High / Low with Corey Elkins

Next weekend the Kings will be hosting HockeyFest at their training facility in El Segundo, CA. Things should get off to a raucous start when General Manager Dean Lombardi opens the second annual event as the featured speaker.

In recent years his 'State of the Franchise' sessions have been can't miss events. While much of the discussion this time around will probably focus on his efforts to acquire a certain big-time unrestricted free agent this summer, past topics have included building his reserve list via the draft. Rarely talked about has been another Lombardi special - acquiring young free agents who have yet to appear in the NHL.

Just in the last few years he's signed guys like WHL Goaltender of the Year Martin Jones, OHL Defenseman of the Year Jake Muzzin and Swedish Elite League defenseman Johan Fransson.

Another such signing was Corey Elkins of Ohio State University.  After leading the Buckeyes with 18 goals and 41 points his senior season he moved on to the AHL last year, where he led the Monarchs with 19 points (8g, 11a) through 30 games...leading to his first NHL call-up in December.

He was with the big club for three games, even scoring a goal in one of them.  However, he finished the year in Manchester as a major contributor to a team that went all way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the interview below Corey reflects on his rookie season there, talks about getting advice from Dustin Brown and plays word association with some of his teammates - including Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Hickey and Kevin Westgarth.

Future Fridays - Interview with Justin Sefton

Labor Day is upon us. Along with a three day weekend and the end of summer, it also signifies the return of hockey.  Junior teams throughout Canada - and a few northwest U.S. cities - began opening their training camps over the last few days.

As the Sudbury Wolves took to the ice for the first time yesterday, many eyes were on defenseman Justin Sefton. The fifth overall selection from the 2009 OHL Draft is one of the top prospects for next summer's NHL Draft.

For the past few years he says he's kept himself away from "going to parties and hanging out in bad places. It was the rink, home, homework, working out, eating well - all the little things it takes to reach my dream."

Before joining the Wolves, he had moved away from his Thunder Bay home to attend Notre Dame prep school, located in a small town outside of Regina. The highly regarded institution - with an alumni of players such as Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Rod Brind’Amour - had been carefully chosen after exhausting research.

Like most young players, he consults with his parents on such major decisions.  However, he doesn't hide the fact that his agent plays a major role as well.  And why shouldn't he, he's represented by Kyle Dubas of Uptown Sports - a firm with a client list featuring some of the best young talent in hockey - including Kings prospects Jonathan Bernier, Kyle Clifford and Andrew Campbell.

Tuesday's 10 Tidbits on the Hockey-n-Wrestling connection

In 1985, in what's billed as the World's Most Famous Arena, Vince McMahon launched his version of professional wrestling into super-stardom, live from Madison Square Garden. Largely on the back of a "Rock-n-Wrestling" connection - fueled in part by a partnership with MTV - his World Wrestling Federation staged the first WrestleMania.

Fast forward 25 years...just a few weeks ago McMahon and crew were at the sold out Staples Center for SummerSlam, their annual mid-year spectacular. While connections to Cindi Lauper and MTV have long been removed from the on camera presentation, strong ties to the world of hockey still exist behind the scenes.

It only makes sense too. Professional wrestling has deep roots in Canada. And certainly there is nothing more Canadian than hockey, right?

Here in the U.S., many of the greatest wrestlers in history come from Minnesota, a state that promotes itself as 'The State of Hockey'. Thus, the opportunities for overlap are similar to our friends north of the border.

Sure enough, in today's 10 Tidbits article we take a look at several such connections, including at least two linked to the Los Angeles Kings.

1 - The most obvious connection between wrestling and the Kings is tied to a man considered to be one of the best wrestlers of his generation, the first ever unified world heavyweight champion, Chris Jericho.  His father was Ted Irvine (pictured), a member of the inaugural L.A. team in '67-68.  Wearing jersey #15 that season, Irvine scored 18 goals and had 22 assists, including a helper on the first goal ever scored in Kings history (October 14, 1967).

Interview with Dave Torrie

Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver...are all names that come to mind when thinking of places in Canada.

Sault St. Marie isn't one of them. Located about six hours from the hockey hotbed of London, Ontario, the OHL Arena Guide notes "For a city as isolated as Sault Ste. Marie, visiting fans are a seldom-seen rarity."

