I caught up with Dwight King and Jordan Nolan recently and had a chance to look back to last year and the successes…to discuss what is happening now and also to give me a scouting report on some of their Monarchs teammates…in Part 1 they discuss their day with the Stanley Cup, sharing it with friends and family and help they have received from family members on the road to the Cup!
JF: Take us through what you did when you had the Stanley Cup.
Jordan Nolan: Me and my brother picked up the Cup at about seven in the morning and then brought it back home and into Garden River with my parents, took some pictures with the family and then we actually brought it to the graveyard…my dad’s parents grave site and we had some aunts and uncles there and it was pretty emotional…so that was definitely nice to do and then after that we had some pictures and we just showed the youth of Garden River and then after that we had a little parade and started it at our community center…there was a few hundred people there all wanting to get a first look at the cup when we entered into town…then we did a parade, that took an hour and half and stopped for pictures as this one landmark in the community and then we did pictures and autographs for about two hours, which took us to about 2 o’ clock. After that we had family over at the house for a bit, took some more pictures, so it was definitely a busy morning and afternoon. But after that, I rented a bus, I had 10 buddies in town so my buddies and my brother we took a ride to the city and showed my buddies Sault Ste. Marie and took some pictures on the water and we really just spent the afternoon just hanging out with the Cup and just doing normal things and then at night time from 6 to 8, we had a banquet at a hotel in town for all of the volunteers who helped out at the parade and family and friends from out of town came to take pictures with the Cup and then after that we rented another bus to fit more people and we went to Boston Pizza and a few other restaurants and bars throughout the night. Then it headed off to Kevin Westgarth…he sent car and he picked it up at 12 midnight…so it was a long day.
Dwight King: I got it in the morning (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) , I started off with just a family meal at my brother’s acreage…from there did some picture taking with just family…then went to town and did a public viewing for the community at the rink where I played growing up so a lot of people got to come to and see that. I actually went to see my grandmother, she lives in town at the lodge and stopped in the new rink just outside of town on the way home and came back to the farm, went for a ride with the horses with my dad around the racetrack and had a big extended family, friends kind off party/dance to end the evening.
JF: Can remember any reactions from non-family members…people that were kind of awed when they saw the cup…anything that stands out?
Jordan Nolan: Not too many stories…one I do remember…I picked the Cup up at 7 in the morning and I put it in the front seat and I was driving home and one of my buddies—I guess he was driving by me that morning and he sent me a quick text me saying the Cup looks good in the front seat of your car, that was probably one of the weirdest things. Other than that, just my friends and just how excited they were for the day and the night, so that’s pretty much it.
Dwight King: I mean everyone was just taking it all in. Obviously with the presence of the Stanley Cup, there are a lot of pictures being taken and I think everybody enjoyed the history behind it and being able to see it in person and touch it…so I think everybody enjoyed it. I mean there’s a lot of passionate hockey fans around the area where I grew up, I couldn’t name anybody in particular but there was a lot of big smiles and some priceless expressions on people’s faces when they did get the moment. I think being able to watch a lot of the people come in for the pictures, it was special to see…even the kids being able to see it for the first time, it was something I will never forget.
JF: Obviously your father (Ted) played and he coached…what did you learn from your dad along the way that helped you last year on your journey to winning the Stanley Cup?
Jordan Nolan: I can’t think of anything specific about the difference between last year and the past few years. I obviously struggled when I was playing junior hockey…I wasn’t as good as I should have been and I didn’t work as hard as I should have, so my dad told me to really just focus for about three years and dedicate everything you have to hockey and if this is what you want to do make sure you do it the right way and have no regrets once your done so that’s really just what I did, pretty much when I got called up to LA, I knew that’s where I wanted to play, that’s what my dream was…to play in the NHL and try and win the Stanley Cup, obviously when I first got called up I wasn’t thinking about winning the Stanley Cup, I was thinking about staying there so I really just dedicated everything I had on ice and off ice I put the hard work into the gym and I really just gave it my all. I made sure that Darryl liked me. I made sure that I worked hard for the team and did everything for the team. It was definitely an exciting time in my life and I was just trying pretty much help the team out, stay in the lineup, just work my hardest—I knew that this doesn’t happen every day. My dad said, just stay confident. Just keep working and hopefully you can become a Stanley Cup Champion.
