From tombstones to milestones - the travels of Jordan Weal

Life's lessons often come when you least expect it.

For Kings prospect Jordan Weal, one such moment arrived a few years ago while driving down the highway with his father. "He asked me a weird question," began the 19-year old center when we spoke recently by phone. "He asked me 'What would you want on your tombstone if today was your day?' I didn't really know what to say."

Weal went on to share that in retrospect, it may have been the moment his maturation process really took off. Although he's openly admitted to being a selfish player earlier in his junior hockey career, he appears to be a changed person these days.

It's something former Kings coach Terry Murray noticed as well, sharing these comments during training camp last September - "The most important thing that I saw was a player who is maturing and growing up. He’s a better teammate. He’s a really good guy now."

Even with Murray now gone from the Kings organization, Weal still values what he was told prior to being sent back to the WHL.

"When you hear something like that from a coach, it's really positive," said Weal, who feels he's made great strides as one of the leaders on the Regina Pats.  "As an older guy, you have to really be a team guy - that guy who's in the dressing room getting everybody ready to go. Maybe when I was younger, I was trying to focus on getting myself prepared for the game instead. As a leader, you have to really focus on the team first. Then, you can worry about yourself after that."

Weal and Toffoli will be the only Kings representatives

Over the last few seasons, the LA Kings have been rated as having one of the top prospect pools among NHL teams. However, many of those players with high-end potential are starting to age out of junior hockey.

When it comes to Team Canada at the World Junior Championships (WJC), the Kings have also been well represented in recent years, with Thomas Hickey, Martin Jones, Brandon Kozun, etc.

Besides their annual summer evaluation camp, for the last eight years, Canada has tuned up for that event with a warm-up against a team of Russian players each November.

Dubbed the Subway Super Series, it's six games total, with the team of Russian all-stars playing twice against each of the three major junior leagues - the QMJHL, OHL and WHL.

Last year, the Kings were represented in every game - wtih Maxim Kitsyn (Russia), Nic Deslauriers (QMJHL), JF Berube (QMJHL), Tyler Toffoli (OHL), Jordan Weal (WHL) and Linden Vey (WHL) participating. Each of those players also appeared on MayorsManor during the tournament, offering their perspective on the games (links below).

With all six of the Kings' draft picks this past June being ineligible - three of the picks are playing college hockey, Andy Andreoff is too old, Michael Schumacher is from Sweden and Christopher Gibson will likely play for Finland at the World Juniors - only two of LA's prospects were available for the Super Series this year and both were selected.

High / Low with Terry Murray... on players cut from roster

Schumacher in rookie game (photo: CIKIRI)

Just before game time last night, the Kings released the names of 11 players who had been cut from their list of 60+ players in camp.

Eight of them were camp invitees and the other three were former LA draft picks - Christopher Gibson, Michael Schumacher and Jordan Weal.

Interestingly, the latter group will be heading to three different junior hockey leagues - Gibson to the QMJHL, Schumacher the OHL and Weal goes back to Regina in the WHL.

After the first round of practice today, I asked coach Terry Murray for some highs and lows that each experienced in camp this month.

The normally positive, or at least even-keeled, Murray actually had some pointed criticism of Gibson. Apparently, the five goals he gave up in the third period last week vs. a team of Phoenix Coyotes prospects left a lasting impression...

Murray on Gibson - "Clearly (after) the game that he played, he has a lot of improvement that's needed. First of all, he has to be able to handle his emotions. You're going to be put under the spotlight as a pro player. So, get used to it kid. You have to find a way to get into a game where all your management and coaches are fans are watching and have high expectations of a second round pick. So, you have to get through that and then you take it from there. Working on your game never goes away. He left here with a lot of information from our goalie staff and they'll follow up with him in junior and keep pushing his game along."

DevCamp 2011: Pre-camp comments from Jordan Weal

Jordan Weal posted 102 points (35g, 67a) for the Regina Pats during the 2009-10 season. Even though that was only four points fewer than the more highly touted Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, cynics wondered if he'd be able to post such large numbers again this season without Jordan Eberle.

Guess they were right.

He could only muster 43 goals and 96 points this year.

All jokes aside, the Kings were somewhat surprised when Weal was still on the board in the third round of last summer's NHL Draft. They nabbed him and have continued to be impressed ever since. He looked solid at both last year's Development Camp and again in Rookie Camp prior to the start of the season. His speed and shot were on full display in the two-game series with the Phoenix Coyotes rookies.

After his WHL team missed the playoffs for the third straight year, he headed east to Manchester (AHL). He played in seven of the teams final regular season games, picking up a single assist for his efforts. In part, that led to him being a healthy scratch for the Monarchs run through two rounds of the playoffs.

In a few weeks he'll be back in Los Angeles, where his whole journey to the NHL began one year ago. Since then, he's been a guest on MayorsManor numerous times and today he checks in again with some pre-camp comments...

MM: Let's start with Manchester. Any thoughts about your time there at the end of the season?

JW: It was a great experience. They had a really nice group of guys who made it very comfortable to fit in. It was great to get into some games and get used to the speed of the game there. It was just unfortunate to have an early exit from the playoffs.

MM: Was there any one player you bonded with this time around - obviously you already know several of them...

Prospect Showdown - Schenn vs Weal

Over the past few weeks several of the Kings top prospects have been facing off in junior hockey.

