LA Kings HockeyFest 2009: Day One - Offhanded Observations

It's late, so here are just a few notes on opening night of the fest:

* Overall, I give it an 'A'. Great job by McChris and his entire staff. Obviously, a lot of work (and thought) went into the event. Good job. Extra kudos to the video guys. Those were simply perfection.

* Dustin Brown's speech made me believe in him as a captain. I've always loved him as a player. Over the last year I've grown tired of people bitching about his questionable leadership skills. The story about the conversation he had with Greene on the plane home last year should have told you all that you need to know. His whole speech was incredible. "These 20 guys to my right are no longer 20 individuals..." WOW - I still have goose bumps. I'm pumped! Seemed to me to be very heartfelt. He looked deadly serious (sure he was nervous - yet, I believe he meant every word he said). It backed up what Dean told me earlier this month about how impressed he was to have so many players in town in July for their voluntary camp.

* It's about damn time they pulled so many of the alumni together. Quite impressive to see so many former Kings greats all in one place. I hope the organization treats each one of them with class and dignity all weekend. Then word will spread on what a great event it was and more former Kings will want to come next year. I know its hard because lots of guys are employed with other teams (see Gretzky, Rychel, Granato, Robinson, Deadmarsh, etc.). Still. The more the merrier.

* We all have our favorites. However, if I could pick two guys that clearly deserve to be there it would have to be Kurri and Sandstrom. Jari has to be one of the most underrated guys in league history. He scored over 600 goals in his career, yet NOBODY talks about him when discussing the greatest goal scores of all time. He had such a touch. And Sandstrom? Come on! This guy gets taken out by Craig Muni (of the hated Oilers) in the playoffs...then comes back the next game and scores a goal - WITH A BROKEN LEG! Legend status for me, right then, that night. BTW - neither of you were ever Ducks. I've blocked that from my brain. UGH, it still hurts.

* Russ Courtnall - thanks for the cup of coffee you had here. You seem like a cool guy. However, your brother...well, we still need to talk about those playoffs vs. the Kings in 1996.

* Steve Duchesne - I still want my money back. You fleeced the Kings when you signed that big money free agent contract to return in 1998. However, at Luc's retirement dinner in Marina del Rey you were a good sport about all the grief I gave you in the later years in Detroit (after you skipped town with all of that money). So, I'll give you a 10% discount on the money owed all Kings fans.

* Will there ever be a playoff series better than '93 vs Toronto? Doubt it. Funny side note on that series...back then Jim Rome just did a local sports talk show here in LA (long before he was such a big hit nationally). He had Wendel Clark lined up for an interview on one of the off days. I'll never forget he missed the interview, so they booked Coach Burns instead. When he asked what happened to Clark, Burns said he was taking a nap. I love naps too. And I know athletes play at night, so they need their rest. Still, I found it funny. Not as funny as the Cubs' Mark Grace explaining slump busters to Rome...but that's a different story.

* Great to see the team mend fences with guys like Dionne and Taylor. Theses guys are major parts of the Kings history and should be treated like royalty.

* Where's the beef? Noticeably absent during the player introductions was Raitis Ivanans. Although teams like Philly and Washington have been speculated, Dean isn't saying anything just yet. If it is Washington, somebody better tell Kip Brennan (yes that Kip Brennan). The former King, more recently of the AHL, was reportedly trying to hook up with the Caps after Brashear went to the big apple. He thinks he'd be a good fit there. Whatever.

* According to several sources, it does in fact look like the Kings are looking for one more key player before the season starts. Interesting. However, it's not Heatley (who appears headed to SJ after today's deal). And it might not involve Frolov. Even more interesting.

* NHL.com did a piece on the fest - click here to read

* If you aren't lucky enough to be attending this weekend in person, the Kings will be streaming the event HERE. Super cool. Some of the sessions with former players should be amazing.