However, it hasn't stopped the locals from packing the home town building to watch their Greyhounds. Through the years the team has featured a who's who of hockey - Ron Francis, Phil Esposito, Tony Esposito, Paul Coffey, John Vanbiesbrouck, Marty Turco...and that Wayne Gretzky guy.

For the last seven years the organization has been run by Dave Torrie, a man with his own impressive resume - he owned, coached and managed the Chatham Maroons (a successful junior B franchise) for 10 years and previously served as a scout and player personnel director for the 'Hounds. Thus, the man knows hockey, especially at the junior level.

In an article a few days ago he offered up his opinions on several Kings prospects that have spent time in the Soo.  Today, he's back for more - with insight into the world of junior hockey, the art of drafting players and thoughts about a very interesting road trip they'll be taking this coming weekend as part of their training camp.

Enjoy!

MM:  Earlier this summer the Kings drafted Tyler Toffoli out of the OHL.  As a player born in 1992 he was part of the 2008 OHL draft, which has become one of more controversial drafts of late.  Several top players taken in the first round that year were accused of manipulating the draft by saying they were going to college instead.  Is this a common occurrence in junior hockey?

OHL GM speaks out on Kings prospects

If you like GMs that aren't afraid to speak their mind, leaders like Dean Lombardi and Brian Burke, then you'll probably love Dave Torrie.

For the last seven years he's been at the helm of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL.  Although he could be described as an Ontario, Canadian hockey lifer, his ties to Los Angeles are extremely strong.  When you look down the list of current Kings prospects, he's played a role in the development of many, including Kevin Westgarth and Jake Muzzin.

Then, there's this guy named Wayne Simmonds.  Torrie was so high on him, he once made a three-for-one swap to acquire him in a 2008 trade-deadline deal. 

There is no doubt Torrie knows his hockey too - he's been a scout, an owner, a coach, a director of player  personnel...and the General Manager of the 'Hounds since 2003.  We covered a lot of ground, so it's best to split this up into two parts. 

First up, let's get some thoughts on a few Kings prospects and that big trade he made to acquire Simmonds...

Late in the '08 season you traded for Wayne Simmonds.  What was it about his game that made you want him for the 'Hounds playoff run that year?

At that time we were one of the top four or five teams with a legitimate shot at the OHL Championship.  We felt Wayne was probably the most impactful player that was going to be available at the trade deadline, so we worked hard to get a deal done. He's a guy who came into the OHL late, but very quickly developed a reputation as an impact player by contributing good offense, along with great aggressiveness and great energy.  Looking at him you thought 'When the games get tough, he'll be the type of player that will help your team win those one goal games.' We paid a big price in the package we sent to get Wayne and we eventually lost in the Conference Final to Kitchener.  But in the end, no regrets. He brought a lot of attributes to our team.

What do you think of his game today, has it progressed like you thought or is there still some upside left?

Welcome to LA - 10 Tidbits on Willie Mitchell

It's been an interesting summer for the LA Kings in terms of roster moves.

While the July headlines were dominated with news on various left wingers, August will certainly be remembered as the month of D.

Just weeks after word surfaced that Matt Greene could possibly be out until November recovering from a shoulder injury, the Kings once-deep prospect pool suddenly thinned as reports indicated Colten Teubert and Vyacheslav Voinov were hurt as well and would not be ready to start the season.

Enter Willie Mitchell.  Earlier today the Kings signed the unrestricted free agent to a two-year contract...beating out the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals among others.

Here are 10 Tidbits on the rugged defenseman...

* Mitchell was voted the Vancouver Canucks best defenseman in the spring of 2008 and 2009. He wasn't able to achieve the hat-trick this year after being forced to miss the second half of the season due to a hit from the Penguins Evgeni Malkin in mid-January.

*  He openly criticized the NHL for their response to the hit that left him with post-concussion syndrome, saying “I'm not happy with the hit I took. We're taught from a young age that you don't hit from behind. I had my numbers facing a player in a dangerous zone, a dangerous spot, and he hit me. More than that, I'm disappointed in the league, disappointed in Colin Campbell."  He went on to say that he thinks Campbell often "hands down suspensions and fines (based on injuries), and I think that's the wrong thing to do. You rob a bank and there's $50 million in there or rob a bank and there's $5 in there, you're going to jail for the same amount of time. (Campbell) saw me get up off the ice and didn't make any ruling on it.”

