Audio: Quick hits with Todd McLellan, Kale Clague

It was quieter on the Toyota Sports Performance Center concourse Sunday than it was on Saturday, when falling oversized Jenga blocks startled the media as only the Columbus Cannon can do. But without the fan events and the scrimmage, those who attended practice on Sunday were treated to a demonstration of coach Todd McLellan continuing to implement the team’s systems. And while it wasn’t as loud in the public areas, those closer to ice level could feel some additional urgency and direction in McLellan’s voice with the first preseason games two days away. Speaking with LA Kings Insider, McLellan expanded on his efforts to communicate and implement team systems and how he relies on team figures as conduits for his messaging.

BONUS AUDIO! I enjoy interviewing Kale Clague, Insiders. It’s not saying a ton that Clague, now in his fourth training camp, has developed and matured since he was selected in the second round in 2016. We talked about those topics, including his 20-year-old season in Ontario and the difficulty of suffering an injury on the verge of his first NHL call-up. (He shared that he wasn’t aware at the time of his injury that he was about to be recalled.) But more than hockey, Clague has a number of interesting things to say that go well beyond the sport. A native of Lloydminster, a town of 35,000 people that straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, Clague’s interests are diverse and cosmopolitan, and though we did spend some time discussing Alberta steakhouses and the comforts of home, we also talked about style and personal expression in the National Hockey League – as well as his favorite L.A. restaurant.