Saturday includes -
* Noon – NHL Experts Panel with Jim Fox, Ray Ferraro & Kelly Hrudey
* 2pm - The Enforcers with (the lawyer) Stu Grimson & Brad Norton
* 4pm - The Triple Crown Line (no explanation needed)

More info tomorrow after what should be another fun filled day at the fest.

The PLAYOFF PUSH began tonight.

The Mayor
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Frozen Fury scouting trip

Like Brett Farve, I'm back.

I just completed a hat trick of sorts - my third trip to Vegas in six weeks.

First trip was for a fight, then a concert, followed by this weekend's scouting trip. You see, for the last few trips to Frozen Fury we've stayed at the same hotel, ate at the same restaurants, hung out the same places...basically, we've been in a rut. It's been fun, if not a little predictable.

So, given that we're about a month out, I decided to mix things up a bit this year. Channeling my inner Mark Yannetti I headed out to Vegas this past weekend to scout out some new places.

If you were hoping this blog entry would provide more hard hitting hockey insight, you might want to lower those expectations for today. The following is only loosely related to hockey, as its a bit of a Frozen Fury primer. I'll return later in the week with more NHL related fun. For now, not everything about Vegas stays in Vegas...

The 10 things things I learned this weekend:

* When stopping in Baker to use the restroom, go to Arbys. Why? Because nobody else does. The line at Burger King is ridiculously long, while nobody is at Arbys. NOTE: This is new information, as the Starbucks used to be the place to go. However, I guess nobody was going there either, as the coffee house is now gone. Hopefully Arbys stays open at least through the end of September.

* Driving home on Monday is the only way to go. On my two previous trips we came back on Sunday due to others in my party needing to get back to SoCal. This time we came home on Monday without any traffic! Man that makes all the difference in the world. Hotel rooms in Vegas are practically free on Sundays. I'm never coming home on Sunday again if I can help it.

* For nearly a year people have been saying how dead Vegas is. I just haven't seen it until this weekend. Sure, the deals have been better the last 8 months or so. Yet, every time I've been to sin city its been packed with people...until this weekend. I was at the Foundation Room at 9:30 on Saturday night for drinks before hitting the town. There were four people - just to make sure you read that right, FOUR other people - in the entire place. It was scary it was so dead. However, it made the cut for the Frozen Fury itinerary. The place is way better than the LA version.

* In complete contrast to the normally snobbish vibe in the Foundation Room is Divebar - without a doubt THE BEST rock n roll bar in Vegas. Just 10 minutes off the strip, they feature $3 beers and great bands (usually with NO cover charge). This was my third time there and I just love the place. This place continues to hold a permanent spot on on all future itineraries.

* After years of wondering, I finally got the answer to why the Del Taco's in Barstow are so much better than other Del Taco's. Little did I know, Del Taco originated in Barstow. Their bean and cheese burritos are light years better than the one sold around the corner from your house. And they still rock the old school "small" taco salad that my local DT abandoned decades ago. Footnote - the best place to eat after a night of drinking at the aforementioned Divebar is - you guessed it - Del Taco (on Tropicana Blvd, just two blocks away).

* On the subject of fast food, word to the wise...don't eat at In-n-Out in Vegas. Upon hitting town I was hungry and thought "hey lets stop there before checking in"." Well, a 45 minute wait just to order killed that idea. We left immediately. I know some people are obsessed with In-N-Out, but come on people, its just a hamburger. I'm not waiting 45 minutes just to ORDER.

* When its time to hit the pool, of course you have the great scenes at the Hard Rock and the Palms, yet I'm here to tell you the private cabanas at Mandalay Bay make my "Best of Vegas" list. Yep, we'll be back there in September. Great place to get our pre-game drink on.

* Speaking of drinking, Jager bombs should be done in moderation. I probably didn't need to go to Vegas to learn that one though, did I?

* Tired of dropping your money in the casino? How about catching a movie? The theater at the Palms has very comfortable seats. However, you may want to steer clear of "The Goods". Sure, there are some funny lines. Overall, I was extremely disappointed.

