 years in the NHL; he gets a ton of respect, not only from guys on our team but from guys on the other teams.

What was it like playing the KHL All-Star Game outdoors in Red Square?

It was cold. Minus-20 or something.

I had come in early with the team president and owner and coach, and we walked around Red Square when it was all lit up. It was a great site. I came in the next day for the skills competition, and the fans were crazy. I’m sure they were all drunk.

What are the differences between KHL and NHL fans?

Some of the teams in the smaller cities in Russia don’t get as many fans, but the top teams in the brand new rinks get tons of fans. And our fans are great; they’re so loud. Our rink holds 6,000 people, it’s sold out every night and they’re just bonkers. I find them a lot louder than when there’s 17,000 people in an NHL rink back home.

Now, you’re a married dude, so you’re exempt from the details on this question, but are there KHL puck bunnies?

There are a lot of KHL puck bunnies. (Laughs.) Lots of girls who wait for us after the game. I wouldn’t say in greater numbers than the NHL.

When you talk to guys back in North America about the KHL, what is it they don’t get about the League? What are their misconceptions?

Most of them get it. A lot of them have played international hockey. But when I go home, there’s a lot of "how’s Borat do’in?" (laughs).

Did you get a ton of questions after Alexei Cherepanov died after a KHL game?

No, honestly I didn’t. I’m sure a lot of guys on the Omsk team did. But I never got asked anything about that, no.

When you were in Los Angeles, what was it like being on the same team as Sean Avery(notes) back then?

(Laughs) I liked Aves, he’s a good guy. He’s got his guys that he picks on, but I wasn’t one of them. I hung out with him quite a bit; he’s a good guy.

Your favorite and least favorite NHL jerseys?

My least favorite would be Atlanta Thrashers. My most favorite would be Detroit Red Wings.

Your most favorite and least favorite KHL jerseys, sir?

My least favorite would have to be Atlant, because they’re bright yellow. My favorite would be Dynamo Moscow. They’re kind of like the Leafs jerseys.

What’s on your iPod these days?

Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson(notes), Bob Marley.

Your adult beverage of choice, sir?

Water. (Laughs). Vodka water.

It seems like you’re a guy whose mind was changed about the KHL after competing there, huh?

I was going to come here for one year and prove I could put up numbers if I got the ice time. But I changed halfway through the year, when I got the captaincy. My agent heard there were a few teams interested if I wanted to come back and break my contract. And I said, "No, I’m having too much fun over here."

Finally, do you see a time when the bigger Russian names in the NHL will come and play for the KHL instead, like Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) for example?

I could see it, but I don’t know when. We’re getting guys now, but it’s the older guys. Maybe if they keep coming over, the younger guys will follow suit.

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Ryan Lambert | October 5, 2009

Hello. This is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend’s events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

Ah, to live in the moment.

With the Boston Bruins up 4-0 on the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night, Jack Edwards commented that everyone that had broken their ankles jumping off the Bruins bandwagon would now be pulling their hamstrings climbing back on.

He, of course, exhibited great glee in taking his told-ya-so moral high ground while smugly noting that last year’s Boston Bruins — ya know, the ones that won the East!!! — also started the season at 1-1.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Another Bruins team that started the season 1-1: The 2006-07 side that finished with 76 points. The point being that, shocking though it may be, the first two games of an 82-game schedule aren’t necessarily an indicator of future success or failure.

Case in point: Alexander Ovechkin(notes). I think even he would admit that his pace through two games, in which he’s scored 3-3-6, is a little hard to maintain. Not that he wouldn’t love to finish the year with 123-123-246, it just seems unreasonable. Brooks Laich(notes), similarly, is unlikely to finish in a four-way tie for the Rocket Richard with Ovie, Wojtek Wolski(notes) and Patrick Marleau(notes).

(Coming up: An incredibly bloody Lucic fight in Boston; the shakeup in Ottawa; a player is hurt again in Carolina; Gagner brawls Conroy off the face-off; Khabi blows it in Edmonton; a tough cap situation in Philly; a space cadet in Phoenix; Ron Artest: Puckhead; and no one besides Craig Anderson(notes) shows up in Colorado.)

The first few games of the season always feature freakish statistical outliers. Josh Gorges(notes) and Adam Pardy(notes) of all people lead the NHL in shooting percentage at 1.000. Through two games, Jay Bouwmeester(notes) has played 59:12 to lead the league in ice time (actually, they’re not very likely to rein that in), but Joe Corvo(notes) is next at 57:45, nearly two and a half minutes per game more than Chris Pronger(notes). Sorry Columbus fans, RJ Umberger’s(notes) not going to finish with 82 shorties.

Antti Niemi(notes) and Ray Emery(notes) probably won’t keep the shutout streaks alive for the rest of the season, and it seems likely that Craig Anderson’s league-leading win total will eventually fall to goalies that are actually on good teams. And along those same lines, Colorado’s stranglehold on the first seed in the West will almost certainly weaken in the coming week or so, and Martin Brodeur’s(notes) stay on the second page the NHL’s of goals-against average stat tracker can’t be long for this world.

So please, everyone, let’s be serious here. There’s no reason to think we’re looking at a Caps/Blues Cup Final because they’re at the top of the standings on Oct. 5 and the Red Wings won’t be dead last.

Let’s let the rest of the season go and see how everything shakes out.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf(notes) knows he gets to fly under the radar because he’s on the Ducks (pun only partly intended). No one in LA, outside of a small group, really cares about the team, so he basically gets to be a top-5 forward in the league without answering a million tough questions every night. Sid Crosby probably envies him.

Atlanta Thrashers: The Thrashers decided they wanted to get some youth in the mix when it came to leadership, so they gave an A to 19-year-old Zach Bogosian(notes). He’s the youngest player in the league with a letter on the front of his jersey, beating Kyle Okposo(notes) and Jonathan Toews(notes) by a couple years.

Boston Bruins: One of these days, Milan Lucic(notes) will stop giving me a reason to put one of his fights in this section. This is not one of those days.

Buffalo Sabres: Nervous fans, fear not: The Sabres loss to the Habs on Saturday wasn’t their fault. It was the salary cap’s. Don’t you feel better about it now?

Calgary Flames: Craig Conroy(notes) got in a fight (I know) against Sam Gagner(notes) (I know!), but jeez he went down easy.

It was the 38-year-old Conroy’s third fight ever. One time he fought Jarome Iginla(notes). True story.

Carolina Hurricanes: Big surprise: Erik Cole(notes) is hurt. Broken bone in his left leg. Out four to six weeks. Please try to contain your shock and dismay.