JF: Your older brother DJ plays…what do you think you’ve learned from DJ along the way that really helped you last year in your journey to the Stanley Cup Championship?
Dwight King: He’s helped me in my whole life growing up, especially a brother who set the path I followed…from moving away from home to playing in the same midget organization, the same junior organization, being drafted and making that transition from the AHL to NHL. I think it’s just the fact that he was there to just talk me through…the ups and downs of a season for a hockey player can be tougher when you’re younger and I guess the advice and the support that he’s given me over the years…I’m very appreciative of that.
JF: Is there anything special about sharing the experience with him because he’s still on his journey to try to win. Is there anything there that makes it so much better because you guys are brothers?
Dwight King: Yeah, obviously when you share the memory with someone who has put in the time, hasn’t been rewarded the same but has the same dream, the same fire to achieve what any hockey player aspires to get to and have him be totally supportive in the role of a brother has made it special for me to share with him and for him to enjoy just as much as I have, knowing that he’d like it that way and I would be in the same situation if he were in my shoes.
maybe the Kings can hire someone to change the time on the site…Remember we changed the clock recently….Bettman wants to take two weeks off….Why..you already have taken the whole season off….If teams are losing money.why would the owners ever change their offer.If(and thats the big word)the owners need to show the players how their offer would make it easier for MOST teams to turn a profit. Not all teams CAN/WILL make money but all teams should have a fair chance at making a profit.Fehr is trying to make a name in the history book for himself and trying to change the system. Bottom line…Allow the owners a chance at a profit….
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CB14 Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
@Neil, I doubt the Kings will hire anyone to run this site until hockey returns. Mabye by that time Daylight Savings time will have returned and there will be no need to change the time on the site.
Regarding owners having the ability to make money, 24 of the 30 teams could have made money while operating under the previous CBA. The problem is that they chose not to.
According to Forbes, 18 teams lost money in the 10-11 season. Here’s the amount each of those teams lost, along with how much they could’ve saved had they had players salaries near the Salary floor.
Pittsburgh lost 0.2 million but could’ve saved 18 million.
The Kings lost 2 million but could’ve saved 12 million.
Dallas lost 1.1 million but could’ve saved 8 million.
Washington lost 7.5 million but could’ve saved 17 million.
Minnesota lost 5.9 million but could’ve saved 16 million.
San Jose lost 7.8 million but could’ve saved 16 million.
Anaheim lost 8.4 million but could’ve saved 12 million.
New Jersey lost 6.1 million but could’ve saved 21 million.
Tampa Bay lost 8.5 million but could’ve saved 7 million.
Buffalo lost 5.6 million but could’ve saved 12 million.
Carolina lost 4.4 million but could’ve saved 6 million.
Atlanta (Winnipeg) lost 5.2 million and spent near the salary floor.
Nashville lost 7.5 million but could’ve saved 7.5 million.
Florida lost 7 million but could’ve saved 3 million.
St. Louis lost 2.7 million but could’ve saved 1 million.
Colombus lost 13.7 million but could’ve saved 9 million.
New York Islanders lost 8.1 million and spent near the salary floor.
Phoenix lost 24.4 but could’ve saved 7 million.
So out of the 18 teams who lost money in the 10-11 season, 11 of those teams chose to lose money instead of making it. Another 5 could’ve chosen to not lose as much money as they did. And of the 2 teams who spent near the salary floor and still lost money, one of them moved, Winnipeg, and the other one will start playing in a new arena in 2 years, the Islanders.
Given the increased revenue sharing agreed to by both sides in the new proposed CBA, as well as the players share being lowered, all the teams will be able to make money except for 2, Phoenix and the New York Islanders. As mentioned above, the Islanders will move into a new arena and likely start to make money. Phoenix on the other hand is a mess, and Gary Bettman compounds the problem by not selling the team to someone willing to move the team to a city which can support an NHL franchise.
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luc20rules Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 10:43 pm
@CB14, Nice to see the #s, but many teams would have lost more money if they weren’t competitive. Teams not spending 12 million would be without 2 star level players. Your point is well taken though, I actually think the 16 million range from Max to Min cap should have been a % of the Max Cap not a fixed amount. This would give the small market teams more of an ability to stay out of the red. You see it in baseball where teams finish near the bottom harvest high picks and make a run as they have young and relatively lower paid players. The Kings did it and won the cup last year and have no Salary Cap problems with many players still under the 27/7 years as pro contracts.
