10 Tidbits on Drew Doughty

Teenagers aren't supposed to play in the NHL, especially on defense. Most scouts will tell you because of the complexities of the position, the majority of young d-men won't mature until about 24-25. Tonight in Carolina, on game two of the Kings current five game road trip, young Drew Doughty will play in his 100th NHL game. Even more remarkable than the quantity of games played BEFORE his 20th birthday is the quantity of minutes played - he led the Kings and all NHL rookies with nearly a 24 minute average last season and continues to lead the team most nights this season.

(Doughty's first hockey card, age 4)
In celebration of what is sure to be many milestones to come for Drew, let's take a closer look at the guy teammates call Dewy:

Born in London, Ontario, Canada. It's quite the hotbed of hockey. Other NHLers from London - Jeff Carter (Philly), Joe Thornton (San Jose) and Eric Lindros (multi-teams).

Numbers Game - wore #3 when playing for Team Canada at the World Championships last Spring. Growing up he wore #99 in honor of his childhood idle - Wayne Gretzky. Then, briefly wore #19 for Joe Sakic. With his Junior team (Guelph) and here in LA he wears #8 (taken from his birthday (Dec 8).

Was taken second overall by the Kings in the 2008 draft. It could end up being a very memorable 1st round for defenseman. Other key guys taken that day - Colten Teubert (Kings #13), Zach Bogosian (Atl #3), Luke Schenn (Tor #5) and probable Calder candidate this season, Michael Del Zotto (NYR #20)

Prior to the draft E.J. McGuire, the NHL's director of Central Scouting, said that Doughty is "a defenseman around which a team is going to build the next 10 years." Yep.

Won gold with Team Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championships, where he was named Top Defenseman of the tournament. He was just the fifth Canadian d-man to win the award (Marc Staal 2006, Dion Phaneuf 2005, Bryan McCabe 1995, Gord Kluzak 1982) and the first to win it before being drafted into the NHL. Also played for his native country at the 2009 World Championships (earned silver medal), the 2007 World Junior Under-18 Championships and the 2006 World Junior Under-17 Championships. Also has an outside chance of making the very deep roster that will represent Team Canada at the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver. Participated in the initial training camp in August and will anxiously await the final roster announcement on December 31st.

Other awards - was voted Best Offensive Defenseman in the 2007 and 2008 OHL Coaches Poll (Guelph, Juniors) and was also named to the OHL All-Rookie Team in 2005-06. Selected to participate in the YoungStars game at the '09 NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal. After his rookie campaign in the NHL was named to the '08-09 All-Rookie Team.

Offensively minded - tied for first among NHL rookie defensemen last season with 27 points and 21 assists. This was after he put up 50 points (13-37=50) in 58 regular season games during his final campaign with the Guelph Storm.

Was called out by former Kings forward and current broadcaster, Jim Fox, after the first game of the current season. In an article HERE Foxy called it Drew's "worst game as a King."

Making history - made his NHL debut on Oct 11, 2008 vs. San Jose. Recorded first NHL point with a goal Oct. 20, 2008 vs. Colorado.

Under contract - He is currently in the second year of his initial three year deal, earning $875k per year. He'll be a restricted free agent at the end of next season. If you're placing a bet, put it all down that he isn't going anywhere!

100 and counting. Keep 'em coming Drew. You're the foundation of what is arguably the most promising group of young d-men currently assembled by any NHL team. The Kings are in good shape for many years to come with you minding the blue line.

In closing, it should also be noted that Michal Handzus will be playing in his 700th NHL game tonight too. The signing of Handzus was universally panned when first announced a few summers ago after he was given a four year deal - at a time when he was coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Although his first season as a King was nothing to write home about, near the end of that year you could start to see he was slowly regaining his pre-surgery form. That was confirmed last year when he had a remarkable bounce back season. The chemistry formed with Alexander Frolov has continued this year and many now see what Dean Lombardi was banking on when he first signed him...a solid two way center. Congrats Zeus on game #700.