Chicago Blackhawks: Gotta hand it to the NHL for sticking with a failed idea (sound familiar?). Despite disappointing attendance and it being a general waste of time, former Chicago resident and the senior VP of NHL International Ken Yaffe says the league will continue to start the season in Europe.

Colorado Avalanche: Of all the places you’d think only 13,416 would show up, I bet you wouldn’t have picked Colorado. The economy and all that, I understand, but that’s still an awful small number to see the hometown boys play a pretty good team like Vancouver, especially given how well the Avs had played on Thursday.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Rostislav Klesla(notes), the only original Blue Jacket still with the team, signed a big four-year, $11.9 million extension. That’s a pretty decent cap hit for him.

Dallas Stars: After getting speared in the chest on Saturday, Mike Modano(notes) might not be good to go Tuesday against Edmonton. He’ll get an MRI today.

Detroit Red Wings: The Detroit media is already piling on backup Jimmy Howard(notes), whose play was less than desirable against the Blues. Not that he doesn’t deserve it.

Edmonton Oilers: Last year the Oilers won just 18 games at home. And now they say they’ll improve on that. They did not, however, get off to the best start by clawing their way back into a tight game with Calgary before blowing it inside a minute to go (more on that later).

Florida Panthers: Hey, look who finally signed Dominic Moore(notes). I’m sorta surprised it took this long for someone to jump on him.

Los Angeles Kings: If you didn’t see the Kings/Coyotes game Saturday night, you missed a whopper. The Kings hit four posts, Ron Artest professed his love for the sport of hockey (he and Mike Milbury could give enforcers some pointers on crowd control), and Drew Doughty(notes) had an absolutely horrific night despite picking up a goal and an assist. I guess one out of 82 ain’t so bad.

Minnesota Wild: Somewhat interestingly, it turns out Jacques Lemaire was nearly fired midseason last year. After a real bad December, they decided to wait until early January to do it, but by then the Wild had started demolishing teams, so the issue was dropped. Kinda explains why he just quit at the end of the year though, doesn’t it?

Montreal Canadiens: Ryan O’Byrne(notes)? Out six weeks. Glen Metropolit(notes)? Also out, iffy for tomorrow night against Calgary but at least he made the trip. Andrei Markov(notes)? Out too, as I’m sure you’ve heard. This has been a productive two games for the Canadiens, yessir.

Nashville Predators: Dan Ellis(notes) made a big play in the Preds’ win on Saturday, wiring a perfect tape-to-tape pass to James Neal(notes), who is, unfortunately, not on his team. Neal scored no problem, but Ellis at least got to joke about it since his team snuck away with a win. Quipped Ellis: "I thought I had a chance to score there."

New Jersey Devils: Almost nothing went right for the Devs on Saturday. They got crushed by Philly, they looked bad doing it, too many guys took long shifts and they just weren’t disciplined. It got so bad that Jacques Lemaire had to bench Andrew Peters(notes) for mouthing off to the refs. Not how you want to start a season for sure.

New York Islanders: B.D. Gallof put up an excellent and lengthy post yesterday, positing that perhaps the whole Lighthouse Project kerfuffle was manufactured by Charles Wang as a means of getting the fans on his side, even though his intention has always been to move the team at the earliest convenience. Pro-Project signs were even given out to the fans by team management. What a disaster.

New York Rangers: Congratulations to Michael Del Zotto(notes), who scored his first NHL goal on Saturday with his family in the building. Nothing else of note happened in Rangerland, and whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you.

Ottawa Senators: The Sens changed up their lines after their ugly opening-game loss to Atlanta. I don’t know what this reminds me of more: rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic or the Hindenburg.

Philadelphia Flyers: You know your team is used to catching a beating salary-wise when fan blogs are actively breaking down the cap hits of two guys that didn’t play a game and were sent down to the AHL. So for those wondering at home, the twin terror of Johan Backlund(notes) and Marc-Andre Bourdon’s(notes) cap hits totaled roughly $23,500, or .04 percent of the Flyers’ total cap space. Dodged a bullet there.

Phoenix Coyotes: The key to Scotty Upshall’s success is apparently kineticism. "I’m a guy, you got to keep the legs moving or I’m a space cadet out there," he said. "I love going hard, finishing checks, going to the net hard, and that was the key." The good news for him is the whole team will be moving next season. *rimshot* Okay, I’ll see myself out.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby’s(notes) off to a hell of a start, eh? Two goals and an assist in two games, playing pretty well in his own end, and dominating the dot to the tune of 62.5 percent while taking more than a third of his team’s draws. That’s a captain, right there.

San Jose Sharks: Isn’t two games into the season a little early to be busting out the headline "Top line finally starts scoring?" You mean it took them more than one game to get that Heatley guy 100 percent up to snuff with his brand new linemates, team, conference and time zone? PREPOSTEROUS I SAY!

St. Louis Blues: St. Louis Game Time with a pair of great photos of the sports pages of Aftonbladet. After St. Louis’ Friday win, the headlines screamed "Here [Paul Kariya(notes)] ruins the party." After Saturday’s, it called the weekend "The Swede Fiasco." Handing the Wings their lunch like that has got to feel awesome for Blues fans.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The other day Greg made a joke about the Lightning having too many defensemen (he did, I swear!). Well who’s laughing now, Wyshynski? Kurtis Foster(notes) is out for a week or so. They had this ace up their sleeve all along.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Chemmy from Pension Plan Puppets suggested this strange thing get a nod this morning. I assume that, because I didn’t understand a second of it apart from "Damien Cox hates the Maple Leafs," at least Leafs fans will enjoy it. So please do. We need more bewildering things in the hockey blogosphere.

Vancouver Canucks: Now this is a scary prospect: In addition to signing Andrew Raycroft(notes), the Canucks also attempted to bring Dan Cloutier(notes) back for a tryout during camp. And the first comment on that post was a real winner. Said NLK, "Luongo is no better then Cloutier …" He went on after that, you see, but I couldn’t finish reading it because I was lying on the floor laughing hysterically for 45 minutes.

Washington Capitals: Ted Leonsis got a bit contentious (from the look of things) in a conversation about the 2014 Olympics. I don’t know why we’re talking so much about them this year, but whatever.

Play of the Weekend

This was a straight-up heist by Ray Emery on Saturday.

Think the Flyers are happy they yanked him outta Russia right now?

Gold Star Award

With all due respect to each and every one of the seven players that racked up three points on Saturday, I think I have to go with Craig Anderson for this one. He made 35 saves to swipe a shutout against a division rival that should have creamed the Avs.

(Not pictured: the Ice Girl he’s probably ogling.)

