Dean Lombardi in The King's Speech

Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi probably isn't getting much sleep these days.

With the NHL Trade Deadline looming tomorrow afternoon tough decisions must be made. He has to worry about his current players, future players and even how some players on other teams might fight in with the club he's assembled this season.

During intermission yesterday he addressed at least two of those issues - Marco Sturm and Brayden Schenn - with Bob Miller and Jim Fox.

See what he had to say courtesy of Kings Vision...

The Mayor
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Ryan Report - Smyth Passing 99 vs Oilers

While these days the Kings are jokingly referred to as Flyers-West, there was a time many years ago when they were Oilers-South.

In fact, the Kings most bitter rival for much of the '80's and '90s was Edmonton. The two teams already didn't like each other long before the 1988 trade for Wayne Gretzky and they almost always seemed to meet up in the playoffs.

It wasn't only players and fans that had a disdain for each other though. Even Bob Miller, the voice of the Kings, said "I hated the Oilers (of the early 80's), their arrogance really bugged me."

Adding to the decades long drama is a list of guys who have suited up on both sides of the rivalry. In Los Angeles, besides the obvious one in Gretzky, it's a group that includes names from the past like Kurri, McSorley, Conacher and Fuhr...to more recent names like Buchberger, Greene and Stoll.

When it comes to a Kings-Oilers game though, it's the number 99 that's linked most strongly to the two franchises. However, tonight Ryan Smyth goes one digit beyond.  This will be his 100th game as a King.

Nobody will ever know if the NHL schedule makers set it up that way on purpose or it's just another one of those schedule quirks that helps write a perfect script.  Rather convenient though for a guy who played the bulk of his career with one of the teams and now finds himself on the other side of the ice.

Even more symbolic is the fact that on January 22, 1995, Smyth debuted for the Oilers during a road trip.  Their opponent that night?  Yes, they were in Los Angeles to face the Kings at the old Forum in Inglewood.  Although the Oilers won 4-3, Smyth doesn't quite remember most of the details beyond the first period.

"Ron Lowe was the coach and I was sitting on the bench. The face-off was going to be just outside our blue line. He said 'Alright Smitty, go out.' Wayne Gretzky was right across, at center. I was like 'Holy jeez.' I was standing there looking at him. He got kicked out (of the face-off), so he was standing right next to me." Smyth recalls.

Holiday Series - Gifts of Christmas Past

[Part one of a three part series]

In Charles Dickens' classic novel A Christmas Carol the reader is taken through a spiritual awakening of Ebenezer Scrooge, a process that includes visits from the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

That tale began on Christmas Eve, however we're going to begin a day earlier and with a slightly different twist.

For the enjoyment of you and the other hockey fans in your life this holiday season, we present an essential collection of Kings Gifts of Christmas Past...

Here We Go Again...

In April the Kings returned to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

After losing a grueling six game battle with Vancouver, some suggested the Kings were only a player or two away from making a serious run next season.  'Who would the Kings add over the summer?' almost immediately had loyal fans worked up into a frenzy.  Message boards began lighting up with conjecture and wish lists.

The team's previous trip to the NHL's spring dance in '02 was captained by Mattias Norstrom and featured Ziggy Palffy, Ian Laperriere and Mathieu Schneider.  By the time the Kings returned for their 2010 run, those names had been replaced by guys like Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Wayne Simmonds.

LA's previous exit came against the Colorado Avalanche - the same team that defeated the Kings in a bitter seven game series the year before.  Emotions and tempers were running high in that initial series for two main reasons.  One, Rob Blake, the team's long time captain, had been dealt to the Avs just before the trading deadline a few months prior - a trade that still stokes the ire of many Kings fans to this day.  For his part, Blake said things like "I came into the league a Los Angeles King and that's what I wanted to remain" and "we're in a business" when he stopped by MayorsManor earlier this year to talk about his move out of LA.

On a more positive note, the 8th seeded Kings had just upset the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings in the opening round - largely due to the heroics of Eric Belanger and the then-newly acquired Adam Deadmarsh (who arrived in the package from Colorado as part of the Blake deal).

The Kings were close that year.  The Avs were already there.  After beating the Kings, they went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2001.

In a familiar sounding scenario, the prevailing thought at the time was if the Kings could add perhaps one key player over the summer, they'd be considered a serious threat the following season.  Instead, they let Luc Robitaille walk in early July - a move he talked about in an interview with The Mayor, saying "I still don't quite know what happened. I thought we had a great run...I had a great year. I was 11th in scoring in the league...But then I was offered a pay cut. I wasn't expecting a huge, um - I don't know what I was expecting. But I was expecting something."

Bob Miller on NHL Live (video)

LA Kings legend, Bob Miller, spent some time with the guys over at NHL Live earlier this morning.  Some of the highlights include Eddie Olczyk and Barry Melrose getting started in broadcasting, his three favorite goal calls (yes, it involves Gretzky), the time the Pittsburgh Penguins offered him a job (gulp!) and a few other stories about his early days right out of college.

To listen to audio only click here...or to watch the full video, click here.

