April 3 practice quotes: Robyn Regehr

On joining the Kings:
“I’m really, really happy for a few different reasons. First of all, being in a position to win again and with a team that has proven it can do it in the past and wants to do it again. So I’m very excited about that, and also familiar with Darryl as a coach and knowing his style and how demanding he is, and a couple of the players even from previous hockey experiences.”

On what he learned from playing against the Kings as a member of the Flames:
“They played a little bit of a different style back when I was playing for Calgary. It was a little bit more of a passive style. Now, it’s a little bit more of an aggressive, forechecking style and trying to get all five guys out there working together and being close to one another in all three zones. Things have changed a little bit differently, but I am quite familiar with a lot of the personnel. I don’t know, maybe you’ll have to ask some of those guys of their experiences. I remember I separated Justin Williams’ shoulder in the corner one game, so maybe he’s not quite happy with me. But we’ll try to work it out. Water under the bridge.”

On whether he came to L.A. with a short-term or long-term mindset:
“Right now, all I’m thinking about is right now and how I can get up to speed personally here with the team and what they want me to do as quickly as possible. But as for all that other stuff about the future, I think it depends on a lot of things. It depends how things go for me personally. It depends how things go for the team, and also probably the most important, there’s also other factors, such as next year we all know that the cap is going down from what it is this year and things like that. So there’s so many things that are out there and that are involved with that decision that I don’t think about that too much at this point. I’m just – like I said – I’ve got enough stuff going on right now to deal with.”

On the timeline of finding out he had been traded, flying to L.A. and undergoing a physical:
“So, what would it have been? We flew – Buffalo flew to Pittsburgh and then that night, that would have been April 1st, that night we went out for dinner, and I was hearing from my agent that something might be happening, and he had mentioned Los Angeles. There were a couple other teams we had heard rumors about, but he then it was Los Angeles, and we talked a little bit about it and the fit, and all that. I was asked to waive [the no-trade clause] after dinner, so I was gladly accepting. I talked to my wife about it. She was happy. She’s always wanted to be down in Southern California and spend some time here. We were excited that way, and with the team, as I mentioned before – the fit and the coaching and things like that, and what they did last year here, and they’re going to put ourselves in a position to hopefully do that again. All that stuff was very exciting for me to think about. Now I’m here, and I did fly out yesterday for a bunch of medicals and MRIs and things. It was a very full day yesterday, and I was out on the ice today for the first time. But I’m looking forward to getting into a game and into the lineup tomorrow.”

On his familiarity with players on the Kings roster:
“I had met a few of them. Personally, I had never played with any of them on any team other than there would be a camp here or there or knowing a guy like Jarret Stoll from being around Saskatchewan a little bit. Drew Doughty – I roomed with him at one of the Team Canada camps for three or four days. Stuff like that. So you know guys a little bit, but not really, really well.”

On playing for Darryl Sutter again:
“Darryl is a very demanding coach. I think any player that plays under him, that’s one of the first things that he would mention. But that being said, when you do the kind of stuff that he asks of you, and you do it well, you put yourself in a position to succeed and also become a very good professional. I was excited to be back and have that opportunity. I know the type of style [is] a very similar style to what he asked for us to play in Calgary. I should be able to brush the rust off a little bit. It’s been a few years. Get out there and do it, and do it well.”

On whether he can make an impact with a short schedule:
“They’re going to ask me to play hard physically, defend well and help out on the penalty kill. Those are going to be the areas that I’m really going to focus on.”

On whether a “mental adjustment” is needed leaving a disappointing Buffalo team and joining a playoff-tested Los Angeles team in the thick of a playoff race:
“It does a little bit, just because of the very different situation that both of the teams were in. I played out west enough to know that this is what it’s like every year in the Western Conference playoff race, pretty much. So that’s just the reality of the situation.”