VIDEO: What type of music do the Kings players listen to?

You might have seen the tweet we posted a few weeks ago of Colin Fraser taking a lap around the Kings locker room with a microphone and camera in tow. Here's his report, as he finds out what type of music his teammates listen to on the way to the rink...

Follow @mayorNHL

10 Tidbits on Jeff Carter - Welcome to the LA Kings

Jeff Carter, LA debut (photo: M. Zampelli)

The trade winds aren't the only weather related activity surrounding the LA Kings these days, as there was a flood of information on Jeff Carter to dig up and get to the bottom of this weekend. Here are 10 Tidbits on LA's new forward, using a hodgepodge of notes and quotes...

- He was drafted in the first round of the OHL and NHL drafts. His dad was also taken in the OHL draft - between Mike Gartner and Dino Ciccarelli in 1976 (both are in the Hall of Fame). At just 5-foot-8, Jim Carter played one season for the Oshawa Generals and gave up hockey. By the way, Jeff's listed at 6-foot-4.

- Carter on why he chose jersey #77: "I wore seven all the way up until I got to Philly. Seven is obviously retired there (Bill Barber). So, I was given 17. I've worn 77 a few times here and there. So, I thought I'd switch it up for a bit...I asked for it. Darren (Granger), the equipment guy, said he had to ask a few people. Then, he came back and said it was alright. I told him I'd wear 17 if it as going to be a problem though."

- Represented Canada twice at the World Junior Championships. In 2004 he had Richards as a teammate (when the U.S. beat Canada for the goal medal) and Colin Fraser was with him in 2005. Carter was named a first team all-star at both tournaments.

With Quick away, what are the other Kings doing?

Last season, the Kings had only four days off for the NHL All-Star Game. While they may not have been much time, several players took the opportunity to get out of LA. For example, Kyle Clifford flew back to Toronto to see some family. Taking a shorter trip was Matt Greene, who went out to Pioneertown.

So, with Jonathan Quick away for this weekend's festivities in Ottawa, what are some of his teammates doing? Let's take a quick lap around the locker room and find out...

Kevin Westgarth - "A friend of mine is getting married and I'm in the wedding. So, I'm heading there. It's very exciting actually because it's great to be able to make it to any one of your friends weddings. It'll also be a little relaxation and a change of scenery, which is great. I think everybody is looking forward to a little rest. We've been getting pounded pretty good with the games and the travel. Even with the homestands lately, it's been a pretty good grind. A little time off to recharge the batteries will be good for everybody."

Rob Scuderi - "We just had another baby, so it's kind of tough to go anywhere. We'll just stay local and relax and enjoy the time."

Clifford - "I'm going to keep it real low key, not a whole lot going on. I might head home for a couple days. I haven't really decided yet. I just want to stay focused with what we have going here...but definitely get some rest."

Colin Fraser - "Going away with my wife to a snowy climate for some relaxation."

Warming up the leftovers with Clifford, Greene, Westgarth

Things have been a little busy lately, so it's time to play catch up this morning. Sometimes, you have 'extra' quotes that just never see the light of day because of timing, other news stories popping up, etc. Then, they're lost forever. Rather than let that happen, let's back track for just a moment. After all, this should be a slow Monday...

Below are comments from Kevin Westgarth and Matt Greene after the physical game vs Florida on Thursday - plus, Kyle Clifford following Saturday's contest with Montreal.

Westgarth on the surprising amount of rough play in the Kings-Panthers game - "There was a bit of frustration on both of the teams. Then, when their player takes a bit of a run at one of our better players, it pisses everybody off. It was great to come out with the win. We weren't as good as we should be tonight and it's pretty awesome that we came out with the win. It's great to see some of the snarl out of the boys. I think it should be quite a game when we get back over there in Florida."

NOTE: The Kings will play the Panthers in Florida on Thursday, February 9. Also, to see the hit Sean Bergenheim put on Mike Richards, click here.

Westgarth on watching much of the Kings roster get involved in the physical aspect of the game - "I love seeing the boys take care of each other. That's why I'm here. But, that's the whole mentality. If everybody has each other's back, then we can all play that much more confident and that much better. Sometimes I grit my teeth a little too much maybe and just want to do something to deal with it. But, I think the guys did a great job of stepping up, being real physical, and going right back after them. Hockey teams, and especially our team, have memories. We'll keep this one close to our chest."