Minus of the Weekend

Dear Nikolai Khabibulin(notes), this is not how you make a good first impression:

The Oil are about to go into overtime with their hated rival in their home opener, and that’s the game-winning goal inside a minute to go? Yikes. (Not to say I didn’t actually laugh out loud at this turn of events on Saturday night, mind you.)

Perfect HFBoards trade proposal of the week

Silverback91 knows that it’s the small trades that make champions. Have a gander at this blockbuster:

Burke likes having a lot of toughness and grit on his team so:

to Tor:

Darcy Hordichuk(notes)

to Van:

7th round pick

this saves the Canucks 275k in cap space as Tanner Glass(notes) can easily replace Hordichuk.

Mmm, that sounds good. I’ll have that.

Signoff

So long.

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness pretty much every day over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don’t you? Or you can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

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Greg Wyshynski | September 29, 2009

Joe Pavelski(notes) spent most of the summer playing the same waiting game as many San Jose Sharks fans: Anticipating that management would shake things up after the President’s Trophy-winning team was dumped in the first round of the conference playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks.

"There were times when I didn’t think something was going to happen. We did a lot of great things last year, and we were trying to figure it out together," said the 25-year-old forward. "But it always goes the other way from what you’re previously thinking."

On Sept. 12, it really went the other way: Dany Heatley(notes) was a San Jose Shark, Milan Michalek(notes) and Jonathan Cheechoo(notes) were Ottawa Senators. For Pavelski, it meant a new linemate in former captain Patrick Marleau(notes). For the Sharks, it meant a controversial addition to a team still smarting from a playoff meltdown last postseason.

We spoke with Pavelski last week about building on a career year (25 goals, 34 assists); overcoming a postseason flop; whether he hates the Ducks; potentially playing "Brian Burke hockey" for Team USA in the Olympics; and, of course, music and beer.

But we also wanted to know how the Sharks’ locker room is handling its famously disgruntled new teammate:

Q. Everybody in the media thinks they know a thing or two about Heatley, based on what happened in Ottawa. How overblown is the idea that he’s some sort of a bad influence in your locker room?

PAVELSKI: It’s totally false. Everybody has their own opinion, and I’m sure the atmosphere in Ottawa is different. He’s going to fit in well here — he already has. It’s not about one guy, that’s the thing. It’s about the group, the team, and what we want to accomplish together.

We understand that everyone’s not going to like each other all the time; but for the group of guys that we have here, everyone gets along great and works hard. When you come to the rink, it’s just ‘let’s play.’

Do you have any negative feelings towards a guy who requests a trade?

No. It’s his personal preference at the time. I don’t know anything about his situation, to be honest. For that to happen … he probably liked his position a year ago. For that to change, I don’t know and I don’t really care to know, to be honest. If he comes and puts the work in and makes us better, that’s what everybody wants.

How did you hear about the Heatley trade?

You know what? I worked out with Milan [Michalek] and few guys, and I called him a few hours later and he heard he got traded [to Ottawa]. I think I was coming off the golf course, actually.

It was the same thing with Christian [Ehrhoff, who was traded to Vancouver]. I was helping another guy out, I gave him a call and he said he couldn’t make because he got traded.

You can’t plan for something like that. You never know what to expect. There was actually a big rumor before it that had Patty [Marleau] going to LA and Heater coming here and a few players from LA going to Ottawa. But we understand they’re more rumors than anything [solid].

So at this point, how sick are you about hearing about last postseason?

We got a lot of question, and I think they’re deserved, obviously. With the way sports get broken down and talked about, it was a big collapse. It was talked about, but we also talked about it as a group — just moving on.

Well, not "moving on," but moving forward. We are we going to build on it and learn, prevent something like that from happening again.

Have you grown to hate the Anaheim Ducks?

We’re trying to beat them every time obviously, and we’ve had a few battles. They’ve gotten the better of us a few times. The rivalry has definitely grown a little bit.

You would definitely hate the Ducks more than you’d hate the Kings, right?

Yeah, definitely.

From what we’ve read, Coach Todd McLellan is using last year’s playoff failure to motivate the team this year.

We talked about it a bit: As a group, as an individual, how do you want your reputation to be? If somebody told you how they see you, and it wasn’t what you wanted, what would you do to change it? How would you overcome obstacles like that? As a group there’s a lot of things we can do. Obviously the team’s been blown up a little bit. There’s been some changes. We have to become more of a group. Patty’s taking some of the heat with the leadership fall, but when it comes down to it, it’s [on] everybody.

With Heatley here, Patrick Marleau’s skating with you and Ryane Clowe(notes) in the preseason. How’s that working out?

Patty’s a great player, obviously. Brings a lot of speed and a lot of skill. I’ve played with him before last year, and me and Clowe and Patty played together two years ago in the playoffs, and had some success. It doesn’t matter who we play with. It’s hockey: We’re always going to have shifts when we play with other guys.

Tells us about U.S. Olympic Development Camp.

It was awesome. They did a really good job creating that sense of Olympic [pride], giving us an understanding of the players who have come there. It would be a tremendous honor to go and play.

If you do make the cut, are you prepared to beat the living [expletive] out of all the other countries as Brian Burke has instructed?

(Laughs) Yeah, that’s the goal. It’ll be a little different tournament I guess.

When we talked to Ryan Kesler(notes), he guaranteed that the U.S. would not only beat Canada but medal in Vancouver. Are you prepared to make the same such guarantee?

No. We’re not going to make any guarantees like that. We’re just going there with a goal in mind, and we definitely want to win the gold, like any team does.

You sound like a guy who’s in favor of NHL players continuing to be a part of the Olympics.

Yeah, definitely. I understand why some people aren’t in favor of it, but when you look at the games I don’t know why you wouldn’t want NHL players there. You’d be taking something away from the sport if you don’t have them there.

A few general questions. Have you seen the commercial with Joe Thornton and the ventriloquist’s dummy?

Yep.

What did you think?

It wasn’t too bad, was it?

We were in awe of his acting abilities, actually.

I laughed the first time I saw it. We knew it would be out there, and there will be a few more.

Other than your own team, what are your favorite NHL sweaters?

I never really thought about that. I like all the old school ones. They’re simple. From the Blackhawks to the Red Wings to the Maple Leafs. They all seem really basic and true. I don’t have one favorite. Just the classic stuff.

What’s on your iPod?

Mainly country. I listen to whatever, though. Really easygoing that way.

Worst movie you’ve seen lately?

Haven’t seen a bad one lately, but we don’t watch a lot of movies. Been watching a lot of "Prison Break" lately.

Your adult beverage of choice, sir?

Just a beer. Wheat beer, and I have to give a shout out to the Point Beer back home in Stevens Point (Wisconsin).