* Despite my 8-10 trips to Vegas a year, I'm not much of a gambler. I prefer to spend my money on the more tangible entertainment, rather than leaving it on the tables or in the slots. Like everybody else though, I can't always resist the urge. I dropped a 20 in one of the new Happy Days slot machines this weekend while killing time. Now we've all seen the "bonus" features they've been adding in to the video slots for years. But just when you thought you had seen it all, here's a new one. When you cash out to collect your winnings on this machine, it gives you another bonus. Yes, a bonus when you're getting up to walk away! What?!?! How weird. So I picked one of the five records in the jukebox bonus, which revealed 10 free spins. I won $38. That's a nice little parting gift, especially considering I had already committed to moving on. I'll take $38. Heck, that's another drink at the Foundation Room.

Like the Kings, after reflecting on last year, overall I like what we have. There will be a few tweaks to the itinerary. We'll add a piece here and there, take away a piece or two. Yet, the core will be same. Our itinerary is pretty solid.

Hope to see most of you in Vegas next month for Frozen Fury. As the years go by I remember less about the actual games and more about the surrounding experiences. My peeps never disappoint. In fact, the stories usually get better as the years move on.

One19

Rhyno Crossing Ahead

Quick snapshot (sorry for the quality, its a cellphone).

Ryan Smyth's new Kings helmet in his locker at Heath South.

Just seeing the helmet adds to my enthusiasm for the coming season!


In other player related news...

Saw Dustin Brown and a few other guys (mostly younger players) getting some ice time recently. Brownie was towing players around the ice. Seriously. At first I wasn't sure if I was at a practice for some weird new age circus or if this was an NFL training camp circa 10 years ago (remember when you would see wide receivers running around with mini parachutes on their backs?). Looks like part of the new strength and conditioning program involves the players towing another player (via a 4 ft strap that connects to them from behind). On this particular day Brownie was towing guys (one at a time) from the goal line to the blue line. Sounds short enough, yet probably sucks when you're pulling 200+ lbs.

Frolov was downstairs in the gym working out in a private session with a trainer. He had quite a sweat going. Good to see him there working on getting in shape. Also ran into Dean while watching Frolov and he was just beaming about seeing his core guys in town working out. In fact, he said there was a large group that were at Health South everyday in July. This "camp" (obviously, unofficial...so those are my words not his) ended on July 31st. Looks like some of the guys wanted to go back home for a few weeks before having to return for Hockey Fest and/or the start of training camp. Dean reiterated the story about how shocked he was during his first summer here and none of the team stayed in town to work out and train together. He sees this as a big step towards...you know...getting that "tattoo on their ass." Hopefully more will soon.

On the Frolov contract front, we didn't talk about it at all. However, I just don't see them trading him before January (if at all). It just wouldn't be consistent with Dean's patterns up until now. And if there is one thing he has been, its CONSISTENT. Trading him now just doesn't make sense anyway. He has a low cap hit, puts pucks in the net and finally has a better team around him. Let's wait until mid season to see what kind of shape the Kings are in and then re-evaluate his future. Assuming he hasn't already signed an extension by then. One thing is for sure, its extension or trade by the deadline. NOBODY walks for free!

Finally, Dean did mention they're adding some sort of an outdoor puck shooting machine thing in the next week or so. This will be housed in part of the area that is currently behind the gated VIP parking area. He is a big proponent of finding ways to get the guys to work out and be involved without actually having to suit up and hit the ice. Heck, they do that enough during that season - twice a day on game days. This gets them another way to be involved as a group and hone their skills, without making a full ordeal out of it. He says baseball has been doing things like this for years and strongly believes it will help the team moving forward. Little things like this go along way and are really off the radar of what most people see or think about when evaluating the progress the Kings have been making the last few years.

While we might take Health South for granted, one former Kings player recently told me it might be the nicest facility in the league. The only other "top notch" facility he could think of was in San Jose. Damn Sharks!

The Mayor
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Los Angeles Kings Rumors, News & Upcoming Events

OK, OK, OK - I get it. You guys want some scoops, some gossip and some rumors.

