After today’s first session, Terry Murray spoke publicly for the first time about Drew Doughty’s absence from training camp, and also talked about his impressions of the players’ on-ice fitness…
Question: Not having Drew Doughty here, does that change your planning at all?
MURRAY: “The plan does not change at all. We’re going to miss Doughty. I wish he was here to be a part of it. He’s a very important player. He’s a big part of the locker room and he’s a fun guy to be around. He’s a great player for us, but the plan does not change for the training camp. We have to get ready for the start of the year. We’ll go through the same plan as we had in the early part of August.”
Question: But it would create a spot for another defenseman to step in a fill his role…
MURRAY: “I’m not too sure how all that is going to play out. The opportunity is there for someone to grab a position, if Doughty does not show up here in the training camp, near the end of it, to be a part of the team on opening night. I can’t get into names, but certainly there’s a position that we’re going to look to get some minutes out of, and that’s a great opportunity for somebody.”
Question: Do you need to say anything to the team, to address Doughty’s absence?
MURRAY: “I don’t think I need to say anything. It’s not my area of concern, really. I know I’m the coach of the team and I want Doughty here, but that’s the business side of it that everybody is very aware of. It’s been that way for years now. Players use the opportunity, I guess, to get as much money as they possibly can. I don’t begrudge anybody for that. I’m not going to be upset with Doughty when it finally gets settled. When he comes in, I’m going to be very happy that he’s here, and welcome him to the team, and let’s get going.”
Question: How did the players’ testing go? What kind of shape did Dustin Penner report in?
MURRAY: “Overall, conditioning, the results were good. We do the off-ice, on-ice testing, and most importantly for me, the actual hockey testing, the on-ice skating, was really good. The times, the heart-rate recovery, is what I look at as a primary number. I’m seeing a real good look from every player that came into the camp. Dustin Penner, it shows. He really did put a look of work into the summer time. There’s a recovery rate that’s going to allow me to get him back on the ice for another shift. And that’s what it’s all about, to get your best players on the ice as often as possible.”
If Murray is gonna publicly dicuss the results of one particualr player’s fitness testing, I hope we will also get the results when/if Dough.ty. does his testing.
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Paul G Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
@Player-X, I second that
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red49er Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
@Player-X, great thought. in addition I’d like to compare those numbers to last years.
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Gustavo Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
@Player-X,
Everyone knew and or expected Penner to make a serious effort to be in shape to fit with TM 2 way system. Besides…IT’S A CONTRACT YEAR!!!
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I think Penner will have a very solid season. Of course, playing with guys like Kopitar and Williams (the latter of which is a catalyst for every line on which he plays) will help. But I’m stoked to hear him report in good condition and generally be invested in this season. Takes a little sting off the Doughty situation.
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I bet Doughty shows up out of shape
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@bitter, I’ll bet you 10 bucks!
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rotorhead Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
@Dominick, Dominick, I’ll take that action… IF he doesn’t show till game time, he’ll take 10 games min to get back on track..
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
@rotorhead,
Just because he’s having a contract dispute doesn’t automatically mean he’s out of shape because 1 has nothing to do with the other. There’s already been a video showing him leaner than he was all of last season, so your on.
Kings x Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
@rotorhead, 1/8 or 13% of the season barring injury. Hefty price those early games and points are huge and easier to get than at the end of the season
Osaka Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
@rotorhead, I think he is in great shape but if he misses camp or doesn’t play in preseason games of course it will take a little bit. That has nothing to do with conditioning. You can’t practice game shape. It has to do with timing, intensity, reading plays…….
BlueStang Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
@Dominick, No, 10 donuts.
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Bluecoconuts Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
@bitter, Why do you think he’s holding out? Because he has to start working so he’s in shape. When he gets in shape he’ll report.
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vplaza Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
@bitter,
I wouldn’t doubt it. He showed up woefully out of shape last year, so he’s shown he’s capable of it.
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Kings x Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
@bitter, Guaranteed it will take him just that much longer o get into shape every single day he misses and every big Mac he eats
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
@bitter,
When they showed that picture of him last month playing in that charity tournament, he definitely looked like he was in shape.
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Osaka Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
@DesertKing, Looked like the best shape of his life.
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Osaka Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
@bitter, I’ll bet you 1000 yen ($13.02) to your $10.
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Penner is in a contract year so I’m sure he will have a good year. I hope he does and we resign him.
DD will show up in shape and I’m calling it, he will play Wednesday!
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
@Trip, i hope so
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AK47 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@KingsFanFTW, You’re trippin’ trip. DD is a cancer. And who likes cancer?
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vplaza Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
@Trip,
Yeah, and DD was in a contract year ladt year and we know how that went. Still, I hope Penner does something with his contract year.
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Stuart Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
@Trip, I hope he has a good year, too but I don’t want to re-sign him unless it’s another one-year contract. He’s proven throughout his career that he only gives a flying-frog’s during contract years…
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I think we as fans tend to take things personally. I do agree it’s really hard to not take it personal. I think we are all emotionally invested in this team, and have a connection with the our team. I for one am going to TRY and not get upset at the DD contract situation. It isn’t anything in my control, I don’t have all the information, and I don’t know what Doughty is thinking, so why should I/we try to think we truly understand his feelings. I have been a KINGS fan since the Dionne days and have never seen such hope from our fan base, nor have I EVER been more excited and optimistic about this season. I love my KINGS and that includes DD!!!
GKG!!!!
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well, i know it’s only the first day of training camp… but how did the boys look? anyone attend the practice……..
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Peter90210 Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@lvkingaholic, I was there and Penner looked good. During the skating drills he was really putting out. He’s not dragging an elephant around with him this year, so I expect we’re going to see him controlling the front of the net.
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Its like watching baby backs slow cook.
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Trip Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@rumpa#19, NICE!
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
@rumpa#19,
What kind of sauce?
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What is funny is that Wally Pipp was a very good player in his day and he has asked to take only one game off and said he would be okay to return for the next game?
How did that work out for him?
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I know the season hasn’t yet officially started yet but I m pissed at DD for making his contract dispute a conversation piece. I like DD but this is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. 6.8M a year is wayyy too much already especially for a 21 yr old coming off a very average year. I m very surprised he’s holding out. I do hope that DL doesn’t jeapordize the teams future and offer him any more. I think $5M a year over 10 yrs would have been high. He is good but we have only seen 1 out of 3 years as spectular. Hardly worth Kopitar money??? Come on Drew freakin sign and quit being a distraction
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Wait, but I thought Penner was fat and had a gut?
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Kevin,
Pictures always add 10 pounds. If you take a picture a beer belly will appear.
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Jumblehead Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
@Dominick, If you drink a pitcher, the same thing happens… Go figure
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
@Jumblehead,
and if he had a beer belly without the picture, he would end up a pitcher in a mens softball league at El Sid.
Him and Ovie been hanging out
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Yay for Penner I hope the best for that guy. I hate having that 1 player that doesn’t fit(JR, Jones, Purcell). I know Gange and Richards will be great can’t wait for the season to start!
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Got up at 5:30 this morning, got on the motorcycle and went on a charity ride with about 400 other riders. Spent all day on the bike and didn’t check the stupid smart phone once. 10 hours and 250 miles later, I walk in the house (actually it was more like a wobble)and fired up the computer with the hope that the headline on the Insider would be DD agreeing to a contract. No headline, no DD, no contract, no nothing. Oh well, at least a great charity raised alot of money today
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Kingsfanone Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
@DesertKing,
And the weather was beautiful too! Musta been a nice ride, eh?
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
@Kingsfanone,
No such thing as a bad ride unless it ends with a crash and no one did. Nothing better for a rider than living in So Cal.
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@DesertKing, at least u had a great ride about forever..I cant ride a bike because dont know how LOL
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@DesertKing, Did you ride by yourself? Seems like a nice day to do something like that.
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
@Dominick,
Nope, met up with 3 buddies then rode to the rally point and joined the main group. Never ridden in that big of a group. One of the guys was someone I took to his first hockey game last year and he asked today if we would be going to more. The answer was “of course!!”
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BlueStang Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
@DesertKing, Yeah, if Drew Doughty went on that ride, he would have wanted to be paid……… out of the charity funds.
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That’s good news about Penner. His performance could be the difference between a first round playoff exit and a trip to the conference finals or beyond.
If he is contributing then we’ll have two solid scoring lines, a strong defence, and excellent goaltending.
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I love how the players/coaches are handling this matuerly and professionally.
Whereas most fans are hysterical.
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
@Sdgolfer,
Of couse I am hysterical. I paid over a hundred bucks for my #8 back-in-black jersey
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Dominick Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
@DesertKing,
Hold on to it. It will be just as good as ever once he gets here. Here’s a fresh perspective on how fans viewed another past Kings hold out.
http://www.theroyalhalf.com/2011-articles/september/short-term-memory-long-term-contract.html#livefyre_thread
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DesertKing Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
@Dominick
Thanks. At least I have the always dependable #20 jersey to fall back on.
Sdgolfer Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
@DesertKing, Hold on to it, because he will be a big part of the Kings future success!
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wupmasta2000 Reply:
September 18th, 2011 at 11:26 am
@Sdgolfer,
That’s because they are on the business end and have to be diplomatic with their comments. Cmon do you think Terry Murray and Dean Lombardi arent pissed that DD isn’t in camp? The Kings possibly have one of their best teams ever this year and one of their best, if not the best, players on the team is holding out. DL has worked hard, trading and drafting guys that have the right character to play for a DL type team (the exception being Penner). He drafts DD, a guy claiming to want to be a King for his whole life, only to have the guy holdout. Wouldn’t you be upset?
As a fan, no WAY am I going to feel sympathy for Drew. I doesn’t sound like he’s being low-balled. And really in this economic climate, does anyone truly expect DD to have any sympathy from the fans?
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“get your best players on the ice as often as possible.” listen to yourself Terry, very little westgarth this season!
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