Sneak Peak - Dustin Brown's new DLO-23 hockey line

EXCLUSIVE IMAGE - As reported a few weeks ago, LA Kings captain Dustin Brown is set to launch his own line of hockey equipment and apparel next month.  In a partnership with Combat Sports, a company that promotes itself as "for players, by players", Brown will introduce the new DLO-23 branded items.

The image to the left gives you a sneak peak at of one of the items expected to be included in the line.

Stay tuned for more info in the next week or so, once we get past the draft.

To get the latest info on Dustin Brown, the LA Kings and DLO-23 be sure to follow the Mayor's tweets:  www.twitter.com/Mayor119

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image provided by Scott Norton of  Norton Sports

Draft 2010 - Interview with Brandon Archibald

Defense wins championships...and you can't teach size.

Two truisms in sports that are rarely proven wrong.

In this prospect profile we introduce you to a Brandon Archibald - a 6'4" American born defenseman who plays junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.  Currently ranked 64th by NHL Central Scouting, he hopes to someday parlay his size and skill into helping an NHL team win the Stanley Cup.  Once again giving credence to the above axioms.

He reportedly drew interest from big time college hockey programs like Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Michigan State. Ultimately, he signed with the Soo, where he just completed his second full season.

In his rookie season he had 8 points in 61 games and was named the team's Co-Rookie of the Year. He found the ability to add some offense to his game this past season, picking up 33 points in 68 games.

If you're only as good as the company you keep, he's doing just fine. His primary defensive partner was Kings prospect (and OHL Defenseman of the Year) Jake Muzzin. And another member of that team's d-core is Brock Beukeboom, who is also expected to go in the first half of the draft this weekend (we'll have an interview with him up sometime tomorrow).

To balance all the hype, it should be noted that Archibald's draft combine scores for fitness were not at the elite level.  Not saying he isn't in good shape, only noting that he placed in the top-10 in only three of the 31 tests given. What does that mean about his ability to play in the NHL? Nothing.

It's widely expected that this draft will be a real coming out party for American born players.  Archibald looks to be part of that high-end U.S. contingent - having already played for Team USA internationally, he was invited to attend the upcoming World Jr evaluation camp later this summer.

His interview with The Mayor gives you a glimpse into the mind of a kid that grew up a Red Wings fan and is now headed to this weekend's draft in LA...

Draft 2010: Interview with Ivan Telegin

The LA Kings know all about having a Russian forward on the team. For seven seasons now Alexander Frolov has been a key component in the rebuilding of the team. It's also the only NHL team he's ever known. Ironically, less than a week before he prepares to possibly depart the team via free agency, another high powered Russian forward could be joining the franchise.

As of now, GM Dean Lombardi's first pick in the draft will be at #19. One slot earlier than when Frolov was a first round selection back in 2000.

In addition to the slew of North American players vying to be picked, there are five Russians that may still be on the board when Lombardi and crew are given the mic on the draft podium.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Evengy Kuznetsov and Maxim Kitsyn are the three "pure" Russians in the group, in the sense that they play over there. Stanislav Galiev and Ivan Telegin have already begun their adjustment to North America by playing Canadian Junior Hockey this past season.

Telegin is a 6'2" left wing playing for the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL.  Interestingly enough, if he hadn't decided to come over from Russia, he'd be on the same team back home with Kitsyn.

The paths of all five have crossed throughout their youth in the Russian national program and most of them will meet up again at the World Junior Championships next winter.  For now though, they aren't a unit, they're five individuals looking to be drafted by NHL teams.

So while the debate rages on about how to individually rank the Super Five, James Paliafito - the Director of Scouting for Telegin's OHL team - had this to say about the player he knows best "Ivan works as hard as any player in the game. Always the first to the puck and very accountable in all three zones. He will score goals and win all of his battles on the boards. Great in front of the net where he enjoys physical contact. Ivan is superb on the power play; he has the ability to deflect shots as well as shoot without much preparation.”

Like his game on the ice, Telegin has been working hard to improve his communication as well. Through his broken English and the Mayor's broken Russian, they had the following conversation...

DRAFT 2010: Interiew with Taylor Aronson

It only seems appropriate that the draft be held in Los Angeles this year. While the NHL's signature event is usually reserved for cities in the northeast, the league has spent the better part of two decades tyring to establish a strong footprint in the southwest.

