I didn’t forget about all the great “Open Forum” questions that people have been posting over the last few days, but now that we’re through all of the evaluations — I can’t believe more people didn’t think Doughty and Kopidor would win the Super Bowl — it’s time to turn to those questions and answers. I’ll do a chunk of them at a time, and here is the first set…
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King Cobra asked: Do you think the Kings should sign Shane Doan or keep the team as it is?
Answer: Well, it’s up to Doan more than it’s up to the Kings, since he’s the one deciding where he wants to go, but I don’t see a downside to it. If you can improve a championship team without making huge moves that risk altering the chemistry, it seems like a no-brainer. Doan can still play at a high level, he’s widely respected among players and, as he gets to the final stages of his career, he’s going to be highly motivated to win the Stanley Cup. The Kings have the salary-cap space over the next couple years, so it would make sense all around.
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hagi818 asked: What’s your gut feeling on the looming possibility of a work stoppage? Does the season start on time?
Answer: Throughout the last few months, I’ve been pretty optimistic that there wouldn’t be any type of stoppage, but after talking to a lot of people I respect, and reading about the early stages of the negotiations, I’m much less optimistic about training camp starting on time. I’m still going to hold onto the belief that the season will start on time. Perhaps that’s naive, but I just feel as though the owners and players can’t be that stupid, again. Unfortunately, I know there’s a pretty good chance that I’m wrong about that, but my gut feeling is that training camp will be altered a bit, and perhaps some preseason games canceled, but that the season will start on time.
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losingsand asked: Any updates on Linden Vey’s injury that he sustained at development camp? He looked to be hobbling pretty badly in street clothes during the last day of camp.
Answer: Nothing bad. I asked Mark Morris about it during the camp and he said it wasn’t a concern. If I had to guess, probably just a strain or sprain of some type. Coaches know better than to push players in development camp and risk having something minor turn into something serious.
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Chris asked: What member of the kings is your favorite to interview, why? How was it covering a Stanley cup winning team during the playoffs?
Answer: Good question on the favorite to interview. That’s hard to say, because players have different qualities. Some are funny, which is good, while others are insightful and break down the game well, which is also good. Colin Fraser really seems to “get it,’’ in terms of giving quality stuff to reporters. He would be a great commentator if he ever decided to go down that road. Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll are great at breaking down aspects of the game. Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell give great veteran perspective. Dustin Penner is very entertaining. Covering the Cup run was exciting and very strange. I previously covered the Lakers’ runs through the playoffs a few times, but those were expected. This just felt like being strapped into a roller coaster, and off it went. It was a lot of daily work and a lot of travel, but it was uniquely fascinating to see the Kings win games and then increasingly think, “Wow, they could actually do this.’’ I started believing it would be a real possibility after they won the first two games in St. Louis, and then things just kept rolling. I had never covered a team, from the start of the season until the end, that won a championship, so I’m grateful that I got a chance to experience it. The day-to-day work wasn’t massively different than it was in November or February, for instance, but I got to cover a bit of history, so that was a huge professional highlight and one that I’ll never forget.
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Nut asked: Do you think Oscar Moller and Bud Holloway are done with the Kings?
Question: Contractually, not yet officially, but I don’t think it’s very likely that you will see either one. Based on style of play, both guys would probably need to play top-six roles in the NHL. Two problems with that: they haven’t actually showed that they’re capable of filling those roles in the NHL, and also, unless there’s a run of Kings injuries and/or trades, those openings aren’t available right now. Holloway and Moller already made the decision that they’d rather play in Europe than the AHL, and honestly, in terms of what’s best for them professionally, that was probably a good choice.
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RollieTheGoalie asked: With the prospects of a possible work stoppage looming over next season, are there any contingent plans regarding some of the cup celebrations planned for the beginning of the season such as Hockeyfest and the banner raising?
Answer: You may or may not have seen a partial answer in the days since you posted the question, but the Kings have already called off HockeyFest, because of the exact reason that you stated. A lot of teams have called off activities in September, such as “fan fest’’ type events and rookie/development camps. It’s a big concern. The banner raising wouldn’t take place until the next regular-season game, whenever that happens to be.
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neil asked: Game 6.Stanley Cup Finals….little bit of rooting for the Kings????(P.S. even for the reason of not wanting to go back to N.J. )
Answer: Yes, for the parenthetical reason you stated. A Game 7 would have been exciting and fascinating, for any number of reasons, but you have no idea how happy I was to come home and unpack the bag that had been pre-packed for a Game 7 trip.
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Whammer asked: Do you know if the kings are looking for anyone specifically to get for Jonathan Bernier and if so who? Also, are there any more free agents that the kings are interested in (including Doan) and if so who? And on a separate topic, how much progress do you think Slava voynov is going to have to make defensively in order to be a top 2-way defenseman?
Answers: 1) The best way to answer is probably to say that the Kings are/will be fielding offers, whenever talks about Bernier come up, and the “looking for anyone specifically’’ would be dependent on the team on the other end of the phone. It’s hard to believe that the Kings will be the aggressors on this one, despite the belief, in some corners, that the Kings would be actively looking to get rid of Bernier. 2) I doubt it. There aren’t any real holes on the team. Doan would be an upgrade. Otherwise, they’re not going to sign people just to sign them. 3) A top two-way defenseman in the entire NHL? Quite a bit, but that’s a small group of defensemen. His decision-making with the puck, in terms of speed and accuracy, needs to improve but that will come with time. He could stand to bulk up a little bit, but that might come with time as well. He’s on a good path right now.
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responsible D asked: Were any of the players nursing injuries during the playoffs, other than Penner with his wrist?
Answer: I would be surprised if there was a single player on the Kings or the New Jersey Devils who would have considered himself completely healthy.
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Julian Kings Germany asked: Hey Rich thanks for an amazing coverage during an amazing season!
I have a question about one of Kings vision videos: there is a video called “signs and sounds on the bench” that’s the name I think, it was filmed during the Kings preseason game against the Hamburg Freezers and I’m actually in this video… so is there any chance to get some kind of copy?
Answer: I’m not really familiar with the video, but I’m assuming you saw it on the Kings’ website or on YouTube. They don’t make those videos commercially available, but I believe there is a program that allows viewers to catch video. Perhaps a fellow reader can help on this one.
Rich,
thanks again for everything you do for us!
Better yet to give us your opinions on certain issues!
No one is shedding a tear for Moeller or halloway
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Rob Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:13 am
@Lake Forest, *sniff, sniff* Come home Oscar! Come home! *sniff*
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I can help out with the last question. You can use a “video capture card” to record the video while you watch it on your computer (It basically records what ever is playing on your monitor). They’re around $45USD. There might be software that does it too, I’m not 100% sure.
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Julian Kings Germany Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 9:51 am
@Itchy, Thanks Itchy i will check the internet to find this program or a similar one! And well Rich thanks for your answer aswell!
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vplaza Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:13 am
@Julian Kings Germany,
If it’s on YouTube, you don’t need to buy a card or software. You can use Freecorder with your IE or FF browser and it should allow you to download the file into a format that you can play on your computer.
Or, if you have a Playstation 3, it also plays that format. That’s how I downloaded all of the Kings compilation videos and play them on my TV.
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Decker Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:16 am
@Julian Kings Germany, There are also add-ins for programs like firefox that allow you to download files right off youtube and other flash video hosting sites. I’ve been able to record stuff off King’s Vision provided you actually start the video playing (it won’t recognize it before the video starts). It is a free add-in for firefox and can capture the video in whatever resolution the hosting site loaded the video in (i.e. – it can capture 1080p if the uploaded video is offered at that resolution)
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Decker Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:18 am
@Decker, Forgot to mention the add-in I’ve used… it is called “Flash Video Downloader”
Julian Kings Germany Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
@Itchy, Thanks guys but as far as I know the video is only available on Kingsvision! Do those programs work there too?
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Mars Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
@Itchy, Firefox has a ton of video add-in such as down it all, download helper, all freeware, sand they even do flash to avi conversion for you.
Handy tool for YouTube NHL.com or even Hulu and Netflix.
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Rich,
I’ll never forget following the Kings during this run. I was in NY for law school during the year so I couldn’t catch most of the games (going to get one of those packages next year). For me, your reporting was crucial. You seem very balanced so i can actually trust what you say and I was able to feel the intensity and excitement of the Kings much before their SC run. I remember when they traded for Carter and went on that run to get into the playoffs. Even though I couldn’t see most of the games, I was so confident that they could go deep in the playoffs. I told all my friends and my family to catch on because the Kings we’re going to make a run. I ended up looking pretty smart. But i realize I could’ve never followed them so closely without your help. It is shocking how little coverage of the Kings there was/is…even during the playoff run.
I got overly excited and framed a bunch of awesome newspaper headlines and pictures and they’re hanging up on my wall. There is one picture that is the entire team in front of the cup. And I know all those players so well I feel like if I saw them they’d recognize me. I’ve always followed the Kings closely but my King’s fanaticism saw knew heights when I came across your blog this year. And it was right in time. I know it wouldn’t be possible to enjoy this run as much if it wasn’t for your consistent and informative updates. The Kings have always been “my” team but I can’t thank you enough for helping all us die-hard squeeze every drop of goodness out of this historical Cup run.
Hat’s off to Rich Hammond! The one-man army.
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KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
@DumpandChase, Awesome post.
