Mike Richards reacts to recent praise from Ian Laperriere

After Mike Richards was traded to LA last June, his former Flyers teammate Ian Laperriere came on MayorsManor and spoke very highly of him. Soon thereafter, Richards shared some memories of their time together in Philadelphia.

Then, Laperriere was back last week - this time, to talk about Jeff Carter coming to the Kings. As part of that interview though, Laperriere was again talking up Richards - saying if he was to start a team, Richards would be on his short list of five players he'd have to have.

Here's how Richards reacted upon hearing the comments...

"Coming from him, that means the world to me. He's a guy who helped me out a lot, just being a professional. You take a lot of things from a lot of different players that you play with. But, he's - I don't even know the word to describe how awesome he is in the dressing room and on the ice, how much care and how much effort he gives. If you take half the knowledge that he put out there the year I played with him, you're going to have success. So, coming from him, that means a lot. I have a lot of respect for him. It's sad the way it ended for him. But, he's a hell of a guy and I really appreciate that."

To read more from Laperriere's visit to MayorsManor and/or subsequent comments from Richards, please see the original articles linked below.

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Ian Laperriere on Wayne Simmonds and hurt feelings

In pro wrestling terms it was a classic heel turn. The babyface (good guy) loved by millions, says something ever so casual - yet instantly turns off his longtime admirers.

This one is going to be pretty simple to follow...

And with those few little sentences, Wayne Simmonds turned from a guy who was universally loved by hockey fans in LA into public enemy number one back in December.

Having played in both cities himself, when I spoke with Ian Laperriere a few days ago, I asked him for his take on the situation...

Flyers Ian Laperriere on the newest King, Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter comes to LA (photo: Ikiri)

This piece doesn't need much of an introduction. Ian Laperriere is one of the most honest and straight forward guys in hockey. He'll tell you exactly how it is and he always speaks from the heart.

In a MayorsManor podcast two years ago he had some choice words for former teammate Sean Avery and he shared his admiration for Mike Richards immediately after the Kings acquired him last summer (note: both of those interviews are linked below).

So, when LA GM Dean Lombardi traded for Jeff Carter last week, of course, the first person I reached out to was Lappy. He's sort of become the unofficial Flyers correspondent for MayorsManor.

We played part of his interview on Sunday's MayorsManor LIVE show. However, here's more of what he had to say about the Kings' newest forward...

"He's a goal scorer," Laperriere began, when describing Carter. "I think the Kings went to take care of their weakness. They've had a hard time scoring goals this year. One thing that Jeff Carter can do is score goals, and big goals too. He's a big body out there who can shoot the puck. He's really good on the power play (too)...That's why Dean and his staff went and paid a pretty good price to go get a proven goal scorer."

As for Carter's much publicized problems in Columbus, his former Flyers teammate understood part of what was going on...

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.

Sean O'Donnell on his former teammate Jeff Carter

Thanks to everybody who listened in to MayorsManor LIVE tonight. Sorry we ran out of time before we could get to all of the live calls.

Below is the full clip from veteran NHL defenseman Sean O'Donnell, where he answers questions about his former teammates, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

Of course, O'Donnell has played over 1,100 games in the NHL, after starting his career with the LA Kings. He's gone on to play for several other organizations, including the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. O'Donnell also won the Stanley Cup in 2007 and is the former captain of he Minnesota Wild. Needless to say, he has the resume to back up what he says here...



If you missed tonight's full episode, including a 'surprise' call from Kings prospect Ray Kaunisto (of the Manchester Monarchs), comments from Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers and others - click here to listen to the replay. It's about as much NHL trade talk as you can handle.

For some bonus coverage, here's a conversation with Jim Fox from earlier today where he addresses the Dustin Brown trade rumors. Is he likely to be dealt? See what Fox has to say.

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Mike Richards over Philly, building something special in LA

Mike Richards was pressed about the negative stories in Philadelphia when he first arrived in Los Angeles last summer. At the time, he answered every question posed to him. When training camp began a few months later, it was time to turn the page and talk about the LA Kings. Now, with the addition of Jeff Carter - his best friend and former Flyers teammate - he was asked about things again today. This time around, he's ready to move forward. Take a listen, here's a brief clip from this morning's media scrum...



If you've never read it, here's the exclusive piece we did with Ian Laperriere at the time of the trade, he talks about the rumored feud between Richards and Chris Pronger.

Plenty more quotes from other players following the a.m. skate will be posting shortly.

Also, we'll provide live notes from Carter's 'Welcome to LA' meeting at 2:45 pm this afternoon. Follow along on the twitter/facebook link below.