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gustavo Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
@CB14,
Funny accounting.
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CB14 Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 12:02 am
@gustavo, What’s so funny? Please enlighten me.
Pasadena Hockey Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
@CB14,
The owner are losing nothing by this lockout. Their only danger is a decrease in value to their franchises.
I just don’t see how you can make players have a max contract of 5 years. It is a game changer that isn’t in any other sport.
Lastly, how can you ask a player like Colin Fraser who just signed for two years at 1.6 million to give back nearly 200 grand? It may be the last contract the guy ever gets. Sure I would love to make over 500 grand a year, but a lot of the guys in the league aren’t set for life like J Quick. Having written that, the players are risking a lot by not settling.
The whole thing is a major bummer.
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Hmmmm interviewing players is ok I hope as long as its not about the lock out?
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luc20rules Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
@Lake Forest, Technically right now they are AHL players. But man I was thinking the same thing. Maybe we should take 2 weeks off to think about it?
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Kingsfanone Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 10:48 am
@luc20rules, @Lake Forest,
You are both fired for breaking my rules.
Signed,
Evil Load
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Here’s the exchange between NHL(Daly) and NHLPA(S.Fehr) today (not a direct communication but via media).
Daly: We have made repeated moves in the Players’ direction with absolutely no reciprocation. Unfortunately, we have determined we are involved with Union leadership that has no genuine interest in reaching an agreement. Regardless of what we propose or how we suggest to compromise the answer is “no,” At some pt you have to say “enough is enough.
S. Fehr: Of course everyone on the players’ side want to reach an agreement. The players have offered the concessions worth about a billion dollars. What exactly have the owners offered the players? We believe that it is more likely that we will make progress if we meet than if we don’t. So we are ready to meet. If indeed they do not want to meet, it will be at least the third time in the last three months that they have shut down the dialogue, saying they will not meet unless the players meet their preconditions. What does that tell you about their interest in resolving this?
Is NHL posturing and Don Fehr’s laughing about it yet again?
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Sure happy that we have Nolan & King to look forward too. Can you imagine Cap Nightmare that would have come if we signed Shane Doan’t for 5 or 6 mil/yr for 3 years. The Kings should be fine even if the cap in the new CBA is around 61 Mil/yr.
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I like the picture bottom left. Says everything about the playoffs last Spring.
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2 week break are you f’ing kidding me?
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luc20rules Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
@Lake Forest, Bettman’s idea of negotiation. Lets put things off for 2 weeks again and see what that accomplishes. Genious! < Sacrasm!
Depression!
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I wonder if I canthe still get a 10 pack of Laker games?
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 9:53 am
@DesertKing, Why would you waste your money on Basketball?
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Forum Gold Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 11:13 am
@Lake Forest, +1.
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DesertKing Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 11:43 am
@Lake Forest,
NO hockey. The nachos at Lakers games are the same nachos at Kings games. Duhhhh!
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
@DesertKing, Meh, with that argument you should then go to a Sparks game!
DesertKing Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
@Lake Forest
Even for nachos, one must draw the line somewhere, and the Sparks are that “somewhere.”
Like King’s imitation of Ben Hur! Chariot #74 flashing some silver.
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http://www.ocregister.com/sports/usc-377929-ucla-game.html The Hammer is prognosticating tomorrow’s game. USC 38 vs 31 UCLA. That’s new… And, WRONG! GO MIGHTY BRUINS
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 11:19 am
@LBlocal, haha I sometimes read his stuff and think about commenting something like “Come back to the kings”
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Dustin Penner @Dustinpenner25
Everyone send some love out to @amartinez_27 for a speedy recovery. slap shot to the face. 6 fractures, metal plates gettin put in #143
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DesertKing Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 11:45 am
@LBlocal,
Dang
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bbb7 Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 11:52 am
@LBlocal, Yikes, and that’s even WITH a visor. Imagine a shot like that hitting the face higher up without one.
Speedy recovery, AMart!
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GailWeb Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 2:26 pm
@bbb7, He is going to have surgery, here’s for a speedy recovery!
