Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup, and if you watched the postgame celebration, you might have seen a semi-familiar face. John Torchetti, the Kings’ interim coach for 12 games after Andy Murray was fired late in the 2005-06 season, got to lift the Cup as an assistant to Chicago coach Joel Quenneville.
What other former Kings coaches have won the Cup in coaching capacities? (some did as players.) Larry Robinson was the head coach of the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and Marc Crawford was the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Former Kings assistant coaches Dave Lewis and Rick Wilson also were part of Cup-winning staffs, Lewis as the associate coach under Scotty Bowman in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and Wilson as an assistant coach under Ken Hitchcock in 1999.
Kings all-time coaching history
Former Kings players Brent Sopel and Cristobal Huet also got to lift the Cup tonight.
Great goal by Pat Kane in OT.
It was nice to see the Hawks get a chance to win the Cup once before the Kings go on their Cup winning streak.
Congratulations Chicago!
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McDonalds Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
@Irish Pat,
Haha by great goal you mean horrible goal, right?
Really anticlimactic. After such an awesome series, i’m really dissapointed with the end. You’d think that overtime in an elimination game would end with a bang.
This year it ended with “Where’s the puck…oh wait…they’re celebrating. Did it go in? It must of gone in. Yup it went in. Huh…so that’s it?”
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Lewes Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
@McDonalds, Funny, I thought the same thing. All of a sudden it was…over? Oh yeah, it’s over. I want that trophy in LA so bad!
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Bob Bobson Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 6:18 am
@McDonalds, I could see how that soft goal was an anti-climactic end to the game but it was really funny to watch Kane start celebrating all by himself.
Congrats 2010 Hawks!
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What’s a cup?
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The Kings have my heart, but the Hawks have my brain. I think they are a terrific team. Will be a very happy day – hopefully very soon – when we can say the Kings are as good or better than they are.
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Oh, I hope I read this wrong, but are we tied for the longest cup drought now? By the way, Wikipedia was updated fast!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drought_(sport)#Droughts_by_sport
“In the NHL, the longest current title drought belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not won the Cup (or even appeared in the Cup Finals) since 1967 and the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues who entered the league the following season.”
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Lewes Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
@Kris, Unfortunately that is correct
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Congratulations Chicago. Hope we will be in their shoes soon! Did anyone see JR crying after the game?
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Harry Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
@kluka68,
Yeah, I did. He was pretty emotional…
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McDonalds Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
@kluka68,
I feel really bad for the guy. Wish he had won a cup in his career. Say what you will about his performance in LA (i will for you–it was terrible), JR is an awesome dude.
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Darrell Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 12:18 am
@kluka68, At first, I got a little choked up along with him. Then I realized it was pure JR. I mean, does this guy really have to be center of attention at ALL times, or what? I did think it was funny when Milbury had to console him after.
I wonder if he would’ve been just as emotional had the Flyers won the Cup, seeing how he also had some good years in Philly.
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McDonalds Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 12:38 am
@Darrell,
I don’t think JR would have reacted the same way if the Flyers had won it all. Chicago drafted him, and he went to the finals with them. There must have been that point after he lost that year where he thought “Oh well, I’ll be back.” He never did make it back. So seeing Chicago win it without him has just gotta kill him
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More than hope, there is history. Click on the link for the article.
http://www.lakingsnews.com/2010/06/09/more-than-hope-there-is-history/
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HAHA, that’s karma for ya pronger. Keep throwing those pucks away pal.
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I wonder if they hired an ancestor of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow to start another fire yet.
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Congrats to the ‘Hawks. People are going out into the Chicago streets in droves; I hope I do not wake up and see the city on fire on the news.
Also in the news, it looks like Rob Blake has decided to retire. TSN says he will have a press conference next week.
I know the dude has taken some here on the blog, but I was a Blake fan ever since he broke in with the Kings. As has been said, he had the best two cheek “hip” check in the game.
Speaking of Blake, every year I watch the finals, I can’t help but be reminded of ’93. One day I’ll get over it I suppose.
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I don’t remember Brent Sopel being a high caliber player during his tenure with the Kings…
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EJ Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
@Steve S., Sopel had a handful of very good games during the playoffs (although to be fair and balanced, he did have a few tough nights as well). Like you, I certainly don’t remember him having high caliber games while with the Kings. But of course, that sort of sums up the phrase “team Sport”. For most guys, they’re only as good as the players around them.
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Wait, they’ve been playing hockey all this time?
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Personally, I’m glad that Chicago won, because it reinforces the “win through the draft” mindset more than the Flyers do. That gives me hope as a Kings fan.
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McDonalds Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
@Fyz,
I suppose, but Flyers built through the draft too. Richards, Carterm, Gerioux, JVR, etc.
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Someone above mentioned that LA is tied for the longest drought without the cup, I just wanted to say that in one of my most recent ESPN magazines, the Kings were voted one of the most pathetic franchises of any sport, and you can’t blame them. We have been terrible for years. Hopefully that vote will change in the next 2 or 3 years.
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MR King Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 2:59 am
@USCG,
ESPN covers hockey? Since when?
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USCG Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 10:53 am
@MR King, it was ESPN the magazine, and it was a small article, they usually have 2 or 3 small hockey articles about equipment and road experience stuff like that.
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Our turn…..
2012
then the world will end
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One thing regarding the interview with DL. Unfortunately the issue of team speed was not broached, though he did speak about getting a quicker transition. Nonetheless, both Peter Laviolette and Geoff Emorick (sp) went on about the speed of the Hawks (especially thru the neutral zone). So I’m still concerned about the Kings lack of speed (ok… thru the neutral zone?).