The Mayor
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Why the LA Kings should trade for Jeff Carter, not Rick Nash

To properly understand the argument that the LA Kings should trade for Jeff Carter over Rick Nash, first requires an open mind. Second, fans of any of the players mentioned below are encouraged to follow along using more of their minds and less of their hearts. This isn't about who is a nicer guy, which player is a fan favorite or anything else. This is about cold, hard distribution of company assets.

Conventional wisdom is that the Kings' two best trade chips from their current NHL roster would be Jack Johnson and Jonathan Bernier (trading either comes with its own risk, as reviewed previously in an article here). That's not saying either guy needs to be traded.  It simply means to get something of value, they need to give up something of value.  Both players are hot commodities around the league - so, it's a compliment to who and what they are.

To get Nash out of Columbus, it's believed the Kings would have to give up both players, plus possibly Dustin Brown and another draft pick or prospect. That's a huge gamble on one player and would the Kings really be better off for it? They will have lost one of their best defensemen - arguably, their best defenseman this season - plus a top-six forward and added only one player in return.

Nash supporters will argue he isn't 'only' a player, he's a superstar (or at the very least a superstar in waiting). Yes, he's averaged 35 goals per year over the last seven seasons. And, yes, he's been able to do much of that without having linemates nearly as talented as somebody like Anze Kopitar.

However, nabbing the best guy from the worst team has long been one of the riskiest trades in sports. Stats are inflated in those environments. Guys are rarely, if ever, able to duplicate those numbers after moving to higher echelon teams.

Welcome to your new (interim) coach John Stevens

Things change quickly in the NHL.

After seemingly being safe about a week ago, Kings coach Terry Murray will now be referred to as former Kings coach Terry Murray.

Watching his team drop four in a row and being unable to score goals, GM Dean Lombardi had seen enough and made the move today to release Murray from his coaching duties.

For now, assistant coach John Stevens will take over behind the bench.

Stevens was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 1984 NHL Draft. Although he played parts of five seasons in the NHL, he was primarily an AHL defenseman - where he played in 834 games and won three Calder Cups.

Prior to eventually coaching the Flyers, he served as the head coach of their AHL affiliate (Philadelphia Phantoms) for six seasons, including when they won the Calder Cup Championship in 2005 - with Mike Richards at center.

In 2006 he became the Flyers head coach and posted a 120-109-34 record before being let go in early December 2009. In the spring of 2008 he led the Flyers to the NHL's Eastern Conference Finals and was named Coach of the Year by The Hockey News.

Murray was one win away from number 500 as a head coach, a position he's also held with the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers. His overall record as an NHL head coach is 499-383-130. Murray, who coached in his 1,000th NHL game on November 12 versus Minnesota, ranks 17th all-time in NHL history in wins and 19th all-time in games coached.

Just how long Stevens is expected to be the interim head coach will perhaps be addressed on a call later this afternoon with Lombardi. We'll have more on that during the call posted on twitter/facebook.

In the meantime, here's a list of candidates who probably will and won't be looked at as possible replacements.

There is also a POLL of who should be the Kings next head coach should be here - let your voice be heard.

The Mayor
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Kings coach Murray ready to take on former Flyers student

Bill and Kevin Dineen (photo: Flyers Archives)

Ah yes, more Kings-Flyers connections. It seems like there's a new one every week or so and tonight brings yet another one.

After practice yesterday, coach Terry Murray didn't have much to offer when asked about the Florida Panthers revamped roster this season - preferring to wait until after he watched some more game tape later in the day.

However, there was one aspect he didn't need to be brought up to speed on.

"I know they have a new coach in place and he coached in Portland, Maine (AHL)," said Murray, referring to Kevin Dineen. "I know Kevin real well. He played for me in Philadelphia."

Asked if he saw Dineen as a future coach back during his playing days, Murray said, "There's a few guys that I've had as players (who) I really didn't anticipate would be in the coaching side of it. But, it doesn't surprise me. Kevin's family is in the coaching side, his dad was a longtime coach [Bill Dineen, including coaching the Flyers], Peter's been in there [Kevin's brother, who also played 11 games for the Kings in 1986-87] and Gord's been in there [Kevin's other brother]. So, it doesn't surprise me that he's followed in those footsteps."

Murray continued by offering up an assessment of Dineen's performance in the AHL the last few seasons - "He did a good job in Portland. That's where I go in the summertime and there's always good things said about the team that played there. He's brought some good players along for Buffalo (including three straight AHL Rookies of the Year) and they were always near the top of the standings at the end of the season. So, he's done a a good job."