Wait, isn’t that where you were born? You actually had a brewery in your hometown?

Oh yeah. Pretty good beer, too.

Finally, what’s the thing you love best about hockey?

The team aspect, but also just competing. It’s fast, you go for 30 or 40 seconds, you get loaded up and you come back. There’s a little bit of everything. It’s a pretty fun sport to play.

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Greg Wyshynski | September 28, 2009

In today’s media culture, conflict of interest is perhaps the easiest accusation for a disgruntled or distrusting viewer/reader/consumer to make. They say television news is filtered by its corporate overlords, or that newspapers bend to the whims of their advertisers. Guilt by association plagues any writer attempting to claim an unbiased view on any given subject.

Rich Hammond is having to answer charges of editorial censorship, partiality and conflict of interest before ever having written a word for his new employer, the Los Angeles Kings.

That’s because Hammond is going to be a beat writer for the team while also being on the Kings’ payroll — a team he used to cover better than anyone on the beat while working with the Los Angeles Daily News. Now, having crossed over to "the other side," the cynical assumption is that the integrity of the work will suffer.

"There’s no filter on it. It’s not going through anybody to be edited. It’s not subject to any review. I’m not filing to any person; I’m filing to the Internet," said Hammond, who broke the news to the sizable audience on his much-lauded blog Inside the Kings last week.

"There are only so many ways you can tell people. They’re either going to believe it, or they’re not. The proof is going to be in the work. If you have doubts, just read it. It’s not going to cost you anything. It’s not going to hurt."

If it works, it’ll be the latest example of a professional sports team hiring its own beat writer from the ranks of those who covered the franchise. But from a hockey perspective, it could change the way fans follow their teams in markets with shrinking — or historically puck-disinterested — traditional media.

We spoke with Hammond to figure out if this is a good thing.

Hammond had been with the Daily News for the last 10 years, covering the Kings fulltime since 2006. Inside the Kings was born from that coverage and his time as a Deputy Sports Editor, and has grown into one of the most respected mainstream media team-specific blogs in the NHL.

His said his job with the Kings will turn his blog into a micro-site of independent coverage off of LAKings.com. "They basically wanted to hire a beat writer, like a newspaper/Web site would at this point," he said. "Covering every game, including road trips. Writing game stories, notebooks, blogging. Beyond that, it’s a new frontier. Podcasting, video stuff, Twitter."

For the Kings, having their own reporter on the road not only guarantees coverage of those games that had been increasingly sparse in the media but, more importantly, it promises coverage that focuses on LA, providing an alternative to AP stories on (for example) Kings/Islanders games back east that focus on John Tavares(notes) and pay perfunctory attention to the Kings.

Hammond said that talks with the Kings had been ongoing after the team predicted the creation of this job earlier in the year, but intensified over the summer. He said it was the team that suggested the job would be that of an independent, unfiltered observer.

It’s something the New York Islanders tried with former VP of media relations Chris Botta last season on NYI Point Blank, with frequently great results. Team sponsorship wasn’t renewed this year for Point Blank, but Botta wrote that the Kings asked for his input and he told them "the NHL needs this."

Unless you were a reader of Inside The Kings, it’s easy to assume that something will be lost in translation. Hammond didn’t use his blog as a soapbox to rail against players or management; he wasn’t a columnist and editorializing was never his style. The blog rose to prominence partly because Hammond would publish lengthy, unfiltered Q&A’s with Kings players, general manager Dean Lombardi and coach Terry Murray. If you think that made him a mouthpiece for the team anyway, that’s your call.

"In every case, I’d like to be more of a window for the fans. You don’t need me to form an opinion for you. Does that mean I’ll never give my own opinion? Of course not. I’m not afraid to give my own opinion on something. I’m just not the guy outside banging a drum saying ‘You must believe what I believe,’" he said.

The biggest change in coverage for Hammond is being back on the road with the Kings, as the Daily News joined several dozen U.S. papers in cutting back the travel for its hockey beat writer. Hammond said the relationships forged by joining a team on the road, as well as the on-site reporting on road games, is invaluable for proving solid coverage.

Still, there are doubts about how effective and independent Hammond can be with the Kings. An anonymous commenter on SportsJournalists.com, an influential sports media board, called the gig "a PR job without being an actual PR job, and a reporting job without being an actual reporting job." Sports journalism veteran and blogger Paul Oberjuerge was skeptical:

If/when the club starts stinking it up, will the coaches and front office live up to this hands-off agreement when Hammond files critical stories on them? Will he never hear a peep when he speculates — on the club’s own Web site — that a coach is about to be fired or a player about to be traded. Or suggests the GM neeeds to go? That is going to be very, very hard for a pro club to do, especially when they keep coming back to this: "That guy works for us."

Also, Hammond may soon find himself becoming such a key part of the organization – and so fond of continued employment – that he begins to slide into treating his sources as co-workers. Will he find himself practicing self-censorship? Will he even realize it when he does?

Hammond claims the aims and integrity of his coverage won’t be altered by the new name on the paycheck.

"I guess that’s why I’m having a hard time grasping this," Hammond said of those questioning his independence, "because nothing’s really changed for me."

Oberjuerge wondered if this was a start of a larger trend in sports, and it’s actually the next evolution of one. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals have dipped into the sportswriter ranks for team editorial staffers, and MLB.com has a small army of former writers from other publications with the league they cover underneath their bylines.

What makes Hammond different – thanks to cutbacks and apathy in other local media – is that the Kings have essentially hired one of the team’s best beat writers while at the same time acquiring its most popular blog.

There’s a built-in audience for Hammond that trusts him as a news source and supports him as a commenting community. In almost every NHL city in the U.S., there’s a writer/blogger like him: Michael Russo of the Star Tribune (Minn.), Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News and Damian Cristodero of the St. Pete Times immediately spring to mind.

In a business with travel cutbacks and newspaper furloughs and general concern for the future of print media, could Hammond be the first of many beat writers who join "the other team" under the guise of independent coverage?

"It has to be the right fit. It has to be a team or a site that isn’t going to hedge its bets," said Hammond.

In the end, I agree with Oberjuerge that a creeping self-censorship is a legitimate concern for a journalist covering his own employer — even newspaper ombudsman aren’t above that. And while I don’t view this as a public relations job, there’s no question that it’s part of the Kings’ "fan outreach" efforts in building a community and disseminating information to an underserved fan base.

In some ways, it’s like Ted Leonsis broadening the blogosphere when the Capitals weren’t being covered by Washington, DC media: Help create your own press corps when there isn’t one interested in your product. (Even if they weren’t on the payroll like Hammond.) Whether those blogs have remained fiercely independent with increased access has always been a matter of some debate.