If they want to win a cup that Has to be addressed IMO. Even with all the talent Philly has, just look at what happened in that first period. An elimination game for the Flyers and Chic was all over them because of their skill and team speed!
So, I’m gonna be a tiny bit more conservative as to just how far the Kings can go until that shifts. I know they can go further than they did this year, but winning the Cup is something else.
Three years ago a quite quick Detroit team won it, last year a fast and skillful Pens team, and this year a skillful and quick Chicago team.
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EJ Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
@number 6, I definitely agree with you that the Kings need to improve their overall team speed. There are a handful of guys that can move well, but as we saw in the series against Vancouver, it is a King weakness at this point.
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Congratz to the Blackhawks. It was a fun series to watch. Luckily for them they came up against a team with no goalie.
Next year the Cup will be skated around Staples Center by Dustin Brown and co.
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Congrats to the Hawks, enjoy the moment, your team is about to come apart.
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Congratulations Blackhawks! Very happy for the Hawks, Chicago is a great sports town with great knowledgeable fans. Hey Bob Miller, didn’t you grow up a Hawks fan? This ones for you too. Kinda feel for Ian Laperiere. I could care less about the rest of the flyers or their fans, especially the ex-quack, cheap-shot artist pronger. Anybody here the boos after the game from philly fan? Typical. But then again, what would you expect from fans who boo Santa Claus.
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Talking about team speed… this guy would help
Marleau – Kopitar – Williams
Smyth – Stoll – Brown
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS: David Pollak dismissed reports Sharks forward Patrick Marleau had sold his house in Saratoga and purchased one in Los Angeles, noting the Marleaus had bought one in the hills of Los Gatos, not Los Angeles. While that looks like a signal he could remain with the Sharks, Pollak also points out Marleau’s wife is from the area and plenty of players have maintained homes there whilst playing elsewhere.
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Back to the rumour mill… nothing else to talk about anymore for the next few weeks.
Nathan Horton’s name is being thrown around again; I have always loved this guy and have been waiting for his “break out season”. He would make a killer second line centre for us!
Trade:
Stol;, a first round pick and a third for Horton and Ballard
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VanKingsFan Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 10:07 am
@VanKingsFan, Forget Ballard.. just saw how much money he makes… yikes.
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For all those who think the Kings are the next Blackhawks, here is my list matching up Cup Winning players against current Kings roster players and how far we really have to go to match up with a team like Chicago. Lots of holes to fill.
I would also add that player for player, I would take 80% of Chicago players over current Kings players.
Patrick Kane
NONE
Patrick Sharp
BROWN
Dustin Byfuglien
SIMMER
Andrew Ladd
SMYTH
Jonathan Toews
KOPI
Duncan Keith
DD
Niklas Hjalmarsson
GREENE
Dave Bolland
NONE
Brian Campbell
NONE
Marian Hossa
NONE
Brent Seabrook
JJ
Tomas Kopecky
WILLIAMS
Ben Eager
RICHARDSON
John Madden
ZEUS
Nick Boynton
SCUDS
Kris Versteeg
FROLOV
Troy Brouwer
PARSE?
Brent Sopel
OD
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Bickleton Wigglesworth III Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
@Barry’s Mullet,
The only evaluations of yours that I can get behind and agree with is “NONE” when it comes to Kane and Hossa. The Kings lack big time scorers. I think we all know that by now and hopefully it’s something DL can address before the playoffs come around again -although Rich’s piece on the Kings’ cap room left me a little less optimistic than I was prior to reading it.
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jet Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, The Hawks had a 9 year rebuild. We are just completing year 4. We built from the back out and are set with G and G prospects. The D is close to being rebuilt. I might agrue that McIlrath or petrovic would complete the backend. Next is to address the front end. And that was begun last year with Schenn and Red dog.
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I only agree with about half of your assessments, a lot of the matchups you mention above are two completely different players in terms of style.
Sharp is not a huge hitter, Brown is one of the best 3 hitters in the entire league.
Williams is much better than Kopecky IMO, Williams has score 30G and put up over 60+ points more than once, he can play on the first line, etc.
Versteeg and Fro are totally different players, but maybe comparable in terms of production to the team. Brouwer and Parse aren’t even close to being the same type of player.
Eager and Richie are very different players.
I agree, we are not as good as the Hawks right now, but both rosters are going to change quite a bit before the start f next year, especially the Hawks.
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When does the season start, i would like to thank everyone here and rich for a great ride this year. Im going to post CBC vid for the playoffs, im glad we where there to be part of it. enyoy
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=72275
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@VanKingsFan,
We don’t need a second line center (at least in the way you’re thinking it) as I have to believe that Schenn will be that if not next year then the year after. Meanwhile, we are absolutely more in need of a speedy, skilled forward with good hands and Hockey Sense. It’s great having guys who will pay the price in front of the net and are hard to play against. So did Philly And Philly had Briere, Giroux, Gagne, Carter and Leino and they still admitted that Chicago was the better team.
I’m not being negative and hope it won’t be seen that way at all. We ARE getting there, but there is more to be done before we are realistically gonna challenge all these teams who have far more skill. Can we beat them on any given day. Absolutely, but to go thru maybe Three of the Four teams you have to beat to win a cup…. there is some serious talent out there so I prefer to see the Kings where they are now rather than imagining them as what we’d all like them to be and hope they will be in the near future.
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My point above was that along with some tough forwards Philly also had some very skilled players too and yet Chicago was still too much for them.
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GAME 06 CALDER CUP, Starting in 5 minutes.
Hershey can win it all tonight.
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