Master vs. Student, the bench battle begins at 7:30 pm PST.

For more of today's Panthers-Kings pregame material, check out the links below.

The Mayor
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Mike Richards on the return of Sidney Crosby to the NHL

While a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Mike Richards played the New Jersey Devils a total of 41 times, which was more than any other team in the league.

Just one game behind were the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Somebody else can look up how many of those 40 games featured Sidney Crosby - although it's safe to assume a lot of them, as they both came into the NHL the same year (2005-06).

Richards missed Crosby when the Penguins were in LA a few weeks ago, as the 24-year old captain was still on the shelf with concussion like symptoms.

As you've probably heard by now, Crosby returns tonight after a ten month layoff.

After practice today, Richards talked about what #87's return means...

"It's great for the league," said Richards. "It's like Kobe or LeBron being out for the NBA or kind of like Peyton Manning being out for the NFL. You want your best players on the ice, to not only build the game but to put on a showcase. He's obviously the best in the game, so it will be nice to have him back on the ice."

Several of the Penguins players appeared on MayorsManor earlier this month and shared some humorous thoughts on several of their teammates. For your convenience, those articles are linked below.

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LA Kings coach Murray wouldn't mind less from Doughty

When you're one of the best players on a team, the spotlight always burns a little brighter on your performance - both good and bad.

And when you sign the richest deal in team history, that only intensifies things.

For Drew Doughty, the season probably hasn't gotten off to the start he was hoping for. Sure, after missing all of training camp, he jumped right into the line-up on opening night and started playing major minutes. Then, a shoulder injury in Philadelphia forced him to miss five games.

He returned over the weekend to face Phoenix and Colorado. However, after six games played, he's yet to find the offense touch from previous years (no goals, two assists at the moment).

After practice today, coach Terry Murray spoke about Doughty...

"He has played with a great deal of 'I want to do it' and he wants to make a difference every time he's on the ice, every shift. Sometimes, you can get yourself into a jackpot when you're going out with that attitude. And I understand where he's coming from, the importance of him having the puck and trying to do a lot of good things with it. But, when you come back after being out (of the line-up) for a little while, it's better sometimes to do less - advance the puck, get it off your stick, get it up to the forwards, let them screw up instead of you. (laughter) But, he has a couple games under his belt now and they were fast paced games and they were back-to-back. At the end of the day, for me, his conditioning is really good, he feels confident battling along the boards, he has no hesitation whatsoever. I know his game is going to get to the level we've seen in the past."

More notes and quotes coming up later today.

The Mayor
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LA players on Simmonds, Flyers, possible scrap for Clifford

Will Simmonds fight Clifford? (photo: C. Ikiri)

There's no denying Wayne Simmonds was a fan favorite in Los Angeles.

Almost from the moment he made the Kings as an 20-year old forward out of the Ontario Hockey League, people loved his hustle.

Simmonds went on to play 240 games and score 39 goals with the team. Then, as has been heavily documented, he was traded this past June to the Philadelphia Flyers.

In the weeks that followed, several Kings stopped by MayorsManor to share thoughts on their departed friend and teammate...

Jarret Stoll - "He's going to be a very good player, he is a very good player...I wish him all the best in Philly. He's a great guy, he was roommate on the road. We had some good times together and some good talks. He's a good kid. He'll figure it out in Philly and he's going to be a well liked player there, for sure."

Matt Greene - "Simmer was a big part of our team. He's a great player and he's only going to get better. So, it was tough to lose a friend and a good player like that.

Mike Richards trade for Simmonds and Schenn revisited

In the 40-plus year history of the Los Angeles Kings franchise, there have been some pretty big trades. Obviously, none bigger than a deal that went down in August 1988 with the Edmonton Oilers.

However, several moves since then have also created some earthquake like tremors within the LA hockey community. For example, just before the Kings relocated to their new arena downtown in 1999, they traded away prized prospect Olli Jokinen in a package with the Islanders to land Ziggy Palffy.

A few years later, the most controversial trade (by far) saw future Hall of Famer Rob Blake shipped out to the Colorado Avalanche.

Since then, deals to acquire Roman Cechmanek (2003), Jeremy Roenick (2005), Jack Johnson (2006), Ryan Smyth (2009) and Dustin Penner (2011) have been some of the bigger moves. [Ironically, the two trades on that list that worked out the worst for the Kings were both made with the Flyers.]

