Interview with Jonathan Quick's replacement in net

When the Kings returned to their practice facility on Monday after nearly a week long break there was a stranger sitting in Jonathan Quick's stall. Perhaps even more confusing to some, he was putting on goalie equipment.

Salvatore Tecci had been at the rink since noon, hours before practice was set to start. As the players slowly trickled in, each pretty much did the same thing. "They would walk past me, then turn and do a double take," he said. "Many had a look of 'Who is this kid?'"

Eventually, they came over and welcomed him. "But, they would introduce themselves by their first names, which didn't really help because I didn't know who they were," he shared.  "Having lived in Boston for seven years, if I would have practiced with the Bruins, I probably would have known everyone on the team."

Tecci primarily grew up in Henderson, NV and his only exposure to pro hockey was the Las Vegas Thunder of the old IHL.

"When I first stared playing, there were only two ice rinks within 100 miles," said the 20-year old netminder. "I started skating when I was five, and eventually only became a goalie because one day somebody didn't show up. So, I said 'Yeah, I'll play goalie, they play the whole game.' I was always the youngest kid on the team, so they wouldn't give me a lot of playing time before."

In between filling in for one of his teammates back then and subbing for Quick while he was at the All-Star festivities, Tecci also attended the famed Thayer Prep School in Massachusetts - where a young Jeremy Roenick met Tony Amonte and skated on the same line together. As a freshman Tecci led the state in wins.

NHL scouts and college coaches paid him plenty of attention over the next few years. Yet, it all came to an abrupt end his senior year when he developed an eye infection that put him out of action for several months.

Marco Sturm happy to move on from the lows of LA

Sturm in LA, January 2011 (photo: C. Ikiri)

When you've played over 900 games in the NHL, a 17-game stint with a team isn't exactly something that's going to stick out in your mind. Still, returning to LA tonight with the Florida Panthers to face his former team - and we use that term rather loosely here - stirs up a few emotions for Marco Sturm.

"It was definitely really short," he said, when asked if he ever even felt like a King. "It feels a little different (coming back here)."

That didn't stop him from having a huge smile when he greeted a few of the Kings training staff with big bear hugs after practice on Wednesday. "I love seeing some of the guys," shared Sturm. "Especially the trainers, they've been so good to me. That was definitely something I was looking forward to."

During his two month stay in LA, he spent plenty of time with them, as he was attempting to return to the ice after missing nearly a year of action following major knee surgery.

"The high was that I came back again from an injury. It probably wasn't the way I wanted, but I was playing the game again. I think that was probably the only positive I had," said Sturm when he reflected back on what's been a tough year. "I actually felt better and better towards the end of the season in Washington. There were a lot of lows, especially here (in LA) and leaving here - probably one of my lowest points and it was tough."

LA Kings prospects on TV later this afternoon

Shore and Forbort at Kings camp (photo: C. Ikiri)

There's no denying the growing impact of U.S. college hockey on the NHL.

And the LA Kings have been ahead of the curve in recent years, with a plethora of former student athletes on their roster.

Heck, on defense Drew Doughty is the odd man out, as everybody else went the college route - Matt Greene (North Dakota), Jack Johnson (Michigan), Alec Martinez (Miami-Ohio), Willie Mitchell (Clarkson) and Rob Scuderi (Boston College).

The Kings have been stocking up on those type of players at the NHL Draft as well, with five of their 11 selections over the past two years already committed to going the NCAA route.

Later this afternoon, the top two prospects from that pool will be featured on television.

Defenseman Derek Forbort - the Kings first round pick from 2010 - and his North Dakota teammates will host the University of Maine 5:30 pm PST on Fox College Sports (channel 617 on DirecTV). Forbort is coming off a big weekend last week, having scored the first goal of his NCAA career. For those unfamiliar with him, he was also a member of the Team USA's squad that won a bronze medal at last winter's World Junior Championship (WJC). North Dakota are ranked sixth in the country, Maine is #16.

Today's big college hockey match-up will start an hour earlier on the CBS Sports Network (channel 613 on DirecTV), when #3-ranked Denver travels to #1-ranked Boston College. The Kings third round pick at last June's draft, Nick Shore, is one of the top centers for the Denver team. Earlier this summer, he attended the Team USA evaluation camp for the 2012 WJC and spoke exclusively with MayorsManor about his experience in an article linked below.