The only number that could be more meaningful tonight is one. As in "wins: one in a row." If you prefer the number two, that could work also. As in "the end of the two game losing streak" or "two points." Either will do.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor


RELATED ARTICLES

10 Tidbits on Dustin Brown - the Kings captain scores NHL goal #100

10 Tidbits on Wayne Simmonds - yearning for top six minutes

10 Tidbits on Willie Mitchell - a story of pickles and burgers

10 Tidbits on Alex Ponikarovsky - we welcome Poni Boy to LA, Hollywood style

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20 Questions with #20 - Interview with Luc Robitaille

From the 1984 NHL Entry Draft to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. From his 500th goal in 1999 to his retirement in 2006. Kings fans have been watching Luc Robitaille for two decades now. He's strayed from Los Angeles a few times, yet his heart always belonged to the Kings. Today marks another milestone in the incredible career of the young kid from Montreal who grew up to become the greatest left wing of all time.

Prior to his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame later today, we had a chance to sit down with Luc...we went all the way back to the beginning and tried to cover everything in between...it was 20 Questions with #20:

Recently the Kings had a Dad's Trip, something they didn't do back when you were playing. Yet, the bond between father and son was still important - especially when you're younger. Do you remember any advice your dad gave you prior to being drafted?

My dad never said much to me about playing. He never missed a practice or a game. I think there was one game in Juniors though where he said "I drive two hours to watch you everyday. I don't care if you play bad, but you have to work hard." It never happened again. I didn't want to disappoint him.

You had a great career at Hull (Junior Hockey), you were the player of the year in 85-86 and the the CHL later created an award named after you (The Luc Robitaille Trophy). Now, its given to the team that scores the most goals in a season. The Kings have drafted six guys that have played for a team that won the award...
Wow, I didn't know that.

Well, I'm not sure if its a good thing Luc, none of those prospects have panned out yet.
(He laughs) Hang in there. Sooner or later one of them will work out.

There isn't a 'Luc' jinx?
No, no, no. Don't say that. One of them will pan out. (he laughs some more)

Well, Nicolas Deslauriers was taken in the third round this year...
Yeah, he's a real good player. He had a pretty good season.

So I shouldn't mention the possibility of a jinx to Dean?
No, no. Don't mention it to him. (More laughter)


In 1986 you beat Ron Hextall for the Calder Trophy. Do you like to tease him about that now that you guys work together?

No, I never do. That's something I should though. I've never teased him about that. I tease him about a few of the goals I scored on him though. He said he doesn't remember any of them, but I say I do and I can show him the video. I know he remembers.

After your second season with the Kings the big trade went down for Wayne. Do you remember how you found out he would be your teammate and what your thoughts were at the time?
Bruce McNall called me the day before the trade was about to happen and I still wasn't sure it was really going to happen. The next day I was in Montreal when it happened and I had to do a couple hundred interviews. There was no way to get a hold of Wayne because of the press conference, so people starting asking me questions.My thoughts were pure excitement. I idolized Wayne, so to get the best player in the game was great. That was the most excited I ever was in my career about getting a new player on my team. To be able to watch him day in and day out was just amazing.

The Kings had a great season in 1990-91, winning the Smythe Division. How close was that team to threatening for the Cup? When I talked with Kelly Hrudey recently he said he thought the Edmonton Oilers were what held you guys back; that those guys just had something special and it was hard for you guys to get past them.
Well, I think every year once we got Wayne we thought about it. You know we had John Tonelli, Kelly Hrudey, Mike Krushelnyski, Larry Robinson. We had good stay at home defenseman in Tom Laidlaw and Tim Watters. We felt every year we had a shot that year. That being said you never know. But, we felt that way every year.

As far as the Oilers, well - we beat them in the playoffs one year, they beat us the next year. They still had a good aura. But we had some good runs against them. I actually thought Calgary and Edmonton both gave us the most problems.

In the '92-93 season Gretzky was hurt and you were given the 'C'. Many people have said that you played differently as the captain. Do you think so?
I think so. Barry Melrose gave me a lot of respect with that. To tell you the truth, it was my first time in LA playing on the top line. All the years prior I was always on the second like. So that changed a lot of my responsibilities. I remember Barry asking me to work hard every day and it certainly paid off. I enjoyed the responsibility.