It seems to be working - with kids from Arizona, Texas and Nevada expected to be drafted this weekend. Even more impressive is the strong representation of players with ties to Southern California - including forwards Emerson Etem (Long Beach), Beau Bennett (Gardena), Jason Zucker (LA Selects) and Jake Fallon (former LAHC player). There's also a pair of defenseman Brandon Underwood (San Diego) and Taylor Aronson (Placentia) among others.

Yesterday we posted an interview with Underwood (available here). Today we're back to share a conversation between The Mayor and Taylor Aronson.

He's a kid that's ranked #88 by NHL Central Scouting, not bad for a player from California - where some people say the hockey choices are limited for youngsters.

Aronson has found no shortage of opportunities to date though, including being a first round selection in the USHL junior hockey draft last year.  He ultimately passed on that opportunity, as well as U.S. college hockey, to head north and play for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.

That's an important part of his story, as he played this past season on a 'Hawks team that was the darling of many scouts and media, due to having five players ranked in this draft's top-100.  One could even argue that perhaps he'd be getting more attention if it weren't for the stellar play of his teammates Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Johansen - who are both expected to be long gone by the time the Kings pick at #19 in the first round.

Taylor will probably go a few rounds later.  Yet, whichever team gets him can thank the Kings, in small part, for helping...he says the Kings and Wayne Gretzky inspired him to start playing when he was younger.  See what else he has to say...

Talk about growing up playing hockey in California. What are some of the challenges in playing a non-traditional SoCal sport? And what motivated you to keep playing when most of your classmates were probably playing baseball or football?

DRAFT2010: Interview with agent Kyle Dubas

Question: What do Kings prospects Jonathan Bernier, Kyle Clifford and Andrew Campbell all have in common?

Besides being drafted by Dean Lombardi!

Answer: They're all represented by Uptown Sports Management, Inc...and one of their primary points of contact is agent Kyle Dubas.

There is so much more to the draft than just the players being selected. Sure, you have the stories about the scouts that have followed them. You also have GM's trying to forecast the short and long term needs of their teams. However, often one of the untold stories is that of that guy that is privately linked to the draftee...his agent.

And it's not just contract negotiations that a player uses his agent for anymore. For example, Uptown also has the ability to assist their players with individual marketing, financial planning, professional development, tax preparation...all the way up to post-career counseling.

Not exactly what you get when watching Jerry Maguire, huh?

In the interview below, The Mayor talks with Kyle about his background, a few of the players he has in this year's draft, dealing with kids wanting to play pro hockey, their parents, Kings prospects, junior hockey vs. college hockey, former Ducks coach Craig Hartsburg and some other stuff you'll like.

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"?

DRAFT2010: Interview with Brandon Underwood

It's finally here. Draft week 2010.

Over the last decade, off the ice, the Kings have tried putting their stamp on the league - they opened a state of the art arena downtown, hosted the NHL All Star Game in 2002...and are back at it this week, front and center, hosting the draft.

People from around the world of hockey will be descending upon Staples Center later this week, as all 30 NHL teams will select players over seven rounds. Of the 200+ players that will be chosen, only about 40-50 will make the NHL.

Mayors Manor will have plenty of draft info to get you primed throughout the week. We'll have interviews with several people involved in the draft - we'll have Canadian kids, American kids, Russian kids, player agents - all sorts of different people.

Don't worry, we'll get to some of the kids looking to be drafted in the first round in future articles. In honor of the draft being in LA, let's start with some California Love. A kid at the other end of the rankings. NHL Central Scouting has him listed as #196 out of 210 players. That projects him out as a seventh round draft pick.

So what's so special about him? Well, for starters he's from right here in Southern California. He also played for the Jr. Kings before moving on to Kamloops of the WHL this past season.

Brandon Underwood, a 6'3" defenseman, connected with the Mayor over the weekend to talk about his past, present and future leading up to next weekend's draft.  For added flavor, he also had a few things to say about some of the Kings current prospects.

Coming from San Diego, a town not exactly known for hockey, how did you get you started in the sport?

Prospect File: The Buzz on Muzz'

We're about ready to start ramping up our draft coverage heading into the big event next weekend. However, before we move forward with the 2010 class, let's take a look back at one of the more recent missed opportunities via the NHL Draft.

Jake Muzzin, a 6'2" defenseman playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, found himself back in the draft last June...after not being signed by the Penguins, who had originally drafted him in 2007.  When all 30 teams were given a second crack at him - seven rounds came and went, his name was never called.

Then, Nashville invited him to training camp last September. Ultimately, they passed on him as well.

