Look for LA Kings to add 'sandpaper' in next few days

Flyers West?

Nah, it may be time to resurrect 'Oliers South.'

Before Kings GM Dean Lombardi was accused of trying to bring a Philadelphia brand of hockey to Los Angeles, he was on the verge of repeating the cycle of team leaders from the early '90s.

After Wayne Gretzky arrived, the franchise eventually acquired nearly every one of his former Oiler teammates - with one notable exception, Mark Messier.

When guys like Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and Ryan Smyth started to fill the Kings locker room, some wondered if 'Oilers South' was about to make a comeback.

That story had been pushed to the back burner a bit though as the collection of former Flyers started to increase, peaking with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne nearly two months ago.

Now...we don't deal with rumors much here on MayorsManor...so, this is more than a rumor.

In the next few days, look for another former Oiler to sign a one-year deal with the Kings (for around $1-million).

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]

Interview w/ Ethan Moreau, Oilers Captain

Over the last two years Kings GM Dean Lombardi has signed Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar to long-term extensions - wanting to get his guys under contract before their free agency window opened.

Up north in Alberta, the Oilers did the same thing a few years prior. Steve Staios and Ethan Moreau both inked four year extensions in the months following their playoff run in 2006. A symbolic move Lombardi would probably describe as guys showing they have the team logo tattooed on their bodies.

Similar to Brownie and the Kings, following his long-term deal Moreau was later made Captain of the Oilers. A lineage that includes names like Gretzky, Messier and Buchberger.

Prior to the LA Kings taking on his team in Edmonton tonight I had a chance to talk all things hockey with Ethan. It's another MayorsManor exclusive - Conversations with a Captain:

Last season you won the King Clancy award. When you look back at the names of guys that have won that award in the past you see some big time, hall of fame type players. To be mentioned in the same breathe as them had to be something special for you.

It was. I do a lot of work in the community and it was nice to be recognized (the picture is of him getting his head shaved for charity). Our community foundation put together a good package and presented it to the NHL. It was nice to be acknowledged, even though a lot of those things we do is just because we want to do them. It makes you feel good as a person. But, to be acknowledged and to be able to go to the awards in Vegas, to bring my kids and to hang out with a lot of elite players, it was definitely a thrill.

This season there's been a lot of talk about the legality of hits and the number of injuries around the league. You were even involved in some of the discussion a month or so ago when Ryan Wilson of the Avs gave you a hard elbow to the head (video here). Are things getting out of control in the NHL? Do you feel that things are different on the ice this year versus previous years?

I think it's a result of guys being faster and bigger. You have a bunch of guys that are over 220 pounds and they can skate really fast. It's a vicious game. We've had mentions that the collisions are more violent now because of the strength and speed of the players - through training - there's really no way to police that. Its a very physical game. There's going to be guys that get knocked out, there's going to be guys that get concussions. There's no way around that.

Back in '94 you were taken in the first round of the draft. Were you excited to be going to an original six team or was it more about just getting to the NHL?

It was a long time ago, but I remember being rated fairly high. I knew I wouldn't go past Chicago. There was a chance I might go before that, but I had some good talks with Darryl Sutter, who was the coach at the time. He made it clear he would pick me if I was available to them. So, I was extremely excited to go to Chicago and like you mentioned, an original six team. They had a lot of veteran players at the time, so it was a great place to start.

You were able to sneak into a few games with the 'Hawks in '95-96, before joining them full time the following season. Were you intimidated a little when you looked around the dressing room and saw so many superstars - Chelios, Roenick, Amonte, Belfour, Nicholls...

I was a fairly confident 20 year old. So, I fit in well. Having said that, part of it was due to the fact they really accepted me; guys like Cheli and Bob Probert - they were great to me. Really made me feel comfortable, allowed me to excel. I played on a line with Brent Sutter as well. It was a great place to learn how to play and learn from a lot of great veteran players.

The week before you were traded it was reported in Chicago papers that you weren't going anywhere, even though the team wasn't playing well. Then, it happened. Do you have different feelings now about being traded from Chicago than you did back then?