The following year the Kings missed the playoffs and then things got weird. There was a lockout, you were traded to the Penguins. Did having Tomas Sandstrom in Pittsburgh make the transition any easier for you?
Well, I knew Howard Baldwin. When I went there he treated me real well. I had a fairly decent year, about a point a game. We had a good run in the playoffs. We lost to New Jersey and they won the cup that year. I enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh. The only reason I left was Howard went to my agent - because of the lockout I was able to file for arbitration - he wasn't going to be able to pay me. We didn't know at the time, but he was in trouble financially. He did me a favor and sent me to New York.

Let's talk about your time as a Ranger. You got the chance to play with the guy that many people claim is the best captain in all of sports, Mark Messier. What did you learn from him?
I learned a lot from Mark. I was really impressed with how hard he worked every game, he was such an impact on every game. What impressed me the most though was the way he lead. He lead with a constant positive thoughts. If you worked hard and you were honest, you were part of Mark's group. If you weren't working hard and you weren't honest, you were just literally out. That's why Mark won so many cups because of the way he lead. He was definitely one of the best leaders I ever played with.

In August of '97 one of Dave Taylor's first moves as the new GM of the Kings was to bring you back to Los Angeles. How excited were you at the time?
I was excited. Dave talked to me right away. I knew what was expected of me in LA. Larry Robinson was the coach, it was a good fit. Unfortunately, I was hurt the first year. I played with a bad groin, a hernia, for a long time. Then I had to have hernia surgery. But the team played well. We were staring to build a team. That was fun.

The last year at the Forum, in '98-99, you went out with a bang - playing all 82 games and scoring 39 goals, the most you had put up in five years. Was that intentional?
Like I said, the year before I had the hernia surgery and I was not feeling good about my game. It was hard to play with a bad groin all year. Then once I fixed my hernia I got into a new training program. I got a lot stronger and bigger. That's when the players were getting faster and bigger. Literally I changed my career that summer. I probably added ten years to my career that summer.

A lot of fans still don't understand what happened in the summer of 2001 and why the Kings didn't resign you. What can you share?

I still don't quite know what happened either. I thought we had a great run. When it comes down to a contract its always about one guy. I had a great year. I was 11th in scoring in the league. We had done everything right. But then I was offered a pay cut. I wasn't expecting a huge...um...I don't know what I was expecting. But I was expecting something. When I was offered a pay cut - you know - that never happens to the leading scorer on your team. I was really disappointed. It happened 24 hours before the July deadline. It was certainly weird the way it happened. There was not a lot of communication. I didn't understand it. But at the time I wasn't going to go and shop myself around. I was going to go for the team that really wanted me. So that's what I let the Kings know at the time - I said "If you want me, you have until tomorrow to sign me" and that was going to be it for me. They never called me back.

You went on to win the Cup in Detroit your first season there. Then, at the end of your second season the team was swept by Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs. You were about to be a free agent again. Do you remember your first thoughts about what you were in store for?
I don't really remember. We were so disappointed in the way that season ended. We knew we had a good team and we knew it wasn't going to last forever. That summer, Ken Holland sat me down. He's a very special person. Once that happened I knew I was going to be a free agent.

Your wife, Stacia, has always been so supportive throughout your career. What were her thoughts when you told her you had a chance to come back to LA to finish your career?
Tim Leiweke had mentioned to me previously that when my deal was up he wanted me to finish my career in LA. So Stacia and I planned on calling Tim. I knew he would live up to his word. He has been so good to me and my family through the years. It wasn't really much of a surprise at that point.

After your final game (up in San Jose) the Sharks players and coaches came onto the ice to congrats you. Did that surprise you at all?
It really surprised me and at the same time it was one of the proudest moments of my career. teammates and your opponents are the people that know the price you pay to play every day. And I know I played my career in an honest way, the right way. So when they did that it was special. It certainly was one the greatest memories of my career. Sometimes the little things make you feel good about situations. That was a big thing for me. I remember Big Joe Thornton approaching me and he spoke very highly of my career and that meant a lot to me.