This isn’t to say that Hammond will be compromised as a journalist. His experience and professionalism are unquestioned. His coverage of the team was always more investigative and comprehensive than confrontational. His readers will ultimately decide whether that coverage improves with carte blanche access to the team — or diminishes because he’s too close to it.

Hammond said he’s eager to prove any doubters wrong. "I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was going to work."

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Tags: beat writer, beat writer for the team, Chris Botta, Cincinnati Bengals, coach, columnist, Daily News, Dallas Morning News, Damian Cristodero, DC, Dean Lombardi, Deputy Sports Editor, general manager, hockey, independent, influential sports media, journalist, local media, Los Angeles Kings, Louisiana, mainstream media team-specific blogs, media relations, Michael Russo, micro-site, Mike Heika, Minnesota, MLB, New York Islanders, newspaper/Web site, nhl, Paul Oberjuerge, player, print media, professional sports, public relations job, reporter, Rich Hammond, Sports journalism veteran, Ted Leonsis, Terry Murray, the Daily News, the Dallas Morning News, The Kings, the Los Angeles Daily News, the St. Pete Times, the Star Tribune, travel cutbacks, Twitter, unfiltered observer, United States, VP of media relations, Washington, writer

Greg Wyshynski | September 15, 2009

Jersey Fouls is our ongoing exploration of the rules and etiquette for proper hockey jersey creation and exhibition. If you spot what you think may be a foul in your arena, e-mail a photo to us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com for inclusion in future installments.

One of the delightful things about the Jersey Fouls series is the way it has spread through hockey fandom like a venereal disease. We were inspired by Seth Rorabaugh’s Jersey Fouls Bill of Rights, and in turn others have been inspired by our silly blog. You’d think the proliferation of this concept would reduce the number of egregious crimes against hockey fashion we witness in bars, parking lots and arenas around North America. And yet, here we are again, aren’t we?

Sens Town runs a Jersey Fouls series, and pointed to the sweater above honoring the celebrity hockey relationship of Ottawa Senators center Mike Fisher(notes) and country star Carrie Underwood. All we can say is Jesus … take the wheel.

Truth be told, it’s a Jersey Foul with some virtue: The Fisherwood sweater is part of a charity auction that includes the one-of-a-kind jersey, "a custom autographed Mike Fisher Carrie Underwood Sens jersey, an autographed Carrie Underwood 8×10 glossy, an autographed 8×10 Mike Fisher glossy, and a pair of Sens tickets." And so far, the inclusion of Ottawa tickets hasn’t scared away the bidders.

Sens Town wants to give it a pass because of that charity angle, although it notes that "on the plus side, this will be an awkward celebrity collector’s item when they break up." (Ouch.)

(Coming up: When captains aren’t captains, the San Jose Sharks‘ Scott Nichol(notes) T-Shirt Foul, a bad trip to the tropics, a questionable Mario Foul, New Jersey Devils retina-melting, a Sarah Palin Foul and a jersey that should be shaken, not worn.)

And here … we … go.

From JT Utah at 25Stanley.com comes this Foul featuring Mike Komisarek(notes), who doesn’t even have a ‘C’ in his name let alone ever having one on his chest with the Montreal Canadiens. While his potential captaincy was debated before he left for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he never actually joined the storied list that includes Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, Bob Gainey and inexplicably Mike Keane.

Puck Buddy Matthew C. writes:

Spotted another Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey foul. This one is considerably worse than the ‘84 Crosby jersey that seems to be popular. Someone took at ‘67 white jersey and had Lemieux put on it.

This ties into a question we were asked on Twitter this morning:

"Would a #15 Laughlin Capitals sweater be a jersey foul if my roommate uses the new jersey?"

Why is it so hard to understand that the jersey the player wore when he was playing is the jersey you should wear. Gretzky never wore purple in LA. Mario never wore the ‘67 sweater. Mike Bossy was never a Fishstick (thankfully).

One special dispensation, before you ask: Throwback jerseys are, of course, exempt. So when Zach Parise(notes) throws on the Christmas tree sweater for the New Jersey Devils, so can you. Speaking of which …

 

If you took a postage-sized sample of this seemingly endless array of Fouls and placed it under the microscope, you’d actually kind infinitesimal societies of microbial Jersey Fouls quietly going about their business.

Let’s not limit ourselves to Jersey Fouls here, folks. Nathan from Ideas From The Tank passes along this repurposing of a Sharks shirt:

Early in the off-season I ventured of to the Sharks store. In there I saw this wonderful T-shirt on clearance for 5 dollars. I thought, I MUST have it. So I got it. A few week later it was announced that Semenov would not be on the Sharks team any longer. This broke my heart. Then a few weeks later the Sharks signed Scott Nichol. Until recently I learned that Scott Nichol would be wearing #21, the same as Semenov. I rejoiced.

He has a short photo essay on how he transformed one shirt into another. Spoiler: It involves tape.

Fail: This is hideous, even if the eBay seller pimps it as a "Hawaiian Sunset Authentic Hockey Jersey" that is a "cool, unique-looking hockey jersey, very nice! Awesome custom quality!" It’s also a 3XL, so the wearer may, in fact, fool some people into believing they’re actually looking at the horizon.

Pass: If this is some sort of homage to "Waikiki Hockey."

From longtime Puck Buddy (back to the NHL Closer days), Yostel:

"OK, so my new wife loves the Monroe County Fair here in Michigan, it’s something she grew up with and it is a lot of fun. So yesterday, we took in the fair with members of her family and one of the events we took in was ‘4 H Small Animal Dress Up’ which is amazingly descriptive of what we saw — small animals being dressed up.  But, it was one of the "trainers" of the animals that committed the jersey foul you see here.

"Yes, this is a 10-year-old girl who is wearing a Detroit Red Wings Edge jersey letter up for Sarah Palin last year. It was a really nice lettering job, which makes it all the more of a shame."

Now here’s the thing: Sarah Palin did in face receive a personalized Detroit Red Wings jersey during at least one of the McCain/Palin campaign stops. So the dueling questions: Are political campaign prop jerseys, in fact, Fouls? And if so, is the Foul lessened if said jersey finds its way into the hands of a third party?

Of course, they may just be a kid whose parents gave her a Sarah Palin hockey jersey. In which case, we’ve told Congress "thanks, but no thanks" on this Foul to Nowhere.

Finally, from Puck Buddy Mike R.:

"This is a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins jersey… from behind taken on my way to see the Stanley Cup with my kid."

It’s Foul … Jersey Foul.