Here you go, this is the latest happenings from inside the Los Angeles Kings organization (non-player related)...

* GRAB YOUR FLIP FLOPS - The Kings are working to put a pre-season game together next year with the Ducks. Seems normal enough right? Well, now ponder the game played on the beach (yes, on ice AT the beach). They're looking at a game in Santa Monica, Manhattan or Redondo. While there is some concern that the capacity will probably be limited to the 6-10k range (ala a pro volleyball event), this is seen as something unique enough that it could generate some hockey buzz in a media market that pretty much ignores the greatest game in town. Should be interesting. Look for more information in the months to come.

* HOCKEY FEST - Looks like they've already made the decision to make this an annual event. A lot of planning has gone into the inaugural one coming up in a few weeks and they're convinced this is a great way to kick off the season going forward. Several other teams around the league do similar events - most are only one day events, nearly all with more expensive tickets. Perhaps they've done their homework and they're prepared to outdo those teams. Good! Should be a nice treat for the fans. The whole thing sounds fun (and is getting better by the day with all of the info being made public). Looking forward to it. One more thing, next year's event will probably be held in the ball rooms of the new hotel at LA LIVE. So next year's event already has one up on this year - it comes with climate control!

* CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? - I for one love the conference calls the Kings have been doing recently with season ticket holders. Great guests, great format, easy to participate, etc. For all you bashers out there, stop ruining my hockey buzz. If you don't like the calls, if you don't like the breakfasts with Dean, just stop going. More importantly, stop bitching. OK, I'm back. Looks like the next call will be with more of the scouting staff and focused on the topic of scouting and player development. Guess I wasn't the only one who liked when Dean explained how the scouts are spread out throughout N.America and Europe on the last call. The positive feedback now has them preparing to dedicate an entire call focused on this side of the business. This is not to be confused with the recently announced "Growing Up Kings" event at Hockey Fest.

* JUNE 2010 - Were you bummed when the Kings cancelled their (what seemed like) annual draft party? Sure, the event a few years ago in Hollywood cost the team A LOT of money. However, there are ways to scale it back and still get a large group of us together to share in the experience of drafting for the future. In fact, one great suggestion floating around out there was to let the Kings Care foundation take over the event and charge a small admission fee ($5-10) to offset the cost. (note: more on Kings Care later). Well, this year it would have been tough to pull off, in part because so much time and effort was being put into Hockey Fest. So, here's the scoop for you...the Kings are actively working with the NHL to secure the bid to host the 2010 ENTRY DRAFT. If they can't pull it together in time for '10, 2011 is the fallback plan. Stay tuned.

* MAKE IT A DOUBLE - Looks like the early reports that the Royal Room would be closing along with Fox Sports Bar are wrong. In fact, according to people inside the Kings, the Royal Room is growing! Hopefully more people in there means shorter lines for me at the regular concession stands.

* ALL IN THE FAMILY - Be on the lookout for a bigger, stronger, more robust alumni presence going forward. Jim Fox and Ian "Hawk" Turnball are working on a new website and have been laying the groundwork for a stronger connection between current fans and former players. As Luc, Dean and others have often mentioned, history is very important. You'll start to see more alumni around and included in events in just a few weeks at Hockey Fest. Then, look for more involvement at Frozen Fury and other events this season. For example, want to have lunch with some former players, play some pick-up hockey or skate with the Kings alumni? It'll probably be possible in the very near future.

Finally, some trivia. Who is the only defenseman in NHL history to score 5 goals in a game? HINT: This guy also is the only Kings defenseman to score 4 goals in a game.

The Mayor
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Report: Doesn't play well with others...

Only one professional hockey team from SoCal made the playoffs this past season, the Ontario Reign (remember, the Ducks don't exist to me - they're a movie, not an NHL team). When I found out that Colten Teubert, the Kings highly regarded prospect, would be lacing 'em up there for the playoffs I knew it was time to go to a few games.

Some buddies and I went to two games.