NHL Summer School with Ambroz and Nieto

When Brendan Shanahan was first hired as the NHL's new VP of Hockey and Business Development last December, many wondered exactly what his role would be. Sure, he was a three-time Stanley Cup champion and an Olympic Gold Medal winner. But, just how did the league plan on utilizing him in this new capacity?

If last week's Research, Development and Orientation camp was an early indication of what Shanny has been up to, the league is headed in the right direction. He organized an on-ice think tank, if you will. While most of the changes will not be implemented anytime soon, maybe even never, taking a proactive approach towards exploring ideas is what keeps many businesses successful over the long run.

Shanahan acknowledged such in his opening remarks to kick things off, "We're happy with the way the NHL game is. But you shouldn't wait until something is broken to examine it."

So, the NHL invited 33 top prospects (listed here) from the 2011 draft pool to an R&D camp in Toronto.  The group was divided into two teams, headed by former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant Dave King.

Nearly every NHL team sent at least one representative to observe and comment on what they saw.  A full list of the rule changes tested and comments from General Managers like Brian Burke, Joe Nieuwendyk and Dale Tallon can be found on the NHL.com blog located here.

We decided to go a different route and hear from two of the players that were actually on the ice, experiencing the proposed ideas.  If you're a regular reader of MayorsManor, you're already familiar with Seth Ambroz from a feature piece we did on him last month.  He's currently projected as a top-five pick in the draft.  The 6'3" forward plays for the Omaha Lancers (USHL), a team partially owned by the Kings Luc Robitaille.

Our other guest is Matt Nieto, a southern California native who grew up as a die-hard Kings fan.  He's headed to Boston University this fall, one of the top college hockey programs in the country. 

Both also have ties to Team USA - Ambroz just returned from the Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic, where the U.S. picked up the silver medal...Nieto is a two-time gold medal winner at the U-18 World Championships and he recently participated at the evaluation camp for the World Jr. team. 

MM:  There wasn't a lot of prep time at this camp, you guys hit the ice to start the testing soon after arriving.  Before we talk about the actual rule changes, which team were you on and who were some of the guys with you?

Future Fridays - Interview with Nick Bjugstad

On a Saturday afternoon earlier this summer, things were lining up perfectly. Almost too perfectly.

Twenty one summers prior, Scott Bjugstad signed with the Kings after spending one season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  While he scored only five goals over the next three years in Los Angeles, it still allowed him entry into a very small club - players who could say they were teammates with Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Two decades later, as the first round of this year's NHL draft reached pick #15, Nick Bjugstad was still available.  Scott's nephew could possibly be taken by his former team at #19...he just needed to survive four more picks.

Then, there was a buzz on the floor at Staples Center, followed by the Commissioner announcing a trade.  The Kings had worked a deal to acquire Florida's #15 selection.  Had Dean Lombardi just traded up to take the 6'5" center?

No, he ended up taking another defenseman - Derek Forbort.  However, in a twist of irony, Nick Bjugstad was taken by the Florida Panthers in the #19 slot, the one originally owned by the Kings.

Adding to the confusion, Nick says "After the draft I heard from several people that thought I was taken by the Kings, instead of selected in the spot the Kings traded out of. And some other people I know thought I was traded to LA right after I was drafted.  It was a little crazy at first."

That June weekend was just another of the many high points Nick has experienced this year.  A few months prior he won the 'Mr. Hockey' Award as the top player in the state of Minnesota.  Just a few weeks ago he was one of the stars at the Team USA evaluation camp for the upcoming World Jr Championships.  And next month he'll start classes at the University of Minnesota, his dream school.

In the interview below he opens up, taking us on a journey from his early days on the ice to his whirlwind summer.  There's another Bjugstad headed to the NHL soon...so, get to know Nick...

As you look back now to those early days, what's the most vivid memory that really stands out in your mind?

Tuesday's 10 Tidbits - Turning the Page

At what point is last season really over? Was it when the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs? Was it draft weekend, with it's heavy emphasis on the future? Was it July 1st, when the free agency window opened? Perhaps, it's when training camp finally opens in a few weeks.

If the truth is somewhere in between all those points, let's try to put a bow on the 2009-10 campaign once and for all...with a partial tribute to the season that was.

Along with a special 'thank you' to the numerous guests that graciously donated their time this year for interviews...we proudly look back at 10 Tidbits from the past 10 months...

1. October 2009 - The Mayor's predictions on where the Kings would finish and why, it's all right here...in special correspondent Jim Fox's first High / Low article, he calls out Drew Doughty for his "worst game as a King."...Clean up on Aisle 11 - Anze Kopitar scores his first career hat trick and the Kings create a mess of their own on the ice as well...10 Tidbits on Scott Parse - yet another college hockey player gets a chance to play in LA.

2.  November 2009 - Remembering a Rivalry - preview of the Calgary Flames vs. LA Kings...What Shoulda Been - Ryan Smyth, the Kings and the Oilers.

3.  December 2009 - Interview w/ Mike Modano - on the eve of a Kings-Stars game Mo' looks back at his career...Interview w/ Ethan Moreau - the Oilers captain offers up a special preview of the LA-Edmonton game and talks about his near-nude photo shoot for ESPN.

Two Minutes in the Box with... Bobby Ryan

They say that retail is in the details. And while it might not have the same ring to it, hockey is in the numbers.

Take number nine for example, it's one of the most famous digits in hockey. Gordie Howe wore it. So did Rocket Richard and Bobby Hull.  More recently, Mike Modano built a Hall of Fame career in Dallas as #9.

According to Marcel Dionne, he almost wore it here in LA.  If original Kings' owner Jack Kent Cooke had gotten his way, there'd be a different number hanging in the rafters at Staples Center right now.

Across town in the OC, the original Mighty Duck - Paul Kariya - wore it back when he called The Pond home.

These days, Bobby Ryan wears it in Anaheim...and if everything works out as planned, he'll continue to wear it there for many years to come.  For now, he's working on some other numbers, as in contract numbers. The team and his agent continue to discuss terms - number nine reportedly wants a three year deal, versus the team's preference of five years - with nothing agreed upon just yet.

In a move that caught some people by surprise though, Ryan recently attended the launch party for Dustin Brown's new DLO-23 line through Combat Sports.  Even for an event held in Anaheim, seeing a Ducks player out supporting the Kings' captain was a bit curious at first.  In reality, he was there as a fellow member of the Team USA hockey program.  The two "hit it off" during the Olympics, thus he "didn't hesitate" when Brown invited him to come down.

So, thanks to D-LO, we had the opportunity to catch up with Bobby Ryan and get his take on a few finer points of the Kings-Ducks rivalry...after, of course, first touching on his Team USA experience.

Let's start with the Olympics...excluding Brown, who you're now friends with...who was another guy on the team that you learned something about and came away impressed?

Interview with JF Berube

Earlier this week we checked in with Kings prospect Kyle Clifford, getting his take on the just completed evaluation camp for Team Canada's World Jr. team.

Today, we move to the other end of the ice. Fellow Kings prospect JF Berube steps away from the goaltending crease and shares his thoughts on the camp...plus, a few notes on being drafted, his UFC-inspired mask and his plans for the future.

While JF didn't have any horrific travel stories to report - read about Kyle's experience here - he did open up on what it's like to be part of a Kings organization currently stacked with prospects between the pipes.

Of course, he also provided a few opinions on the other Kings draft picks at the camp too - guys like Brayden Schenn, Tyler Toffoli and Nic Deslauriers.

Yet, national pride is at the heart of this story. Most Canadians tend to think the game of hockey belongs to them. So, losing the gold medal to the U.S. at last year's WJC tournament had to sting - especially considering Canada's recent domination, having won five straight golds coming into the action.

To make matters worse, the silver medal came on home ice in Saskatchewan. This year, the U.S. enters as the defending champions on their own turf, in Buffalo, NY. That whole dynamic seemed like a great place to start...

After watching Canada lose to the U.S. last year at the World Jrs.  How important is it to you personally to get some sort of revenge in Buffalo this year?

Tuesday's 10 Tidbits on Team USA's WJC Camp

Nearly all of the best hockey players in the world make a stop at the annual World Junior Championships, held each year right after Christmas.

Both the Canadian and U.S. programs just completed their evaluation camps for this winter's tournament. Yesterday, Kings prospect Kyle Clifford checked in with a report on what went down with Team Canada - including his comments on the five other Kings players who joined him in Newfoundland.

Today, we catch up with a few of the young stars that attended the rival's camp...that of team USA, the defending champions!

Two first round selections at the recent NHL Draft in Los Angeles join us for this special report, Charlie Coyle (San Jose) and Nick Bjugstad (Florida). They have all the details of the happenings from Lake Placid, NY...including their thoughts on the play of Kings first round pick, Derek Forbort.