LA KINGS NEWS CLIPS 9/25/10

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1 LA KINGS NEWS CLIPS 9/25/10

2 FROM LAKINGS.COM Remaining camp players Posted by Rich Hammond on 24 September 2010, 4:49 pm After today s roster cuts, this is the list of remaining players in Kings training camp. (A list of the players, with bios, can be found by clicking here) Forwards (19): Dustin Brown, Kyle Clifford, Rich Clune, Michal Handzus, Ray Kaunisto, Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis, Andrei Loktionov, Oscar Moller, Scott Parse, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Brad Richardson, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jarret Stoll, Ryan Smyth, Kevin Westgarth, Justin Williams, John Zeiler. Defensemen (11): Andrew Campbell, Davis Drewiske, Drew Doughty, Johan Fransson, Peter Harrold, Thomas Hickey, Jack Johnson, Alec Martinez, Willie Mitchell, Jake Muzzin, Rob Scuderi. Goalies (3): Jonathan Bernier, Erik Ersberg, Jonathan Quick. Injured (4): Marc-Andre Cliche, F; Matt Greene, D; Colten Teubert, D; Viatcheslav Voynov, D. Here s some roster analysis as well I m told that the Kings will alter their schedule going forward, and go to one practice group, starting at 10 a.m. That will make for some busy ice. Do the math, and you ll see that the Kings need to make 10 more cuts to get to 23 (presuming that none of the four injured players will be ready to go on Oct. 9). Break it down further, and presume that 11 forwards (I m including Westgarth) have secured roster spots. Presume that Kaunisto probably isn t going to make it. That leaves, in my opinion, one spot for either Clune or Zeiler (I think one will make it, but not both probably Clune) and two spots up for competition from among a group of five: Clifford, Lewis, Loktionov, Moller, Schenn. At this point, that s anybody s guess. On defense, presume that five defensemen including Drewiske but not including the injured Greene have secured spots. That leaves two spots up for competition from among a group of six: Campbell, Fransson, Harrold, Hickey, Martinez and Muzzin. The wild card in all of this could be Harrold. Since he can play forward, it leaves open the possibility that the Kings could carry one spare forward and two spare defensemen (including the hybrid Harrold). That doesn t seem likely to me, though. In goal, the math is clear. Either Bernier or Ersberg is sticking around, but not both (barring injury). Again, with the possible exception of Corey Elkins, this is playing out pretty much as we expected so far. Manchester Monarchs camp is scheduled to open Tuesday at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Roster cuts announced Posted by Rich Hammond on 24 September 2010, 3:59 pm Quite a housecleaning in El Segundo today, as 23 names were trimmed from the training-camp roster. No huge surprises, other than that they were all done at once. The biggest surprise would probably be Corey Elkins, who had seemed to show improvement, but with the depth at center, including strong play by prospects Andrei Loktionov and Brayden Schenn, Elkins got caught in a numbers game. The Kings now have 37 players remaining in camp, although that includes four injured players (Cliche, Greene, Teubert and Voynov).

3 Assigned to Manchester: Justin Azevedo, Robert Czarnik, Corey Elkins, Zach Harnden, Bud Holloway, Martin Jones, Dwight King, David Kolomatis, Brandon Kozun, David Meckler, Patrick Mullen, Jordan Nolan, Michael Pelech, Jeff Zatkoff. Assigned to Ontario: Garrett Zemlak. Returned to junior teams: Jean-Francois Berube, Nicolas Deslauriers, Tyler Toffoli, Jordan Weal, Linden Vey. Released from tryout: Riley Brace, Samuel Groulx, Dylan King. Johnson getting offensive Posted by Rich Hammond on 24 September 2010, 12:47 pm Another player who impressed last night was Jack Johnson, and it seems as though Johnson might benefit from Terry Murray s new emphasis on playmaking, including the thumbs-up for defensemen to be more active in initiating and joining plays. Johnson was known as a strong two-way defenseman at the University of Michigan, but that top-level offensive ability has yet to show itself at the NHL level. Johnson had eight goals and 28 assists in 80 games last season, but his voice picked up a noticeably more excited tone when he was asked about his desire to be more active in the offensive zone. Absolutely, Johnson said. It s no fun to never cross the red line. You want to get involved at both ends of the ice and try to contribute at both ends. I think that s what makes the game fun. Just to be a one-sided player, I don t think it makes it as fun. Murray s faith in Johnson was bolstered by Johnson s play in the second half of last season. There were consistency issues at times during the first half, but after Johnson returned from the Olympics he won a silver medal with the United States and got into the heat of an NHL playoff race, Johnson s game elevated. This season, he picks up a new regular partner in the steady veteran Rob Scuderi. I was kind of reluctant to put Johnson on the left side, Murray said. I had him on the right side a few times last year, and I kind of preferred that he play his left side. Then, watching the Olympics, he really thrived. I thought he really stepped his game up, so I feel really good about what I saw. Johnson is still young he won t turn 24 until January and is at a point in his career at which young defensemen are still developing. His new partner talked recently about the development of Johnson s game. I think with Jack, I feel the same way I did last year, Scuderi said. He s got a lot of talent. We just have to kind of learn to rope it in at times, and let him do what he can do at the right times. I thought he made big strides last year, playing good, solid defense in his end and, when he can, he can add a lot to the offense. So if he can continue to develop that part of his game, we re really going to benefit. Scuderi said he noticed an evolution in Johnson s game last season. When he came back from the Olympics, I thought he was much more responsible, Scuderi said. I thought he made great decisions with the puck. When you re one of the last two guys back with the puck, you cannot make the big mistake. I thought that s something he really limited in the second half of last year.