In the first home game Teubert looked like a beast. You could clearly see this kid had skills a few levels above nearly every other player in the building that night. Sidebar - I always find it somewhat humorous when fans say things like "he was NHL ready". Really? You're confident enough to make that statement after watching a guy play against other people that aren't even close to NHL caliber? Big fish small pond doesn't guarantee success when stepping up. At best, again as a fan, about the only thing you can say is a player (like Teubert that night) is at a level above the people he is playing against.

How quickly things change from game to game...

The man beast that was crushing people and was flat dazzling in game one was nowhere to be found in game two. It was scary how a kid that seemed like he was EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME in game one was NOWHERE to be seen in game two. We later learned that apparently he had some sort of upper body injury at the end of game one (shoulder, arm, can't remember) that somewhat limited him the rest of the series. Still, wow - it was like two different players.

I'm not bashing Teubert or the pick or his future. In Dean We Trust.

Fast forward a few months and it looks like Teubert subscribes to the Jim Rome theory of MAN'S GAME. He is lightn suckers up, smokin fools and all the other phrases that make sports talk radio enjoyable and annoying at the same time. Check out how Teubert was rolling earlier this week in what was basically a SCRIMMAGE(!) for team Canada's WJC team..



NHL ready? Who knows? I'll wait for Coach Murray or Dean or Hex or some other expert to weigh in on that topic. For now, let's all just have fun watching that clip again.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLE:
The Mayor interviews Colten Teubert

note: to watch the full report from that game, follow TSN's coverage here: WJC Summer Camp

Faith - hockey style

Being that it's Sunday I've decided to give a few thoughts on faith.

Since I don't go to church some might say I don't have any faith at all. While others might say that after giving the Kings lots of my money for nearly 20 years that's all I have - faith.

Either way, one thing is for sure. I'm losing faith in the Hockey News.

It's kinda funny. Today I was going to write about my shock and disgust that there is even a debate going on in certain online circles about "if" JR is hall of fame worthy. Come on people, you KNOW I have an opinion on that one (so, I'll get to that debate in a future blog). Yet, while cruising The Hockey News website this week I noticed they're revealing their predictions for the upcoming season. Actually, they're slowly revealing their thoughts, with a new team added daily. You know, to build interest. Oohh, the drama.

While clicking in today I notice they have the Kings ranked #12 in the West. WHAT?

Let's spend a few minutes on this. Last season the teams finished:

1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Vancouver
4. Chicago
5. Calgary
6. St. Louis
7. Columbus
8. Anaheim
9. Minnesota
10. Nashville
11. Edmonton
12. Dallas
13. Phoenix
14. Los Angeles
15. Colorado

THN sees the bottom of the West this year looking like:

12. Los Angeles
13. Minnesota
14. Colorado
15. Phoenix

Again...WHAT?

Assuming that you agree with what most people would say (and why would you, that's no fun...however, in the spirit of keeping this blog relatively short, lets assume that) - San Jose, Detroit and Chicago are the three best teams in the West as we head into the new season.

Those same people would probably say that Calgary, Vancouver and Anaheim are in the second best tier.

So six spots out of 15 are taken. Actually, nine spots are taken because you can slot Phoenix, Colorado and Minnesota in the bottom three.

That leaves six teams - St. Louis (#6 last year), Columbus (#7), Nashville (#10), Edmonton (#11), Dallas (#12) and LA (#14) - to "battle" it out for seeds 7-12 this year.

Can you sensibly make the argument that out of those six teams the Kings will rank dead last this year? NO WAY.

The West is wide open this year, outside of just a few elite teams (and even those teams have some question marks).

What propels this belief? Some misguided eternal faith in the Kings? Perhaps. My unwavering (and growing) faith in Dean? Maybe.

But how about some simple logic. Or, even common sense. Perhaps my dad was right though. He would say "common sense isn't very common at all." Must be true when you have the leading hockey information source in the WORLD putting out garbage like this.

