Yeah that's what I was also thinking about, because I'm not all too fond of downtown LA at night.

Thanks!

Mike Cammalleri scored the game winner last night against his former team. Apparently he was booed by the Kings faithful. Great quote from the squid:

"People in LA, I don't know if they understand I got traded. I didn't leave."

Kings' magic number: 8.1%

The Kings have an 8.1% chance of getting the first overall pick in the June entry draft, according to the odds established by the NHL for the annual draft lottery drawing.
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The drawing will take place at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday at the league's New York headquarters.

When Dean Lombardi took over as GM of the Kings, fans were as excited as Michael Jackson at a sleepaway camp with the Jonas Brothers.

After shelling out a whopping 40 million bucks to sign the physical specimen Ladislav Nagy, the Silver Surfer fast Kyle Calder, the 100% healthy after major knee surgery Michael Handzus, the pylon known as Brad Stuart and the David Blaine protégé, Tom Preissing to go along with the 12 million ransom for the 36 year old loyal-to-the-bone Rob Blake and having the calm and charming Marc Crawford behind the bench, Kings fans thought (like they always do) what could go wrong?

Don't ask me how, but we were able to sneak a camera into the tryout camp the Kings had over the weekend and here is the exclusive footage. This is a big one because the Kings signed two of these players.

Meanwhile, the Kings watched and wondered when players they consider the "right" fit would consider them the "right" team to play for. Judging by Wednesday's festivities, the answer is never.
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The Kings, who have about $14 million in cap space and a burning need for a scorer, had promised fans they'd be active but emerged empty-handed, a result that's tediously familiar.

General Manager Dean Lombardi said Wednesday night he had targeted two right wings: Hossa and Mike Knuble, a six-time 20-goal scorer with good size and character. Lombardi got permission from Detroit to talk to Hossa before free agency began but said he learned Wednesday morning that Hossa was leaning toward a contender and a creative payment plan.
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Gaborik, dynamic but injury prone, and Martin Havlat, a secondary winger who went to Minnesota for $30 million over six years, were Lombardi's Plan B.
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Lombardi considered it progress that he could target wingers and didn't need to fill multiple holes, as he did in a Dumpster-diving spree two years ago. But it's no comfort that the Kings are being turned down by a better class of free agent than before.

Scuderi said he was sold on the Kings' future during conversations he had with General Manager Dean Lombardi and assistant GM Ron Hextall.

"Of the teams that were still offering I thought they had the most potential," Scuderi said. "I really liked their thought process and the direction the team was going and I wanted to be a part of it."
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The Kings also announced they re-signed enforcer Kevin Westgarth to a three-year contract. In addition, they scheduled a development camp July 10-12 at their El Segundo training facility, with all scheduled practices open to the public at no charge. Brayden Schenn, chosen fifth in the entry draft, is scheduled to participate. So are goaltenders Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff.

TSN is reporting that the Avalanche have traded Ryan Smyth to the Kings.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283667

Edit: Smyth for Quincey, Preissing and a 5th-rounder

oh Ryan Smyth still plays in the NHL?

Glad to see the Kings make this move. It did cost them a very good Defenseman but with the Scuderi signing it gave them a little room. Smyth on the second line with Stoll and Brown is a hell of a second line.

Its also good to see fans around the league think it was a good move as well. It just aint us homer King fans!

Crap I thought he was 36 or 37 be he's only 32.

I am so glad you are thrilled to take on the 6.25mil contract of a 33 yo underachiever to put on your second line.

I am and most people that understand what the Kings needed are in agreement that this was a good deal for the Kings. Ryan Smyth is exactly what the Kings need and they only gave up one good promising player in the deal.

Wrong.

The Kings also gave up a lot of unnecessary cap space...which could be used much more effectively.

How about spending some money in net, for example?

But then again, you probably don't know what I'm talking about because you are apparently a typical Kings fan and don't have a clue about the importance of goaltending.

The Kings still have some $10 million in cap space available and word is they likely won’t re-sign restricted free agent Jack Johnson...

Read More >>

I thought Johnson was the future of their franchise Maybe LA's become the development team for the NHL with all their picks and dumb trades...

Smyth has three years and $18.75-million remaining on his contract, so he'll need to be a productive player in order to justify that kind of financial commitment, but in terms of actual money, Smyth is owed $16.5-million over the next three years, so he does come at somewhat of an actual cost (vs. salary cap cost) discount.

If all goes well, Smyth could be a 60-70-point guy for the next couple seasons, playing alongside Kopitar. A more reasonable expectation, however, is that Smyth could skate with Jarret Stoll on the second line and be a 50-60 point producer and, while that would be adequate, that's a lot of money to pay for those scoring numbers.

It's been quite a year for Hickey, the fourth pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and one of the Los Angeles Kings' brightest prospects. The 20-year-old captained Canada to its fifth consecutive world junior title a few weeks before finishing a final Western Hockey League season that was his best yet.

