VIDEO: Bernie Nicholls and Charlie Simmer on After Hours

Charlie Simmer and Bernie Nicholls share some funny stories during a recent edition of Hockey Night in Canada's After Hours program...

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Coach Sutter and Kopitar talk about Practice at Bernie's

As reported earlier today, Bernie Nicholls was an on-ice guest at Kings practice this morning. He knows new coach Darryl Sutter well, having played for him with two different organizations - then, sticking around to 'help out' with the Sharks after he retired.

We already took a look at what Nicholls had to say about his former coach. Now, we turn to some comments from Sutter and Kings center Anze Kopitar about today's 'consultant'...

"He's a good resource to have, you know," said Sutter. "We're a team that's still trying to find our way, to contribute more individually, offensively. I coached him in Chicago and San Jose and I obviously know what he can offer. He’s in town and available, so it’s nice to have that. We have Nelson Emerson in here too when he's available and not out on the road. He can help us. It’s good to have."

Like Nicholls, Sutter wasn't clear how long Bernie would be around, only saying, "I’d like him to watch a couple games. He knows some of the young guys. He can help them a little bit."

When asked if he planned on bringing in any other guys from his past, Sutter said, "It’s awesome to have those guys that you’re comfortable with and that know the game. Why not? Why not use that resource when you have it? If you've been around long - heck, I was talking to Jimmy (Fox) about stuff the other day. You know what? That's what it's about. It’s not about having the blinders on. It’s about using everything you can."

NHL Premiere: LA Kings vs NY Rangers pre-game notes, first goal contest

Hang on, relax. You only have less than an hour to go and you'll be just fine...hockey will be back!

To get you primed and ready to go, here are some quick tidbits on the Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers match-up. Also, be sure to take note of the details for today's 'first goal contest' listed at the end of this article.

- Kings all-time Record against the Rangers: 43-62-19. This is the only meeting between the two teams this season, as it was last year. When they squared off on February 17, 2011, the Rangers won in a shootout 4-3. Dustin Brown picked up two points that night and the Kings collected another point on their nearly-month-long road trip (post-game notes and highlights from that game can be accessed here).

- Rangers defeneman Marc Staal, one of their top defensemen, didn't make the trip to Europe due to lingering symptoms from the concussion he sustained in a game last year.

- Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is from Sweden and earlier in his career played in the Frolunda HC system - the same organization that Kings' 2011 draft pick Michael Schumacher was part of last year (article).

- At least four former NHL players to suit up for both the Kings and Rangers will be in attendance - Luc Robitaille, Mattis Norstrom, Tomas Sandstrom and Bernie Nicholls.

- Richards vs. Richards: In 23 career games vs. the LA Kings, Brad Richards has 26 goals (seven goals, 19 assists). On the other side, Mike Richards has played 37 games against the New York Rangers, picking up 12 goals and 11 assists.

Clarifying the confusion over the Kings' color purple

Kings' new purple-less crown

So...here's the deal...

The Los Angeles Kings are dropping the color purple.

Sort of.

The twitterverse is in a tizzy and facebook is in a frenzy over what many are reporting as the Kings dropping the color purple.

Part of that is true.  Per the team's official press release, their primary colors are now black, silver and white.

And as most Kings fans had previously heard, the Kings are moving to the 'shield' logo as their main crest (the one worn on a black jersey during the playoffs the last two years).

The real news in all of this is that the 'new' third jersey will now feature a slightly modified version of the crown that's been in place since Staples Center opened over a decade ago.

LA's 'new' crown is a black and white version, featuring no purple. However, this crest will be placed on the same black and purple jerseys worn at home over the last few seasons.

So, they'll still have purple on their third jerseys and, of course, on their vintage jerseys (to be worn three times this season).

If you've been reading MayorsManor, the dropping of purple from the crown is probably the only updated news here.  Last October I tweeted the Kings were looking at changing jerseys for the 2011-12 season.  Then, in this article back in January we shared some of the details.

In June, the first official picture of the new road jersey was revealed, along with some additional notes on the upcoming jersey shuffling.

Finally, just a few weeks ago, Kings President of Business Operations, Luc Robitaille stopped by MayorsManor to talk in-depth about the reasons behind the jersey changes.

Moral of the story - fear not Kings fans, we have you covered.

If you're looking for some more jersey related news before it breaks though...here's a few tidbits we shared several weeks back...

This season's three Legends Nights - where the Kings will wear vintage purple and gold jerseys - are scheduled to be 12/10 vs. Dallas, 1/2 vs. Colorado and 2/18 vs. Calgary.  The honorees will be Bernie Nicholls, Daryl Evans and Charlie Simmer, as the team is planning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the famed Miracle on Manchester.

...fine, fine, fine - you still want more?

This season, the black pants that will be worn under the new home jersey (black with the new shield logo, you still with me?)...those pants are getting a new silver stripe down the leg.

That's it. Done.

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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...

POLL: Los Angeles Kings - Which record falls first?

Taking a break from all the Development Camp interviews and notes, let's look at the Los Angeles Kings record book.

It's fairly safe to say that Jonathan Quick is well on his way to rewriting the chapters on goaltending. He's already established new single season marks for games played (72 in 2009-10) and wins (39, 2009-10). Plus, last season he tied Rogie Vachon's 2.24 goals-against average (1974-75) for tops all-time in franchise history.

So, how about over on the offensive side of the puck. Will one of the team's records be in jeopardy anytime soon?

Center Bernie Nicholls holds the goal mark, netting 70 in the 1988-89 season. Breaking it down by position, Luc Robitaille had 63 as a left wing in 1992-93 and right wing Dave Taylor scored 47 in 1980-81. Among the defensmen, Steve Duchesne found the back of the net from the blueline 25 times in 1988-89.

With the man advantage, Robitaille set the power play goals mark in 1991-92 with 26.

He also holds the record for most goals in a season by a Kings rookie, picking up 45 in 1986-87. Larry Murphy had a whopping 60 assists as a rookie in 1980-81.

Wayne Gretzky picked up 122 assists in 1990-91 and 168 total points in 1988-89. Neither of those will ever be broken, so - moving right along...

If it's penalty minutes you like, Dave 'Tiger' Williams racked up 358 during the 1986-87 season, a number that was eclipsed by Marty McSorley in the magical 1992-93 season (399 PIM).

Looking over the above numbers, which record do you think is most likely to be broken?


Poll closes Sunday at 7pm PST.

The Mayor
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Who was the LA Kings Rookie of the Year?

(Part of) History Will Not Repeat Itself Tonight

Tonight will mark the 11-year anniversary of Staples Center first hosting an official NHL game.

The final score was 2-2, a tie between the host LA Kings and visiting Boston Bruins.

Like it or not, the shootout is now part of the NHL landscape. Thus, you can be assured of one major difference in tonight's contest between the Kings and Carolina Hurricanes - there will definitely be a winner. One team is leaving the building with two points.

For what it's worth, Rob Blake scored the first Kings goal in the new arena. However, the very first NHL goal in Staples Center was credited to forward Anson Carter of the Bruins. 

How ironic is that, considering when the Kings traded for the talented right winger a few years later, he played 15 games for LA...posting ZERO goals.  One simple assist was all the Kings received in return for sending Jared Aulin to Washington to acquire Carter.

You want more irony?  Aulin had become Kings property as part of the deal that sent Blake to Colorado in 2001.

Trivia Time - When the Kings traded for Carter in March 2004 it was actually the second time he had been moved by an NHL team that season.  Who did Washington trade to acquire Carter just two months prior? (answer at the end of this article)

Trivia Question #2 - What number did Carter wear in LA?

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.

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