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Tags: Bob Gainey, Carrie Underwood, Christmas, collector, Congress, Detroit Red Wings, eBay, hockey, Jean Beliveau, Laughlin Capitals, Louisiana, Mario Foul, Maurice Richard, Michigan, Mike Bossy, Mike Fisher, Mike Fisher Carrie Underwood Sens, Mike Keane, Mike Komisarek, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, North America, Ottawa, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, player, San Jose Sharks, Sarah Palin, Scott Nichol, Sens Town, Seth Rorabaugh, Sharks store, Stanley Cup, Toronto Maple Leafs, USD, venereal disease, Zach Parise

Greg Wyshynski | September 15, 2009

Once he opens his mouth, there’s no mistaking Coach Andy Murray’s profession. His voice has that hoarse rasp that comes from barking orders to countless hockey players, from camps to assistant coaching gigs to nine years as an NHL head coach for the Los Angeles Kings and the St. Louis Blues, his current franchise.

It’s a voice that indicates the coach works as hard as he demands his players work; if the blue-collar hockey the Blues have played under Murray is to be judged, they’re getting the message.

The Blues were one of the League’s most pleasant surprises last season. It was a franchise that didn’t miss the postseason from 1980-2004, before stumbling for three seasons. Some had St. Louis tabbed for the Western Conference basement, or even last overall in the NHL. Preseason and regular-season injuries seemed to point them in that direction … until Murray’s team defiantly rallied for an unlikely playoff berth. 

"Of our last 41 games, there were only nine games where we didn’t get points," recalled the coach.

The Blues lost in a sweep to the Vancouver Canucks, but it was an education for what is still a young team. Last week, we asked Murray about that journey, and how some believed his job hung in the balance, as well as about this year’s expectations. We also asked about freaky injuries on golf courses, rookies who find themselves in mayoral campaigns, Luc Robitaille vs. Alexander Ovechkin(notes) and, of course, his adult beverage of choice. Enjoy:

Q. At this time last year, there were a lot of doubters: About yourself, and about the team. The media had your head on the chopping block, and then you end up second in the Jack Adams voting. Honestly, at the beginning of last season, did you feel like there was a decent chance you were going to be fired?

MURRAY: Was there?

There were more than a few people that were questioning if you’d make it through the season.

I was rated in two papers as being one of the top four coaches in the League, but that’s … no, I agree. I don’t know if it was necessarily a reflection on the coach. I wouldn’t say that the coach was under … I think the reason it was said that the coach might not finish the season was because the team was picked 30th. I didn’t necessarily see it as a slam on the coach.

I’ve been in it for such a long time, and I know most of the media guys very well. There may be one or two that I haven’t seen eye-to-eye with. I don’t think the question was my coaching ability; I think the question was whether our team had enough to get it done. When a team isn’t very good, the coach doesn’t look very good.

That said, did you think you’d be a Jack Adams finalist?

People wondered about my future because they thought the team would be poor. One has to look at it the other way, too: I was at the Jack Adams Award affair in Las Vegas because the team got it done. I didn’t see it as any special honor for me.

I picked the Blues in the first round over the Canucks last season, and I’m not afraid to admit it  — even though I’m still the laughing stock of Vancouver. So what the heck happened?

Well, it’s really interesting. I know they beat us in four games, but to be honest with you we felt we could have won every game. That’s funny to say when you lose 4-0, but they were a lot tougher games than you’d expect in a four-nothing series.

We were in every game into the third period. They got it done, we didn’t. [Roberto Luongo(notes)] played extremely well; he didn’t have as good a series against Chicago. I think he got hurt in that series against us.

We didn’t play well enough five-on-five in the season. Our special teams were very good, but our power play wasn’t good in the playoffs. That’s an area of improvement for us: To be better five-on-five.

One specific thing I wanted to ask you about last season was that power play. You said you wanted to take a more active role in coaching it, and it went from last to eighth in the League. What’s your secret?

We were able to put five good players on the ice that got the job done. We didn’t complicate things. We also had some guys that unexpectedly put pucks in the net for us – I don’t think anyone expected [Patrik Berglund(notes)] to get 25; Brad Winchester(notes) got some key power-play goals for us. We’re a team that’s noted for its work ethic and stick-to-itiveness, and that’s what we did on the power play. A lot of our power-play goals were scored in the last 30 seconds. We just wore teams down with pressure.

I read a piece  about the high participation in the voluntary skates, and you said that you think the Blues were a legit sixth seed but that "there’s not going to be any fatheads around here." Do the players feel like they haven’t gotten the credit for last year’s run?

"Fatheads" probably wasn’t a good term … it was the only thing I could think of at the time. (Laughs) Most people would say "swelled heads."

To be honest with you, I don’t know if we feel any worse than what the Detroit Red Wings do, because any team that doesn’t win the last game you play in the year leaves wanting more. It doesn’t matter when we lost; you always want more. And certainly we do.

We never hung our heads last year. You talk about losing Erik Johnson(notes), Paul Kariya(notes), Eric Brewer(notes), Andy McDonald(notes), T.J. Oshie(notes), D.J. King(notes) … we just worked hard. People talk about us having so many young players, and the sophomore jinx. I’d like to think we’ll refuse to let that happen.

Injuries have haunted your teams since your days in LA. Do you ever feel like you’ve offended the hockey gods somewhere along the line or something?

I don’t know. Just strange things that happen to us. We don’t have muscle strains that come from pressing too hard in practice. Ours are broken bones, high ankle sprains. Obviously, Erik Johnson gets hurt golfing (laughs). Eric Brewer has nerve damage on the back of his leg. Paul Kariya has an old injury from seven years ago flare up.

You look at things, and wonder if there’s anything you can do to prevent them. We did that in LA too. But even there it was strange things, too. Like guys getting hit with pucks on the bench.

For the record: You’ve never considered an exorcist or voodoo priest?

No. Some of these are meant to happen. It means you play through adversity. And hopefully it means we’ll go through a year injury-free.

Were you relieved that Erik Johnson didn’t participate in Oshie’s golf tournament?

(Laughs) He didn’t participate in it last year, I don’t think. He was hurt in a team outing. No, Erik’s put on 10 pounds of muscle, he looks good on the ice. Not sure if he partook in any golf games at all this summer.

Can you quantify what it means to have Kariya back on the ice and in the room this season? Do you see the Blues reuniting that Kariya/Brad Boyes(notes)/Keith Tkachuk line?

He was over a point a game last year and was a big part of the four power-play goals we scored in the first game of the season. He makes us faster, more skilled. He’s got great leadership by example, and tougher to defend.

We [rolled that line] a bit two years ago. Paul’s capable of playing the left side or the right side, depending on what we want to get done. He’ll see ice time with Brad Boyes.