Next weekend, Forbort and team travel to Wisconsin to take on Michael Mersch (2011 Kings draft pick) and the Badgers. Then, the following weekend, they'll be home to play Kevin Gravel (Kings 2010 selection) and St. Cloud State.

At the end of February, North Dakota will play at Denver, in one of the most anticipated regular season games of the season. Can Forbort and the Sioux defense shut down Shore and the Pioneer offense? Ah come on, there's plenty of hockey to play between now and then.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Exclusive - Nick Shore on Team USA WJC camp experience

Exclusive - Michael Mersh on experience at Team USA evaluation camp

Guest author - defenseman Kevin Gravel's Team USA camp journal

Interview with Kings' college prospect Derek Forbort

Forbort defeats Gravel via round two knockout

Ranking the Ponda and Other NHL Buildings

Occasionally when you come across something of interest you file it away in the back of your brain for later.

While preparing for the trip down to Anaheim tonight my thoughts were drawn back to a recent article from Rich Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com , where he ranked his favorite NHL cities.

Having been to 27 different NHL markets, including two that no longer exist, I started to line them up in my head to see how my list compared with his.

Before we begin, there are five buildings I haven't seen the Kings play in yet - Florida, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa and St. Louis.

However, I have seen NHL games in over 35 arenas.

Wait a minute, you say...how can that be when it's a 30 team league?

Well, in addition to the current buildings housing the 30 teams, I can check off places like Winnipeg Arena, Hartford Civic Center, Met Center (Minnesota), Old Chicago Stadium, Boston Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens, Capital Centre (old Caps building), America West Arena (original home for Phoenix Coyotes), Arco Arena (LA/EDM when the NHL used to play two regular season games at neutral sites), San Diego Sports Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena (exhibition games) and of course, the Fabulous Forum.

With five cities to go, here's how I arranged things, largely based on four criteria (in no particular order) - vibe of the city, local food, passion/knowledge of the local fan base and the music scene (because you have to do something besides see hockey while you're there)...

RECAP: Willie Mitchell on NHL Home Ice Radio

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell joined the guys on NHL Home Ice radio earlier this afternoon.  Although they asked a little about the win last night and his injury woes in 2010, the bulk of the interview was spent talking up rookie Kyle Clifford.  Here's a quick recap...

* How important was it to win again at Staples Center after the recent eight game home stand where the team went 2-6? I think we could all feel it coming. Over the few games before I think we were starting to play good hockey again, just not getting the results. So, it's nice to get rewarded. For the mental aspect, it was big.

* (on Clifford) He reminds me of Rick Rypien when he was breaking in with the Vancouver Canucks. Nobody really knew he was and I'd see him beat up guys left and right. Finally, word started to get out. Cliffy is much the same way, but actually even younger. He's a good hockey player too. He's done the physical stuff and that's probably a big reason why he stayed up in the NHL at such a young age. His game is going to continue to evolve though. He's a really good player and he'll be a good player for us for a long time.

STAT CHECK: Boston Bruins at LA Kings

Here are your five fun facts on tonight's match up between the visiting Boston Bruins and host Los Angeles Kings...

* Even with two long losing spans this season, the Kings are only six points off their point total from last season through 48 games. SIX. Last year they had 57 points, compared to 51 this season.

* The Kings have won 15 games at home, the Bruins 15 games on the road. Although it's rare for NHL teams to be better on the road, Boston is finding a way to do it - having gone 12-9-3 at TD Garden and 15-5-4 away.

* Both teams are undefeated in regulation when leading after two periods (LA 14-0-0, BOS 19-0-1). If the game is tied after two periods, LA has a slight edge (8-7-0 vs 3-5-2). The Kings are also better in OT (5-1 vs. 2-7) and the shootout (4-0 vs. 1-5). However, in the most important stat, total points, Boston leads 61 to 51. Interestingly, on January 1st the two teams were tied with 45 points. The 10 point difference is all from the last few weeks.

* The Kings have won four straight over the Bruins, going back to March 19, 2009. All four games have been tied after three periods. And amazingly, the last three have been decided via shootout.



The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

Quick Back To Making History for the Kings

Goaltender Jonathan Quick set a number of team records for the Kings last season, including games played (72) and wins (39).

