Nothing shocking or new from this morning’s skate. As expected, Jarret Stoll will return and skate with Ivanans and Moller in, according to Terry Murray, “limited minutes” on the fourth line.
The Kings officially signed junior free-agent defenseman Jake Muzzin today, completing an agreement that was in place a couple weeks ago. More on that, and other notes and quotes, to come…
Sweet, even if he just is back to grab a few faceoffs all the better!
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Seems like a fairly ideal lineup, granted that we’re missing JW. I’m at least glad Murray is keeping Richie’s line together.
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Prediction: Kings win 5-3. Kopitar pulls a Kovalev, busting his slump with four goals and an assist.
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Was anyone else nauseated from the Roenick visit during the Capitals game?
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I like the way Eric thinks with the Kopi bust out!
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Steve S…
I feel the same about JR. His ego is bigger than life!
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With you on JR.
Hated hearing the mans voice.
Huge leach on the organization.
He should be embarrassed to grace Los Angeles.
Maybe he’s still trying to fix his “skate” issues.
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JR should apologize officially before going forward but whatever. He’s always been insightful.
I’m really hoping, as a fan, Kopi and Smyth light the lamp and start scoring on a quick clip.
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When jr was on the air, I kept thinking how he should be doing this in SJ, where the fans actually like him…
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For anyone interested, Muzzin is a decent young blue liner. He was a 5th round pick by the Pens in ’07. Here’s his hockeydb page:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=89797
Here’s his scouting report on hockeysfuture.com:
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/jake_muzzin
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I hope Kopi does break his slump.
Muzzin contract is pretty good. 3 year EL with only a 606k cap hit. He should provide some offense in Manchester to go with Martinez, Voynov and Hickey when he comes back. You throw Teubert with them later in he year and that Defense is a killer. Unfortunately I don’t see all those guys in Kings uniforms as I’m sure one or two of them get traded for other assets.
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I’m sorry, I just don’t understand the JR hatred. People are equating him with Rob Blake in terms of being a “blight” on the Kings’ organization.
The guy is one of the greatest NHL’ers to ever lace up his skates. He came here when our team sucked, he was old, and it was immediately after the lockout when a lot of players (especially his age) lost a step. JR HAS owned up to his poor performance with the Kings and has apologized for it.
I feel bad for anyone who blindly follows the Kings above the league itself. I love the Kings more than anything but I fail to see how having an entertaining guy like JR, who is a hall of famer, doing something as harmless as having a video blog on the Kings’ site, has riled up all the fanboys so badly.
Flame away.
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Glad to have Stoll back in the lineup, but i hope he didnt rush his injury and come back too soon.
I dont really care for JR either. dont know why he would want to come to the Kings, or why the Kings would hire him. the have to be pretty dumb to think that kings fans care to have him on board. I admired the guy in every stage of his career other than the time he played in LA.
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I’m not a JR fan. Never have been, and I agree that he’s more than a little self serving with his whole big mouth sctick.
However, he was a great and fearless player in his prime, his downfall was that he believed his own hype. He did seem to be genuinely embarrassed for his poor effort as a King. I was impressed that he wasn’t too proud to say he let the LA Kings, their fans, and his teammates down because he allowed his work ethic to slip. Few men admit to mistakes, fewer attempt to fix them; JR looks like he is trying to do both.
During the broadcast in which he participated the other day, he provided some insight into what players are going through on the ice from a relatively modern perspective. I love Jim Fox, but he retired 20 years ago.I appreciate what JR can bring, I just hope we don’t see him too often.
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I appreciated that JR started the segment with an apology, basically, if you can read between the lines, for not being in shape when he was here after the lockout (understandable).
I even feel like he is doing his segment to try to make it right with Kings fans.
I’m impressed with that level of humility coming from a loudmouth know-it-all.
Contrast this with Blake’s non-apology: “My last name isn’t ‘Booooo!’”
Apology accepted. I, for one, welcome JR back because of it.