Speaking of Boyes, I was really impressed with the way he handled the extra pressure from the contract and the way he sort of burst onto the scene statistically. Were you worried there’d be some sort of consequence on his play?

One of the key things is that Brad just plays. He doesn’t feel the pressure. He’s had two consistent seasons, and we’re challenging him to have a third. But the thing we need from Brad is for him to be a plus-player. But that’s an issue for the entire team.

Did you support TJ Oshie’s write-in candidacy for mayor?

Ah, I didn’t even hear about it. Somebody threw his name in there. I think the guy actually got in trouble. But yeah, he’s quite popular in St. Louis, and he’s popular with his teammates and his coach, and we’ve gotta make sure that stays the same.

He can worry about his constituents afterwards.

Oshie could be one of the players competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics. As a coach, how do you deal with that break?

It is what it is. It’s on our schedule right now, and quite often those games in February or January are dog days, and that break should reenergize everybody. I’m taking a glass half-full [outlook]. If we’re playing well, it allows us to go into the break with positive energy. If we’re struggling a little bit, it’ll let us refocus.

And it’s good for me, because I’m going to go and watch my son and daughter play some college games.

Two Los Angeles Kings questions for you, the first being: Who would you take on left wing: Vintage Luc Robitaille or Alexander Ovechkin right now?

[Long pause] I would take them both and put Ovechkin on the right side.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask what it was like to coach Sean Avery(notes).

Uh, Sean is misunderstood, I think. To me, Sean’s a good player and when he’s in that Rangers lineup, they’re a better team.

Getting a little nostalgic: You were an assistant coach during the run in 1991 with the Minnesota North Stars. When you saw Ulf Samulsson score first goal in that 8-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Game 6 Cup-clincher, did you know it was over?

No. Our biggest problem was that we saw in Game 4 that Mario Lemieux wanted to win a Stanley Cup and took the series over.

The Minnesota North Stars’ late, great jersey being one of the best in hockey history, we ask you what, besides the Blues’ sweaters, are your favorite current NHL jerseys?

There would be three. I grew up being a passionate follower of the Montreal Canadiens. That’s a special jersey for me. Having coached in LA, the Kings jersey [has meaning] for me. The third is that I have an offseason home in Minnesota, and I kind of like the Wild jerseys.

I would say I like the Blues jerseys 90 percent and all those jerseys 3.3 percent.

Talking about the NHL in general: If you could change one rule in the League, what would it be?

I leave that to higher powers. I’ve always felt that. I like the game the way it is.

Favorite movie of all-time?

(Laughs) My kids laugh because I saw it when I was younger, and I throw it in ever so often: "Swiss Family Robinson." People probably think I’m goofy.

We ask this of all our interviewees: Your beer or adult beverage of choice, sir?

Here in St. Louis, it would have to be Budweiser.

Now, is that a political answer or is that what you’re drinkin’?

[Pause] Budweiser.

Finally, the Blues have this plan where they’re keeping young talent and augmenting it with veteran players here or there. But as a coach, do you ever take a look at the roster and say, "Man, if only we’d be in for Marian Hossa(notes) or Dany Heatley(notes)" … are there ever any of those thoughts?

I don’t have one thought that way at all. It’s the coach’s responsibility to coach the team that he’s got. When he starts thinking about other things, they’ll find someone else to coach his team.

If you do a good job where you are, you’ll be appreciated and recognized. I’ve never sent out a resume for one coaching job. If people want you, they’ll find you. Just do a good job wherever you are.

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Tags: adult beverage, Alexander Ovechkin, Andy McDonald, Andy Murray, assistant, assistant coach, Blues, Brad Boyes, Brad Winchester, coach, coach the team, Dany Heatley, Detroit Red Wings, Eric Brewer, Erik Johnson, freaky injuries, golf, good player, hockey, Keith Tkachuk, Las Vegas, Los Angeles Kings, Louisiana, Luc Robitaille, Marian Hossa, Mario Lemieux, media guys, Minnesota, minnesota north stars, mistaking Coach, Montreal Canadiens, nhl, NHL head coach, Patrik Berglund, Paul Kariya, Pittsburgh Penguins, positive energy, regular-season injuries, Roberto Luongo, Sean Avery, St. Louis, St. Louis Blues, Stanley Cup, T.J. Oshie, the 2010 Winter Olympics, The Blues, Ulf Samulsson, Vancouver, Vancouver Canucks, voodoo priest, Western Conference basement

Greg Wyshynski | September 14, 2009

NHL season previews often sell you an impressive bill of goods before you realize, at the end of the season, you’re holding an empty box. Which makes using advertisements and infomercials the appropriate template for Puck Daddy’s 2009-10 NHL Season Previews, presented each day throughout September.

Last Season’s Ad Copy: Fifth in the Pacific Division, 14th in the Western Conference (34-37-11, 79 points). Looking back, it’s a little stunning that the Los Angeles Kings finished that poorly because there were so many positive developments from the season: Defenseman Drew Doughty’s(notes) Calder-worthy debut in the NHL; Jonathan Quick’s ascension to the starting goalie’s job, which put him in play for a potential Olympic team selection; the slew of young players showing flashes of promise.

Yet, in the end, this was a bad hockey team under coach Terry Murray. So GM Dean Lombardi decided to finally get aggressive and execute some high-profile moves in order to make it a good one.

The Kings flirted with Marian Hossa(notes) to no avail, and then traded for veteran Ryan Smyth(notes) of the Colorado Avalanche. They signed Cup champion Rob Scuderi(notes), one of the most prominent defensemen on the UFA market.

Are these veteran additions, and the continued maturation of one of the most talented collection of prospects in the NHL, enough to get LA into the postseason for the first time since 2002?

Latest Gadgets (Offseason Additions): The Los Angeles Kings had been methodically building their roster for several years, with GM Dean Lombardi refusing to trade assets for a big ticket player like Vincent Lecavalier(notes). This summer, Lombardi finally added significant payroll in Ryan Smyth, a salary dump for the Colorado Avalanche. More importantly, he added a significant player.

When healthy, Smyth is a gritty rink rat who can score close to 30 goals and provide the kind of veteran leadership the Kings can use at the forward position. But health is a factor: Not necessarily in games lost to injury, as Smyth played 77 last season after playing 55 the year before; but in the sense that his 33-year-old body is about 67 in hockey years because of his style of play.

Defenseman Rob Scuderi arrived from the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, solidifying the Kings’ blue line with a workhorse — although his best season in the NHL came in his contract year. Still, if the Kings want figure out the playoff puzzle, they need "The Piece," right?