Day by day
Break by break
Money makes the world go round but not hockey
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break out the sweaters…here comes the deep freeze…:(
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Forum Gold Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
@variable, Groundhog Day with Punxsutawney Phil has come early. He popped up today and declared 6 more weeks of lockout. OUCH!!!
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I read a pretty good article from Bill Simmons about how horrible Gary Bettman is and thought i’d pass along the link.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8639525/just-go-away-gary
The second half of the article are his football picks so you can disregard that if you don’t like football. But may I suggest you read what he wrote about the Bengals vs Chiefs game. It appears he likes @puck73′s writing style.
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luc20rules Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
@CB14, Agreed with all of it. He forgot to mention how Bettman has blocked the most struggling markets from moving. Probably because of ego, as he set them up. Its odd at this point I am so frustrated with the lack of CBA progress. Even an article so accurate still just enrages me, since if Bettman & Fehr don’t get outside help or realize their flaws in the negotiations this will not get resolved. I know some will ask what has Fehr done wrong? Well I will tell you he doesn’t realize or accept there are ways to negotiate with ego manics. 1st you work off their plan say how senseable it is, but then make suggestions that will make it acceptable for the players. This is how you message and ego to get what you want. This is how you get a 2 week moratorium from an ego maniac each time he offers something you completely restructure it and return it to him as a completely new deal. Basically telling the ego maniac there is not one single idea of yours we wish to keep? Productive?
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Reduced to watching Harvard vs. Cornell with Doc Emerick calling the game. The only way ot could get worse is if Hayturd was there too.
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luc20rules Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
@DesertKing, Ahh, Yes! Doc Emerick a legend in his own mind.
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DesertKing Reply:
November 16th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
@luc20rules,
Listening to him is like watching NASCAR. I keep waiting for his diaphragm to crash and burn during one of his “fake excitement” calls.
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11 or 3 Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
@DesertKing, incredible!!! the guy is horrible (though hayward and pierre are actually worse)…
Anger at this point has boiled over to be at the media coverage. If I was a reporter and the same PR bull was spewing out of Daly, D. Fehr, S. Fehr or Bettman I would respond with so your partner is unwilling then shouldn’t you be pushing for arbitration! Response:”Blah, Blah not looking at an abitrator at this point.” Then you think your partner is willing to negotiate at this time and you are not in fact conceding anything? Response: Ahhhhh. Im sorry no more questions.
Does anyone think that in 2 weeks after 2 days on continued talks with little or no progress tempers will not flare?
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The best way to describe where I am with the CBA talks. I’m getting to the point Charlton Heston’s character was at as he strolled along the beach and saw the statue of liberty in Planet of the Apes.
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PA wants to resume a talk next week. Good luck with that.
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Gailweb Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 8:57 am
@goldielocks, sounds like how my divorce
went back and fourth and no winners at all
Same old blah blah and more nothing
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Let’s have some fun.
Red Wings D Ian White on Gary Bettman: “I personally think he’s an idiot”
Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
Candor and strong opinion are always welcome, however, Ian White calling Gary Bettman an “idiot” is disrespectful and requires an apology.
Ryane Clowe @ryaneclowe29
@DarrenDreger I didn’t hear you crying for Jimmy D to apologize to the players after he called us “cattle”
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
Another “white noise” (Ian?) day in CBA standoff. Much idiot talk, a cattle call, player turned media expert and none of it matters a bit.
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Very interesting read.
http://mobile.philly.com/sports/?wss=/philly/sports/sportsweek/&id=179749281&viewAll=y#more
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DesertKing Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@goldielocks,
That makes sense. Bettman wouldn’t lie or come up with a bad strategy for the owners, would he?
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goldielocks Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
@DesertKing,
Ed Snider issued statement and said it was erroneus. But of course, he doesn’t want to pay $1 milliom fine to the league.
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goldielocks Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@DesertKing,
Oh, and NHL and PA expect to meet Monday night. Smaller group, but players and owners likely included. Where did that 2 weeks break go?
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CB14 Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
@goldielocks, it’s so stupid that it only takes 7 owners to be on Bettman’s side for the lockout to keep going. No wonder he hasn’t sold Phoenix yet. It should only take 51% of the owners for the ability to override Bettman.
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goldielocks Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@CB14,
Yup. Exactly.