If you're not the optimist or realist that I am or want to be, at best you could say those six teams are all interchangeable. That barring injuries and such, any of those teams could end up in any of the #7 - #12 slots. Even IF I want to follow that train of thought, come on. Give the Kings a little more credit. The goal tending is better coming into this year than it was coming into last season. All of the "kids" have another year of experience. Plus, Dean addressed the two things he said they needed to do this summer - get a top 6 forward and continue strengthening the defense. Check and check.

More importantly for me, they added the missing ingredient that is so often needed. I don't care if you call it character, grit, that extra special something, WHATEVER. It's been missing from this team since guys like Lappy and Deadmarsh were here. I love the kids, yet the one thing I've been dying to see on this team is grit.

Recently I had a conversation with Jim Fox at Healthsouth (yes, I still refuse to call it TSC...and yes, the Angels are not from Los Angeles...hold on, I need to breathe...ok, I'm back). He was talking about how so many of the "experts" love to draw the comparisons between the Kings and the Blackhawks. I was telling him - and now I'm sharing with you - I think the better comparison is right in our own backyard. And I think the comparisons run all the way through the organization. The Kings are the Dodgers of 24 months ago.

Everybody used to complain about McCourt as an owner (until they started winning). People questioned the hiring of the GM and some of his early moves (until they started winning). The boys in blue were full of young talent. Yet, they couldn't win until they added Manny. What is Manny? He is that grit. The guy is a gamer and his teammates feed off of him.

The Kings have finally added some grit, some character, some of the missing ingredient by acquiring Ryan Smyth. Don't get me wrong. He isn't going to put up MVP like numbers ala Manny. However, he is going to be the leader for all of the younger players in LA. And just like the Dodgers, once the Kings start winning people will stop complaining about AEG as owners, they will stop questioning Dean's plan, etc. Winning solves everything. Its been proven time and time again and the Dodgers are just the latest example.

The Kings are back. The wins are coming. Believe me. I have faith. And I have enough common sense to say that the Kings will certainly finish better than #12 in the West this season.

Can I get an amen?

The Mayor
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NOTE: you too can follow the daily drama on THN as they continue to post their rankings by clicking here: The Hockey News 2009-2010 predictions

Less that 30 days...

In baseball they call this the dog days of summer. I think that is even more appropriate for hockey. Its as if the whole NHL world shuts down for the month of August, except of course all of the crazy people who spread false rumors and come up with lame takes on stale stories from the season past or season to come.

This is all such a let down from the excitement of the spring that builds to such a nice peak...even after the playoffs. You have the draft to look forward to - which coincidentally is all about looking forward as your team is picking players that most likely wont even get a sniff on the NHL for at least three years - if ever. Just a few weeks later every fan (well most fans, people following teams like CBJ and Atlanta excluded) prepare to have their minds blown on July 1st when (most likely) their team doesn't sign the big name free agent that nearly every season ticket holder was convinced their team was going to land. It is fun though to speculate who is going where and to see where they all land.

Then...well...then there is August. Man it sucks. NOTHING is going on. We all sit and wait. Here in LA we are waiting for the "debut" of hockey fest. This thing, still not sure exactly what it is and if it will get my hockey buzz going. This thing is just weeks away. They say (don't you just love it when people use "they say" as their basis for sharing information) this thing will become an annual event. That's interesting. If I believe Chris McG, who rarely steers us wrong, this thing will be tons of fun and something we look forward to each year. If he is right, and I have no reason to not trust him, I will...heck, we all will...finally have something to look forward to next August.

OK, I'm done with my rant. Its time to go stare at my jerseys and pick which one to wear to the first preseason game. That's right people, its only about 30 days away. Man I cant wait.

Come back in a few days and I'll have some insider tidbits, lots of juicy gossip and plenty of made up stories. Isn't that what all the other hockey bloggers do?

The Mayor
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2011 Frozen Fury Trivia Answers

* * * WARNING * * *

The article below contains the ANSWERS to the 2011 Frozen Fury Trivia Game.

If you haven't taken the quiz yet, click here to play now .