Regarding the Hall of Fame festivities, what are you most nervous about?
I just don't want to screw up the speech. i want to make sure everything goes smooth in that way. I don't want to forget anybody. I'm not really nervous. Its such a great honor. I'm just going to be happy to be part of it and to enjoy every single moment because it never happens again. Its going to be such a blur though. They told me they're going to keep me.

Tell us about the Omaha Lancers. Your part owner with Mario Lemieux, right?
Yes. I always wanted to give back to Juniors. I played in the US my whole career. When this team was available in Omaha we started looking into the USHL. We started getting familiar with Junior Major in the US and the chance for kids to go to college. I really liked that concept. Its been fun.

You were recently on NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's radio show. Why do you think he gets booed so much around the league?
They've booed every commissioner in the history of sports, ever since the first sport was created. I remember the fans used to boo John Ziegler when he was commissioner. Its just the way it is. I think they get a kick out of it. But Gary has done a lot of stuff throughout his time with the NHL. He's made a lot of changes. Fans all have their opinions. But at the end of the day, what Gary has done with our league he has helped make it so that we compete at a higher level every night, the buildings are fuller now than ever before, he's done an amazing job - but, there's not a commissioner that doesn't get booed. If you get the job of Commissioner, you have to expect to be booed - everywhere.

If you were the Commissioner, what one thing about the game would you look to change?
Oh gosh. well, we all like to play Commissioner. But the one thing I would like to do - we all talk about improving tv - the one thing I like to do is get rid of the hurry up faceoffs. Give more time to talk about and tell stories about our great players between whistles.

Fans in Los Angeles obviously loved you Luc. They get your autograph on just about anything. What about for you, is there any important memorabilia you've kept from your career?

Its kinda funny because when I was younger I didn't keep much. When I'd get a jersey or something I'd give it to my mom, but I never thought much about it. Once I started having kids I thought Man I gotta start keeping stuff. So I have some stuff in boxes. I kept some stuff when I won the Cup. Believe it or not when we were going to the Finals in '93 I was keeping a lot of stuff. I just had a feeling. The funny thing is, in that series my wife...she knew everybody in the arena and she came to all the games. Most of the time she'd forget her ticket, but they knew where she sat. So, that year in the playoffs I forgot to give her tickets for the first round. She was bugging me to give her the tickets for the second round and I forgot again. By the time we got to third round I said I'm not giving them to you! I remember thinking that's probably the only uncut tickets in existence. So when we made the Finals I said Man if we win the cup this is going to be awesome.

You've stated that helping the Kings win a Stanley Cup is your number one priority as team President. What other goals have you set for yourself?
Our fans deserve for us to put a product...and to be a franchise...that acts like one of the top franchises in pro sports. When Mr. Anschutz and Mr. Leiweke gave me this job they let us have people working for the Kings 365 days a year. We take a lot of pride in giving great service to our fans and we're trying to be at the forefront of things, like what we're doing on the internet. We're trying to do as much stuff as possible to be a successful franchise, on and off the ice. Look at what Dean has done too, like redoing the locker room for the second time in two years. We're trying to treat the players with a lot of class. When you look at other teams, like the Dodgers or the Detroit Red Wings, they do all the little things right. That's what we're looking at. That's our goal.

Thanks Luc. Congratulations on your well deserved honor.

Luc Robitaille, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.



The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Word Association with Luc Robitaille - talking teammates and opponents

Interview with Seth Ambroz of the Omaha Lancers - probable 2011 first round pick

Interview with Rob Blake

Interview with Kelly Hrudey

Interview with Robb Stauber
To read other interviews we've done with Luc here on Mayors Manor, simply type his name into the search box near the top left corner of this page.

Players Speak Out on Luc

Yesterday we published an article with Luc's thoughts on a variety of guys he played with - from the three other members of this year's Hall of Fame class, to guys wearing Kings jerseys.

Today the roles are reversed. Here are a few comments we've collected from guys that played with or against Luc. They wanted to share their thoughts on Mr Lucky:

Kelly Hrudey - First off, he worked hard at scoring goals. You can't say that about every player, even though scoring is one of the main objectives in hockey. He worked harder than anybody I played with. Sometimes he was annoying actually. In practice he'd be over in the corner when it wasn't his turn and he would still be firing pucks. He'd ring one off my ankle or a rebound would end up in front of me. I'd be trying to stop the guy coming in on me and I'd be stepping on pucks that Luc was shooting. I would constantly give him a hard time about this. All in all though, I have the utmost respect for his game preparation.