Well, he was back to his old tricks again Saturday night in the Phoenix desert.

Actually, it was Glendale. But, that's beside the point.

Two weeks ago he earned his 19th victory of the season in a 6-4 slugfest over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

And you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try...and try again.

Five attempts later he picked up his 20th win (a 4-3 win in Phoenix) - becoming only the third goaltender in franchise history to do so in three straight seasons. Rogie Vachon accomplished the feat six times (1972-78) and Kelly Hrudey did it three times (1989-92).

Not bad for a guy who's really only a third year pro.

It's been well documented that LA has gone 3-10 over the last 13 games, a stretch that started back on December 29th with an embarrassing 6-3 loss in Phoenix. On a personal level, it's the only game Quick has been pulled from this season. So, if that was something eating away at him, perhaps the monkey is now off his back.

The larger issue at hand though is can the Kings create some positive momentum from this game and come out strong on Monday vs. the Bruins?

Recap of Marco Sturm on NHL Radio

For a guy who isn't playing right now, Marco Sturm sure is wrapping up the frequent miles over the last week or so. From Boston to Los Angeles, then off to St. Louis where he joined the Kings and he's now in Nashville.

In between travel, rehabbing his knee, and getting to know his new teammates, Sturm took time out to check in with the NHL Power Play radio show. Here are the highlights...

* He thought the trade was going down 10 days ago. He went to LA earlier this week and passed all his tests and he's "glad to be an LA King now."  It was tough mentally though because he had to say goodbye to his Bruins teammates multiple times.

* Being traded from San Jose to Boston was more difficult, as it was the first time he had to face that situation. However, he had two guys with him (Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau) and they helped him a lot. The good thing this time was he was more prepared for the trade to happen.

* Going back to California is a positive in the deal. He loved it in San Jose and knew he wanted to come back this way. As soon as he heard Dean Lombardi was interested, it was an easy decision for him to waive his no trade clause.

* At the time he joined the Bruins (2005-06), he thinks the Eastern Conference had the "big guys, the tougher guys." Now, hockey has changed. The West is tight - not only the standings, but how they play the game. Recently, he's been trying to watch as many games from the West as possible to familiarize himself with things.

* He's pushing to play two games before Christmas, might only get one though.

* He had a good week of practice in Boston, including full contact. He wants one week with the Kings before getting into a game. He feels good, feels healthy.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

10 Tidbits on Marco Sturm

Marco Sturm:  Five Points on the LA-Boston Trade

Sturm Completes the St. Louis Circle

How the Sturm Trade Affects Schenn

Welcome to LA - 10 Tidbits on Willie Mitchell

Welcome to LA - 10 Tidbits on Marco Sturm

- - -  NEW SHIRT - - -
 now available at
 the MayorsManor store

The last time the Kings went looking for help on the left side it took almost the whole summer to figure out that Ilya Kovalchuk would be staying in New Jersey.

Fortunately, this time around, it only took around 10 days to officially announce Marco Sturm had been traded to Los Angeles.

While it may still be another week or so until he sees game action (more on that in a minute), now's as good a time as any to get to know the newest King.

We'll get you started with 10 Tidbits on Marco Sturm...

1. He was born in Dingolfing, Germany - home of the world's largest BMW plant.  Several other German players have made the NHL too, most were goaltenders (Olaf Kolzig being the most famous) or are currently playing for the Nashville Predators (Marcel Goc and Alexander Sulzer).

2. Sturm will be the second German born player to wear a Kings jersey. Randy Gilhen was the first back in 1991-92 when he sported #15 for 33 games.

3. He shares his September 8th birthday with Kings legend Rogie Vachon, former Kings forward Teddy Purcell and one of the most exciting players from last year's NHL draft class, Nino Niederreiter (NY Islanders).

Marco Sturm: Five Points on the LA-Boston trade

Magic Mountain has nothing on the Kings this year. If you want a wild ride, just try following LA's hockey team. Winning streaks, losing streaks, injuries, trades, no trades - it's a wild ride.

Here are five points on the 'Marco Sturm to the Kings' trade...

