Marcel Dionne - 'Kopitar needs to make a decision'

Anze Kopitar, LA Kings (photo: Ikiri)

"I told (Anze) Kopitar 'You aren't touching the puck enough. I don't like your breakout.' I think Kopitar can make magic with the puck" - Marcel Dionne on MayorsManor in 2009.

Getting a chance to speak with a legend is always an honor. However, to chat with somebody as open as Dionne, it's always a chance to learn and gain insight from one of the greatest goal scorers of all-time.

He's back in town for the Kings Fantasy Camp this weekend and we spent some time together last night on a variety of topics, which I'll post over several articles.

First up, here are some updated thoughts from Dionne on the Kings highest paid player...

"I think Kopitar's at the point in his career where he has to decide what he wants to do. Does he want to be the guy? If I was him, he should be looking at the situation and what's going with (Evgeni) Malkin. When (Sidney) Crosby was playing, Malkin was happy to be second fiddle. Then, when Crosby went out, Malkin took over. He wins games on his own. Kopi has to do that! You can't wait for wingers. You gotta make it happen. Some nights he's gotta be the guy. And if he's not, now it's getting to the point in his game where it's going to be tough to get up to the level he wants to be. Everbody knows him, everybody knows how he plays.

Luc Robitaille talks how and why LA Kings changed jerseys

...to sell more jerseys.

Of course, that's the obvious answer.

However, if you're reading this article, you probably want to understand some of the process and thoughts behind the change. So, here goes...

Last night, during a long one-on-one conversation with Luc Robitaille, Kings President of Business Operations, the team's new jersey was the first topic covered.

"When we came up with our third jersey a few years ago, we realized our fans seem to really take to it and they really enjoyed it," Luc began. "For me, as a player, I loved that era (late 80s, early '90s). We knew we couldn't quite come back to that. But, we tried to find something that would please everyone - which we could never do. We tried to do something as close as we could though."

He also recalled their 'unofficial' marketing survey - "Before we did the third jersey, once we thought we were close, we asked the players 'Do you like this?' They all said they loved it. I always feel that if the players love it, I know the fans are going to love it because we all want to be players."

So, how about moving from a black third jersey to a adding a white version and making them the primary set for the team...

Kings to Honor Three '70s-Era Legends

Did you like those vintage purple and gold jerseys the Kings wore on opening night?

Well, they'll be making their Staples Center debut on Saturday, January 15th when the Kings host the Edmonton Oilers for Rogie Vachon Night.

As noted in the press release - Vachon was the first player to have his number retired by the Kings and amassed several records while tending net for the team from 1971-78, including becoming the all-time leader in games played as a goalie (389), wins (171) and shutouts (32).  He also was named The Hockey News Player of the Year for the 1974-75 season, after posting a 27-14-13 record (including six shutouts) and a 2.24 goals-against-average. After retiring, he eventually served as the team's General Manager for eight-plus seasons.

On February 26th the jerseys will return for the second Legends Night, this time honoring Bob Berry. He spent seven seasons in LA, including the 1974-75 season when he played in all 80 Kings games while that club earned a record 105 points and 42 wins. Later, he coached the team for three seasons.

The final Legends Night will honor Bob Pulford at the March 19th game vs. the Anaheim Ducks.