Windsor's Jeff Brown on the 'other side' of dev camp

Jeff Brown and Martin Jones (photo: C. Spatz)

For every Tyler Toffoli at the Kings recent Development camp you had a Rob Mignardi. For every Jake Muzzin there was an Alex Roach. And for every Martin Jones there was some European goalie who had everybody asking 'How do you spell his name?'

The point being - camp rosters weren't only filled with high end prospects and top draft choices. There were also more than a dozen invitees, aka 'the other guys.'

After the bigger names went home on Wednesday that week, camp continued for a few more days. This is the story of one of those guys, Jeff Brown of the Ontario Hockey League.

Prior to camp I spoke with his General Manager, (former Kings tough guy) Warren Rychel of the Windsor Spitfires, who described him as "tenacious up and down, two-way winger, in your face type player."

Naturally, I wanted to know if that was a fair assessment. "Yes, especially come playoff time," Brown proclaimed. "You need guys like that on your team. You need the skill guys, but you also need the second/third line grinder guys who are going to where down the other team's top players. I was playing top minutes in the playoffs against the other team's top line. So, it's one of the unsung roles. But, if you do it, the team wins. I'd say it's something I grew into later in my career and it's something that will stick with me from this point forward."

One of the specific players he had the task of shadowing earlier in the season was Toffoli, the reigning OHL Scoring Champion and a second round Kings draft pick in 2010.

Pre-camp comments from Windsor GM Warren Rychel

Windsor Spitfires Posa and Brown

Warren Rychel helped the Los Angeles Kings reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993 and finally won the NHL's top prize as a member of the Colorado Avalanche back in 1996.

These days he runs the Windsor Spitfires, one of the most successful junior hockey franchises - having won back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010.

His organization has helped develop several big name NHL prospects, including defenseman Cam Fowler, goalie Jack Campbell and the Kings Andrei Loktionov.

When development camp opens in LA a few days from now, two Spits will be in attendance, a pair of the 14 total invited guests.

Even though they went undrafted, Rychel says people shouldn't be sleeping on his guys.

When I spoke with him today he wasn't shy about their talents...

Saverio Posa
Key stats: 5-foot-10 defenseman, 2 goals and 11 assists in 59 games last season
Rychel's take: shutdown d-man, maybe the most improved player in the OHL, -undersized - but has great feet, excellent one-on-one defender with a real good stick, rarely gets beat

Jeff Brown
Key stats: 6-foot-1 forward, 15 goals and 18 assists in 56 games last season
Rychel's take: tenacious up and down, two-way winger, in your face type player, not big either - but intense, character player, not easy to play against

More player notes and pre-camp interviews coming soon. In the meantime, check out the links below for some articles that have already been posted.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:

Interview with JF Berube: pre-camp comments

Interview with Tyler Toffoli: pre-camp comments from OHL scoring champ

Interview with Jordan Weal: pre-camp comments

Interview with Spitfires GM Warren Rychel - talking Kings prospects in the OHL

Interview with Greyhounds GM Dave Torrie - talking Kings prospects in the OHL
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Two Minutes In The Box... with Andrei Loktionov

Former fifth round draft pick, Andrei Loktionov, is back with the Kings.

He played one game with the team last year and had a handful of games earlier this year in the NHL before spending most of the season with Manchester (AHL) - where he was leading the club with 23 assists.

The creative center found immediate success upon coming to North America in 2008, winning a Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires. Obviously, that's something Brayden Schenn, Tyler Toffoli and Maxim Kitsyn all hope to do this season too.

But, back to Loktionov.

With the help of his non-Russian speaking interpreter (me), we chatted for a few minutes after practice on Friday at the Kings training facility in El Segundo...

MM: When you were here (in LA) earlier this season you were playing wing. How about when you back to Manchester, were you on the wing or playing center again?

AL:  I only play center in Manchester.

You were back on the wing Thursday night vs. Phoenix. Is that something you're comfortable with?

OHL season kickoff w/ Windsor GM Warren Rychel

Several of his former teammates will tell you, 'Warren Rychel' wasn't exactly the first name that came to mind when thinking of which players would turn into coaches or general managers after their days on the ice were over.

Yet, there's no arguing with the results.

The former Kings tough guy is coming off back-to-back championships at the helm of the Windsor Spitfires. He was voted the 2008-09 OHL Executive of the Year and appears as hungry as ever to continue winning. Some of his current peers even say he may just be the hardest working GM in the league.

So, how did a guy who once posted consecutive NHL seasons of 300-points in penalty minutes make the successful transition from enforcer to executive?

Prior to his Spitfires taking the ice tonight for the start of the new OHL season we went looking for answers to that question and several others.

It's an exclusive interview with Warren Rychel...

MM:  Five years prior to going to the Stanley Cup Finals in '93 with the Kings you were playing junior hockey in the OHL.  It's 20 years later and you're a successful executive running a team in the league.  Catch us up, how did you go from NHL tough guy to running the Spits?

Draft 2010 - Interview with Cam Fowler

He'll be the first American player taken at the draft tomorrow night at Staples Center.  He's expected to go very early in the first round, perhaps even third overall.

If you guessed Cam Fowler, the 6'1" defenseman from Northville, MI, you're correct.

Although he was born in Canada (Windsor, Ontario), he moved to Michigan before his second birthday and has represented the United States in international competition - even though he technically has dual-citizenship.

Having already won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships in January, then picking up a Memorial Cup Championship with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last month, the high point - call it the hat trick of happiness, if you will - should come tomorrow night around 5pm Pacific Time when one NHL team stands at the podium and says "We're proud to announce the selection of Cam Fowler."

What would a trip to LA be without a conversation with The Mayor though?  Well, Cam didn't want to find out.  So, we chatted earlier this afternoon and here's what he had to say:

Tomorrow is a big day for you.  What are you do you doing to keep the nerves from getting the best of you...and what are you going to do tonight to try to get a little sleep?

Actually, I couldn't sleep very well last night.  So, I'm a little concerned about tonight.  I'm like a little kid the night before school starts.  Doing things like this (the clinic at TSC with youth hockey players) is helping take my mind off of things for the time being.