1. Like the Alexei Ponikarovsky signing over the summer, this isn't THE deal. So, for those worried that Kings GM Dean Lombardi might see this as a way of fixing all the Kings offensive woes, think again. A trade for Sturm is a depth move. And when it comes to LW, the Kings don't have much in the cupboard right now.  So, even if you don't like the player or the move, remember this - it would cost the Kings virtually nothing to acquire him. If the trade includes a conditional draft pick to Boston (believed to be a fifth rounder), this is a no-brainer. It's low risk, all upside.

2. The deal wasn't made yesterday, despite reports. The deal isn't dead, despite other reports. "There is no deal," Kings GM Dean Lombardi said. "There is no trade in place with Marco," said Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. But, but, but...it could be coming. Apparently, the Kings were concerned with what they saw in some of the medical reports. There seems to be some discrepancies on when Sturm might be available to return. Is is about a week or is it more like a month? That's a big difference. For now, the Kings are continuing to monitor things and the trade could still happen.

Future Fridays - Interview with Matt Nieto

Matt Nieto grew up in Long Beach, CA as a huge LA Kings fan.

So, it was a little ironic for him when his teammate (Derek Forbort) was selected by the Kings in the first round of the draft this past June.

Perhaps it's something he'll get to experience himself though in the not too distant future, as just a few days ago he was one of only three college forwards to be given an 'A' rating by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau for the 2011 NHL Draft.

NHL.com followed up that information by releasing their initial mock draft results.  For what it's worth, they had the Kings taking him in the first round next summer.

Already a two-time gold medal winner at the U-18 World Championships, Nieto could also possibly be selected by Team USA for the upcoming World Junior Championships - which would raise his profile even further.

As part of our Future Friday series we spoke with the Boston University freshman about everything he has going on right now and where hockey may be taking him...

MM:  You started out by playing roller hockey at the YMCA, is that right?

(Part of) History Will Not Repeat Itself Tonight

Tonight will mark the 11-year anniversary of Staples Center first hosting an official NHL game.

The final score was 2-2, a tie between the host LA Kings and visiting Boston Bruins.

Like it or not, the shootout is now part of the NHL landscape. Thus, you can be assured of one major difference in tonight's contest between the Kings and Carolina Hurricanes - there will definitely be a winner. One team is leaving the building with two points.

For what it's worth, Rob Blake scored the first Kings goal in the new arena. However, the very first NHL goal in Staples Center was credited to forward Anson Carter of the Bruins. 

How ironic is that, considering when the Kings traded for the talented right winger a few years later, he played 15 games for LA...posting ZERO goals.  One simple assist was all the Kings received in return for sending Jared Aulin to Washington to acquire Carter.

You want more irony?  Aulin had become Kings property as part of the deal that sent Blake to Colorado in 2001.

Trivia Time - When the Kings traded for Carter in March 2004 it was actually the second time he had been moved by an NHL team that season.  Who did Washington trade to acquire Carter just two months prior? (answer at the end of this article)

Trivia Question #2 - What number did Carter wear in LA?

NHL DRAFT 2010: Interview with prospect Charlie Coyle

Every kid selected in this year's draft will have his own story to tell.

In this prospect profile we get to know somebody that could be tailor made for the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.  Charlie Coyle is ranked #24 by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.  His favorite off-ice activity?  Working out.  His coaches say the 6'2" forward is a strong, powerful skater who protects the puck real well along the boards.  Teams around the league have taken notice too, as he had already met with 15 of them prior to the NHL Combine last month.

And for a star driven town like LA, how about this little gem of info - his celebrity look-alike...Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

NHL.com mock drafts have him going late in the first round, so he should be there at #19 when the Kings pick (assuming Dean Lombardi hasn't already traded it away for something different).

Charlie spoke with The Mayor about his past, present and future as he heads towards the NHL Draft later this week.

First off, who got you started in hockey?

Everybody on my dad's side of the family plays hockey.  I'm cousins with (former NHLers) Tony Amonte and Bobby Sheehan.

As a player, when did you start to realize "Hey, people are really starting to pay attention to me"?

Draft Watch - Lots of prospects on TV

Want to see some Kings prospects on television this weekend? How about some of the kids that will be drafted by NHL teams at the 2010 Draft being held in Los Angeles? How about some college hockey tournament action?