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goldielocks Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
@CB14,
Then again, it works if only 2 parties involved. If there are 4 parties, you need only 26% to gain the absolute power.
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Ian White calling Bettman ‘an idiot’
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ian-white-gary-bettman-personally-think-idiot-190128732–nhl.html
Sounds to me like Ian White is butthurt (like many 2004/5 lockout players) that Bettman has time and again broken the NHLPA in favor of the owners agenda. There is no point in hating the messenger.
The players, the union, the media and most of the fans would happily hang Bettman from his big toes and tickle his nose so when he sneezes, he stirs an anthill full of angry fire ants…But to the owners running the show, he is a hero worthy of his yearly multimillion dollar contract. And like a good soldier (and lawyer), Bettman is willing to sacrifice his public image and reputation for the sake of a good bounty.
The NHL is in the hands of an incompetent and draconian controlling minority of owners. THAT is source of all evils affecting the game we love so much. Everything trickles down from there.
Solution?…A new league. Period.
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CB14 Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
@gustavo, I just became an Ian White fan.
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Stuart Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
@gustavo, wow, we stand together on this one… tripout
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luc20rules Reply:
November 22nd, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@gustavo, Don’t you mean everyone else gets trikled on from there?
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UCLA
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Word is sides are talking again this weekend and hope to meet
in person before Thankgiving Holiday
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Maybe we should take a two week period from checking this site….then in the middle of next season(whenever that is) take another two weeks off..from everything NHL related….
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Hey, anybody think the Manch.Mon’s will get a power play goal today. Or maybe go for a 5th straight loss.
And AHL live straming is like horrible. I wonder whose idea it was to go that cheap, and still charge eight bucks a game. Lame.
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maybe it’s time for replacement leaders instead of replacement players…
oh, shucks….
i’m still 100% behind the players…
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CB14 Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@variable, +1
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@variable, I’m 50/50, but not during years one and two.
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Jon G Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
@Lake Forest, That one made me laugh out loud. Nice!
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KC23 Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
@variable, Last time I was with the owners and the cap proved to be the best thing to happen in the NHL in a while. The owners, players and the NHL in general did very well.
This time the owners are just obviously being very greedy. Saddest part is I think they’ll get away with it because they can afford to wait out as long as it takes. Players have a time window to make big money that is closing with every second that goes by. Sooner or later they’ll be enough players feeling the hurt to force a bad deal for the players.
I don’t believe it will be good for the game. I typically don’t get real passionate about these type of things, but there is a big part of me that resents the owners. When I get these type of feelings I don’t support anyway near the way I would otherwise. I won’t be boycotting watching, but I won’t be buying things at Staples anywhere near the way I have in the last few years. I doubt I’m alone.
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DesertKing Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
@KC23,
When the corporate sponsors at the League and individual team level start bailing out, then the owners will know they are in trouble.
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Cesar Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
@variable, how could you be 100% behind the players considering it was not so bright to hire a sport breaker such as Donald Fehr? Donald Fehr likes to pander to himself and the players who foolhardly think he is doing good by acting like he is a tough negotiator.The players will eventually cave in and will be shown how stupid they were for listening to a person like Donald Fehr. Sounds to me tcalls were made by locked out players to Donald Fehr’s office to prompt the NHLPA request a CBA bargaining meeting this Monday.
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Stuart Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
@Cesar, while neither you nor I know anything about what’s gone on, it sounds to me as if the owners are getting ancy as well… TSN blurb about Snider getting uneasy about the length and direction of the lockout, and as this has dragged on, Fehr almost has them right where he needs them: negotiating against themselves while he plays hardball until he gets the NHL to get to where he feels the best possible deal will be. Fehr isn’t an idiot, he knows this isn’t a perfect world where the league will cave, but he knows how far they will bend before they snap back in the opposite way. He will get the league to get to the 50-50 gradually and they will eat the make-whole. And the best thing he will do is that he will start to make the owners doubt there faith in Gary Bettman.
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DesertKing Reply:
November 17th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
@Stuart,
+1
Well, I’m relegated to watching Wisconsin/ Minnesota hockey.
I couldn’t care less about either team.
The negotiators all suck fat tool.
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I’m really inspired along with your writing talents and also with the format for your blog. Is this a paid subject or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
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