Kings President and GM Dean Lombardi is hoping the third time (or team) is a charm - he swooped in and signed him as a free agent back in January. A few months later Muzzin was named the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman. He then went on to play 13 games with the Manchester Monarchs during their recent playoff run.

Now, the Muzz' is getting plenty of buzz - with some reports saying he has a chance to make the Kings roster next season.

So, I spoke with a couple of people that should know what the kid is all about...take a look at what they had to say about Jake Muzzin...

A former Greyhounds executive who was part of the team that selected Muzzin in the first round of the '05 OHL draft: Jake is a horse - he is a big strong young man who competes every shift. He has always had a heavy and accurate shot. He logged an extraordinary amount of ice time...playing in a shut down role versus Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall 12 times a season. In addition, Jake was counted on for a lot of offense in the Soo. Of course, there will be an adjustment for him to the size and speed of the game at the pro level but I think he has a bright future with the Kings organization.

His defensive partner this season, Brandon Archibald: Muzz is a big, strong guy and expect some big hits to come out of him. He has a great shot and will produce some offense. He also is very reliable in his own end.

Another teammate this season, defenseman Brock Beukeboom: Jake is a great leader. He leads by example and couldn't have done a better job for us this season. Every team needs a Jake Muzzin.

Greyhounds GM Dave Torrie:  The Kings made a real astute signing in getting Jake as a free agent. Jake is ready for the pro game on the ice and his attitude and maturity will allow him to be a great teammate. Like many young players Jake's game needs to continue to mature and adjust to each level that he reaches but I do feel that Jake will play at the NHL level, whether this coming season or down the road. He has good offensive skills and he has the ability to punish opposing forwards with some real physical hits without taking needless penalties.

Looks like another solid addition to the Kings already strong prospect pool.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES

Interview with Brandon Archibald - Soo Greyhounds defenseman, member of Team USA junior team and drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets

Interview with Brock Beukeboom - Soo Greyhounds defenseman, member of Team Canada junior team and drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning

Ron Hextall interviewed on NHL Live

The guys at NHL Live had Kings Assistant GM Ron Hextall on earlier this morning for a quick interview.  Among the highlights - they talked playoffs, the draft and if the Kings are looking to trade a goalie.  Here's a recap...

As somebody who has ties to Philly were the Stanley Cup Finals tough on you?  I was pulling for them.  Moving to LA, away from the Flyers, was the hardest decision of my life.  To take the next step in my career I knew I needed to leave though.  I've gone through some things here that I hadn't gone through there - like rebuilding the infrastructure here.  So, it's been a good experience.

Making the playoffs for the first time in many years, what do you think the organization got out of it?  The players realized the emotion and intensity that goes along with it.  You have to play well every night.  You need depth on your team.  It's hard to plug guys in when you have injuries.

The draft is next week in LA, are you a "best available player" guy or are you trying to fill a need?  We're "best available" this year.  If you're drafting real high in the first, you can think differently.  However, it's so hard to project three or four years from now what our needs will be.

This is now a different situation in LA than it's been the last few years.  Is it a different approach becuase of where the team is at in their development?  The focus has changed.  A few years ago we were looking for draft picks, now we're looking for live bodies.  The main focus is on improving the team for next year.

Going into this offseason, what does the team need? 

Kings First Round Pick: WHL, OHL or KHL?

Nobody knows exactly what's going to happen when the 2010 NHL Draft lands at Staples Center next Friday night. 

For the first time in many years the Kings won't be picking near the top.  And although Dean Lombardi and his staff have spent more than a year going over the crop of talent, there are thousands of scenarios surrounding what might happen before it's their turn at the podium.

That hasn't stopped a myriad of NHL experts from weighing in with their mock drafts.  We've been following the various versions on NHL.com throughout the season.  Their trio of prognosticators are back with their THIRD (and perhaps final) mock drafts.  Here's who they have the Kings picking at #19...

Adam Kimelman's mock draft
KINGS SELECT: Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Novosibirsk (KHL)
COMMENTS:
(AK) Excelled in KHL despite being one of that league's youngest players
(MM) Possesses quick hands, lethal shot and likes to play physical
(BH) The chance to play with Evgeni Malkin and possibly Sergei Gonchar will be enough to draw Tarasenko over to the Pens

Mike Morreale's mock draft
KINGS SELECT: Jeff Skinner, RW, Kitchener (OHL)
COMMENTS: