June 2019 - LA Kings Insider

With development camp wrapping up, LA Kings Senior Advisor to the General Manager/Development Mike O’Connell met with the media to characterize the week of development that concluded with close-quarters, width-of-the-ice, three-on-three scrimmaging. Interestingly, there was a different approach ... Full Story

Q&A with new Reign Assistant Coach Chris Hajt

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 28, 20190 Comments

CoachingOntario ReignUncategorized6 min read

The Ontario Reign rounded out their on-bench coaching staff earlier this week, adding Chris Hajt as an assistant coach under Mike Stothers. Hajt should be a familiar face for Reign fans, serving in the same role from 2015-17 before spending the last two seasons as an NHL assistant coach with the... Full Story

Parik, invitee Kinder chosen in CHL Import Draft; convos with Hults, Anderson

Jon RosenJune 28, 20190 Comments

Prospects and Scouting9 min read

CHL IMPORT DRAFT | 2019 third rounder Lukas Parik is a Chief, and invitee Nino Kinder an… Ice. He is an ice. Parik was “drafted” by Spokane in the CHL import draft, which is part-draft, part-pre-arranged-distribution-of-talent across major junior hockey. This is not necessarily a linear, top-to-b... Full Story

SoCalGas In The Pipeline Scrimmage – Notes, Photos & Video

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 27, 20190 Comments

Uncategorized3 min read

The penultimate day of 2019 LA Kings Development Camp ended with the SoCalGas In The Pipeline scrimmage at Toyota Sports Center. The Kings prospects split up into two teams and scrimmaged for just shy of an hour in front of a great turnout for a late-June prospect game. The game began with 4-on-... Full Story

NHL debut gives Lizotte confidence heading into first full pro season

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 27, 20190 Comments

Uncategorized4 min read

Blake Lizotte enters his first development camp with the Los Angeles Kings as one of two players to bring NHL experience with him, joining now three-time dev camp veteran Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Signed by the Kings after his collegiate season came to an end, Lizotte made his NHL debut with the Kin... Full Story

As structure, responsibilities solidify, McLellan emphasizes importance of belief

Jon RosenJune 27, 20190 Comments

Coaching10 min read

Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLITodd McLellan is now two and a half months into his tenure as the LA Kings’ head coach, a span that has allowed him to expand on a relationship with one assistant coach and hire another. On this Wednesday, midway through development camp and the organization’s fifth consecut... Full Story

2020 AHL All-Star Classic logo, presenting sponsor unveiled

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 27, 20190 Comments

Ontario Reign2 min read

The Ontario Reign, in a partnership with the LA Kings, Ontario International Airport and the American Hockey League, unveiled the logo for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport. As a part of the arrangement, Ontario International Airport will serve as the prese... Full Story

Development Camp Day 2: Catching up with Stothers

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 26, 20190 Comments

CoachingOntario Reign8 min read

It's always good to be back at the rink after some time away and that sentiment goes twice for Mike Stothers. I chatted with the Reign's Head Coach after Day 2 of Kings Development camp earlier today at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. Stothers and the Reign staff are not on the ice with the ... Full Story

Development camp notebook: Turcotte, Tuesday/Wednesday recaps, photos

Jon RosenJune 26, 20190 Comments

PhotographyProspects and Scouting11 min read

INSIDERS. Two days of development camp have come and gone. A number of notes are below, while snippets from conversations with Mikey Anderson, Cole Hults, Samuel Fagemo, Rasmus Kupari, Sean Durzi and one or two others will be shared tomorrow. As a reminder, the SoCal Gas In the Pipeline Scrimmage is... Full Story

Kings don’t qualify Leipsic, who will become a UFA

Jon RosenJune 25, 20190 Comments

Contracts and Finances3 min read

The LA Kings did not qualify Brendan Leipsic today, allowing the forward to become an unrestricted free agent. The Kings had already made decisions on their remaining restricted free agents, choosing to tender qualifying offers to Michael Amadio, Daniel Brickley, Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Cal P... Full Story

Junior teammates Durzi, Phillips develop towards professional ranks

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 25, 20190 Comments

Prospects and Scouting6 min read

If you were writing a story on Sean Durzi and Markus Phillips a couple of years ago, your theme might have been about a pair of offensive minded defensemen on the Owen Sound Attack. The story has remained largely the same for Durzi, who continues to be an offensive mind on the blueline, though b... Full Story

Schedule released; bullet points, factoids, all hail SCHEDULOR

Jon RosenJune 25, 20190 Comments

Uncategorized5 min read

And on the seventh day, SCHEDULOR rested. Bullet points! -- Most importantly, the schedule matrix. Sadly, this is a boring matrix, like The Matrix Revolutions, and not thrilling and thought-provoking, like The Matrix. And, similar to The Matrix Revolutions, it also lead... Full Story

Chris Hajt returns to Ontario as assistant coach

By Zach Dooley For LAKingsInsider.comJune 25, 20190 Comments

CoachingOntario Reign2 min read

The Reign announced earlier today that Chris Hajt has returned to the organization as an assistant coach. Hajt was an assistant under Mike Stothers from 2014-17, first with a season in Manchester, followed by two in Ontario. Hajt helped lead the Monarchs to a Calder Cup in 2015, as well as back-to-b... Full Story