Marcel Dionne - He was a solid player from the day I first met him. I've always liked his game and him as a person. He was so committed to the game and came every night with all he had. I told him I'd be there to see him at the Hall of Fame no matter what.

Bernie Nichols - I have a lot of memories from the early days. We were so young. One of the funniest was the story we told (at HockeyFest) about Luc trying to start at fight during training camp. I had to stop it. I thought Dan (Brennan) was going to kill him. Luc just tried to scored goals after that experience.

Mike Modano - The one thing I remember most about Luc is he had the ugliest looking stick, the curve the shape of the blade. I’d look at that while playing him and think he must be really good to be able to do all that with that stick!

Jim Fox - A few things come to mind. First, Luc said he remembers reading a book in which Mike Bossy talked about just shooting for the middle of the net to make sure you hit the net. Luc must have been a bad aim, because he sure hit a lot of corners for a guy that was just trying to hit the middle of the net. Also, his incredible hand and wrist strength. He rarely took the stick back more than parallel to the ice, but he was able to generate so much power with half a swing.

Luc has tons of fans. Even former players love the guy.

One19

www.twitter.com/Mayor119

Word Association with Robitaille - Luc on His Teammates

Each group of players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame has a uniqueness about it. Occasionally, guys that were rivals during their playing days are enshrined during the same year. However, rarely does a player going in share the stage exclusively with guys he called teammates during his career. Luc Robitaille is once again Lucky, as he has played with all three of the other members that make up the class of 2009.

Before heading to Toronto he shared a few thoughts with us on each of them...

Steve Yzerman - Along with Mark Messier, he was one of the best leaders I ever played with. Stevie is right up there. He had to lead a group of primadonnas when I was in Detroit. We were a bunch of superstars. But somehow, they way Stevie is, how hard he works, how humble he is...made it that we all excepted a role and played for one cause, which was winning. Certainly for me he is one of the players I have the most respect for that I ever played with. I think very, very highly of him.

Brett Hull - For me to play with him was the ultimate. I had always watched him throughout my career and wondered how he got so much of an opening on the ice. To see him day in and day out, to see how much he loved the game...how much he put into it. People don't realize how much he put into it because he always seemed to be that relaxed guy, so loosey goosey - but he worked hard at being really good at his game.

Brian Leetch - Obviously, he was one of the best defensemen to ever play the game. But what impressed me the most was in those days we didn't have time sheets. We didn't know how many minutes a guy was playing. If I were to guess, when I was there (in New York) he was playing 35 minutes a game and he never missed a practice. Never took a day off. One of the hardest workers I ever played with.

The greatness of those three guys is obvious, as all three are headed into the Hall this Monday. Additionally, Luc had the chance to play with other legends, like Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne and Mark Messier during his career. Yet, I wondered if there was one guy that he didn't get to play with that when looking back over his career he really wished he could have...Luc wasted no time in answering:

Mario. When I went to Pittsburgh, Mario didn't play that year. When the lockout happened my first year there it changed my contract situation. They wanted me to come back and they kept trying to entice me with the thought of playing with Mario. Because of the lockout though my option year wasn't going to be a factor. My agent filed for arbitration like he was supposed to. Because of that, at the time I was the only player to have scored 40 goals eight straight seasons, so they knew we had a good case. When they figured out they weren't going to be able to resign me, that's when they traded me to New York. But if I had gotten to play with Mario it certainly would have been special.