4 Kings Make First Roster Cuts LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Kings have announced the following player transactions. Click here to see the Kings roster. Assigned to Manchester (AHL): Justin Azevedo C Robert Czarnik C Corey Elkins C Zach Harnden - LW Bud Holloway RW Martin Jones - G Dwight King - LW David Kolomatis D Brandon Kozun - RW David Meckler - RW Patrick Mullen D Jordan Nolan LW Michael Pelech - C Jeff Zatkoff - G Assigned to Ontario (ECHL): Garrett Zemlak - G Returned to Junior Team: Jean-Francois Berube G (Montreal - QMJHL) Nicolas Deslauriers D (Gatineau - QMJHL) Tyler Toffoli RW (Ottawa - OHL) Jordan Weal C (Regina - WHL) Linden Vey RW (Medicine Hat - WHL) Released from ATO (Amateur Tryout): Riley Brace LW Samuel Groulx D Dylan King D The Kings have 37 players remaining on their 2010 Training Camp roster. The Kings next host the Ducks at STAPLES Center on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. LAKingsHockey 1. #lakings Team off the ice today; training camp cuts coming today - PR

5 The Fabulous Forum The who, what, where, when, why and why not of L.A. sports No surprises among Kings' cuts September 24, :42 pm A day off the ice turned into cut-down day for the Kings on Friday. The first round of moves contained no surprises. Thirty-seven players will return to practice Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. Assigned to Manchester of the American Hockey League: Centers--Justin Azevedo, Robert Czarnik, Corey Elkins and Michael Pelech. Left wings--zach Harnden, Dwight King and Jordan Nolan. Right wings--bud Holloway, Brandon Kozun and David Meckler. Defensemen--David Kolomatis, Patrick Mullen. Goaltenders--Martin Jones, Jeff Zatkoff. Assigned to Ontario (ECHL): Goaltender Garrett Zemlak. Returned to Junior Team: Jean-Francois Berube G (Montreal - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Nicolas Deslauriers D (Gatineau - QMJHL) Tyler Toffoli RW (Ottawa - Ontario Hockey League) Jordan Weal C (Regina - Western Hockey League Linden Vey RW (Medicine Hat - WHL) Released from amateur tryout: Riley Brace LW Samuel Groulx D Dylan King D -- Helene Elliott

6 FROM DAILY NEWS J.P. HOORNSTRA Kings announce cuts The Kings announced their first cuts of camp, trimming their roster to 37 players. Justin Azevedo, Robert Czarnik, Corey Elkins, Zach Harnden, Bud Holloway, Martin Jones, Dwight King, David Kolomatis, Brandon Kozun, David Meckler, Patrick Mullen, Jordan Nolan, Michael Pelech and Jeff Zatkoff were assigned to American Hockey League affiliate Manchester. Jean-Francois Berube (Montreal/QMJHL), Nicolas Deslauriers (Gatineau/QMJHL), Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa/OHL), Jordan Weal (Regina/WHL) and Linden Vey (Medicine Hat/WHL) were assigned to their respective junior teams. Riley Brace, Samuel Groulx and Dylan King were released from their amateur tryout contract.