Yet, it's been a long time since the Kings were involved in something that sent shockwaves through the NHL like this summer's blockbuster deal to bring Philadelphia captain Mike Richards to LA in exchange for Wayne Simmonds and the number one rated prospect in all of hockey, Brayden Schenn.

In a game that fans on both coasts immediately circled on their calenders moments later, the Kings will meet up with the Flyers later this afternoon for the only time this season. In honor of what should be a near-playoff like atmosphere, here's a look back at ten of the most popular articles posted on MayorsManor stemming from the trade and a few more about the players involved...

- Mike Richards already has ideas to help the LA Kings power play

Morning Skate: Wayne Simmonds talks LA Kings vs Flyers

Following the morning skate in Philadelphia, Wayne Simmonds spoke about facing the Kings later tonight, his linemate Danny Briere and being on the Flyers' second power play unit with Jaromir Jagr and Claude Giroux.

If you missed it, Ian Laperriere was on MayorsManor earlier today to talk about the game tonight. He shared thoughts on how the Philadelphia crowd will react to Mike Richards, speculated on the possibility of a Kyle Clifford vs. Simmonds scrap and explained how the Flyers are adjusting to their new captain (article link).

Coming up in just a bit, Clifford and several other Kings talking about Simmonds.

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LA Kings vs Flyers - what to watch for... with Ian Laperriere

Talk show host Jim Rome likes to joke that if you're fortunate enough to spend 15 minutes with quarterback Tim Tebow, your life is better for it. Earlier this week, I tweeted an update to that expression...'If you're lucky enough to spend five minutes with Ian Laperriere, your life is better for it.'

There's probably nobody in hockey I'd rather speak with. He offers zero cliches and no b.s., just raw emotion and straight ahead honesty.

Sure, several players, both past and present, are universally liked. However, if you look hard enough, you can usually find a small pool of people who dislike certain guys - for whatever reason, logical or not.

Lappy is different. And he has been since he first arrived in Los Angeles in 1996. You show me one person who has EVER had a bad thing to say about him and that will be the first.

The guy is as real as they come.

He's been on MayorsManor a number of times, including his still popular guest spot on the podcast last November and again earlier this summer - when he stopped by to set the record straight about Mike Richards, in the days following the big LA-Philadelphia trade.

With the Flyers hosting the Kings tonight, who could possibly be better to kick off our 'what to watch for' segment today?

Here he is, the one and only...

MM: Philadelphia is known for being a great sports town. Yet, the fans can be tough. What type of reaction do you expect them to give Richards when he comes out of the locker room for the first time?

LA Kings trade for a kid with more questions than answers

So, Kings GM Dean Lombardi made another trade with the Philadelphia Flyers today. At least that's how it's going to read in some places. Yet, there is so much more to this deal. Or is there?

Jammed by the salary cap and total number of player contracts under contract, the Flyers needed a little breathing room. No problem. They called up their old buddy for some help. And in exchange for the always popular 'future considerations' the Kings picked up a sixth round draft pick and Stefan Legein.

Which is where things get really interesting.

Normally, people wouldn't be talking much about this deal. It would be more like a shuffling of paperwork than a real hockey trade.

However, upon further investigation you'll see that Legein is one of the most interesting stories to come out of the NHL Draft in years.

He was an assistant captain on the gold medal winning Team Canada squad at the 2008 World Junior Championships - a team that also featured Drew Doughty, Thomas Hickey, Jonathan Bernier and Wayne Simmonds.

Legein hurt his shoulder during the tournament and some have claimed he's never been the same since. He came back months later to finish out the OHL season and made his AHL debut, playing two playoff games for the Syracuse Crunch, once his junior club had been eliminated from the playoffs.

That summer, he announced his retirement from hockey - yes, at the age of 19 - essentially, walking out on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who had drafted him 37th overall in 2007.

What went wrong?

At first, some speculated it was just a prank. After all, this was the kid known for terrorizing his teammates with practical jokes.

That wasn't it. He was serious.

POLL: Quick or Bernier vs. New Jersey and Philadelphia?

The impending goaltending battle in Los Angeles has been well documented.

It's supposedly been imminent for over a year now.

However, last season could be best summed up like this...

Jonathan Bernier entered the year with high hopes, came out of the gates slow, admitted that he didn't feel comfortable in the crease until after Christmas and then played lights out hockey when given the chance in the second half, including going 4-0-1 in March with two shutouts. The Kings also picked up a point in Bernier's final nine starts of the regular season. He didn't see the ice for a single minute in the playoffs.

On the other hand, Jonathan Quick won at least 35 games for the second straight season, while posting a 2.24 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.