Finally, for a little fun, we played word association using current and former Kings. Here were Luc's answers:

Jim Fox - he's quick, like a fox
Marcel Dionne - like a father figure to me
Tiger Williams - I was scared of him
Steve Duchesne - good friend
Kelly Hrudey - great goalie under pressure
Tomas Sandstrom - what a competitor
Tony Granato - great person
Robb Stauber - crazy goalie, couldn't believe the way he would run at guys
Marty McSorley - worked hard, put everything into being a better player
Dustin Brown - a pure power forward
Ian Laperriere - one of the greatest teammates you could have
Matty Norstrom - a really great roommate
Rob Blake - one of the greatest people I know, good leader
Adam Deadmarsh - played the game the right way
Sean Avery - my little puppy (he laughs)
Jeremy Roenick - great player, amazing guy in the locker room
Anze Kopitar - great future with the Kings
Alexander Frolov - underrated, a pure goal scorer

We'll have more on Luc leading up to the Hall of Fame ceremonies on Monday.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES

20 Questions with #20 - an interview with Luc Robitaille

Interview with Rob Blake

Interview with Kelly Hrudey

Interview with Marcel Dionne

High / Low with Luc

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High / Low with Lucky Luc

For many hockey fans Toronto is the center of the universe. There's no denying that's true for at least the next few days as four of the greatest players ever will be inducted into the Hockey Fall of Fame there on Monday. They all have something special about them. Yet, Luc Robitaille is just a little different than the rest. We all know the story of the ninth round draft pick that went on to become the highest scoring left wing in NHL history. But for the Kings organization and it's fans its the first time truly one of their own is being enshrined. Dionne and Gretzky had great years in LA and are key parts of the team's history. However, Luc was selected by the Kings and grew up right before our eyes. He is Los Angeles. He is a King.

Right before Luc and his family headed off to Toronto for the festivities this weekend he spent some time with Mayors Manor and reflected on his playing days. We'll be publishing a series of articles over the weekend reviewing various parts of his career. To start things off, let's look at what Luc said were the Highs and Lows of his career:

HIGHS

• My first game in the NHL
• The Gretzky trade in '88
• My entire career in Los Angeles

note: I had to interject here with "Interesting, Luc. You left the cup off the list." He said "yeah" with a real drawn out pause, as if to rethink his answer. Then he said "Well, I guess you could put it down as an asterisk, you know." Funny thing was, I had the impression he wasn't being sarcastic. It really struck me.

LOWS

• Leaving LA the first time
• The Stanley Cup Finals in '93
• Being traded in 1994 after playing with a broken ankle

Luc wasn't just a player. He's always been a fan of the game too. And fans connected with him because of it. So, it's only fitting that a few of his highs and his lows would match up with those of many Kings fans. The connection lives on.

It was a pleasure to watch Luc play the game he loved so much. I'm sure I'm probably not the only person in Los Angeles who can say this, but...thanks, Luc - you helped me love love the game a little more too.

We were the lucky ones.

One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

other MayorsManor articles surrounding Hall of Fame weekend:

20 Questions with Lucky - the full interview
Luc on his teammates
Players speak out about Luc

A Different Type of Payback

First of all, everybody breathe. It's only one game. Two points, that's all the Kings received for the victory.

Now that said, damn what a victory it was. Sure, people love to brag about beating the Stanley Cup champions...but, two things come to mind. One, you didn't beat them FOR the Stanley Cup. Big difference! Two, in a regular season game things happen. A lucky bounce here, a bad call there. Things happen.

And that my friends is what makes last night's game so special. It wasn't just a lucky win. The Kings were down 2-1 going into the third with the deck stacked against them. Besides playing the defending champions, they were playing a team riding a perfect 7-0 streak on the road this year. Plus, they were facing one of the best goalies in the world right now. The guy that could be starting for Team Canada when the Olympics roll around in February. Somebody must have forgot to tell the Kings though because they came out and took over the game - again. In the last two games they've now outscored their opponents 7-0 in the third period.

The win also provided a payback of sorts. After the Malkin hit on Simmonds last year many fans had circled this game when the schedule came out in July. There was a receipt coming all right. It just came in a different form.

A few other thoughts on the celebratory experience from downtown last night:

While it was a team victory, with 10 different Kings getting points in the game... damn that Anze Kopitar is making life fun again in LA. Both goals were pure joy.

Marcel Dionne talks about confidence being everything to a player. Well, the Kings must be full of it right now. Proof - last year's team would have folded after going down 2-1 in the second. This team regrouped and ran over their opponent in the third.

