Interview w/ Los Angeles Kings legend Marcel Dionne

Throwback Thursdays continue here at MayorsManor...

Today we're proud to welcome in another living legend. Earlier this week Marcel Dionne celebrated his 59th birthday, which is hard to believe for some...as it seems like just yesterday he was skating on the Triple Crown Line with Dave Taylor and Charlie Summer.

In reality, Marcel played for the Kings from 1975 to 1987. When he netted goal #700 in 1987, he became just the third player in history to reach the milestone.  Nearly all of those came with the Kings (550).  Dionne is in the top 10 of almost every major offensive category for the Kings and he took his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame after retirement.

In the interview below, The Mayor and Marcel look back at his career - from being drafted by the Red Wings...to signing with what-was-then hockey Siberia, Los Angeles...and finishing up in New York, on some really bad Rangers teams. Never shy, he shares his thoughts on the league, owners, managers, his teammates - well, let him tell you all about it...

High / Low with Rob Blake

It's been awhile since we've done a High / Low piece, one of our popular features during the regular season.

It's also been awhile since there's been any new Rob Blake news around these parts...again, also popular during the regular season.

With Rob's recent retirement, he's been in the news a little this summer. Yet, let's face it, within a certain subset of Kings fans he's always top of mind...for some reason or another.

Rob was kind enough to first stop by MayorsManor back in January for an in-depth interview, covering topics like being drafted by the Kings, going to the Finals in '93, the trade, resigning the captaincy, coming back to LA and several other items.

Today we look at the highs and lows of his career - in his words - and play a little word association with the 20 year veteran. See what he has to say about Zhitnik, Sandstrom, Robitaille, Carson, McSorley and many more of the guys he laced 'em up with.

Blake played in over 1,200 regular season NHL games...finishing with 240 goals, placing him 10th among defenseman on the all-time list.  He was a six time All Star, won a Stanley Cup in 2001 and the Norris Trophy in 1998. 

While playing for Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics he became only the 11th player in history to gain entrance to the uber-exclusive "Triple Crown Club" - reserved for owners of the three most prestigious titles in hockey:  the Stanley Cup, a Gold Medal at the World Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal.

Thus, there's a lot to choose from when selecting the key highlights of Blake's accomplishments on the ice.  So, how about he does it for us...

Rob, what would you say were the three highs and lows of your career?

Wayne 'TheTrain' Simmonds - attracting more interest everyday

Just a few weeks ago it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Wayne Simmonds would be changing his number soon. All signs pointed to the Kings signing some Russian winger who scores a lot of goals. That didn't happen. He, sorta, went to the Devils.

Meanwhile, Simmonds, who just completed his second season in Los Angeles, found himself on the cover of The Hockey News this week.

The magazine's article was supplemented online with a video conversation held with Simmonds and the Avs' Chris Stewart, who apparently share a home together in the off-season. A secondary article on the site focuses on their agent, Eustace King, the first and only African-American agent representing NHL players.

In the past, Wayne the Train has been linked to Willie O'Ree - the first player to cross the NHL's color barrier back in 1958. He even read from O'Ree's autobiography for some children visiting the NHL store in New York last year.  Here though, the focus was on two stars of the future, rather than the past.  Stewart and Simmonds are a few of the current poster boys for minorities in hockey...or as the NHL calls it, Hockey is for Everyone.

Regarding the taunts O'Ree had to endure growing up and if he had experienced similar things as a youngster, Simmonds told Helene Elliot of the LA Times "You rarely hear it anymore. But when you're younger you have the ignorant kid that says something because he's not educated or his parents don't teach him, I guess. But now you don't hear anything, and that's good."

Wayne's story isn't just about the color of his skin, it's more about being a hockey player.  This sport is expensive and many parents can't afford to buy the gear necessary for their children to participate - regardless of being black, white or brown.  The Simmonds family found a way to overcome those obstacles and Wayne has repaid them with an ever-growing passion for the game.

His play on the ice continues to improve as well.  Simmonds followed up a strong rookie year by tying for the team lead in goals during the preseason last September - just barely losing out to Anze Kopitar for the first Eddie Joyal Award.