* * * * * *

2010 Frozen Fury Trivia Game

NOTE:  To keep things simple, each question should be scored as either 'correct' or 'incorrect'.  Single points only, resulting in a final score of 0-10.  No half points or partial credit. 

1. In the history of the Frozen Fury series, the Kings have played three different teams. Name them.

Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks

2. How many wins do the Kings have at Frozen Fury?

Ten

3. Who scored the first Kings goal in Frozen Fury history?

Roman Vopat

4. The 2004 game was cancelled due to the NHL lockout. Who were the Kings scheduled to play that year?

Anaheim Ducks

5. Which Kings player holds the record for the most career points at Frozen Fury...and how many points is it?

Anze Kopitar (nine points - 5 goals, 4 assists)

6. During which year did Frozen Fury weekend actually feature two games, instead of the traditional single game?

1998 or Frozen Fury II (either answer is acceptable)

7. Last year, the Kings won the game 3-2. Who scored the game winning goal for LA?

Ryan Smyth (he did it with 1:34 left in the game)

8. A current member of the Kings starting roster has only been to Las Vegas one time and it was last year for Frozen Fury. Who is that player? (hint: I tweeted this answer last week from training camp)

Willie Mitchell

9. Which one of these players did NOT score a Frozen Fury goal for the Kings - Aki Berg, Glen Murray or Jeremy Roenick?

Jeremy Roenick

10. Who is the only Kings goalie to record a point at Frozen Fury?

Jamie Storr (2000)

BONUS QUESTION: In 1991, the Kings played the New York Rangers in an outdoor game at Caesar's Palace. This game is not recognized as being part of the Frozen Fury lineage. However, it was in Vegas. So, who scored the first LA goal in that game?

Tony Granato


* * * * * * * * * * * *

SCORING: 

Use the chart below to match the number of correct answers you received with your corresponding Kings player from Frozen Fury history:

0 correct = Don MacLean, back to the minors for you
1 correct = Jan Vopat, very few Kings fans know you
2 correct = Doug Zmolek, need to work on your game some more
3 correct = Jaroslav Modry, not bad - you get a few right now and then
4 correct = Jozef Stumpel, meh
5 correct = Eric Belanger, you're a solid two-way player
6 correct = Brian Smolinski, you're a second liner
7 correct = Ziggy Palffy, you just missed the cut for elite status
8 correct = Drew Doughty, you're a legend in the making
9 correct = Rogie Vachon, you'll have your number retired someday
10 correct = Just like Luc Robitaille, you're a Hall of Famer

11 correct (all ten, plus the BONUS question) = like Anze Kopitar, you own Frozen Fury


GAME OVER - click here to return to The Mayor's coverage of Frozen Fury 2011
.

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The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
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2010 Frozen Fury Trivia Answers

* * * WARNING * * *

The article below contains the ANSWERS to the 2010 Frozen Fury Trivia Game.

If you haven't taken the quiz yet, click here to play now .

* * * * * *

2010 Frozen Fury Trivia Game

NOTE:  To keep things simple, each question should be scored as either 'correct' or 'incorrect'.  Single points only, resulting in a final score of 0-10.  No half points or partial credit. 

1. In the history of the Frozen Fury series, the Kings have played three different teams. Name them.

Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks

2. The 2004 game was cancelled due to the NHL lockout. Who were the Kings scheduled to play that year?

Anaheim Ducks

3. Which Kings player holds the record for the most career points at Frozen Fury?

Anze Kopitar (seven points - 4 goals, 3 assists)

4. How many goals has Dustin Brown scored in the Frozen Fury series?

Two

5. Who scored the first Kings goal in Frozen Fury history?

Roman Vopat

6. How many wins do the Kings have at Frozen Fury?

Nine

7. During which year did Frozen Fury weekend actually feature two games, instead of the traditional single game?

1998 or Frozen Fury II (either answer is acceptable)

8. Last year, Ryan was the second Kings player with the last name 'Smyth' to register a point at Frozen Fury. Name the other one.