First, it was Maxim Kitsyn vs. Tyler Toffoli in the OHL (recap here) and more recently Jordan Weal took on Linden Vey (recap here).

Now, it's time for the big dog. Brayden Schenn, the Kings first round draft pick in 2009, will meet Weal and his Regina Pats tonight in Saskatoon.

Schenn, who has only played six games with the Blades since being traded there a few weeks ago, is coming off his best game of the season.

Last night he was hit hard in the first period by Brett Ferguson of the Red Deer Rebels. After laying on the ice motionless for a few minutes he eventually shook off the cob webs and ended up scoring two goals and added an assist - the first multi-goal game with his new team.

The second one was also his 100th WHL goal.  That's not even close to a record though.  In fact, former King Ray Ferraro scored 108 in one season back in 1983-84 for Schenn's old team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. 

Kings Junior Prospects Square Off, plus Schenn

Over the last few years there has been a steady stream of encouraging news coming from the Kings prospects playing in junior hockey. They've had players win medals for their national teams at the World Junior Championships - including gold, silver and bronze this year - as well as made waves in the CHL.

Right now, they're sitting pretty with the leading goal scorers in the WHL (Linden Vey) and OHL (Tyler Toffoli), two of the three circuits making up the Canadian junior league.

A few weeks ago their top two prospects in the OHL, Toffoli and Russian sensation Maxim Kitsyn, faced off (recap here).

Last night it was time for two of their WHL prospects to do the same - plus Brayden Schenn had a memorable game.

Vey (4th round, 2009) and his Medicine Hat Tigers traveled to Regina to take on Jordan Weal (3rd rd, 2010) and the Pats. Weal finished last season with the third most points in the WHL, trailing only fellow Kings prospect Brandon Kozun and Jordan Eberle.

He's having another strong season and added a goal and two assists (and was a plus-2) in this game. However, the Tigers won 4-3. Vey increased his totals with another goal and assist as well. That gives him a league-best 81 points (32g, 49a) in 45 games.

Meanwhile, it wouldn't be a WHL report without some news on Schenn...

WHL Trade Rumors Update - Schenn and Weal

It looks as though a new team may possibly be in on the Brayden Schenn sweepstakes.

As reported here, there is strong speculation that Schenn will be traded by the Brandon Wheat Kings prior to Monday's WHL Trade Deadline - with the front runners believed to be the Portland Winterhawks and his hometown Saskatoon Blades.

Stories out of Saskatoon yesterday already had Blades' GM and head coach Lorne Molleken admitting that he had spoken to the Wheat Kings about possibly acquiring Schenn.

Now, according to an article in Regina's Leader Post, the Kootenay Ice are "among the suitors."

They're battling Saskatoon for the best overall record in the WHL and both teams have made it clear "they want to make a splash at the deadline."

The same article goes on to say the Regina Pats "have already received legitimate offers for star center Jordan Weal, but he's believed to be strictly off limits, unless of course a team literally offers the sun and the moon."

Regina, currently tenth is their conference, is expected to make some moves. The question is, are they buyers or sellers?

More to come as information becomes available.

The Mayor
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(h/t to Neate Seager for the Leader Post link referenced above)

RELATED ARTICELS:

Another Deadline for Brayden Schenn

Interview with Jordan Weal

Updates on LA Kings Prospects - 1/7/2011 article

Super Series - WHL Report with Linden Vey

When you're hot, you're hot.

And Kings prospect Linden Vey is more than warm right now. His November already includes back-to-back Player of the Week honors from his junior team, the Medicine Hat Tigers. Plus, he was named the WHL Player of the Game in the just completed Subway Super Series.

His scored a goal in the second game of the WHL vs. Russia portion of series (Russia had previously played a pair of games against both the QMJHL and OHL). That meant four of the five Kings prospects had goals in the tournament. Of course, that excludes their sixth prospect (goalie JF Berube) for obvious reasons - as in, he was busy guarding his own net, not trying to score in the other one.

Vey, a 6-foot right wing taken in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Draft, came into the series following a four point night for Medicine Hat (1g, 3a) - which topped his three point effort the game before (1g, 2a).

As hot as he was though, it was the cold that almost kept him from playing against Russia this week. In the interview below he tells us all about what happened and provides some thoughts on a few other Kings prospects, his play so far this year and the upcoming World Junior Championships...

MM:  This was your second time playing in the tournament. Overall, how would you compare last year's experience to this year - better, worse or just different?

Camping Guide 2010 - Interview w/ Jordan Weal

On June 27, 2009 the experiment ended. Six years earlier, the Kings had used the second of two first round picks they received in a deal with Colorado (for Rob Blake) to select 6'7" Brian Boyle.

On that day he was jettisoned to the New York Rangers for a third round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft.

Then, 364 days later, Jordan Weal joined the Kings.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the story isn't the connection to the still-controversial Blake deal or the apparent flaming out of Boyle's (perhaps) promising career. Instead, it's why Weal was even available with the 70th pick to begin with. Why was he still there in the third round?

That's about a full round later than the average of where four high profile scouting lists had him pegged.  NHL Central Scouting ranked him 30th, International Scouting Services #32, The Hockey News #41 and TSN had him #48.  That should have put him as a possible late first rounder...or early to mid second rounder, at the latest.