During training camp, coach Terry Murray said he'll be going with the hot hand this year - rather than following a penciled-in schedule, like he did most of last season.

For the Kings opening weekend, Murray went with Quick in game one (where the Kings downed the Rangers in overtime 3-2) and Bernier got the nod vs. Buffalo on Saturday (a 4-2 loss for LA).

Taking all of the above into account, plus the fact the Kings could possibly still be jet lagged from the trip to Europe (Quick even tweeted as much yesterday), what should Murray do with the next two games?

The Kings are scheduled to play the Devils in New Jersey on Thursday night and then take on the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday.



Poll closes Wednesday at 6pm PST.

The Mayor
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Richards at Kings camp (photo: M. Zampelli)

In some news that went a little under the radar this summer, the Kings traded away Wayne Simmonds and two other assets for former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards.

A few days later, his former left wing, Simon Gagne, signed a free agent contract to join him in Los Angeles.

After spending the summer fishing and answering questions about his time on the East Coast, things started to return to a little bit of normalcy for the 26-year old forward when camp opened last week.

"Testing days are always the tough part of camp," Richards began. "You just want to get back on the ice and play some hockey. It went well though, that's why you work out in the off-season - to prove that you've come to camp in shape."

In the days that have followed, Richards has started to some similarities to previous camps in Philadelphia - with one notable exception.

"It's pretty similar - a lot of ice-time, a lot of teaching. I think with the new players we have here, or anytime new players join any team, you want to come out of training camp knowing what to expect and knowing what you need to do when you hit the (regular season)," Richards explained.

"For me, this is just different because I'm the one learning it, instead of trying to help other people do it."

Gagne - 'Mike Richards is the type of guy I want on my team'

Most old sayings are still around because they're often true.

In the case of 'familiarity breeds contempt' - it may make sense when applied to many other things, yet Simon Gagne sees his relationship with Mike Richards an entirely different way.

"He's a really quiet guy and he's really shy. But, on the ice, he's definitely the type of guy you want to have on your team. He's going to take a check for you. If somebody gives you a cheap shot, he's going to be the first one to go and respond on that. I had a chance to play with him for five years in Philadelphia. Even we he got to the league, he was 20 years old, I think - you could tell though that he was going to be that type of player. That's the perfect model for the type of hockey I think we're going to play here in the West. He's a guy that I want to have on my team when the playoffs come. I'm glad that I'll be able to play with him again."

I'll have more with Gagne up soon, including a TV show that he's been using to get tips on the LA lifestyle, some notes on a few of the 'firsts' he's already experienced as a member of the Kings and he he evaluates the team's training facility compared to those in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

For more on Richards though, check out the links below to read what others have had to say about him recently.

The Mayor
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Ian Laperriere on what really went down in Philly - Mike Richards vs Chirs Pronger

Exclusive: Jim Fox on LA Kings trade for Mike Richards

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Mike Richards on his hatred for the Rangers, ready for game one of the season

Mike Richards talks leadership and wearing a letter in LA

Earlier today we posted comments from Kings coach Terry Murray regarding the leadership styles of Dustin Brown, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

Now, Richards is back to weigh in with some thoughts on the whole subject...

While other guys may have the letters on their jersey, how long will it take you to establish a leadership role in the locker room?

"Leadership is not just one person," Richards explained. "There's one guy with the 'C' on his jersey and (others) with the 'A's, but I've always felt that it was a team effort. You can't have enough experience in a dressing room. Everybody's been in that position at some point. You don't make it to the NHL without being some sort of leader. It might be somebody one night, Brownie the next night (or) Kopitar. It's not always the same person voicing their opinion. If something needs to be said, I'm sure they'll say it."

And the role he'll play in that process? "I just want to come in and focus on hockey. If something needs to be said or if somebody asks me a question, I'll definitely I'll answer," said Richards.

For those who like to look for something that isn't there, Richards made one thing perfectly clear - he doesn't have any expectations of wearing the 'C' in Los Angeles...this season or anytime in the near future.

"Dustin's done a great job of captaining this team for a couple of years now," Richards said with great enthusiasm and conviction. "I've talked with a lot of players and I know how hard how he plays - I played against him for (two) years in Kitchener, when he was in Guelph (OHL). I've played against him a bunch of times during the regular season and at the Olympics last year. So, I know what type of leader he is and how hard he plays the game. I have no plan on doing anything other than coming in here and playing hockey."

With or without a letter, does he feel pressure coming to Los Angeles with such a huge spotlight on him being shown on him this summer?