At the time Chicago was kinda on the downturn. We were a bad team, we weren't making the playoffs. So, for me, it was exciting to go to a younger team that had a chance to make the playoffs. Once I got there I saw they had lots of guys my own age. Plus, it really helped in my development as a player because it was a skating team and a forechecking team. It was the perfect fit for me at the time.

After your first full season Craig MacTavish took over as the head coach for the next eight seasons. Much has been made in the media about guys not seeing eye to eye with him. Is that just hype or did you have a different relationship with him?


Staying in 2006. Although it was a bitter disappointment to not win the Cup, you had to feel pretty good about the team that summer and the direction things were heading. In fact, just a few months later you signed a four year extension, rather than test free agency the following year. What was your thought process about resigning so soon?

Well, yeah, we almost won the Stanley Cup and we thought we had the pieces in place to get back and make another run the next year. I think that's why a lot of us signed extensions, to remain in Edmonton with a good bunch of guys. And for me, it was also where I raised my family. Now, it didn't really work out like that, so far we haven't been able to get back to the playoffs. But, I don't regret my decision.

You were named captain in '07. With the Oilers rich history and tradition, is there extra pressure being the captain in a place like Edmonton, where the whole city embraces the team, versus other so-called small markets - like, say Nashville or Tampa Bay?

I think there's a lot of pressure put on me by people. But, I don't put extra pressure on myself. I've always been a leader, ever since I was 20 years old in Chicago. So, I haven't really changed anything. That's just the way I've always been. I don't really do anything differently and I don't really expect any more of myself. I try to just do the things that have made me successful in my career and that have made me captain. I've worn a letter everywhere I've played, so the pressure mostly comes from external.

As a leader, lets talk about how you handle certain things. Recently, Patrick O'Sullivan found himself in a little whirlwind, arguing with some guys in the media and whatnot. Do you call a guy like that to the side and remind them that's a no-win situation or do just let somebody like Sully work it out on his own?

I don't even know what happened. What was it? (note: I tell him about Mike Milbury and Kelly Hrudey's comments mentioned here in a Kings Kool-Aid article...and then Sully's reaction here)

It's stuff we don't really worry about, I guess. We have a task everyday to get accomplished. Sure, as part of being a good teammate you try to help your teammates whenever you can. But, I don't get caught up in that type of stuff.

What about some of the guys that have left town. Take a guy like Chris Pronger, who basically forced his way out of Edmonton. How disappointed were you when that whole thing went down?

You want to have the best team you can. When you lose quality players its definitely disappointing. We have to do a better job of making this a more desirable place to play.

Along those lines, the team was trying to get Dany Heatley to come there over the summer. Ultimately, he went to San Jose. Because it was the off season and guys are spread out all over the world, was it difficult to coral the issue and keep the guys on the same page?

He was never really part of our team. It was a huge story here, but it just never happened. It was unfortunate that the trade got out though. It was difficult on the players that were involved in the supposed trade. But, it's not like we had him here for a year and lost him. He was never an Oiler. It's just too bad the whole thing went public. It was another blow to our organization and our city that he didn't want to come here.

Talking about stories and how big they can become in a hockey crazed town like Edmonton, last week there were reports that the ownership group might have to think about relocation if they cant get a new building. Is that something you guys try not to worry about or is that another story that ends up in the locker room and the guys end up talking about it?

Well, I think its obvious we need a new building. Any successful organization in the league right now has a new building. So, its a no-brainer. People to oppose it in the city really don't have the best interest of the city or the organization in mind. It's crucial to the wellness of the city that we get a new building.


Let's move on to some more light-hearted issues. Back in September you posed fairly naked in a special edition of ESPN's magazine. And a few times you've been in the finals for online contests like 'Sexiest Oiler.' Is that something the guys in the room like to tease you about?

Not really. Once when you're in the environment of the locker room guys don't talk about that type of stuff too much. It was a good opportunity to work with the people at ESPN. It was an awkward shoot, but it was a pretty cool issue. It was fun.

Now the Olympics are coming up soon and the coverage is going to be insane throughout Canada. Given that you won't be playing, what are your plans for the time off?

We'll be going to Maui. But I'll be into it, whoever is playing. It's going to be a huge deal here. I imagine it will be one of the biggest sporting events ever in the history of Canada, especially if we make it to the gold medal game. But, there's a lot of good teams. Anything can happen in that format when you have a one game elimination. You have the US, Russia, Sweden, etc. Really, on any given night any of those teams can beat each other. It's a little different than in other sports, when usually the best team wins in the course of four quarters. In hockey you can outplay the other team and still lose. Its a tough sport in that format.

Obviously your loyalties are to the Oilers, so this isn't a trick question. But, with so many former teammates now in Los Angeles, do you find yourself cheering for the Kings if you're catching a game on TV?

Definitely. Stolly and Greene are good friends of mine. My brother trains guys there and I live in LA in the offseason. I've known some of the other Kings, I'll skate with them in the summer - I got to meet guys like Blake and Luc a few times. I know a lot of people in that organization. So, its definitely a team I keep my eye on.

Now you guys just came off a very successful road trip with five straight wins. The Kings are hot too, going 8-1-1 prior to the game in Vancouver. Are they going to be able to find a way to beat you guys at home?

Well, with them playing in Vancouver last night it will be tough. Back to back games are extremely difficult in this league. They won a game from us in our building last time when Greeny scored a late goal. We haven't forgot that. We need to beat them, especially at home. So, we'll be at our best.

NOTE: The conversation continues here in a HIGH / LOW article, which includes word association using names like Chelios, Roenick, Pronger, Smyth, Greene, Stoll and more.

The Mayor
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What Shoulda Been...

History often repeats itself and it seemed destined to do so again this week. In a story that seemed eerily familiar to one from 20 years ago, the Kings-Oilers game tonight in Alberta should have been a well publicized homecoming for the boy who once proudly wore an Edmonton jersey. A man who now suits up for the Kings. The boy who was drafted by his by his childhood team and went on to become Captain Canada...now returning as Captain California.

For more than a decade Ryan Smyth was the Oilers. While his teams didn't bring the on ice success of the ones Wayne Gretzky played for, Oiler fans didn't love him any less. Eventually, more than a decade apart, each guy left town and the city was ripped to it's core. Men, women and children openly wept. Both player's connection to the city transcended the sport and the entire experience of being a fan.

For Gretzky, coming to LA was a fresh start. Something Smyth echoed in several interviews himself earlier this summer. With the wound left by the trade of August 9th, 1988 still fresh and open, as anger and hurt raged on, #99 returned home to Edmonton on October 19th for the first time as a King. Back then, to properly put that game into perspective, Oilers public relations director Bill Tuele said "It's a bigger ticket than the seventh game of the (Stanley Cup) final."

LA lost to the Oilers 8-6 that night. A week or so later the rematch was in LA, also won by the Oilers 5-4. Fortunately, the Kings ultimately won the war that season, beating the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. An epic seven game series that was a cornerstone of what used to be one of the best rivalries in hockey.

Like most good stories, it wasn't completely written in that first chapter. The Oilers will be forever be known as the roadblock for the Kings in the playoffs; beating them in 1990, 1991 & 1992. It was the '90 series that cut deep, as the Oilers extracted revenge on the Kings with a 4-0 series sweep. The following year wasn't much better though. The Oilers dumped a bunch of salary that season and the Kings went on to win their first (and only) Smythe Division title. Didn't matter though. Come playoff time the scab Oil team beat the high salaried Kings.

During those early 90s the Kings were collecting former Oilers like a teenage nerd and his bug collection. The SoCal Oilers eventually featured guys like Kurri, Coffey, McSorley, Fuhr, Huddy, Conacher and so many more. Just think about if they woulda been able to get just one more, Mark Messier. What coulda been. Ah, I digress...

Then there was the hatred. The list began with names like Muni, MacTavish, Anderson, Tikkanen, Beukeboom, Steve Smith, Buchberger...and it went on and on. They would constantly start problems after Fuhr or Ranford covered the puck. Oh, Ranford...RAN-ford, RAN-ford, RAN-ford - that chant would ring in your ears for days after some games.

Even with their disdain for the Kings though, the city of Edmonton still had love for the Great One as the years went by. I was privileged enough to watch Gretzky's last three games in an LA uniform in person. That's not something I share in common with most other Kings fans, as those three games were on the road - the middle contest being in Edmonton. The Trade had taken place eight years earlier, yet is was still fresh on the minds of most that night. What a thrill it was to see Wayne work his magic in that building, even if outside it was hard not to feel conflicted. After all, it isn't very often you take a road trip and see the captain of the visiting team immortalized in a huge statue outside the home team's arena. Awkward and surreal.

For much of the last 10 years the feud between the two teams has slowed to barely a simmer, with each side retooling several times. But, perhaps this coulda been a bigger game if Craig MacTavish were still coaching. The once nasty player, referred to by Kings fans as 'McToilet', had gone from being one of the last players to skate in the NHL without a helmet to an angry and bitter coach. He was let go this summer. Oh it was fun to watch him lose.

Summer before last a trade between the two teams seemed to stoke things along ever so slightly. It certainly wasn't as big as The Trade, yet it's still important to both teams suiting up tonight. In the summer of 2008 Lubomir Visnovsky was sent to the Oilers in exchange for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. Sure, it would be nice to have the talented and offensively minded Lubo on this year's Kings team. However, if we could rewind the clock and the deal was on the table again - make the trade or don't make the trade - Dean should do it all over again and twice on Sunday.

Then there's Patrick O'Sullivan, the guy that shoulda been a star for the Kings. It didn't work out that way and he's now in Edmonton. Lately he's been popping off at the mouth about everybody and everything, including taking jabs at the fans in Los Angeles. In an ironic twist, a few games after he was quoted as saying how much better it is to play in the hockey rich Canadian city versus the laid back LA, he was taken to task by former Kings goalie Kelly Hrudey and Mike Milbury for his poor play (article here), to which he responded with "I don't care what (he) has to say. He's on TV for a reason." Probably shoulda just kept his mouth shut to begin with.

Where does all this take us? Is there enough juice flowing between the two teams for a rebirth of the rivalry? Without Smyth in the line-up tonight, it's doubtful.

Interestingly enough though, the link between Smyth, the Oilers and the Kings started way back during the 1994-95 season. Long since forgotten by all but the most ardent fans is the fact that Rhyno played his first pro hockey game back at the Forum - no not in Montreal, Los Angeles. Kings-Oilers at the Fabulous Forum. Full circle indeed.

Now as a member of the Kings, Smyth was set to return to the building in Edmonton where he previously was royalty of a different sort. It shoulda been something special.

For now, it will have to wait. An upper body injury has forced him to miss the next few weeks.

Kings-Oilers. It will mean a lot to some tonight, more to others.

It woulda meant much, much more with Rhyno in the line-up.

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LA Kings HockeyFest 2009: Saving the Best for Last

In the Rick Knickle spot (#1) - Growing Up Kings with Hardy, Nicholls & Robitaille

Come on people, if you don't know about Rick Knickle, you clearly weren't paying attention yesterday during my rant about the goaltending situation during the winter of '92-93.

Which #1 were you expecting me to reference...Mario Lessard?

Jim Fox (the host) started the session talking about how he and Harpo (Mark Hardy) had been out late the night before dancing at the Bullpen in Redondo Beach. Why we were supposed to care, I still don't know. In the 90s Harry O's in Manhattan Beach was where lots of the players used to hang out. Maybe once you retire you move over to the Bullpen. Or...given Dean's love for baseball, perhaps they thought "the Bullpen" would score some bonus points with the boss.

This session was great, although you always felt they were holding back a bit on some of the stories. One guy would be talking and then just look at another guy like "remember what else happened? (wink wink)"

Highlights included:

* Bernie Nicholls discussed his love of the fans, especially kids. One time he tossed a puck into the stands for an elderly gentleman after the pre-skate shoot around. When he came back out for the game the fan was holding a big towel on his head and was acting like he was nursing an injury. A few days later Bernie gets a letter stating he is being sued for $20k for the injury...and ANOTHER $20k because the guy could no longer perform his manly duties. Luc chimed in with the perfect solution. To save the $20k Bernie just offered to do it for him.

* Bernie and those damn pucks. Looks like another time he was fined by a minor league team for giving away all of the practice pucks after a shoot around. Can you imagine a team fining a player for interacting with the fans? I know things run on a shoe sting budget in the minors, yet this takes it to a whole new level.

* The PumperNicholl - there really isn't some great story behind the origin of this legendary move (or moves). Bernie simply says he loves scoring goals - "it's exciting" - and that Bob Miller can claim the naming rights. Apparently it didn't retire with him though. He says he still does it when he plays in charity games and such. Wonder if the opposing teams appreciate that a little less than the fans in the crowd.

* Harpo was reminded that none of his former teammates ever would have selected him as the guy "most likely to end up in coaching." To which he replied, "Why because I showed up to camp drunk one year?" Being traded to New York was a "devastating day in my life" he added, an event that started his awakening into maturity. He "learned how to win" from Mark Messier.

Quick side note - when people in the 90s would talk about the Kings being the Oilers South they were partially right. There were so many former Oilers here it was crazy - Gretzky, Huddy, McSorley, Kurri, Coffey, etc. However, the ONE guy they missed out on was Messier. Sure, the Kings had the best player in the game in #99, just think about what could have been if they had the best leader in all of pro sports!

Harpo also credited Rick Dudley (then of Phoenix, more recently the just appointed assistant GM in Atlanta) for getting him started in coaching when he made him a player/coach. He said he took to it right away.

* Following up on the Luc fighting at his 2nd training camp story I wrote about in the recap from Saturday...Luc says it was Dan Brennan he tried to scrap with. The scuffle ended when Bernie started yelling at Dan "STOP - you're going to kill him!" Yes, that was the end of Luc's fighting career, over before it ever really started.

* Apparently, Bernie liked the puck as much as Marcel. Well that and he says he always preferred the sure thing. Which is probably what led to him telling Ken Baumgartner "If I ever give you the puck, it was a mistake. Give it back!" Somebody call JR and tell him his t-shirt company needs to add that to their line.

* Memory lane - Luc says the hit Harpo laid on Mike Keane in game 3 of the '93 playoffs was the best hit he ever saw on the ice.

File under useless trivia - Mike Keane has the Stanley Cup tattooed on his leg three times...one for each cup he has won. Sorry, no link available.

They lost that game in overtime, but the hit lives on...or at least the story of the hit. Harpo says after the glass was shattered he looked in and saw Michelle Pfeiffer, so he winked at her before skating off. Click here to relive one of Harpo's finest moments via YouTube.

* Bernie sure wasn't shy with his opinions. He claims that Gretzky should have been called for a penalty in the '93 series with Toronto...better yet, he says he should have been ejected from the game! Watch the video and decide for yourself by clicking here.

* An interesting fact was brought up about tough travel schedules. Dallas plays all of their division games two time zones away.

* Bernie went on to say that teams in the West (mainly California teams) claiming "travel" is the reason they haven't won a cup are just making excuses. He then walked off the stage doing the PumperNicholl.

OK, so he didn't walk off the stage doing the PumperNicholl. Fine. He should have. How's that - better?

* All four guys on stage claimed that Patrick Roy was the toughest goalie they ever faced. A few other names were thrown around as tough too - like, Brodeur and Fuhr. However, it was Roy by overwhelming consensus.

* Back to Bernie - he says the Islanders practiced harder than the Kings played in games most nights. Luc added when he was first breaking in with the Kings (or was that Growing up a King to keep with the theme?) he was given more grief for his softball skills than his hockey skills. The Kings were the defending softball champions and they took their title serious...seriously.

* Who else, but Bernie - He is working on a 13 week hunting show for Versus. You can see it by ordering DirecTV now...oh, never mind. It's somewhat of an extension of a hunting piece he did for the NHL Network awhile back. Once a sniper, always a sniper.

* Superstitions - Luc used to use sticks with white tape on the blade in the first and third periods, alternating to black tape in the second. Harpo's only superstition was dressing his left side first. FASCINATING! Bernie takes the cake though. On game days he didn't want to be separated from his stick. So, he would take it home with him, to lunch, even to bed. I kept waiting for a series of one liners after that little tidbit, they never came.

Great way to end the day - and the weekend - with such a fun session. Overall, I would say this session tied for "best overall" with Saturday's expert panel.

Now that we know what it's like growing up a King, next year I'll be hosting "Growing Up a Kings Fan!" I'm already gathering my stories, photos and videos.

The Mayor
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