All three can be seen over the next three days, including a Calgary Hitmen game - which features LA Kings goaltending prospect Martin Jones in net and possible WHL scoring champion Brandon Kozun at right wing. So fire up the DVRs...

Here is a quick rundown on games you can choose from:

Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Unless you've been living under a rock (or not reading this site), you know how much Kings GM Dean Lombardi loves the Western Hockey League. So much so that the last three years running he's taken a player from the Dub in the first round - Thomas Hickey ('07), 'Mr. Nasty' Colten Teubert ('08) and Brayden Schenn ('09).

Tonight's game starts at 7pm PST on Fox Sports NorthWest (DirecTV channel 687). The showcase player in the game will be T-birds goalie Calvin Pickard. He's currently ranked #1 among all North American goalies by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. The 6'1" netminder is expected to give Team USA phenom Jack Campbell a run for his money at the draft. One of them is expected to go early in the opening round as the first goalie taken this year.

Kelowna also features two ranked players of their own...Mitchell Chapman (ranked #151) is a 6'2" defenseman who loves to drop the gloves. To see his latest fight, as well as some other clips of his physical altercations, click here to see some clips from hockeyfights.com.

Brett Bulmer, a 6'2" right wing, is ranked #164.

Also playing in the game are Tyson Barrie (selected in the third round of last year's draft by the Avalanche) and Prab Rai (a 5th round pick of the Canucks in '08). Both are among the top 20 scorers in the WHL's Western Conference.

Becuase the Olympic talk never ends around here...Nashville Predators and Team Canada defenseman Shea Weber played his junior hockey for the Kelowna Rockets.

And one final note on Kelowna...in two weeks the Detroit Red Wings will take a very rare late season bonding trip to Kelowna. It seems that GM Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock figured it would be a great way to spend the off days between a Monday game in Calgary and a Friday game in Edmonton. They'll be hosting an open practice for the town and have a few other events planned. To read more about their unique plans click here.

Saskatoon Blades vs Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

This game is on Sunday afternoon and will be a double treat...you can catch five ranked players for this year's draft in action...plus catch two Kings prospects.

Martin Jones has been an outstanding free agent signing for the Kings. He played a little at the recent World Junior Championships for Canada (winning a silver medal) and has been rock solid in goal for the Hitmen all year - winning WHL player of the week honors in February.

Meanwhile, last year's 6th round pick by the Kings, Brandon Kozun, has been a one man wrecking crew. He also played for Team Canada at the World Jrs and is the only 2x player of the week this season in the WHL. He currently has 94 points, only 3 behind league leader Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats.

Saskatoon's ranked players for the 2010 draft:
#56 - Curtis Hamilton 6'2" LW
#68 - Charles Inglis 5'11" C

Calgary's ranked players:
#85 - Matt Mackenzie 6'1" D (to read a scouting report on him click here)
#181 - Cody Beach 6'4" RW

Mackenzie also played for Team Orr at the recent CHL Top Prospects game. He finished the night with zero points and a +1 rating.

Calgary and Saskatoon are two of the top three teams in the WHL, with Calgary leading all teams at 97 points. Saskatoon has 93 points, good for third best in the Eastern Conference. So, on paper, this looks to be an outstanding game.

It will be the first WHL game of the year to be broadcast in the U.S. on the NHL Network (DirecTV channel 215). The puck is scheduled to drop at 4pm PST on Sunday.

NCAA College Hockey

Friday 4:30pm PST - #5 ranked Boston College at #10 New Hampshire (Rob Scuderi went to BC and helped take his team to the NCAA hockey championship game three of his four years, finally winning it all in 2001...his final season as an Eagle) - NESN (DirecTV channel 628)

Friday 5:30pm PST - Michigan Tech at #7 ranked North Dakota (Kings d-man Matt Greene played for the Fighting Sioux, losing out on the NCAA championship to Denver during his final season there, 2004-05) - NESN (DirecTV channel 628)

Friday 6:30pm PST - Colorado College at #1 ranked Denver - FSN Rocky Mountain (DirecTV channel 683)

Saturday 4:30pm PST - CCHA Tournament - Lake Superior State at Michigan (like Jack Johnson says 'Go Big Blue') - Fox Sports Denver (DirecTV channel 663)

Saturday 6pm PST - #1 ranked Denver at Colorado College - FSN Rocky Mountain (DirecTV channel 683)

Take lots of notes, there will be a quiz later.