Evaluating coach Terry Murray's new line combinations

All the talk about coach Terry Murray's re-shuffling of the lines today reminded me of a conversation I had with Andrei Loktionov last Monday.

It was the team's first practice since their loss to Detroit two days prior and I had asked him about being moved back to center during the third period of that game...

"I feel more comfortable there," he immediately said. "When I played center, I took more shots. I think I had three shots. So, it's a little bit more comfortable for me."

He also shared a few thoughts on playing with Mike Richards - "It's good. He's a good player. When he has the puck he gives it to you, then he moves around. I love playing with him."

Well, he can 'love' it all he wants. But, the fact remains Loktionov's numbers haven't been what the Kings are looking for (just two assists in six games since his recall). Hence the changes today.

Which then reminded me of something else Loktionov had told me after he showed up in town a few weeks ago. Back in Manchester, he had been playing with Brandon Kozun and Jordan Nolan.

So, now, let's revisit the line combinations suggested here on MayorsManor recently and compare then to what Murray did earlier today.

Kings vs Blackhawks pregame primer - a few fun facts

Before we get into the fun of hearing from a trio of Kings defensemen regarding tonight's match-up with the Blackhawks, let's first run through a few quick notes and stats...

- For Simon Gagne and Mike Richards, today's game may be a little more personal than it is for other members of the Kings. It was the Blackhawks who beat their then-team, the Flyers, in overtime for the Stanley Cup back in 2010.

- During the regular season, Richards has only played Chicago five times in his career, posting two points (both goals). He was also clocked a few times during a fight with Troy Brouwer in one of those game back in 2008 (video). However, Brouwer has moved on to Washington this season, so any thought of a rematch will have to wait until the Capitals visit LA in January.

- Also, don't expect Blackhawks' pest Daniel Carcillo and Richards, his old pal from Philly, to have too many beefs on the ice - they're friends off of it. Now, Kyle Clifford on the other hand...

- And speaking of fights, it looks like Kevin Westgarth won't be getting another dance with John Scott tonight. Almost one year ago to the day, these two squared off in a battle at Staples Center that saw Westgarth leave the ice in a bloody mess (video).  Then, they met up again the following month and things only went slightly better (video).  Scott is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight, while Westgarth will be playing in his third straight game.

Guest Author: A Very Zebra Thanksgiving

On rare occasion, we've featured a guest author here on MayorsManor.  Today, we present a special Thanksgiving day piece by Scott Coffman. For the last few years he's been part of The Fourth Period Radio show and in between booking guests, he contributes articles to their magazine as well.

With the holidays right around the corner and today being (American) Thanksgiving, it’s time to give credit to those who have one of the hardest jobs in the NHL. No, it’s not Sidney Crosby’s concussion specialists, but the referees and linesman that keep control of every game and who are some of the most under-appreciated people in all of hockey.

We have to give thanks to referee Kelly Sutherland. His first NHL game was actually in Los Angeles on December 19, 2000. Since then, he's become one of the league’s top officials, as evidenced by being only one of three guys selected to officiate the last two Stanley Cup Finals - along with Dan O’Halloran and Stephen Walkom. Sutherland gained some notoriety last year during his appearances in HBO’s 24/7 Penguins vs Capitals series. In this video clip (warning, NSFW language), he's shown taking the time to explain a call to Penguins’ defenseman Brooks Orpik. While not every player may agree with the decisions made on the ice, strengthening communication goes a long way towards mutual understanding and developing a good player-referee relationship. It's also been announced that Sutherland will be wearing a microphone for tomorrow's nationally televised 'Thanksgiving Showdown' between Detroit and Boston.

Ducks at Kings Freeway Faceoff - pregame primer

Tonight will be game number 103 between the Kings and Ducks.

Last year, Anaheim took the season series four games to two.

Through 17 games played by each team, the scales are titled towards the Kings - they have more wins (8 to 6), points (19 to 15), have scored more goals per game (2.41 to a league low 2.00), given up fewer goals per game (2.24 to 2.82), have a better power play (20.3% conversion to 13.6) and have won a greater percentage of faceoffs (51.9% to 46.6%).

What does all of that mean? Not much. The Ducks come in having won the last three games played between the two clubs, including the last two in Los Angeles.

Don't expect a heavyweight fight tonight either. George Parros is out recovering from eye surgery. Kevin Westgarth will be a healthy scratch.  (If you want to read a great story about Parros and a Chewbacca suit when he was a Kings prospect playing in Manchester, click here.)

