Rookie Camp Report: Coach Murray on Andy Andreoff

So far today, we've posted comments from Kings coach Terry Murray on prospects Michael Schumacher (forward, 2011 draft) and Nicolas Deslauriers (defenseman, 2009 draft).

Now, he shares a few thoughts on forward Andy Andreoff, selected by the team in the third round of the this past June's draft.

As you may recall from a recent interview posted with Andreoff, he's an over-age player, meaning he can turn pro this season or go back to the OHL for one more year.

And where he might end up is apparently already on Murray's mind...

"I've asked that question myself already coming into camp because I liked what I saw in the Development Camp in July. He's a pretty gritty guy. He's in everybody's face right away - 'You want to try me out, let's go!' Physically, he's a pretty mature kid. I don't want to talk in-house secrets, but he might be penciled in to be a player who gets a look here in Manchester at the start - go to the (main) camp, get into a couple of exhibition games, see what happens. Then, we can always make a decision from there. To me, he's right on the cusp of being able to make that jump."

Leave it to Murray to change the question. Just when it looked like the majority of attention for the games against Phoenix could be placed on Brandon Kozun and Tyler Toffoli, the coach stirs things up.

Tomorrow night should be fun.

To read Andreoff's interview posted a few days ago, click here.

For thoughts from Murray on some of the other campers this week, use these links - Deslauriers and  Schumacher...and to see what Kozun and Toffoli had to say after day one of camp on Saturday, click here.

Finally, just a reminder - we'll be on hand with live updates and interviews from the Rookie Camp Tournament against the Coyotes tomorrow night and Thursday afternoon.  Be sure you're following along at one of the links below to get all the real-time info.

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

order here --> MayorsManor Store

View the store to see full line of shirts for men and women, dozen of styles and colors

Rookie Camp Report: coach Murray on Nic Deslauriers

After Development Camp in July, Kings coach Terry Murray weighed in with thoughts on several of the team's top prospects - including Brandon Kozun, Jake Muzzin and Christopher Gibson.

Yesterday I spoke with him about one of the other players recently named to our Top 10 Prospects list, defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers..

Murray - "Off the ice your seeing a difference in maturity, physical strength, the testing results, the skating results - which are very demanding tests. Those show improvement. I think Deslauriers, he's a hockey player, his best is always in the game. Sometimes he's resting in his game in practice. But, when you get into a competitive game situation - and we've watched him only a couple of times - his game changes. He's very intense, he's very focused. Again, he's a game player and ultimately that's what we want out of all these guys."

Originally drafted by the Kings at the 2009 NHL Draft (third round), Deslauriers finished last season as the top scoring defenseman in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoffs.

Earlier this summer, he signed a three-year entry level contract with the Kings and is expected to play in Manchester this season (AHL).

To read more of Murray's player evaluations, I've linked to them in the opening paragraph above for your convenience.

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

Rookie Camp Report: Coach Murray on M. Schumacher

Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray spent some time with me yesterday to provide insight on what he's seen from several of the attendees from Rookie Camp.

First up, we take a look at Michael Schumacher. He's the tallest kid in camp and is the only player who came over from Europe to participate. Drafted in the seventh round of this year's NHL Draft, he's scheduled to play in the OHL this season for the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds.

Murray - "I think keeping up with the pace of the play in the camp right now is very demanding for him. So, it's going to be interesting to see how he rebounds. This is kind of a hump day for him and all these young kids, it's a very demanding skate to finish it off. I think when we get into the games (against Phoenix on Wednesday and Thursday), I'm going to watch him very closely. He's a nifty guy and he has lots of skill. I like what I saw in the Development Camp. He's a player who's the perfect example of what a process is all about. He's 6-foot-5. He's going to take time to mature, to get stronger, to catch up with where some of the players already are at this rookie camp. When you start comparing him to the NHL players, clearly on the physical strength and maturity side, he has a long way to go. But, he has skill - and that's something a lot of players don't have.'

After being selected by the Kings in June, Schumacher stopped by MayorsManor for an interview - you can read that conversation by clicking here.

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

  

order here --> MayorsManor Store

View the store to see full line of shirts for men and women, dozen of styles and colors

Gagne - 'Mike Richards is the type of guy I want on my team'

Most old sayings are still around because they're often true.

In the case of 'familiarity breeds contempt' - it may make sense when applied to many other things, yet Simon Gagne sees his relationship with Mike Richards an entirely different way.

"He's a really quiet guy and he's really shy. But, on the ice, he's definitely the type of guy you want to have on your team. He's going to take a check for you. If somebody gives you a cheap shot, he's going to be the first one to go and respond on that. I had a chance to play with him for five years in Philadelphia. Even we he got to the league, he was 20 years old, I think - you could tell though that he was going to be that type of player. That's the perfect model for the type of hockey I think we're going to play here in the West. He's a guy that I want to have on my team when the playoffs come. I'm glad that I'll be able to play with him again."