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A work stoppage, if it’s resolved in time to have a slightly-shortened season, could be good for the Kings. Teams who make the finals remark about how short the offseason is. This would create an interesting respite. That said, I would like to see hockey start on time, perhaps without a full preseason. However, preseason’s already pretty short in the NHL.
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Hey can anyone answer what NHL team Rich actually roots for?
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:04 am
@jonbb11, I saw him wearing a Seattle Metropolitan’s jersey during the Tip a met convention in 1923.
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jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:30 am
@Shuchuk, awesome you have an extensive knowledge of the NHL. Now back to my question…?
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west coast ram Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:57 am
@jonbb11, he has stated several time that he is really not even a hockey fan and certainly not a kings fan. While I like his reporter style, I do wish they would have a writer that was also a fan. Rich is too much of a where, when, why type of writer and I want someone that has more opinions about how the team is playing and analytics about things they should be doing. That would truly be an “insider”.
Duncanz Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
@west coast ram,
It is sooo preferable this way.
There is enough wisdom and talent if one reads the board to totally satisfy any analytical inquisitiveness one may have.
The less bias and vested interest the journalist has the better, and the classier the operation in turn.
Crash Davis Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
@Shuchuk, it is not widely known that Rich covered the Victoria Cougars during their 2 seasons contending for the Stanley Cup (1924-1926). The Cougars were the last West Coast team to win the Cup until the Anaheim Ducks won in 2007.
Rich also wrote capably & extensively about the dispersal & transfer of much of the disbanded Cougar roster to Detroit, a roster that eventually became known as the Red Wings. A rare newspaper clipping in the HHOF (Victoria Daily Times) from the era (circa 1926) supports Hammond’s early, astute observations that Cougar players Hap Holmes & Gizzy Hart could have played in today’s modern NHL.
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nykingfan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
@jonbb11,
Whoever Mikus is playing for
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jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@west coast ram, I find it so interesting/odd that for someone whose job it is to travel across country, spend hours and hours with an NHL team, be away from home for so long, and do nothing else but write stories and features on hockey players, that he isn’t even a fan of the game. doesn’t that kind of change how you read this website?
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
@jonbb11, exactly. he choose to cover this team and this sport. if he didn’t like hockey he’d have a food blog or a blog devoted to hotel windows and air conditioning companies. shhhhh, rich really likes hocky, he just doesn’t want to come off as a homer.
jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
@Shuchuk, what’s wrong with sounding like a homer? Read the LAKings twitter to see the best example of that going on.
KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
@jonbb11, I believe he has stated he is not really a hockey fan. … I know, I know … how could that possible be.
I really can’t understand how one could not be a hockey fan in Rich’s position. Rich does like the Cubs so I suspect there may be a closet Hawks fan in him (btw, Bob Miller is also a closet Hawks fan).
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jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
@KC23, Thanks for the info. Man that is still so weird to me. Makes you wonder if we are missing out on some “better” insider information. Not to say Rich’s work is bad, I happen to think this is one of the better Kings sources out there, but if the writer of this site was more of a fan of the game, we could be receiving a more complete analysis of the Kings.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
@jonbb11,
What you are hoping for is information the team would not want to be enquired about or posted for public digestion anyway.
It would be an unsustainable framework and the reporter wouldn’t last.
What sort of extra practical information would you hope to find out?
Read the ‘comments’ for analysis and you’ll be fine.
Duncanz Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
@KC23,
It’s good they’re not so “hawkish” about it then.
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jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
@Duncanz, You are so off base with your analysis over this. I am not in search of a blog that divulges top secret facts or earth shattering rumors. My point is that the official beat writer/insider for the Kings is not even a fan of the game of hockey. If that doesn’t strike you as a little misleading in some way, then clearly you have no background in ethical journalism. Like I said, and if you read above, I am a fan of this blog and come to it frequently for news, but knowing the author of it writes from a viewpoint as not an admirer of the game, it comes across as a bit off kilter.
jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
however, much love to Rich if you do read this. Your coverage of the Kings is still top notch, as well as your ability to gather quotes and provide recaps. The run to the Cup this year was really well documented all thanks to your work and was greatly appreciated!
Regarding the video…
If you use Safari on a Macintosh (and maybe on Windows), you can usually select the “Activity” item from the “Window” menu and find the biggest file downloading in the huge list. It’s probably and MP4, M4P or FLV suffix, and if it was int the last window or tab you opened, it should be near the top of the last group of files. If you hold the Option key and double-click on the file name, it will put a copy in your download folder when it’s done downloading it.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:23 am
If the file suffix is .flv, you could choose to watch or convert it with VLC (Video Lan Client) or convert with Handbrake. They are both free and cross-platform.
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If the Kings do happen to sign Shane Doan, where do you think he’d fit best? And could we use another captain or do you think we might run into the problem of too many caps, not enough mates?
