Stevens, Williams, Mitchell on Carter trade

Other than Mike Richards, if anyone with the Kings knows Jeff Carter best, it’s assistant coach John Stevens. Stevens was the head coach of the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms when Carter joined them late in the 2004-05, after his junior eligibility expired, and helped them to the Calder Cup. Then, Stevens took over the Philadelphia Flyers and coached Carter from 2006-09. Stevens also coached Richards during that time, and today Stevens talked about how the two players fit together…

STEVENS: “They are very different players, but they have skills sets that seem to complement each other very well.’’

Stevens talked about, from Carter’s perspective, the value of having familiarity with a new team after a trade…

STEVENS: “Even with Darryl coming in here new, the first thing you want to do is develop a relationship with your players. You want to give them direction, but you want to give them respect and let them play the game. I think the fact that we have a relationship in place kind of helps him feel comfortable, and I think it’s easier to communicate with those guys right away, instead of going through a feeling-out process. I think it’s helpful that I know Jeff and that some people are familiar with him in the organization, and the fact that he’s got a guy like Mike Richards that he’s very, very familiar with. They’re good friends and they talk all the time, so I think that will help Jeff get settled quickly.’’

Also, click below for some video interviews with Justin Williams and Willie Mitchell, with their reactions to the Carter trade…