Open Forum answers VI

I’m going to try to get through a lot of the Open Forum questions and answers, so here’s the next set…

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Jake says: “Rich if you had were GM of the Kings with the progression of some of our prospect call up this year like Parse would you try and resign Fro or trade him? Thanks and sorry if this was already asked. And who is your favorite all time Kings and current on this years Team”

Answers: 1) At this specific point, I would do neither with Frolov. I would wait until the end of the season and see what happens. Unless we’re talking about a trade that brings back a surefire talented, scoring winger. 2) I’m not sure quite what you mean by “favorite,” because I don’t have a favorite the same way a fan does. I’ll try to answer your question that my favorite player to watch, in terms of enjoying a style of play, is Wayne Simmonds, and all-time of course it would be Gretzky.

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mike asked: “i’m not a fan of points being awarded to a team that loses in overtime during the season, its called sudden death for a reason and i see no point crediting a team with a point if they only last a couple minutes into an extra period on 4 on 4. However i do believe that if either team hasnt scored in overtime both teams should be given a point for making it to a shoot-out and the winner should be given the second point. I think this would make the overtime worth more to finish an opponent and i also believe this would make the shoot-out serve a purpose. What do you think? Should the NHL continue to award teams a point simply for getting to overtime?”

Answer: Someone presented a similar scenario earlier. I agree that the point system doesn’t work, but I fear that rewarding a shootout loss, but not an overtime loss, would lead to some teams, in some situations, keeping their eyes focused on the shootout. I’d rather see three points for a regulation win and one point for a post-regulation loss, in whatever form.

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leo4kings asked: “My question, how does Ivanans carries himself off the ice? Does he get along with others? Who would you say is the closest buddy to him? Thank you again.”

Answer: Ivanans, as is fairly common for big guys such as him, is actually very soft-spoken and quiet in the locker room. He’s a very pleasant guy. I don’t spend time with players away from the rink, so it’s hard to say who he would consider his closest teammate.

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tron asked: “Is jordan Nolan still property of Kings?”

Answer: Yes.

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zdfun asked: “I have a question… when the Kings are on the road in the east coast, do they use the east coast time for lunch, dinner, bed time etc… or using the west coast time?”

Answer: Local time, in whatever time zone they’re in.

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20lucfan asked: “when you do updates from the road, and even at home for that matter, do you do it all on a laptop in the press box? before the plane takes off? hotel room? i always wonder how you have time to type so much in depth in almost no time. covering the kings in the amount of time you have, you have got a chance to catch other games at tsc, have you seen an emergence in so cal hockey? it seems like it gets stronger and stronger every year! what ever happened to noah clarke? kid was small, but i thought that he would at least be in the ahl right now. are you excited to be covering the draft in so cal come summertime? lastly, where is the closest tommy burger/ in n out to tsc? i reckon i owe you a lunch on the 28th!”

Answer: 1) All of the above, and also from my cell phone a lot of the time. On a game day, on the road, I’ll post from the hotel in the morning, from the cell phone after the skate, from the hotel in the afternoon, from the press box and then on the plane (sometimes on the bus). 2) There always seem to be kids playing at the rink, which is good to see. The amazing thing is being there at night, as I have been once or twice, and seeing guys (and women) playing at midnight! 3) Noah Clarke is, I believe, playing in Switzerland, as he did last season. 4) I’ve never covered a draft, so yes, I’m excited to see what it’s like. I won’t lie, it will be extra-nice to be able to stay at home that week. 5) Sadly, pretty far away. I think we should have some reader get-together at the original Tommy’s!

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Kenfusion asked: “We hear the Kings talk about playing “our system”. In your opinion, what exactly is the Kings’ “system” under Terry Murray and how does it differ from the system of other teams in the league?”

Answer: Well, it’s a lot of little things that add up. It’s not as easy as saying a football team is a “running team” or that a baseball team is built around speed. It’s safe to say that Murray’s philosophy starts with a strong defense, limiting shots on goal and playing strong in the area in front of the net, which he has often referred to as “home plate.” Beyond that, you’d be getting into a lot of positional stuff that would be very lengthy to describe.

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John_oc asked: “i know your gettin all the hard questions, but for fun….if you had to put on a uniform, what position would you prefer, and why?”

Answer: I’ve never really thought about that. I’ve seen the bruises goalies get, so that’s out. I’ve seen Matt Greene’s bloody face…no thanks. So I’ll go with right wing.

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Ed asked: “What is YOUR standard for the retirement of a number? By your standard, should Norstrom’s number be retired by the Kings?”

Answer: Excellent question. I think everyone has their own qualifications. For me, it’s sort of like a Hall of Fame type thing. If you ask, “Should Luc Robitaille be in the Hall of Fame?” you’re going to get a long string of very quick “yes” answers. If you ask about a player, and the person you’re asking has to pause and think about it, that’s a “no” for me. It should be an instant, slam-dunk, “Yes, this player is one of the most memorable in franchise history.” Does Norstrom rise to that level? I don’t think so, and it’s certainly nothing personal against him. Quite frankly, he was a memorable player on a lot of unmemorable teams. To me, that doesn’t rise to number-retirement status.

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kingsKnight asked: “There are many visible members of the organization that have been around since the forum-blue and gold days (e.g. Luc Robitaille, Bob Miller, Nick Nickson, Jim Fox, and Daryl Evans). Are there any less visible members of the organization that have been with the club for a long time? Trainers? Equipment guys? Office guys? Etc? I would love to hear their “inside” story and their take on how this year’s Kings team compares to other years.”

Answer: I’m not sure how far you would consider “a long time.” Pete Demers, the Hall of Fame trainer, left a few years back and I’m not sure that anyone predates the Gretzky era at this point. I just finished Stephen Brunt’s book, “Gretzky’s Tears,” and was pleasantly surprised to find quotes from Mike Altieri, the Kings’ vice president for communications and broadcast, who worked his way up through the organization and the business through 20 years. Lou McClary, the Kings’ security chief, retired after 42 years last year.

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mask0425x asked: “1. What was the logic to play Drewiske (who seems very much like a stay home D-man) on a wing before the injury to Jones? Jones seems much better fit for offense not just between two of them but actually overall. Granted, we have not seen a whole lot of him yet, but so far his decision making appears to get progressively better as he gets away from his own end. 2. How do players physically get to the Staples Center on the game day/night (i.e. cars/carpool/team bus)? Does it change when they have to fly somewhere right after the game? 3. Do the Kings usually stay at the hotel in Anaheim the night before the game there (I remember that was the case for both Kings and Ducks under Burke a couple of seasons ago)? 4. Would the shooters be at liberty to take the helmets off during the shootout? There is practically no risk of injury and it would make the players more recognizable to at least casual fans. We’d probably see a lot more of “hockey hair” then too. 5. Given the recent rash of injuries, can we force Andy and Terry Murray to submit their respective DNA samples to prove that they are NOT in fact related?”

Answers: 1) I don’t believe the goal, in that move, was the find offense. Murray was looking for a fourth-line player, which is typically — although not exclusively, given that we’ve seen players such as Moller there — a role for a more physical, big-bodied player. Plus, Drewiske didn’t even spend the entire game (maybe half) at wing before he went back to defense. 2) They will drive themselves, and perhaps carpool. I don’t believe there is an instance in which the team will fly directly after a home game this season. 3) This has gone back and forth, depending on the coach. But yes, Murray does have the team stay at a hotel before games in Anaheim. 4) I don’t know that anyone has given this any thought. I suspect owners would object due to a remaining injury risk. A skater might trip over a goalie and crash into the boards, etc. 5) Might not be a bad idea. Maybe Glen Murray can get involved too!

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cebukid asked: “If one player goes down on Kopitars line and he can not score or contribute untill the player returns,what does this say about Kopitar? Rather one thin on talent?”

Answer: I might be misreading your question, but if you’re suggesting that Kopitar is thin on talent, you’re going to have to go far and wide to find someone in agreement there. Certainly there’s disappointment — “confusion” might be the better word — as to why Kopitar couldn’t adapt without Smyth, and there are several theories, but a lack of talent isn’t among them.