WATCH – 2026 Rookie Faceoff, Kings @ Sharks

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (0-0-0) @ San Jose Sharks (0-0-0)
WHAT: 2026 Rookie Faceoff, Game 1
WHEN: Saturday, September 12 – 5:00 PM
WHERE: Tech CU Arena – San Jose, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: SLVR, LAKings.com / TWITTER: @DooleyLAK, @LAKings

Live stream is expected to be live around at 4:30 PM – The stream will not be embedded, but it is linked HERE on LAKings.com. For those looking to watch via SLVR, it is available on Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus and Plex.

Los Angeles 1, San Jose 7

Third Period
20:00 – Third period has begun in San Jose.
14:44 – Feel that Kenny Connors really raised his level in the final two periods. Think he’ll be frustrated with his night, had a couple of looks and hasn’t gotten one to go. Overall, though, think we’ve seen a lot more from him in the final 40.
10:00 – Interesting night for Adam Goljer. I’m intregued. He’s made several good plays in 1-on-1 defending and he’s very willing to let it fly from the point. Was also in the mix on a couple of the first period goals against. He’s 18 and has a long runway ahead of him. Some things to like in his game and others that should get better with experience and refinement.
8:47 – SJ Goal – Think that’s the fourth deflection goal of the night? Stenberg gets credit for it, nice ovation from the fans in San Jose for the second-overall pick
8:22 – SJ Goal – Chernyshov to Stenberg for a 2-on-1 goal in transition. There’s some NHL-level ability in that move. Sharks putting on a bit of a clinic offensively and the Kings take their medicine. 7-1 San Jose.
6:26 – Jared Woolley and Quentin Musty drop the gloves at center ice, not long after Chernyshov and Brzustewicz were ejected from the game following the seventh San Jose goal. Musty fought Brzustewicz at last season’s tournament if I recall.

Second Period
20:00 – Second period is a go, Kings down by three as we get back underway.
15:00 – Kings obviously had their defensive issues in the first period, but Kirsanov/Brzustewicz pairing was not really involved in those. Think they’ve had a nice night so far actually. They should be the team’s best pairing and they have been, by far.
13:48 – Jack Hughes has made some plays tonight. Thought he had a very good postseason in Ontario last year on an AHL contract. He’s crafty and makes effective, short passes. good on him for the way he’s approached signing an AHL contract as a second-round pick. Know he’s earned some internal support with how he has played.
9:24 – Feels like every other shift the Sharks get a breakaway or a 2-on-1 rush. Hard to heap a ton of praise on a goaltender who gave up four goals in the first period but Carter George but it feels like at least 10 of his 17 saves have been from dangerous situations, typically without a ton of defensive pressure being applied. Playing better than the numbers, in my opinion.
9:04 – First Kings penalty of the game goes to Kaleb Lawrence for holding. Offensive-zone infraction.
7:05 – SJ Goal – Sharks score with one second remaining on the power play. In arena clock showed the power play as being expired but looked like an error. Kings bench was unhappy with something, but the goal stands. 5-1.
4:47 – Good shift for Jared Wright. Kings sustained a bit more offensively and Wright made a nice play below the goal line to get the puck into the slot. Nearly had one.
2:33 – Kings get a power play late in the first period. They’re -1 for 1 thus far. See if they can generate a little bit more here.
0:33 – Lot more going for LAK on that one. Both defensemen – Goljer and Brzustweicz – did good things at the point. Still not the most dangerous but thought there was a lot more going well there.
0:00 – Much stronger period for the Kings. Thought a few of the top guys had more intensity, the Hughes/Connors/Ziemmer line specifically. Kings still pretty open defensively, but it’s a rookie tournament. 5-1 through 40 minutes.

First Period
20:00 – We are underway in San Jose!
15:51 – SJ Goal – Forward Filip Bystedt gets a deflection on a point shot from defenseman Jake Boltmann and sends the puck past Kings goaltender Carter George 1-0 Sharks, off a good start to the game for the tournamenthosts.
14:03 – Other than Carter George, there haven’t been a ton of Kings standouts early, but noticed a couple of nice plays by Grant Slukynsky. Nothing that jumps off the page but heads up hockey plays. Good early signs. First time we’ve seen him in a Kings jersey.
10:13 – SJ Goal – Sharks make it 2-0 with another deflected effort. Carson Wetsch gets the goal as another puck changes direction in tight and sends George the wrong way. A shame too, because he made a few very good saves before the second one went in.
9:29 – SJ Goal – That’s a pretty one. 2-on-1 rush for the sharks, Wetsch this time feeds Gasseau who rips a shot past George on the blocker side. 3-0 Sharks, early in this one.
6:13 – LAK Goal – Kings on the board. Great puck transportation by Jared Wright, who put his speed on full display to gain the zone. Jared Woolley had the assist, Vojtech Cihar slammed it home. Kings within 3-1.
2:43 – Kings will get the game’s first power play as Lombardi is hit from behind into the boards by Bystedt. See what they can do here up a man late in the opening period.
0:48 – SJ Goal – Kings didn’t really get much going on the power play and give up a shorthanded goal to make matters worse. 2-on-1 rush was handled by the Sharks kept the play alive and Gasseau buries his second of the period to make it 4-1.
0:00 – 4-1 San Jose after 20 minutes. Sharks certainly had the bulk of the possession and the chances early. Very opposite period to what we saw between these teams last season, when the Kings led 4-0.

Tonight’s LA Kings Lineup –
LA Kings Lineup –
Jack Hughes – Kenny Connors – Koehn Ziemmer
Vojtech Cihar – Jimmy Lombardi – Jared Wright
Kenta Isogai – Grant Slukynsky – Liam Lefebvre
Jan Chovan – Kaleb Lawrence – Brendan Gorman

Jakub Dvorak – Otto Salin
Kirill Kirsanov – Henry Brzustewicz
Jared Woolley – Adam Goljer

Carter George
Hampton Slukynsky