I spoke with Tyler Toffoli and Linden Vey about their approach to starting the season in Manchester after spending the better part of a month in Los Angeles at training camp. There were moments of recalibration and focus, the realization that they’re young and will receive opportunities, even if they weren’t immediately presented to them at the outset of the season. There were also several moments of vulnerability in the initial moments of realizing that the start of the season would take place in New England, not Southern California (or, to be more accurate, St. Paul and Winnipeg).
“It’s tough. It sucks,” Tyler Toffoli said. “Nobody wants to be playing in the minors when you think you can be playing in the NHL.”
There was a late night discussion with the highest-ups in the team’s hockey operations – Darryl Sutter spoke first, and then Dean Lombardi, and then Sutter again – shortly after a late night arrival at LAX following the inbound flight from Frozen Fury.
“Your job as a pro is to keep the highs and lows to a minimum,” Linden Vey said. “Obviously the ride back to the hotel is tough. You’re telling your friends and your family.”
I also spoke with Darryl Sutter about Vey, Toffoli and Tanner Pearson – the three prospects often discussed by fans and members of the media as one unit – and he had several interesting takes on the trio. His full comments can be found here.
LAKings.com: Another Go
Other LAKings.com features:
Dining Out with Willie Mitchell
Kings of CHLA
West is Best
Their Words
Numbers Aside
Follow Me
Talk About It
Padded Down
Little Time for Rest
Make Them Better
Comfort Level
Getting There
Will to Win
Buying In
Fine Tuning
Battle Tested
Smooth and Selke
Up, Up and Away
In Their Eyes
Work in Progress
Committed
Scuderi’s Actions Speak
Brown’s Model a Path for Doughty
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