Summer skating

I haven’t forgotten about the rest of the open forum questions, but I still have a lot of stuff left over from yesterday, so I’ll keep going with that… If you remember, a big part of the success of this year’s Kings was attributed to the fact that they came together for two weeks last July in El Segundo for workouts and bonding time. Most players still leave Southern California at the end of the season for “home,” wherever that might be, but a lot of them are now coming back to workout for at least part of the summer. Last year’s workouts were organized by captain Dustin Brown and alternate captain Matt Greene. Terry Murray said he will encourage similar workouts this summer, and Brown, Anze Kopitar, Michal Handzus, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty, Ryan Smyth and Brad Richardson also shared their general summer plans…

MURRAY: “Yeah, absolutely. I’ll have meetings, starting (Wednesday), with every player over the next two days. We’ll get through everybody, and that will be the primary message, what has been done here in the last couple years, and how well you guys have come together, and the chemistry. The locker room is so solid, and where it all started, in my mind, was through July, working out together for those three weeks, where you guys really became teammates. Now it’s going to get harder. That first step, to get to the playoffs for the first time in a lot of years, is the easier one of the two. It will be very difficult, next year, to make that step to go deeper into the playoffs. It all has to start right away. You don’t want to back away from the routine of living a pro life. That is important for young players to understand, and for veteran players, who have backed away from that routine over the last couple years maybe, to understand that and get right back at it.”

BROWN: “I think it’s [the workouts] a good idea. Even last year, it was optional. It wasn’t a mandatory thing, but a lot of guys showed up. I haven’t talk to Greener and we haven’t really discussed it, but it’s something I’m sure we’ll come up with. Me and Greener, we talk pretty regularly. I live here and he lives here for a lot of the year, so I’m sure we’ll do it.”

KOPITAR: “I’m not sure yet [where he will spend summer]. Right now, I’ll probably stay for a couple weeks, and then go back (to Slovenia) and figure out from there. I think most of my training I’m going to do back home. Now I kind of know what I need to do. This past summer was a really good indication to me, to really get to know my body and know what I need to do to perform at the highest level.”

HANDZUS: “I’ll go home. I’ll always go home for the summer. I haven’t decided yet. In the next few days I’ll decide my plans, but for sure I’ll go home and then come back in August.”

JOHNSON: “I’ll be at home. I enjoy going home in the offseason. I’ve got all the facilities I need to prepare. I’m got a rink, a world-class weight room, trainers, everything I need. I’ll do everything I can to be in the best shape possible to be here in the fall. I think getting away for a bit is healthy, to be refreshed and come back rejuvenated in the fall.”

DOUGHTY: “I’ll be back and forth. I’ll be back home for a little bit, and I’ll be here too. I’ll be out here around the draft and to work out and stuff and hang out with the guys.”

SMYTH: “I have a summer place up in B.C. that I enjoy. It’s great.”

RICHARDSON: “I’m going to stay here for a little bit and get to enjoy L.A. a little bit and do some stuff. I’ve never really been anywhere besides Manhattan Beach or El Segundo. I’ll hang out here for a little bit, and then I’m going to be back in July to train for a couple weeks. I haven’t really thought about it a lot yet, or made plans, because it’s been so quick, but there aren’t too many better places to live than down here.”

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