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JR is just too slick for my liking and as a King fan I just can’t “connect” with him, he did little positive for the organization. Appreciate his honesty but that’s about it, he simply would fit better with Chi/Phi/Phx or SJ, not here.
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PRMan, I completely agree.
I’ve sat here laughing for the last few days at “hockey” fans who spit the type of vitriol at JR usually reserved for those who deserve it a teensy bit more (Flake) than an HOF’er who came back from the lockout a step too slow. Oh gee, what, did his performance that year really make the difference in our season? Give me a break.
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4th line is a good place for him to start his return. After that, I have to wonder how the lineup will look. I just hope TM doesn’t breakup the Richardson line.
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PR Man,
An apology isn’t something I should have to read between the lines. That kind of an apology isn’t an apology at all but more of a halfass acknowledgment.
JR doesn’t belong anywhere near the kings or anything associated with the kings imo.
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Russ,
You’ve completely changed my opinion. How dare JR not bow in humble servitude to you for not meeting your expectations that year.
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JR apologized more than once during the 2nd period. He kept alluding to his poor play in a Kings sweater. Like has been said, he can bring some good insight. I think he deserves a chance.
As a Kings fan, I welcome all manner of insight and opinions. I’m downright giddy at the strides the organization has made this season with all of the outlets of info available to us fans – Rich and this blog in particular.
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i hope when bob and jim retire, JR and Blake take over.
That would cause mass suicide among the kings fans.
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Lanny, that team the JR was on with the Kings was over .500 at season’s end and dropped from first place in the Pacific in January to out of the playoffs. Had JR been in shape and played like the player he was expected to be, and lead like he was expected to lead, that fall like wouldn’t have been as dramatic. So yes, he DID have an impact on that season’s outcome.
Not to say that the Kings aren’t better off for it. That collapse ushered in a new regime, but that’s a different issue all together.
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Steve S said
“Was anyone else nauseated from the Roenick visit during the Capitals game?”
Do you mean like Bob Miller and Jim Foxx?
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Wait a minute… Jeremy Roenick in his 17th NHL season and 18th year in the league, was responsible for the Kings’ collapse that year?
Ok bud.
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Rich- Does Muzzin report to manchester since he signed a entry level contract..?
As for the JR stint in the booth saturday, it was a joke. As for when he played with the Kings i don’t just blame him for the fallout of that season, the team needs to win together, or die together. Regardless of one player there are anywhere up to 5 guys on the ice at one given time.
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Didn’t say he was responsible for it, but he certainly could have helped limit the severity of it.
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What the team itself is doing is much more of an intrest to me than worrying and fuming over JR doing a blog.
Whatever he has to say isn’t going to affect how the guys play one way or the other. Lany here has the right idea. JR may prove to be very interesting to listen to.
How bout people put that JR to rest and concentrate on the Kings team.
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I don’t like JR being involved with the Kings either. In Chicago he was coming back from injury as the Hawks were going into the playoffs and refused to play as he was looking for a big new contract. Later he said, “I got some bad advice”.
In addition to that I’ve heard from people in the Coyotes dressing room what a jerk he and Keith T. were to a lot of the players and staff. He was a really good player but there are other former players who would be more welcome to contribute to the Kings.
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Lanny,
You said so yourself that you don’t quite understand the hatred for JR whereas most of the kings fans do. So, perhaps, you’ll just learn to defer on this matter.
For the record, JR has never apologized. He’s acknowledged he played poorly and that he came to kings out of shape. THAT isn’t an apology. But then again, JR isn’t man enough to apologize. He’s just a clown who wants to go “hollywood” in la-la land.
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Russ,
When popular opinion decides what I do and do not defer, it will be a cold day in hell.
Sincerely,
The Stache
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My cousin and I have replaced using the term “gut”, “beer gut”, and “fat belly” with “Roenick”.
What did you do last night?
“I drank a few brews. Have to keep working on my Roenick. You know.”
Thanks JR for the term and the memories. Cheers.
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Lanny,
I’ve never been to hell but I’ll defer to you on this matter. =)
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I have a different method…I go to the bathroom and take a Roenick, and then I wipe my Jeremy.