At the end of the day (an expression I've never heard used more by anybody than AEG executive Tim Leiweke) the 3 Stars of the Game don't mean anything. Yet, I have to strongly disagree with the selections last night. Yes, Dustin Brown had another solid game. However, Jonathan Quick was the #2 star behind Kopi. He kept the Kings in that game time and time again. Just ask Bill Guerin.

Former King Dan Blysma ('95-'00) gets a lot of pub the job he's done as head coach of Pittsburgh (and rightfully so). But, who ever saw this coming? Let's be honest, as a player, this was a guy that Barry Melrose would have called a "plumber" or a "pipe fitter." Now he's wearing a ring. Oh by the way, his assistant this year is another former King - Tony Granato.

Stat Check: (ONE) Somebody should look up the minutes on Ivanans. It seemed like he played 15 minutes in the first period alone. Wow! (TWO) At the other end of the talent spectrum... Crosby was held to just one shot on goal in the entire game. Sid the Kid began the night leading the team in penalty minutes - because you know, nothing says Captain like leading from the box. He added to his totals with a tripping call midway through the third. Fortunately, the Kings didn't take this game to a shootout, where Crosby is a perfect 4 for 4 this season. (THREE) Pitt d-man Mark Eaton was -3 for the night. Ouch! That'll make a bad night worse.

This brief home stand concludes Saturday vs. another Western Conference team looking to battle the Kings for a playoff spot this year, the Nashville Predators. Kings Killer - Steve Sullivan - only has two goals this year in 14 games. Can Quick find a way to shut him down? The game isn't on TV, so get off the couch and get to Staples Center by 1pm for the drop of the puck.

Monday the Kings head out on the road for a brutal 5 games in 8 days. With the way the team has played this week, maybe the front office should look into extending the dad's trip.

One19

www.twitter.com/Mayor119

"We Need to Win it for Scuds"

That's what Ryan Smyth said when asked about tonight's game against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.

If that's the extra motivation the Kings need to beat the Pens tonight, so be it. However, there are plenty of other reasons if that alone doesn't do the trick:

• Other teams in the West - Colorado and San Jose to name a few - continue to pick up points and keep the race tight. Two points is two points. LA needs them.
• Keep the streak alive - the Kings are 5-0-2 in their last seven games.
• End the streak - the Pens are a perfect 7-0 on the road this year. It may be an early season game, but don't you think a few people around the league would stand up and take notice if LA won tonight? Not to mention the confidence it would give the Kings.
• The hit - so much has been written about the Malkin / Simmonds thing from last Spring already. Even though Malkin won't be playing tonight, the motivation is there.
• Top line in Top shape - in their last game together (a reunion of sorts), the Smyth-Kopitar-Williams line picked up right where they left off. Each guy had a goal and the unit looked sharp. How many points will they get tonight? It's going to be tough. They're playing an elite goalie in Fleury, who boasts 1.98 goals-against average in his three games vs LA.

The puck drops at 7:30pm.

Tickets are still available for some crazy reason.

One19

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Attn: Ducks Fan

Go Kings.

10 Tidbits on the bday boy - Dustin Brown

Dustin Brown is the youngest player to ever where the "C" for the LA Kings.

A New York native, he played junior hockey rather than going to college.

He claims to have been a better lacrosse player than hockey player growing up. But hey, things seem to have worked out OK for him. It's just hard to believe he's only 25 years old, as it seems like he's been suiting up for the Kings for a decade now.

In honor of his birthday today, we give you 10 Tidbits on Brownie:

• Was selected in the first round, #13 overall, of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. For a team that has been criticized for decades about trading away their picks, it was an odd year for the Kings. They had three first round picks. Brown was the only one who panned out.
• The Guelph days - He wore #32 for his Junior team, the Storm. They also claim Dan Cloutier and Drew Doughty as former players. Brown left with 194 points (and 195 penalty minutes) in 174 games. He also left with quite a few awards - Scholastic Player of the Year all three years he was in Guelph, was voted the most popular player on the Storm in 2001-02 and was the Top Scorer in 2002-03.
• Becoming a fixture on Team USA - played twice at the World Junior Championships ('02 and '03), totalling 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 14 games. Alexander Frolov's Russian team beat Canada for the gold in 2002, with Brown's US squad finishing fifth. Then in 2003, the US lost the Bronze Medal game to Finland. He's also played for Team USA four times at the World Championships that take place late in the Spring each year. Last April he was named captain of the team and they finished fourth in the standings.
• Regarding the NHL lockout in 2004 he said "It was a blessing in disguise for me. I loved my time in Manchester. I learned a ton about how to be a pro."
• His wife also had a stellar hockey career before settling down with Dustin and becoming a full-time mom.
• In baseball you would call him a five-tool player. Brownie has it all - the ability to score, play defense, dish out big hits...and he's even been known to drop the gloves when needed (see clip below)
• 2007-08 led the Kings in goals with 33.
• 2008-09 was a monumental year for Brown. He was the first American born player ever chosen to captain the Kings, he played in his first NHL All Star Game and in December '08 he scored his first hat trick against St Louis. After the game against the Blues, the always humble Brown said "I felt like I'd been in a slump. I was getting chances, but the pucks weren't going in. So, I was just trying to keep it simple and putting pucks on the net. That's what we need as a team, throwing pucks at the net."
• On January 1, 2010 - live on NBC, during the NHL Winter Classic game - it'll officially be announced that Brown is headed to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver as part of Team USA.
• He is currently under contract with the LA Kings through June, 2014. While it has never been officially confirmed, it is believed he has the LA Kings logo "tattooed on his ass" like GM Dean Lombardi has said he needs his players to have.

Happy Birthday #23. Fans throughout Staples Center appreciate what you do on a nightly basis to help the Kings win and are proud to call you THE CAPTAIN.

The Mayor
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Added Bonus - some footage of a little Captain on Captain crime:

High / Low: Marcel Dionne

As the season wears on, we're pushing forward here at MayorsManor too. Last week former Kings netminder Kelly Hrudey stopped by to give us his take on the young NHL season. In honor of the festivities coming up this weekend, we decided to talk to not only a former Kings legend, but a Hall of Famer - the original King of Kings, Marcel Dionne. Throughout his career and post hockey life Marcel has never been shy about his views on the league, the game, former teammates...you name it, he'll give you his honest thoughts.

Here's what the great #16 had to say about the first month of play in the NHL:

HIGHS

• Pittsburgh Penguins - Look at the way they've started the season, like playing all those games last year didn't hurt them a bit. The short summer didn't bother them. It's so tough to repeat, yet they look like they're headed to the same place. It's even more amazing because they lost some key players. Those guys compete at a very high level every night.
• Washington Capitals - They play the game the way I liked to play the game. Just drop the puck and go...and keep going the whole game. Their coach, Bruce Boudreau, doesn't seem to care if they win 8-6. He just wants them to compete hard every game. That's fine with me. The only question mark on that team is the goaltending. Do they have enough to go all the way?
• Los Angeles Kings - I'm not just saying this to you, they are so, so close. I was disappointed in the way they played on opening night, but they've turned it around since then. They did lose a few on the start of that long road trip, then came back and won four in a row. I'm just happy for their fans. They've been fed such b.s. for so long and always seem to be rebuilding. There are great fans in Los Angeles. Fans that are really loyal. Right now they're playing like I thought they would this year. Kopitar is amazing.

LOWS

• Toronto Maple Leafs - What do I need to say? It's been terrible.
• Montreal Canadians - I don't think they have enough. With the 100th anniversary and everything the expectations were so high. I don't even think they'll make the playoffs. They're barely winning games. It's too bad they didn't get Vinny Lecavalier from Tampa Bay. He looks totally lost down there. I cant read him. But with their ownership situation and everything going on, he needs to get out of there and try it somewhere else. His confidence might be shot. As I've always said, confidence is everything to a player.
• The NHLPA - The whole debacle with the Player's Association makes me sick. This thing has been a mess for a long, long time. A definite low.

There you have it, straight from the mouth of one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Marcel Dionne played for the LA Kings from 1975 to 1987. He was only the third player in history to tally over 700 goals, finishing his career with 731. Dionne is in the top 10 of almost every major offensive category for the Kings. His number was retired to the Forum rafters in 1990 and two years later he took his rightful place along side all of the other hockey legends in the Hall of Fame.

One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119