Over the summer, Mike Richards was on MayorsManor talking about his relationship with Corey Perry (here) - which followed up Bobby Ryan talking about his friendship with several Kings players (here) the previous off season.

Still, don't expect a love fest out on the ice. The tension has been growing between these two teams over the last few years.

Colin Fraser is pointless against the Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Smyth to Edmonton. It's the trade that just won't go away.

Last week, it was Smyth's return to LA as a member of the Oilers that dominated the headlines. Now, it's the other side of that trade that will be a focal point of tonight's game.

Colin Fraser, the player who was eventually acquired by the Kings - after Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini first tried sending Gilbert Brule, something that was rejected by the NHL - will make his debut in tonight's game vs. Vancouver.

Like Brule, Fraser was injured at the time of the trade and that's an ongoing issue between Kings GM Dean Lombardi and his counterpart with the Oilers. The entire he said-he said issue is a story for another day.  Let's focus on Fraser, who will center the Kings fourth line tonight.

Soon after he was acquired this summer, his former Oilers teammate Dustin Penner came on MayorsManor and had several things to say about the 26-forward - including 'He competes in every area of the ice. He's a third or fourth line center, who's good on draws. He'll do anything to help his team win.'

Stoll had questions from Richards, has answers for Murray

Stoll, Richards and Lombardi (LA Kings)

It's been a summer of goodbyes and new relationships for many on the Los Angeles Kings roster.

Earlier today I posted comments from Alec Martinez and Jarret Stoll regarding Wayne Simmonds being shipped off to Philadelphia (link).

On the flip side, the team has been welcoming Mike Richards into the fold. Some, like Drew Doughty, have spent time in a locker room with him already (for Team Canada at the 2010 Olympics). For others, it's been a whole new experience.

One thing is clear though, every player I've spoken with has been just short of giddy at the sheer thought of adding a talent like Richards to the team here in LA.

While some guys have been off on summer vacations or back home in various parts of North America, Stoll is living in the South Bay and had no problems playing the role of host and unofficial tour guide last week for Richards.

He even was at Richards' press conference - where the highlight may have been something that went largely unnoticed by the overflowing crowd of media at the Kings training facility. While everybody was snapping photos of GM Dean Lombardi officially presenting Richards his jersey, somewhat under his breath, Richards asked Stoll "Was it like this when they got you too?' - to which Stoll replied, "I didn't get any of this!"

POLL: How should NHL resolve Kings-Oliers grievance?

Poor Gary Bettman. The guy gets booed everywhere he goes.

He rarely gets complimented for anything he does, at least not by fans.

And he finds himself in another lose-lose situation after the Los Angeles Kings officially filed a grievance against the Edmonton Oilers.

Regardless of how he resolves the mess, some percentage of people on the opposite side will complain he treated their team unfairly.

I'm sure that annual salary that's north of $7 million will help him sleep at night though. Being the most hated man in hockey does have its price.

So, what's at stake here? Essentially, the Kings feel the Oilers were deceitful, not once - but twice! In re-acquiring Ryan Smyth, they first tried to give the Kings Gilbert Brule - who was injured. The deal was finally consummated when they replaced him with Colin Fraser in the deal. Soon thereafter, it was discovered Fraser had a fairly significant ankle injury.  Thus began the war of words...err, difference of opinion...between Kings GM Dean Lombardi and his Oilers counterpart, Steve Tambellini.

That's the gist of things. Helene Elliott of the LA Times had more details on the story here.

And Colin Fraser had an exclusive interview with MayorsManor here.

Now, for the tough question. If you were Commissioner Bettman, how would you resolve the case?



Poll closes Tuesday at noon.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:

Dustin Penner on the Kings newest acquisition, Colin Fraser

LA Kings coach Terry Murray already juggling the lines for next season

Welcome to the Dustin Penner Comedy Hour - this summer's don't miss article

Dean Lombardi 'troubled' by the Ryan Smyth trade request

Exclusive interview with Colin Fraser - talking injury, trade, Kings, Oilers, etc.

.

No June Gloom from Los Angeles Kings LW Dustin Penner

If you follow the Los Angeles Kings, you know the story all too well. Needing scoring help, the team makes a trade at the deadline to help give them some extra punch down the stretch. After much excitement from the fan base, the player doesn't produce as expected.