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At the alumni/celebrity charity game afterward, JR made me laugh out loud. The first time he got the puck during the game, he skated with it, then cupped his hand to his ear until he got the boos he was waiting to hear, before nodding his head in acknowledgement and playing on.
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On JR and Blake:
I have a little more insight into JR’s personality behind the scenes. I worked for one of the teams he played for (won’t say which one), and he was a pretty decent guy off the ice. It’s not just for the cameras, and while he really screwed up when he came to LA out of shape after the lockout, he at least has owned it.
As for Blake, at this point, I think it’s time to let it go. Think about what has happened each time he has left the Kings. The first time led to the Kings getting Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller, two guys who were instrumental in the Kings’ last playoff series victory. The second time he left, he made room for Drew Doughty to step in as the team’s top defenseman. What is the likelihood that Doughty, at his age, would have cracked the top defensive pair, power play or penalty kill units with Blake still in the lineup? There’s an argument to be made that each time he’s left, the team has improved, so I think it’s okay to let it go at this point/
Now, as for booing Paul Kariya… let him have it!
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Jr. should be in Chicago not in L.A.just bad feelings somebody coming here for a job to pass time who is this Lanny McDonald the guy in Toronto with the red stach if not my mistake but if it is another one coming and saying you love the KINGS come on flame out why don’t i se e you even liking the L.A. KINGS all these fans the KINGS have now but if they lose a few games they want to trade they do need a little back up a big winger who can score and box sorry Ratis
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haha
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As one of my favorite players going back to his days in Chicago, the level of excitement that I had when I found out JR was coming to the Kings after the lockout was only matched by my disappointment with the way he played while here. However, no one can deny his contributions to the game of hockey both to the NHL and to USA Hockey. JR always had something to say. Does it get him into trouble sometimes? Yes, but that is part of what makes him interesting; you will not get canned speeches with him. He clearly has put in his time to the sport of hockey, he has great insight into the game and the players that play the game. If someone with 18 years of NHL experience has something to say about a sport that I love, I am going to welcome hearing the opinion.
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Have to be honest here. JR did own up to his mistakes while in LA. I can appreciate that…BUT, I still have a hard time with his off comment on the BDS show about stealing the money from the team. Could have been JR being JR, but it hurt a lot of fans. The one person on Hockeywood that asked him to explain that comment was dead on for me. If JR doesn’t go into detail about that comment, he just will not have my respect. I can forgive, it’s just tough to forget without closure.
It’s on JR.
I liken his season that year to having earned about 10-20% of that 5 mil paycheck. Now if he made a NICE FAT DONATION to the Kings Care Foundation of say 1 with 6 zeros behind it, I could let bygones be bygones. I won’t get theological about money as Rich frowns on that, but it would be interesting to see if JR would do something like that. I don’t completely blame JR for paying him 5 mil that year, The Kings have to offer him that money. He took it. I would too. It’s just that if it was me, my conscience wouldn’t let me enjoy the money if I admittedly didn’t earn it. To take 20% of that total amount and put it back into the Organ-Eye-Zation you received it from for a stellar purpose would be ‘Karmacially’ Right IMHO (I don’t believe in Karma, but it gets my point across while staying within the rules). But what do I know.
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HawKings,
That type of level headed reasoning won’t get you too far here. You might want to just stick to the group-think mentality.
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Lanny — you do a great disservice to your moniker. JR did not come to camp “a step slow”. He looked like he was going to audition for a Santa at the mall in case he could not find a pair of skates to fit his fat feet. And that would have been fine, if he then tried to work his way back into shape. But, he did not. The whole situation appeared to be that of a spoiled over paid professional athlete. I love hockey because there are only a few of these leeches. The only good thing to come from the JR era was that the Kings received a 2nd and a sleigh (for transportation) from Philly. I think the 2nd ended up being Simmonds (Quisp?).