Hickey was in Southern California recently for the Kings' development camp hoping to make another strong impression in front of several of the club's top decision makers.
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Sumner looks at Hickey and sees someone who can rush the puck like Chicago All-Star Brian Campbell, has the instincts to see how a play develops ahead of time like Scott Niedermayer and can make the right subtle play with composure and grace under pressure like Nicklas Lidstrom.

That's not to say the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Hickey is right there among those top-flight NHL puck-movers, nor is it certain he ever will be. But he was that kind of player in the WHL.

Schenn knew he was out on the West Coast for one thing -- the Kings' prospect development camp. There's no time to sightsee or carouse when you're trying to show why the club focused on you.

"You're not coming down here for a holiday," he said after a session at the club's practice facility in El Segundo. "You’re coming here, I guess, to prove. And just be part of the first pro camp. The 100 percent focus is on the hockey. I'm getting better day by day."
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Had the Kings passed on Schenn, it was likely that the Toronto Maple Leafs would have taken him with the No. 6 pick. Brayden’s older brother, Luke, played in 70 games for Toronto and made the NHL’s all-rookie team last season as a defenseman.

"I'm sure he was pretty disappointed, but he's happy for me now," he said. "But hey, I'm an L.A. King now."

Consistently missing the playoffs while your biggest rival wins the Stanley Cup and your primary Staples Center co-tenant hangs another NBA championship banner will reduce your profile in a busy sports town.
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They've come up with an idea that isn't original but is a first for them and could become a regular event.

Starting Friday the Kings will hold a three-day Hockey Fest at LA Live and the Nokia Theatre, across from Staples Center. Fans can meet former and present players, test their hockey skills with interactive games, get players' autographs and ask questions of General Manager Dean Lombardi, assistant GM Ron Hextall and Coach Terry Murray.

All of the major NHL trophies will be on display except the Cup, which is spending the summer with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

We are looking for people who want $200 worth of L.A. Kings (NHL) tickets in exchange to put the L.A. Kings ad on your car!

How big is the advertisement? The ad will cover the back window plus a decal on the driver and passenger sides. The decal may be the Kings logo or one of the NHL players.

How long will the ad be on my car? Only 8 weeks.

Treat yourself, friends, family, co-workers, or business clients to an L.A. Kings Game!

On the "Hobbies" section of the application type in "HOCKEY FAN!" This Part is VERY important! You can add any additional hobbies as well but start with "HOCKEY FAN!" so we know you are acquiring about the current positions available.

Operating from a position of relative weakness means that to make an impression they must be bold and come up something with more than slick slogans that turn into bad jokes when the team goes sour.

Acquiring Heatley, who asked to be traded from his first team, Atlanta, and more recently asked the Senators to deal him, would be "too risky," Lombardi said, an emphatic response that drew applause from the audience assembled at the Nokia Theatre for the final day of the Kings' first Hockey Fest.

Lombardi's unequivocal answer also should silence the Heatley-to-L.A. rumors that have refused to die, probably fueled by the ample cap space the Kings will have and their need for a pure scorer.

"I would like to focus more on this group reaching its potential," Lombardi said. "A big part of this process is culture, making an identity. What does it mean to really be a King?"

LA Kings Hockey Fest '09 was enough for fans like Ken Coffman to drive 40 miles from their home in suburban Upland.

"It gets the juices moving, to get ready for the season," Coffman said. "It's been too long. We watch hockey constantly so we watch it right until the end in June."

"But for us," interjected his son, Scott, "the Kings' season ends in April. And there's still two months to play and we're sitting out."

Why do I think this poor Kings fan will be licking his wounds once again? Maybe we'll see progress but to think they'll go deep in the playoffs would be rather stretching it. Why do they have so much cap room and think the current group is going to create a dynasty?

Beginning next Thursday, Oct. 1, I will no longer write and blog for the Los Angeles Daily News. I will be taking my trade to LAKings.com. I understand that this will raise some immediate, significant questions, so I'm here to explain, but also to express my excitement about this exciting change in my career.

To put it as plainly and simply as possible, I will draw a salary from the Kings, but none of the stories and/or blogs I write will be reviewed for approval by any member of the Kings' staff.

We get Phil Hulett back and Dan Wood up in the radio broadcast booth. LA hires Hammond away from LA Daily News ...


<link>

To put it as plainly and simply as possible, I will draw a salary from the Kings, but none of the stories and/or blogs I write will be reviewed for approval by any member of the Kings' staff.

I will draw a salary from the Kings, but...

... Praise and criticism, to the extent I feel either is warranted, will continue to be distributed fairly.

<link>

...I am Somali royalty who would like to split my $100 million inheritance with you if you only would help me bring it to America...

And to all who believe that blather, I am Somali royalty who would like to split my $100 million inheritance with you if you only would help me bring it to America...