We're not just talking about Dustin Penner. This could be the tale of any number of players the team has acquired over the last decade.

Nearly every one of those players never returned after their brief 20-odd game run with the club. They're just footnotes in team history.

Yet,GM Dean Lombardibelieves the final chapter on Penner hasn't been written yet. He's expecting big things from the player he gave up multiple assets for, including this year's number one draft pick.

Along with the Kings recent addition of the Flyers Mike Richards, they've also picked up Colin Fraser in the deal that sent Ryan Smyth back to Edmonton.

Fraser played 67 games with the Oilers during the 2010-11 campaign after coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played two full seasons.

Given they were roommates in Edmonton, I caught up with Penner this week to get some comments on Fraser and it wasn't long before we were also talking about his own numbers and what he's focused on this summer.

MM: What can you tell us about Fraser?

DP: Well, obviously he has Stanley Cup experience. Being in a locker room full of guys who are all working towards a common goal of winning, it brings you a bit of knowledge on how to play this game at a high level. In the playoffs he probably didn't get into as many games as other guys on that Stanley Cup team, but winning the Cup gives you a lot of confidence from just being part of that team. He competes in every area of the ice. He's a third or fourth line center, who's good on draws. He'll do anything to help his team win. So, I think he's a real character guy and he brings leadership in that aspect. He's a good all around person too. So, hopefully he gets a chance and cracks the squad.

MM: He was shown joking around a bit on the Oil Change documentary. Is he loose? Is he a funny guy?

Details on Ryan Smyth's 'Official' Trade to the Oilers

Last summer it was Ilya Kovalchuk negotiations, this summer it was the Ryan Smyth trade.

Yes, two entirely different players - and two entirely different situations - yet, some things just take longer than they should.

The week long, back and forth, on-again-off-again saga is now complete and the Kings ended up with basically what they wanted (given that Smyth had asked out) - cap flexibility for the free agent window opening next Friday.

Make no mistake about it, Smyth will be missed by the Kings. In 149 regular season games with the team he amassed 100 total points (45g, 55a). So, say what you will about his speed, the fact remains he was a top goal and point producer on a team that sorely needs more offense. Not to mention the fact that he plays left wing.

At the moment, the Kings have Dustin Penner, Scott Parse and Kyle Clifford down the left side. Taking nothing away from the trio, that isn't enough to strike fear in the hearts of most opponents. Unless of course you're talking about going toe-to-to with the Colonel.

Thus, expect another move - free agent or trade - to fill the hole, most likely to complete the second line of Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.

As for this deal, the Kings received center Colin Fraser and a seventh-round pick in 2012. Fraser has 41 points in 224 NHL games, including three goals in 67 games last season. He's on the books for one more year at $825,000.

LA vs Phoenix Preview w/ Coyotes Tyson Nash

Nash in the locker room (Japan 2007)

From Theo Fleury to Sean Avery, the pest is a role some play to perfection.

Tyson Nash was one of those guys during his playing days with the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes.

The self-proclaimed "former 4th line pigeon" is now the Coyotes' TV Color Analyst and he stopped by MayorsManor to help us preview tonight's game with the Kings.

In the interview below we talk former King Eric Belanger, a recent trade, his apology to Fleury, being compared to Avery, why the Kings will win the Pacific Division...and yes, we play word association.

MM: What's the biggest difference between what Dave Tippett is doing with the Coyotes this year compared to his first season in Phoenix last year?

TN: Obviously, with the players we have you have to coach a certain way. We don't have the high talent that maybe the LA Kings have. So, he puts a system in place that fits for this type of team and that's a defensive type of system. It's no different than last year really. It's a team that relies on their goaltender heavily and they play with a lot of structure, keep everything really tight and play that real suffocating style that seems to be very effective.

MM: Besides the 27 points, what has adding Eric Belanger meant to the team this season?

Upcoming Interviews

In addition to our regular features with Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and the other members of the Los Angeles Kings, here's a brief look at some of the exclusive hockey interviews coming up in the next few days on MayorsManor...