Read. Watch. Enjoy.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

Monday Mash-up

Attention everybody. Can I have your attention please? Will you pick up your belongings and politely take two steps to the left. Bunch together now. We need everybody to pack it in a little tighter. More people are jumping on the bandwagon and we need you to help make room for them.

Like you, I'm still riding the high of the fantastic road trip. A three-two win on Sunday, a five-and-o road trip, six wins in a row, six games until the break, fifth place in the West...it's enough to get you whipped up into a frenzy.

Here are a few things to chew on this afternoon:

* Tweet #1 - about five minutes before game time yesterday I posted the following on my Twitter account:

STAT CHECK - Devils record when leading after 1st: 17-0-0, after 2nd: 24-0-0...tough task ahead (stating the obvious)...good luck

Reverse the curse rules must have been in effect.

* Tweet #2 - shortly after noon on Sunday I posted the following on my Twitter account, regarding a comment from a fellow Kings blogger:

Sunday sermon from @Connie_Kim: Doughty is the greatest man who ever lived. Him or Jesus, not sure. But 2bfair Jesus didn't have a great slap shot

Prophetic! Less than 30 seconds left in the game, he shoots...he scores...Kings win!

* Tweet #3 - on Saturday I offered up this:

1st person 2 DM me gets free Dean shirt to wear at RT @lakingshockey #LAKings 5k Run/Walk for the American Heart Assoc http://fb.me/4RQ6FQ2

Since everybody isn't on Twitter - and why not, what are you waiting for? - we'll give one away here too...if you want to wear one of our In Dean We Trust shirts in the 5K, post a comment below - we might have a free one for you.

* Manchester Monday - With Lombardi and staff in the house on Friday, Bernier pitches a shutout...just another day at the office, as he earns AHL player of the week honors.

* Prospect Profile - NHL.com takes a look at Corey Elkins, who currently leads Manchester with 16 goals and 35 points. The Kings messed up his marriage proposal.

* Home Cooking - With a 1-2 weekend the Ontario Reign are now 3-3 after hosting the All Star Game two weeks ago. They're going to need put more wins together to make the playoffs. Fortunately, they play nine of their eleven February games at home.

* More Boston hockey - specifically, more college hockey...this time it's the Beanpot. The annual Boston tourney gets underway today and Yahoo's Puck Daddy takes a look at things in an article here. Plenty of 2010 NHL draftees will be playing. Watch it on NESN (DirecTV channel 628).

See you tomorrow!

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

Triple Header on TV Today

The Kings may be off, but there is plenty of hockey worth watching on TV later today. In fact, several of the guys suiting up could one day be Kings. Three games with NHL Draft implications are available for viewing or recording:

Everrett Silvertips vs. Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
This game will be on later than the other two listed below - however, it's the marquee match-up of the day when it comes to Draft Watch 2010 as eight guys ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau will be playing.

Swiss superstar-to-be Nino Nierderreiter (RW) leads a loaded Winterhawks team that features five kids ranked in the top 100 - Nino (ranked #14), center Ryan Johansen (#16), defenseman Troy Rutkowski (#43), left wing Bradley Ross (#69) and defenseman Taylor Aronson (#90).

The Silvertips have three players of their own ranked as well - Kent Simpson (#7 ranked goaltender) and two defenseman, Alex Theriau (#74) and Radko Gudas (#131). If that last name sounds familiar to some of you, Gudas participated in the Kings rookie training camp back in September, wearing jersey #73. He is a year older than most draft eligible players and some scouts say he could be NHL ready next year.

The game can be seen on FoxSports Northwest (channel 687 on DirecTV).

Boston University at Boston College
As I wrote about a few weeks ago when these two teams played outdoors at Fenway, this is the best rivalry in college hockey and is almost always a great game. They've been battling each other for nearly 100 years! They've also won the last two NCAA Championships, Boston in 2009 and BC the year prior. Both are top five schools when it comes to producing future NHL players, including current Kings Rob Scuderi and Peter Harrold.

...and if you've been keeping up on the Kings news this week, Boston schools are favored by Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Shhh, don't tell Jack Johnson.

Scuderi and Harrold both played four years at Boston College. Scuds won a championship with the team in 2001 and Harrold served as team captain his senior year, 2005-06.