To The Recycle Bin (Offseason Subtractions): Defensemen Tom Preissing(notes) and Kyle Quincey(notes) went to Colorado in the Smyth trade, after Quincey had a stellar season off the Red Wings’ scrap heap last year. Center Brian Boyle(notes) is with the Rangers; veterans Derek Armstrong(notes), Kyle Calder(notes) and Denis Gauthier(notes) weren’t re-signed. (Not for nothing, but that’s three of the four players who appeared on "The Price Is Right" for the Kings last season; et tu Dustin Brown(notes)?)

And Now, A Short Message From Dustin Brown And The Los Angeles Kings:

The Pitchman (Top Offensive Player): After a career year in his sophomore season, Anze Kopitar’s(notes) numbers dipped (27-39-66) last season. He averaged 0.80 points per game, which isn’t exactly No. 1 center material, even if he’s the team’s top-liner. Kopitar played extensively with Dustin Brown (24-29-53) last season, but Coach Terry Murray could shake up the lines a little considering the similarities in Brown’s and Smyth’s games. A healthy Justin Williams(notes) could be on Kopitar’s wing. Bottom line: With seven years on his deal and this team poised to contend for a playoff spot, it’s time for Kopitar to blossom. Anything under 75 points will be a disappointment.

Introducing … (Potential Breakout Player): Jonathan Quick wasn’t Jason LaBarbera(notes), Erik Ersberg(notes) or Jonathan Bernier(notes) entering last season, which is to say he wasn’t considered among the goaltenders that would make a difference on the Kings.

So much for expectations: Quick won the starting goaltender’s job, going 21-18-2 including a 7-1 stretch at the end of January. He’s not the incumbent heading into camp, but it’s still his job to lose in many ways. Should he win it again, he’ll be behind an improved defense and poised to be one of the conference’s top net-minders — in a contract year, too.

Operators Are Standing By (The Defensemen): Scuderi averaged 19:10 TOI during the regular season, which ballooned to 20:30 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Kings had to overpay him (four years at $3.4 million on the cap per season) to get him to move West. But the Kings won’t have to rush younger defenders along with him there.

Were it not for the intrinsic bias against defensemen by voters and some kid goalie in Columbus, Drew Doughty was probably the rookie of the year last season. He played in all situations for an average of 23:50 TOI per game, and had a respectable 27 points. A regression would be rather shocking.

Doughty spent the majority of his time under the tutelage of Sean O’Donnell(notes) last season. Matt Greene(notes) will need a new dance partner with Quincey gone; shouldn’t be too hard to find one since everyone knows how far Greene will go to stop a puck. Jack Johnson(notes) and his spiffy new contract will make an impact, while Davis Drewiske(notes) and Thomas Hickey(notes) battle for playing time.

The Spokesmodel (The Goalies): We’ve already given Quick a shine earlier in the preview, but here are the facts: 21-18-2, 2.48 GAA, .914 save percentage and four shutouts. Not bad for a former third-round pick whose previous NHL experience totaled 141 minutes.

Erik Ersberg (8-11-5) or Jonathan Bernier (5-8-4) are both in contention for the other NHL spot. Bernier, the team’s No. 1 pick in 2006, is still considered the future of the position by many … but Quick’s not exactly eager to prove them right.

And Now, a Short Message From Raitis Ivanans(notes) About Beating Up Guys With Mustaches:

The Inventor (The Coach): It was a little surprising when Terry Murray, the epitome of old school coaching, took over the relatively fresh-faced Kings. To some, he felt like a retread for a team attempting to move forward. But Murray turned out to be a good tactician and a father figure for a slew of young players. He still may not be the guy behind the pine with the Kings turn the corner as a franchise again, but he could very well guide this collection into the postseason.

2009-10 Preseason Report Card:

Forwards: B-
Defense: B
Goaltending: C+
Special Teams: B+ (No. 7 kill in the League last season.)
Coaching: B
Management: A-

Matt Murray of Life In Hockeywood says …

"What happens when you allow an NHL general manager to rebuild a franchise from the ground up through patience, intelligent drafting and shrewd moves, rather than mindlessly doling out picks and prospects and overpaying for players to fill in the gaps? We’ll find out this season."

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty says …

"The local media, fans and the Los Angeles Kings themselves have much higher expectations for themselves this year and that is to qualify for the post-season party. But to be invited, center Anze Kopitar must at least show that he is on the way to becoming recognized as a legitimate, number one center across the league. Hitting the 30-goal and 80-point plateaus will be needed from the Kings’ best center since Wayne Gretzky. The Kings will also need young goaltender Jonathan Quick to show that he was not just a flash in the pan last season."

Connie from A Queen Among Kings says …

"This season the Kings will improve on their offensive numbers while keeping the defensive mentality they miraculously found last year under Terry Murray. The young talent of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Drew Doughty will continue to develop with the help of veterans Ryan Smyth, Rob Scuderi, and Sean O’Donnell."

k.m. Stiles of Crushed Purple Velvet says …

"Same as every other season: failure, but less failure than the previous season"

Rudy Kelly of Battle of California says …

"The Kings aren’t quite the black ‘n white ‘Oh God, I can’t possibly answer a phone and cover my feet at the same time!’ stage of an infomercial, but they’re not the ‘This blanket has sleeves, now I can watch my son’s softball game in comfort!’ either. Imagine a sepia-toned clip where someone is forcing their leg through a Snuggie hole. That’s the Kings."

Don Draper Says …

"What makes a King? A scepter? A crown? No, a man is a King because he commands respect and exudes dread. Which is why Raitis Ivanans, gentlemen, is a King."

Results May Vary (Biggest Issues Facing the Team): Rich Hammond basically covers all the bases on Inside The Kings regarding the questions facing this year’s team: What does the top line look like, and can the trickle-down of talent make the Kings’ secondary scoring stronger? Do Doughty and Quick improve? Is this the year for always-on-the-cusp players like Bernier, Hickey, Oscar Moller(notes), Wayne Simmonds(notes), Peter Harrold(notes) and Teddy Purcell(notes) to make the jump to dependable NHL contributors? (BoC sees Simmonds as a second-line scorer this year.) What does Alexander Frolov(notes), who scored 32 goals last season, give you in his contract year besides trade bait?

Above all else: Can Jarret Stoll find love … again?

Warranty Expires (Prediction): On paper, there are at best three playoff spots in play in the Western Conference. The Kings aren’t as good as the Sharks, but they’re better than Phoenix. Conceivably, it’ll come down to one of the Kings, Ducks and Dallas Stars making the playoff cut. With strong goaltending, more consistency and strong veteran contributions from Smyth and Scuderi, the Kings could be the one to emerge from that pack.

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