I'll have more with Gagne up soon, including a TV show that he's been using to get tips on the LA lifestyle, some notes on a few of the 'firsts' he's already experienced as a member of the Kings and he he evaluates the team's training facility compared to those in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

For more on Richards though, check out the links below to read what others have had to say about him recently.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:

Ian Laperriere on what really went down in Philly - Mike Richards vs Chirs Pronger

Exclusive: Jim Fox on LA Kings trade for Mike Richards

Kings captain Dustin Brown on the off-ice value of Mike Richards

LA Kings coach on leadership of Brown, Richards, Gagne

Mike Richards on his hatred for the Rangers, ready for game one of the season

Terry Murray helps temper high expectations for this season

You can call him the voice of reason.

While some fans wanted to pull their hair out as Kings coach Terry Murray calmly stood behind the bench during two disastrous losing streaks last season - lost points that ended up costing the team home ice advantage in the playoffs, but more on that later...GM Dean Lombardi didn't share the same opinion.

Once the season was over, Lombardi praised Murray's composure and calmness when reflecting on those tough times.

If nothing else, Murray has at least been consistent in most areas since talking over as coach here in Los Angeles a few years ago. He drives his points home (defense-first, shot mentality, etc.) until they're heard and his demeanor is usually led by a large degree of patience.

Meanwhile at Hockey Fest yesterday, many of the players were running around talking about the team being talented enough to win the Pacific Division or the Western Conference. Some sounded like they were on the verge of saying 'Stanley Cup or bust.'

And it may very well be true that this year's roster has the depth and mix to win it all. However, Murray didn't want any part of that when we chatted for a few minutes following this morning's Rookie Camp drills.

"We're looking to be a playoff team," Murray began, after I asked for his expectations. "In this league today, with 30 teams, and this Conference - which I think is the most competitive of the two - at the end of the day, on the last day of the season last year, you had Dallas out and Chicago in. The year before it took a shootout for the Flyers to get in and they ended up going right through to the Stanley Cup Finals. It is that close, that competitive and that level of a playing field right now. So, our goal is to be a playoff team. We want to shoot for home ice advantage. We recognize the importance of it."

Matt Greene pulls no punches about Penner's conditioning

Matt Greene (photo: K. Spatz)

This needs to be the final article on Dustin Penner's weight...

Matt Greene loves to joke around. He's sarcastic, witty and has some of the best comebacks you'll ever hear.

However, while on stage at HockeyFest yesterday, he became instantly serious about one topic - Kevin Westgarth's singing ability. Greene swears the Kings resident heavyweight does a mean 'Piano Man' at karaoke night.

Westgarth told me it wasn't good enough to break out at his wedding last month - yet, teammates Kyle Clifford and Jonathan Quick back up Greene's claim.

A few hours later, Greene went into serious mode again when Penner's name came up during a one-on-one conversation we had (which I'll post more of later).

"I've known Pens for a long time and I've been working out with him too," Greene began to explain. "He's not out of shape. He's not fat. He's one of the biggest human beings I've ever seen in my life - when you're talking about things like bone structure. If you look at him, he has a barrel chest of a rib cage and shoulders that are twice the size of any other guy that's about his size. He's a big man, a big skeleton. He's in shape, he's been working hard and doing his job."

As for the critics, Greene had this to add...

Kyle Clifford is not convinced he has spot on the LA Kings

If you think the Kings went though a lot of changes this summer, how about what Kyle Clifford experienced last year?

A small town kid playing junior hockey knocks the socks off the management group of his NHL team, makes the big club, moves to Los Angeles...and starts getting into scraps with men - often much bigger than him - a couple times a week. Oh, and then he starts scoring big goals in the playoffs.

No, this actually happened, we're not describing the plot of some new Disney movie.

Although he's been completely embraced by the fan base and his teammates, Clifford says he's coming into this season with a degree of caution.

"This summer my focus was that there isn't a legitimate spot that I have locked up. So, I want to continue working hard and just get ready for this season. I want to try and make an impact on this team this year."

As with most players, in addition to training, he found time for a few extracurricular activities too.

"Hanging out in small town areas, some people might not think it's exciting," Clifford began. "But, I just kind of kept it simple - bonfires with a lot of friends and family, things like that. I also made it out to a country concert. We took a little three-day camping trip to New York to see Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Jared Neiman. It was a lot of fun."

Emphasising the important role friends play in Clifford's world, he made time to honor one with a tattoo on the inside of his right bicep last month. It's a few simple words in script lettering that will help him remember a close friend who passed away while Kyle was off in the NHL last season.

Bringing it back to the present, yesterday at Hockey Fest, young fans were eager to know more about Clifford during the Kid's Press Conference. Given how quiet he was last year around most of the guys though, I asked if he was a little intimidated or concerned when he found out he'd be up on stage with the always colorful Matt Greene and Kevin Westgarth.