This year's BC roster features several potential NHL stars of the future. For example, Chris Kreider, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the recent World Jrs, and three of his teammates have already been drafted by NHL teams. Never to be outdone by their rival, BU's roster features the Colorado Avalanche's first and second round picks from 2007 - Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen.

Click here to read the recent BC vs BU article detailing the rivalry and all the connections to current and former Kings.

The puck drops at 4:30pm PST on NESN (channel 628 on DirecTV)

Denver Pioneers at Wisconsin Badgers
Another college hockey game, this time featuring two of the top ranked teams in the country - #1 Denver visits #3 Wisconsin. The Badgers have lost five straight games to the Pioneers, including the last two by shutouts. This season they're the second-highest scoring team in the nation though (with a 4.05 goals-per-game average), so they're hoping to reverse their fortunes tonight at home.

In an interesting twist, Denver head coach George Gwozdecky is a former Badger teammate of UW head coach Mike Eaves.

Players to watch: UW Junior defenseman Brendan Smith has been mentioned among the leading candidates for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Jordy Murray, former Kings coach Andy Murray's 'other' son, also plays for UW. As most of you know, Jordy's brother Brady was drafted by the Kings and is still team property. Jordy injured his shoulder in December, however he has come on strong lately -scoring goals in three of the last four games, including a goal in both games last weekend versus #8 Colorado College.

John Ramage, a 6'1" defenseman for Wisconsin, is ranked #187 and will be drafted this June.

Current Kings defenseman Davis Drewiske played four years for the Badgers, winning an NCAA Championship in 2006 (beating Peter Harold and his Boston College teammates).

Read the interview with Andy Murray, where he talks about his sons, by clicking here.

This game can be seen on the NHL Network starting at 5pm PST (channel 215 on DirecTV)

Finally, back in October I wrote an article about the Kings being ahead of the curve in the NHL with their make-up of guys from the college ranks (available by clicking here). It was updated a few weeks later when another former college player, Scott Parse, was called up from Manchester. You can read the 10 Tidbits on Scott Parse article by clicking here.

Read. Watch. Enjoy.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

The Best Rivalry in College Hockey

Boston College and Boston University are just three miles apart - on the same trolley ride no less. They've played hockey against each other a remarkable 247 times dating back to 1917. Later today they'll face off outdoors at Fenway Park for the first time ever.

Throughout their nearly 100-year rivalry, several players with current or former ties to the LA Kings have played on both sides of the battle.

Last summer's free agent addition, Rob Scuderi, was a BC Eagle for four years. Scuds was an iron man, playing more games in a BC sweater than any other player in team history. He was also there during a great run, going to the NCAA hockey championship game three of his four years (!), finally winning it all in 2001, his final season.

The always versatile Peter Harrold also played four years at BC. He served as the team captain his senior year of 2005-06 and was named first team all American on defense.

A college hockey game at Fenway isn't just the latest big game of the week because it's being played outdoors. This is a match-up of the last two NCAA national champions, BU last year and BC the year prior.

For Boston University it was their fifth title, trumping BC's three championships.

The man behind the bench today for BC, Jerry York, was also there for those three championships. He took over as coach of BC, his alma mater, in June 1994. Prior to that he coached at Clarkson and then Bowling Green - where he coached former Kings Rob Blake and Dan Bylsma.

York has had nine players selected in the first round of the NHL draft while heading BC's hockey program - including when the Kings drafted Brian Boyle in 2003.

He'll be trying to outwit another college hockey coaching legend, Jack Parker. He's been at the helm of BU for 37 years, sending 19 players to the Olympics, including four from the famous 1980 USA team - Mike Eruzione, Dave Silk, Jack O'Callahan and Jim Craig.

Another of Parker's star players moving on to international success with Team USA was Tony Amonte.

However, it was a BU game that Amonte says was "definitely the most memorable game for me throughout my whole career." And some game it was, a game that many call the greatest college hockey game of all-time. It was his last college game and it was for the 1991 NCAA title. With BU down 7-4 and less than eight minutes to go, he scored on a pass from former Kings forward Shawn McEachern. A few minutes later Amonte returned the favor, setting up McEachern for a goal. With 39 seconds left in the game BU would tie it. Sadly, they lost in OT, giving Northern Michigan its only national championship.