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KingMe20, just to add to your well stated points; Maybe even more importantly, if Blake stayed here, SOD would probably not have been signed by the Kings. As much as I liked Blake when he was here, there is no comparison when it comes to mentoring the young defensmen that the Kings have in the organization. While DD was going to be great at some point, maybe it doesn’t happen as fast without SOD.
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JR’s contribution to the Kings? He help us get Drew Doughty with his poor play…
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JR was an excellent hockey player in the league and the US teams, but why would he want to return to the scene of his lowest productivity and probably the only place he is not liked by the fans. Must be the Hollywood and the weather? As for me, I wouldn’t give you a nickel for his thoughts.
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jet,
Really man?
Jeremy Roenick
2005–06 Los Angeles Kings NHL 58GP 9G 13A 22p 36PIM
Those are pretty impressive numbers for a mall Santa.
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Lanny-
do you have a JR nude Calendar in your bedroom too? Geez, get a little worked up….
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LMAO at the ridiculous standards (and double-standards) that people are holding JR to. I like how he has now been described as a “leech”.
My sense of disillusionment in Kings fans’ grasp of the league outside of what immediately affects this club is now palpable.
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Yes, Jayrew, that’s exactly right. What are you, 12?
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You should change your name to “Jeremy Roenick’s Pubic Hair”
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I think I’m done with this site for a while.
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Lanny — yes, JR managed to match the great Tom Kostopoulos in goals and points that year if I recall. I heard one of the elves call Santa Tom last year. You never know.
Oh, and we got Bud Holloway not Simmonds for taking on the load.
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JR, I mean Lanny — you are always welcome here.
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What a good thread this was! thanks JR’s Pubes!
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Russ,
I do not expect anyone to apologize for their work habits and or game or lack of game. If I expected an apology from everyone that did not play up to their capabilities, can you imagine the amount of former Kings players that would be lining up to give their apologies? It would take an entire season to get through. It was bad timing for the Kings and JR.
Still all this hate in year 2010. I thought it left in 2009.
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Lanny,
For whatever it’s worth, I hold you as one of the better posters here as I tend to agree with you more than disagree.
Hope to see you on another thread.
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Let’s stick to the topic people.
And how about being a little more respectful on this site! (ahem Jayrew)
Glad to see Stolly back.
We need him on the faceoffs!
3-2 Kings win!
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Cynic
In that case, Kopi should poney up as well.
I’ve got to say, I’m a little surprised by all the JR hate. I assume most of the people here are American and you guys generally support your own. JR and his gerneration (Guerin, Modano, Hull, Leetch etc…) actually made US hockey relevant.
I just thought he’d be held in higher regard.
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For what it is worth and for those who what a little bit more info on JR: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Roenick
And:
Regular Season:
GP G A Pts PIM
1363 513 703 1216 1463
Playoffs:
GP G A Pts PIM
154 53 69 122 115
Those are some pretty impressive statistics. Does it get him into the HOF, I don’t know (although I hope so but that is only because I am a fan). This doesn’t change how I feel about the way he played here, but the man has paid his dues and then some when it comes to being a professional hockey player. I’ll choose to hear what he has to say.
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Here, here Deadmarsh. All of us KINGS fans need to enjoy what our boys are doing on the ice and forget about any video blog that might just piss you off.
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Hey I’m respectful, i just can’t stand for anyone defending Roenick. He’s the Andruw Jones of the kings.
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The fact is, JR did nothing for the Kings as a player, and the idea of bringing him in as some kind of legend is wrong-headed. I have no interest in anything he does with the organization.
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jr had 9 goals with the kings 2 in his first game then 7 over the next 50 some games…nuff said
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He just didn’t work out for the Kings during his tenure. Time to stop living in the past and being bitter. I welcome JR back to the organization. He’s like the Charles Barkley of hockey. I think he’ll add a refreshing insight into the game. He’s flashy and a lot of people don’t like that. If you’ve ever met him, he’s that same confidant, extroverted, tell-it-like-it-is, bs guy that you see on tv and on the ice. He’s a good guy both on and off.
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