7 FROM THE EXAMINER JON MONCRIEF Kings cut down to 37 players September 24th, :40 pm PT After dropping a pair of games on Thursday night to the Phoenix Coyotes both in Arizona and at Staples Center, the Los Angeles Kings made some roster moves to reduce the number of players in training camp with the season two weeks away. The team sent 20 players to either their junior team or one of the two minor league affiliates of the organization. This leaves 37 players left in camp for a final roster of 23 players. Matt Greene is still considered one of those players, although he is destined for injured reserve when final rosters are submitted. The Kings assigned these players to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL: Justin Azevedo, Robert Czarnik, Corey Elkins, Zach Harnden, Bud Holloway, Martin Jones, Dwight King, David Kolomatis, Brandon Kozun, David Meckler, Patrick Mullen, Jordan Nolan, Michael Pelech, and Jeff Zatkoff. The club also assigned Garrett Zemalk to the Ontario Reign of the ECHL. Additionally, five players were returned to their junior hockey teams: Jean-Francois Berube to Montreal, Nicolas Deslauriers to Gatineau, Tyler Toffoli to Ottawa, Jordan Weal to Regina, and Linden Vey to Medicine Hat. The Kings also released three players outright that were on tryout contracts: Riley Brace, Samuel Groulx, and Dylan King. This means that assuming the team will only carry two goaltenders, these players are in a battle for the final five spots on the roster: Rich Clune, Kevin Westgarth, Oscar Moller, John Zeiler, Thomas Hickey, Johan Fransson, Andrei Loktionov, Alec Martinez, Brayden Schenn, Trevor Lewis, Marc-Andre Cliche, Viatcheslav Voynov, Colten Teubert, Andrew Campbell, Ray Kaunisto, and Jake Muzzin. That s 16 players looking for five spots. Practice resumes on Saturday morning at the Toyota Sports Center at 10AM. Moving forward through the end of training camp, the Kings will have only the one daily practice session on-ice for players. The next pre-season game is on Tuesday night at Staples Center against the Anaheim Ducks. ******************* The Kings played their first game at Staples Center since last year s loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game Six of the 2010 Stanley Cup Western Conference Quarterfinals back in April. The Kings dropped a 3-1 decision to Phoenix last night. Brayden Schenn scored the only goal of the game in the third period, which tied up the game at the time. Meanwhile in Phoenix, another group of Kings players lost in overtime to another group of Phoenix players. The team will now take part in practices Saturday through Monday before their next preseason game on Tuesday. Head coach Terry Murray indicated after Thursday s loss that Erik Ersberg will at some point get the opportunity to play in a pre-season game over the next week. Ersberg suffered an injury to his catching glove hand earlier this week.

8 FROM THE CALGARY SUN SCOTT FISHER Dome still like home for Hitmen grad Kozun By SCOTT FISHER, CALGARY SUN Last Updated: September 24, :25pm It seems only fitting. Brandon Kozun and Martin Jones played together for three-plus seasons with the Calgary Hitmen. Both were WHL all-stars, and both signed contracts with the NHL s Los Angeles Kings. Now that Kozun is about to turn pro with the AHL Manchester Monarchs, he no longer needs to live with a billet or a roommate. But he s gonna. I think me and Jonesy might get a place together, he said as reporters cracked up. It was also fitting Kozun was on hand for Banner Night at the Dome, as the Hitmen raised four pennants to the roof Central Division, Eastern Conference, regular season champs and WHL champs. It s going to bring back a lot of good memories, Kozun said prior to the ceremony. We made a lot of memories and did a lot of good things last year. It s a great organization here and they deserve it. Kozun, who led the CHL in scoring last season with 107 points, said it was strange being in the Dome for a Hitmen home opener but not suiting up. It s pretty crazy being on the other side of (the glass), the 20-year-old said. This will be the first winter Kozun has spent away from Calgary since he was just a tyke. Calgary s been my home for a long time, said Kozun, who grew up in the Stampede City after moving from Los Angeles at an early age. To get an opportunity to play my junior hockey here in this building and for this organization, there s not enough good things you can say about them.