Bob was kind enough to stop by Mayors Manor in the days leading up to the playoffs this season for a pretty long conversation. He gave some predictions on the first round, made some funny comments on the USA/Canada hockey rivalry and as expected - told some fabulous Kings stories. Click here to read his interview with the Mayor if you missed it the first time.

The Mayor
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The Interview w/ LA Kings' Bob Miller (part two)

Bob Miller is an institution here in Los Angeles.  He's been with the Kings far longer than most fans have been following the team, going all the way back to the early 70s.  He had already been calling Kings games for over 15 years when Wayne Gretzky came to town in the summer of '88.

In over 35 years with the team he's seen just about everything...well, everything except - you know.

Most recently he's had to bide his time for eight years to get back to where he'll be tonight...calling a playoff game for the Kings.

Prior to leaving for game one up in Vancouver Bob chatted with the Mayor about a variety of topics.  In part one of the interview yesterday he gave his predictions for round one of the playoffs.  Today he's back to talk about NHL players in the Olympics, the Canada-U.S. rivalry, Ziggy Palffy, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, the World Cup, the trade deadline, Kings prospects, other players around the league he likes to watch, when he'll retire and plenty more.

It's part two of our exclusive interview with Bob Miller.

The Mayor's Playoff Preview with Bob Miller

Kings fans aren't the only ones that have waited eight long years for the team's return to the playoffs.  The man who has probably seen more Kings games live than any other human on the planet has had his patience tested too.

The voice of the Kings for over 35 years...the hall of fame broadcaster...heck, the man has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...

Bob Miller stopped by MayorsManor for a playoff preview.

He gives his predictions on each series in this year's first round of the Western Conference playoffs...plus he gives thoughts on who might be a playoff hero this year, as well as weighs in on the debate of the Forum or Staples Center, which arena is better.

It's another MayorsManor exclusive...an interview with Bob Miller.

Bob Miller Tattoo?

Just got back from Dodges Spring Training in Arizona. After three days in the sun I'm ready for some hockey tonight.

I'll have more articles up later. However, I had to get this one up right away. I'm standing in line yesterday and I run into a woman who has Vin Scully tattooed on her forearm (pictured)!

It got me wondering, do you think there's anybody out there with a Bob Miller tattoo? That's some serious dedication.




The Mayor

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LA Kings HockeyFest 2009: Sunday's Runner-Up Session

Pick your Z...

In the Alex Zhitnik or Doug Zmolek spot (#2) - Bob Miller's One Man Show

Like yesterday, the session I entered the day most looking forward to didn't end up earning my top billing when all was said and done. Great show. Great speaker (obviously). Just slightly one upped later in the day.

The voice of the Kings - our Vin Scully - brought a myriad of stories and video highlights from the team's 40+ years in LA.


* He opened things with 1967 and a video package entitled "Getting to Know You."

* Talked about driving up to Jack Kent Cooke's house in a rented Plymouth Omega (no link available). Cooke said he liked small cars too - like Maseratis.

* Bob isn't too fond of the way Cooke treated people or his (less than legendary) marketing ideas. For example, he once suggested that Bob say "...and there goes Marcel down the ice like a Datsun" as a way of plugging their automobile sponsor. Bob politely suggested they go a different direction - like mentioning the Datsun Scoreboard when referring to the score of the game.

* In the early days the Kings had several early players worthy of being in GQ magazine Bob claims. One notable exception was Butch Goring - who once spilled pasta sauce on his white turtle neck on the first night of an eight game road trip. He showed up the next day with what some players thought was a clean replacement. No - he simply turned the shirt around backwards and put a jacket on!

* For the trivia buffs...the hardest shot Bob has ever seen belonged to Dennis Hull of the Blackhawks.

* More trivia? He'll never forget the '76 playoffs. The worst call he remembers making was when Mike Corrigan tied the game against Boston in game six, after being down 3-0 that night. Relax Bob. More fans probably remember Goring scoring to win it at 18:28 of overtime - the longest game in Kings history at that point. Or what happened after - something Bob proudly proclaimed he has never seen since (or before) - a hockey player carried off the ice on the shoulders of his celebrating teammates.

* Of course, there were stories about the triple crown line, the trade of '88 that came with new team colors and more. There were also some less feel-good moments...like "I don't mind telling you I hated the Oilers (of the early 80's), their arrogance really bugged me."

* What had to be the kick to the gut moment of the whole weekend was watching Montreal celebrate winning the cup in '93. Sure, that playoff run was brought up in nearly every session throughout the weekend. Yet, this wasn't about the great Toronto series leading to the finals or even the stick incident in game two. This was a video featuring a celebration by the team that beat the Kings. The prior night Marcel refused to watch the video clip of Simmer breaking his leg. I felt the same pit in my stomach reliving that dreadful day. OUCH.

Bob's session ran 30 minutes over and easily could have gone another hour. The man is a hockey encyclopedia.

If you don't have his book, get a copy now (details and link below). It's easy reading and full of great memories.

Check out Bob Miller's book at Amazon:


The Mayor
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