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Jonathan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:13 am
@Robyn,
I would think that Doan would be an incredible addition to the 3rd line as a RW. No offense, but when you have the opportunity to replace a natural center (I believe it was either King or Nolan playing his right wing) with a proven competitor it’s a no-brainer if Doan would be willing to sign with this team.
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BringBackButchGoring Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
@Robyn, He will likely run with King and Stoll on the third line and I doubt at age 35 Doan will care if he is a captain or alternate. He wants the cup and will be a good influence on the team in regard to work ethic and determination.
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KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
@Robyn, I think they would put Gagne on the LW with Stoll and Doan on the RW. Lewis moving down to RW the 4th line with King at LW and Fraser at center.
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IceGuy Reply:
July 25th, 2012 at 8:43 am
@KC23,
Oh, sure, do that and the 4 Line approach is out the window!
You would end up with a 1, 2 , 3A and 3B line.
So, who plays on the 4th Line?
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CabbagesAndKings Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
@Robyn, At age 35, I’d expect that Doan would be happy with a slightly more limited role on the 3rd line (taking Lewis’s spot). And as everyone always says, you don’t need a letter on your jersey to be a leader — and good leaders also know when to follow, I have no doubt he’d fit in just fine in the locker room.
Brown – Kopitar – Williams
Penner – Richards – Carter
Gagne – Stoll – Doan
King – Fraser – Nolan
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I really hope they dont cancel Frozen Fury! I have tickets and lodging taken care of already and i would be so bummed if it was canceled.
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Sebastian Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:44 am
@BrokeKingsFan, me too…frozen fury is my favorite time of the year.(other than playoffs)
and lockout time, is the most depressing time i can remember (other than summer of 2007). no hockey for any amount of time would suck.
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the good news is that you should know ahead of time…it would be one of the first events cancelled if negotiations drag (I’d imagine). good luck, dude.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:41 am
@Shuchuk, Thanks! Im thinking Ill need it.
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Penner brought the cup to a bar he likes near his place in Newport. My friend took my painting of him scoring that goal in the playoffs and he made it out to me ;D
id be there but I am sitting in freaking jury duty -_-
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Subby Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:34 am
@Subby, My friend got to touch the cup and errthang</3
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Anyone going to Staples tonight for the “Lord Stanley’s New Home Reception”? Ill be there with my family and would like to meet up with some Insiders if possible.
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Robyn Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:46 am
@BrokeKingsFan, what is this reception thing? Boy I feel clueless…-_-
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:50 am
@Robyn, I think it was an invite only event for people who have executive boxes and premier seating. its like 4 hours long with food and drinks and you get to have a photo session with the cup done by professional photographer. I was lucky enough to be invited by my company since they currently have premier season seats.
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@BrokeKingsFan, I thought it had been officially cancelled due to possibility of a lockout
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:52 am
@Robyn, you mean Frozen fury?!?!?! damn I hope not. Looking into it now…
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Sebastian Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:58 am
@Robyn, Incorrect. Nothing has been canceled…only “Hockeyfest” will not be held, but it wasnt really scheduled so cant be canceled. Frozen Fury has NOT been canceled (yet) and it better not be.
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For those interested in getting Matt Greene’s autograph tonight, he will be signing DVD’s in El Segundo from 7-9pm. Here are the details: http://bit.ly/QywC0w
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Julian, let me know if you still want that video.
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jonbb11 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), hey I think you have a great website. Any chance you could put up for mp3 download some of the radio calls Nick Nickson made from throughout the playoffs, specifically the Stanley Cup Finals? I would love to hear Nick call Kopitar’s winner in game 1, Carter’s in game 2, and the Final 2 minutes of game 6. Also owning his call of Stoll’s winner against Vancouver as well as Penner’s against Phoenix would be very sweet. I would love to play them on my iTunes from time to time to relive the memories!
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
@jonbb11, Thanks jon! I know that some of those games are streamed online but I’m not entirely sure where one would go to play them. Of course, from there one could record the stream but I couldn’t legally post an mp3 since that isn’t the original form it came in. I’ll look into compiling a list of streams though. If you know the site, post it.
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Julian Kings Germany Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Hey Paul, for sure i still want that video, it was filmed on my first Kings game, i traveled over 600 kilometers single way to Hamburg to watch a preseason Kings game, and I’m actually in on of the videos…. plus it was the beginning of an amazing ride for the Kings, that ended in winning the Stanley Cup!!!
Cheers
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
@Julian Kings Germany, Ok, email me Julian at paul at kingsnewsdaily dot com
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It’s Doty and Kopidor, Rich. Get it right!
.
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Go Kings Go!
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YOU’RE THE MAN RICH. so happy to be a kings fan and have the nhls best insider reportin for us. Thank-you for another great year!
Cheers from Ottawa, ON
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