Brad Smyth (1997)

9. Which one of these players did NOT score a Frozen Fury goal for the Kings - Aki Berg, Glen Murray or Jeremy Roenick?

Jeremy Roenick

10. Who is the only Kings goalie to record a point at Frozen Fury?

Jamie Storr (2000)

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SCORING: 

Use the chart below to match the number of correct answers you received with your corresponding Kings player from Frozen Fury history:

0 correct = Don MacLean, back to the minors for you
1 correct = Jan Vopat, very few Kings fans know you
2 correct = Doug Zmolek, need to work on your game some more
3 correct = Jaroslav Modry, not bad - you get a few right now and then
4 correct = Jozef Stumpel, meh
5 correct = Eric Belanger, you're a solid two-way player
6 correct = Brian Smolinski, you're a second liner
7 correct = Ziggy Palffy, you just missed the cut for elite status
8 correct = Drew Doughty, you're a legend in the making
9 correct = Anze Kopitar, you only stand in the shadow of one man at Frozen Fury
10 correct = Just like Luc Robitaille, you're a hall of famer

GAME OVER - click here to return to The Mayor's coverage of Frozen Fury 2010
.

TRIVIA ANSWERS - Toronto Maple Leafs vs LA Kings 1993

* * * WARNING * * *

The article below contains the ANSWERS to the Toronto vs LA 1993 Trivia Questions.

If you haven't taken the quiz yet, click here to play now .

* * * * * *

NOTE:  To keep things simple, each question should be scored as either 'correct' or 'incorrect'.  Single points only, resulting in a final score of 0-10.  No half points or partial credit. 

Question 1 - Who were the staring goaltenders for both teams?

Answer - Kelly Hrudey (Kings) and Felix Potvin (Leafs)

Question 2 - Who were the head coaches for both teams?

Answer - Barry Melrose (Kings) and Pat Burns (Leafs)

Question 3 - The Kings coach had a relative on the Leafs. Who was he?

Answer - Wendel Clark was the first cousin of Melrose.

Question 4 - In game one there was a famous incident that happened, where a Kings player did something of significance to one of the Leafs. What was it and who were the two players involved?

Marty McSorley put a hit on Doug Gilmour that the Leafs weren't too happy about.

Question 5 - The Leafs won game one by a score of 4-1. Who won game two?

Answer - Kings defeated the Leafs 3-2 in Toronto

Question 6 - Game five went to overtime. Who scored the winning goal and for which team?

Answer - Glenn Anderson (Leafs)

Question 7 - Prior to game six a noted Canadian journalist called out Wayne Gretzky. What was the gist of his now infamous quote?

Answer - Bob McKenzie said that Gretzky was playing like he had a piano on his back.

Question 8 - There was a controversial call in game six involving Gretzky. Who was the referee and what happened?

Answer - Leafs fan will forever claim that Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour, on a call that referee Kerry Fraser missed

Question 9 - Gretzky had a hat trick in game seven, plus added an assist for good measure. After scoring LA's first goal, which Kings player did he set up for the second goal of the game?

Answer - Tomas Sandstrom

Question 10 - When celebrating the game seven (and series) victory in the locker room after the game, Luc Robitaille was shown kissing another member of the Kings organization. Who was it?

Answer - Dave Taylor

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SCORING KEY:

Use the chart below to match the number of correct answers you received with your prize or penalty:

Less than four correct = You deserve to fight Wayne Simmonds
Four correct = If Gretzky passed you the puck, you'd probably whiff
Five correct = You're going to be a healthy scratch next game
Six correct = You're starting on the third line next game
Seven correct = McSorley would be proud of you
Eight correct = You remember more than Barry Melrose
Nine correct = You'll be getting extra power play time next game
Ten correct = Where's your Kings tattoo? You're a super fan!

Be sure to check out this recap of the series, including quotes from several players - Reliving '93 - When Mullets Were Cool.  It was one of our most popular articles last season.

The Mayor
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