"I was actually pretty excited, that's less talking for me. I don't really like to voice my opinion too much, unless it's needed. So, I was excited that they'd be up there to take over most of the talking."

Truth be told, Clifford ended up doing plenty of talking, answering everything asked of him - including his Halloween costume, what karaoke song he likes to sing, the weirdest thing he's been asked to autograph and much more.

For those that missed the Kings Presser, it was perhaps the highlight of Hockey Fest this year. I'll be sure to post video later this week when the guys over at Kings Vision make it available.

We'll also have plenty more notes and quotes from Hockey Fest later today and throughout the week. In the meantime, be sure to check out some related articles below.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:

LA Kings Dustin Brown at Hockey Fest - 'This year is a different feeling'

Dustin Brown on the off-ice value of Mike Richards

Kyle Clifford helps evaluate the Kings' rookies

Matt Greene tattoos his LA Kings teammates

New Year's Resolutions with Kevin Westgarth

LA Kings Dustin Brown on off-ice value of Mike Richards

A few weeks after the blockbuster trade that brought Flyers captain Mike Richards to the Kings, coach Terry Murray made one thing perfectly clear - Dustin Brown is his captain.

Then, when Richards was introduced to the media soon thereafter, he let it be known - he didn't have any grandiose plans about taking on a letter in LA.

Still, one of the many questions Murray and GM Dean Lombardi were asked at the team's Hockey Fest on Sunday was 'Is there a change coming to the Kings captaincy?'

Of course, the answer was no.

And the questions aren't bothering Brown either. When I had a chance to talk with him later in the afternoon, he explained how Richards can help...

"I've known Richie since we were about 15 years old and we played against each other in the OHL. I think we kind of have that mutual respect for each other. Not to make a snap judgement on what he's done in Philly, but I think he's had to deal with a lot more - b.s., I guess - than I have as a captain. So, he's kind of been through that, having to dealing with stuff that isn't really hockey related. Thankfully, we don't have a lot of those issues here."

However, along with the changes to the roster this summer, expectations have risen. Thus, the pressure may be increasing as well. Again, Brown isn't too concerned - thinking he'll adjust through the growing pains, partly by draw upon Richards' experience.

"You're always learning as a leader. I could be having this conversation with you in 10 years and I'd still be learning. Having a guy like him come in really helps with - just the whole feel of the room. We have a lot of good leaders in there, including guys who have been captain, like Ethan Moreau. He's another good one. He's really good for the morale of the room and I think Richie brings a lot of that and more."

GM Dean Lombardi made some bold moves this summer to improve his club. At least based upon what the players were saying Sunday, he should be applauded for bringing in exactly what many think the Kings needed.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:


Mike Richards ready for first game as a King - talks 'hatred' for Rangers

Mike Richards on leadership and wearing a letter in LA

Flyers Ian Laperriere explains what the Kings acquirred in Mike Richards

Richards already has ideas to help the Kings power play

Mike Richards on Corey Perry and not doing stupid things

\\  

LA Kings Dustin Brown - 'This year is a different feeling'

As the captain of the Kings, Dustin Brown has seen things slowly evolve in Los Angeles - moving from a team full of prospects and role players into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

With the acquisitions of Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Ethan Moreau, he says this year is "entirely different" than any other year up to this point.

"We've been making steps and progress every year," explained Brown earlier today. "I remember three or four years ago though, everyone might have been saying 'I'm excited for the season' - but in their mind they knew there was no chance we were going to do anything here. This year, it's a different feeling. That's exciting and, in a sense, a lot more serious.  For this team, in talking to some of the other players, we're excited but we have to be focused because this is our time."

More later from Brown - including detailed thoughts about why the Kings had to add a guy like Moreau to their bottom-6 this season.  Plus, comments from several other players who attended Hockey Fest today.

[UPDATE:  Brown talks about the off-ice value of Richards here]

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

  

order here --> MayorsManor Store

View the store to see full line of shirts for men and women, dozen of styles and colors

Kings no longer using Yellow Pages to find defenseman

Deslauriers - Rookie Camp, day one

During the 2006-07 NHL season, Dean Lombardi's first year at the helm in Los Angeles, Kevin Dallman and Mike Weaver combined to play 92 games on the Kings blueline.

While I'm sure that wasn't what Lombardi was thinking about as he stood and watched part of Rookie Camp today from the Kings bench, he almost assuredly was smiling inside watching Jake Muzzin and Nic Deslauriers.

They're two of the brightest young stars in the organization. Entirely different players on the ice, they share the same problem away from it.

With a solid six d-core at the NHL level, when will they ever get their shot to make the big club?

That remains to be seen. However, it hasn't kept either from coming to camp with the right attitude. Here are comments from both following tonight's on-ice session...