Nearly as disappointing to the BU loyal was the 1980 Beanpot final. For those unfamiliar, the Beanpot is an annual tournament featuring four Boston area teams - BU, BC, Northeastern and Harvard. First established in 1952, the February tournament grew in popularity to where it was eventually contested at Boston Garden (and is now played at TD Garden, the new home to the Bruins). BU has won the Beanpot 29 times, more than double the team with the second most wins (BC with 14). However, in 1980 they lost 5-4, giving Northeastern their first ever Beanpot trophy. A situation that Eruzione later joked about saying "There were actually two miracles that year."

The event at Fenway will surely be the most remembered game between the two since they met for the NCAA championship in 1978, the only time they've met with the title on the line. BU won that day 5-3.

Like the just completed World Jr's tourney, tonight's game will feature several potential NHL stars of the future. For example, Chris Kreider is expected to be back for BC after just winning a gold medal with Team USA at the WJC. Three of his teammates were also drafted by NHL teams...and nine more on the BU roster, including the Colorado Avalanche's first and second round picks from 2007 - Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen.

For some more LA flavor, take a look at the Kings alum that played for either institution:

Boston University - Peter Ahola (played 70 games on D for the Kings back in 1991-93), Rich Brennan (2 games, 2000-01 season), Paul Fenton (92 games, 87-88) and Shawn McEachern (49 games, 93-94).

Boston College - Brian Boyle (36 games, 2007-09), Jeff Giuliano (101 games, 2005-08), Steve Heinze, Billy O'Dwyer (18 games, 1983-85) and Kevin Stevens.

Perhaps a few of those guys, along with Harrold and Scuderi, will be so excited for the Fenway game they'll order one of the special BC jerseys the team will wear just this one time (pictured above). To commemorate the event, they've added a little Fenway green to the striping on their jersey. That's a nice touch.

See the jersey, Fenway Park and these two legendary teams square off on the NHL Network today at 4:30 pm PST.

BU vs. BC. Great rivals almost always produce great games.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

The other Winter Classic

Fenway Park isn't done hosting hockey just yet.

Friday evening the famed ballpark will host a match-up between two of the most storied institutions in college hockey, Boston College and Boston University.

Current LA Kings players Peter Harrold and Rob Scuderi, both Boston College alum, will surely be rooting for their former schools. In fact, both programs usually rank in the top 5 for having sent the most players to the NHL.

As a quick sneak preview to the article we'll be posting on Friday prior to the game, take a look at just some of the current and former NHL players that will have a vested interest in the outcome of this one:

Partial list of Boston College Alums
Brian Leetch
Bill Guerin
Joey Mullen
Brian Gionta
Brooks Orpik

Partial list of Boston University Alums
Tony Amonte
Keith Tkachuk
Chris Drury
Mike Eruzione
Ryan Whitney

The game will be carried live on the NHL Network. More to come as the game draws closer.

One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

HIGH / LOW with ESPN's John Buccigross

If you were following hockey when the Y2K craze was in full stride, you probably spent a fair amount of time watching the NHL2Night on ESPN. The 30 minute show gave hockey fanatics their nightly fix of scores, highlights and analysis. Guiding the puck fest was John Buccigross, an ESPN anchor and now author. He's hard to forget - with his music references and pure love for the sport. In between duties for ESPN we caught up with John to get his take on the first week of the NHL season.

With one week in the books, what would say have been the HIGHs so far?

1. Calgary Flames - I picked them to finish first and they look good so far. They seem to have a little magic to them.

2. Sidney Crosby - He's now a good faceoff man. That's the sign of a winner. Keep improving.

3. Alex Ovechkin - 70 goals? Another MVP? Probably.

And on the flip side, the LOWs of the young season?

1. Boston Bruins - Trade Phil Kessel and the offense is severely hurt. They should get better.

2. The Referees - A lot of ticky tack calls.

3. Toronto - All bark, no bite so far.

Later this afternoon we'll post a more in depth interview with John. Fear not, we'll be looking for answers on why he reversed course and now says the Kings will not make the playoffs. Enquiring minds want to know. And the Mayor needs answers!

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

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Interview with Bob Miller - legendary voice of the Kings talks favorite players, games, moments, etc.

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