* Gasper Kopitar - Anze's younger brother talks about playing junior hockey and his dreams of making the NHL (plus, Anze reacts to some of his brother's comments)

* Mathieu Schneider - the former Kings defeseman talks about his new role in the NHLPA

* Ted Irvine - one of the original Kings from 1967 talks about setting up the first goal in franchise history

[note: Brian Kilrea, who scored the actual goal, was on MayorsManor here - he went on to a legendary coaching career that saw him mentor a long list, including Jim Fox and current prospect Tyler Toffoli]

Also, for all of our new readers, here are links to the most popular interviews of the last few weeks:

Willie Mitchell Not Sure What Went Wrong

Agent Pat Brisson on NHLPA Meeting with Donald Fehr

LA Kings Players on Favorite Moments in Anaheim

Cruising the Mall with Doughty and Simmonds

Terry Murray Explains the Loktionov Decision

...and don't forget the podcasts with Ian Laperriere (classic!), Tony Granato and former referee Kerry Fraser (insightful)

2009 Best Interviews:  Guest Mike Modano and 20 Questions with Luc Robitaille

2010 Best Interviews:  Conversations with Rob Blake and Bob Miller



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

Everybody Has a Comment on Sean Avery

You would be hard pressed to find a more polarizing person in hockey than the Rangers' Sean Avery.

Maybe even in all of sports.

The scrappy and mouthy forward has spent his off seasons dating famous women, interning at Vogue magazine and exploring the world of fashion.

He once told ESPN he used to play with dolls and enjoys a nice purse.

His Dallas Stars teammates hated him and a mini-revolt was underway even before the ink dried on his four-year, $15.5 million deal.

Yet, for all his troubles, his former coach in LA (Andy Murray) had this to say about him - "Sure, he's a real character. But he's become a pretty darn good hockey player for the Rangers." Later in the same interview he called him "underrated as a player"

The always nice Luc Robitaille called him his "little puppy" when Avery's name came up during a word association segment.

Legendary NHL agitator Theo Fleury called him "different" during his interview on MayorsManor.

However, long time NHL referee Kerry Fraser wasn't nearly as nice at first, calling him "troubled."  He then added, "but, a highly effective, skilled player."

...And Now You're Caught Up (2/7/2011)

Green Bay is a football town, so good for them.

For the rest of you, it's back to hockey from here on out.

To help you catch up on all the news you may have missed this weekend during the pigskin hysteria, these are the ten stories you need to know...

* Calling all Anze Kopitar fans - remember those two goals he scored last weekend in the NHL All Star game? Well, you can now buy the first puck he netted to put Team Lidstrom on the board. Simply be the high bidder here.

* Last Wednesday two Kings prospects faced off when Jordan Weal and the Regina Pats took on Brayden Schenn and the Saskatoon Blades. It will happen again this coming weekend when Weal and the Pats host the league's scoring leader (and fellow Kings prospect) Linden Vey. But, back to Schenn for a moment...he had a Gordie Howe hat trick on Super Bowl eve. However, in your quirky fact for the day - he's never had a regular hat trick in his WHL career. Hard to believe.

* Ducks' goaltender Jonas Hiller was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday due to dizziness. Doctors haven't been able to figure out what's wrong with him, even though he thinks he's just tired and needs a few days off. With Anaheim currently ahead of LA in the standings this is something worth monitoring for the next few days.

MayorsManor Podcast - featuring Kerry Fraser

Very few people in the world of hockey ever become as well known as the players on the ice.

Then again, there aren't many people like Kerry Fraser either.

He's perhaps the most recognizable referee in the history of hockey. In his 30-year career he managed to get under the skin of fans in nearly every NHL city. Yet, he was simply doing his job in most cases.

At the end of last season he hung up his whistle after more than 2,000 games all across North America. He penned a book, The Final Call, while taking those last laps in stripes. It's a telling memoir featuring candid insight and often provides the emotion behind stories fans may not have otherwise been privy to.

In the podcast below Fraser shares some of those memories. He talks about lecturing a young Mario Lemieux and the friction it created, allowing Mark Messier a little latitude when taking care of a situation on the ice and recalls a crushed Theo Fleury asking him for help.

Of course, he also talks about several key events involving the Kings - including the non-call on Wayne Gretzky in the '93 playoffs vs. Toronto, Marty McSorley's illegal stick in the Stanley Cup Finals, coach Tom Webster throwing a stick at him and quite a bit more.

He shares the experiences of receiving death threats, contemplates rule changes and offers opinions on calling penalties in the final minutes of play.

Like many MayorsManor interviews, we also play word association and you may not believe what he has to say about guys like Gary Bettman, Chris Pronger, Sean Avery, Patrick Roy and several others. The most shocking though may be his comments on Alex Ovechkin.

[Audio player after the jump]