9 FROM THE CALGARY HERALD KRISTEN ODLAND Nostalgic night for Kozun and the Hitmen Former star on cusp of pro career returns for banner night By Kristen Odland, Calgary HeraldSeptember 25, 2010 Between packing boxes and preparing for his first season of professional hockey, Brandon Kozun had some time to spare Friday night. So, naturally, he did what he has done for the past three years - headed down to the Pengrowth Saddledome. "It's pretty crazy, being on the other side of it," said Kozun, prior to Friday's clash between the Western Hockey League season opener between the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes. "Coming to the game and not going on the ice with everyone, it's a little different." Kozun watched as four banners claimed by the Hitmen last year - including one for the 2010 WHL championship - were raised to the rafters. The 20-year-old Calgarian received hearty applause when he was recognized in front of 9,251 'Dome fans after watching an emotional highlight video on the Jumbotron. All of which was enough to get a guy a bit nostalgic. "It's kind of that environment where you get excited to come to the rink," said Kozun, a sixth round-draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings. "When you get a chance to play in front of the fans we have in Calgary - it's a great feeling." Kozun recalled the rush of raising the Ed Chynoweth WHL championship trophy on home ice with the Hitmen, the pain of his ankle, which he hurt in the WHL final against the Tri-City Americans. And how could Kozun forget the heartbreak at the Memorial Cup in Brandon which ended in the semifinal against the hosts? On this night, however, nothing could sour his three seasons with Calgary. "Good memories," said Kozun, whose 107 points was tops in the WHL and the Canadian Hockey League. "We made a lot of memories last year; we did a lot of good things. It's a great organization here and they deserve all of it." On Tuesday, Kozun will depart for the Kings' American Hockey League farm club, the Manchester Monarchs. There, he'll room with former Hitmen goalie and world junior teammate Martin Jones, also property of L.A. "You turn a page and there's building blocks to every step," said Kozun, whose had to fight for every opportunity he's earned standing at five-foot-eight and weighing 156-pounds. "I've had to prove a lot of people wrong a lot of the ways." kodland@calgaryherald.com

10 FROM BLOGDOWNTOWN.COM DAVID MARKLAND Staples Center Unveils New HD Scoreboard By David Markland and Eric Richardson Published: Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 04:27PM Eric Richardson [Flickr] The Clippers' Craig Smith, Kings' Matt Greene and Lakers' Sasha Vujacic check out Staples Center's new scoreboard during a Wednesday unveiling.» Photo Gallery (3) DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES When Kings fans enter Staples Center tonight for their pre-season game against the Phoenix Coyotes, the first thing they'll notice is a brand new, eight-sided high-definition scoreboard that even includes underside LED screens for those with premium seats to keep up on the action. At Wednesday's unveiling, the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic, the Clippers' Craig Smith, and the Kings' Matt Greene were on hand to press the Staples "easy button," activating a presentation on the panoramic displays in broadcast quality 720p HD. Lee Zeidman, General Manager of Staples Center, said that in 1999 the previous scoreboard was state of the art, but in 12 years it had become outdated. He boasted that the new screen is "the best you'll see in any venue in any arena anywhere." The scoreboard is made of four 22' x 14' HD screens with 720p displays, a number of smaller boards in the corner gaps, two LED "halos" circling the top and bottom of the screens, and the four underside screens an extra perk for anyone with seats alongside Jack Nicholson. "These boards underneath will allow the fans who are close to the rink or court to see replays, scoring, and things they havent seen before," Zeidman explained. Panasonic, which became a partner with the L.A. Live complex in 2009, custom designed the scoreboard for Staples Center. Due to the arena's busy schedule, preliminary construction began at the Convention Center next door. Installation shifted to the arena immediately after the Sparks' WNBA season ended, giving the venue a tight 50-day schedule in order to have it ready for tonight's NHL pre-season game. While Panasonic and AEG looked at arena screens around the world for ideas on the board's features, they then had to make them work within the confines of the arena. Because the existing hoist system was being reused, the scoreboard's weight couldn't change, and the final design needed to fit into the existing nesting position so that the board could be tucked away for concerts. Still, Zeidman doesn't think that led to any compromises. "I don't think there's any other place on the planet that has this," he said. "Fan excitement is gonna be amazing."

11 FROM ALLVOICES.COM -- LUKE RASMUSSEN STAPLES Center unveils new scoreboard The STAPLES Center in Los Angeles is an amazing building. It houses several professional franchises (NBA Lakers, NBA Clippers, NHL Kings, WNBA Sparks), several different entertainment shows throughout the year and other events. You might be able to consider it the Madison Square Garden of the west with all the events it has in any given calendar year. Today, the STAPLES Center unveiled it's new HD scoreboard. The scoreboard was manufactured by Panasonic, the company that made their last one. The new scoreboard has eight video boards altogether, much like their previous one; but this one shows video and highlights and scores with much better clarity. Scoreboards have become a hub of entertainment in many stadiums and arenas around the country. New "ribbon boards" allow advertising to be more versatile. And, with the advent of HD, gives fans replays in better clarity. And, they've gotten bigger as well. Just look at the HD video screen installed in Dallas' new stadium last year. The new scoreboard weighs quite a bit as well, topping out at 47,000 pounds.