Hello everyone!

Connie Kim here with my very first post on KingsCast!!  I’m really excited to begin interacting with everyone who already holds KingsCast near and dear to their hearts.  The summer is still in full swing even though the L.A. weather doesn’t exactly reflect that so I haven’t really been getting tanned these past few months; if anything, I’d call it “getting toasty.” I know everyone has been lazing about wondering what they should do on his or her nights without le hockey, so I thought I’d kick off my first post with a little Q&A to get the mental juices flowing.  The idea is for you, the reader, to ask me, the newest member, a question and I shall do my very best to give you a somewhat truthful answer.

As a gentle shove through the door, I’ll provide a few example questions (with real answers!):

Q: If you were to play a position on the ice, which would it be and why?
A: I would be a center, Zetterberg-style.  Having the ability to create something on the ice that could utilize my control-freak…ness would be highly beneficial to the likes of Dean Lombardi.  I would love to be given the freedom of executing the sickest moves under the highest of pressure.  Plus I absolutely love taking faceoffs!

If I couldn’t be a center, I’d be a right defenseman.  I’m a right-handed shot and feel more comfortable having the inside of my blade facing as much of the ice surface as possible.  And Sean O’Donnell’s backward skating absolutely mesmerizes me during warm ups.

Q: Would you trade for Dany Heatley?
A: And make the worst decision of my life? I’m okay.

Q: If you were playing in the KHL, what name would you go by?
A: According to Name Generator, I’d be Sofia Kolesnikov.

Now that you have an idea of what sorts of questions to throw my way, please make them as creative as possible (or not).  The goal here is to have fun while hopefully gaining a bit of insight into yours truly.  I wouldn’t mind a couple of “Would you rather’s” if that would pique the minds of some of you waiting diligently for the Kings to take the ice.  Hit me up!

Connie Kim is a co-host of KingsCast and the biggest Kings fan of the bunch.  Get some insight at Twitter!

Kings fans, this off-season represents big changes within the LA Kings organization. There’s the impressive signings and trades that Dean Lombardi has made. The organization is openly talking about contending for the playoffs next season. Finally, Los Angeles is doing something very similar to what the Chicago Blackhawks did last season. You’d have to be living on a remote island if you haven’t heard about the Los Angeles Kings upcoming Hockey Fest ’09 being held on August 28-30, 2009 at LA Live.

Hosted by ESPN.com’s John Buccigross, this three-day event will feature a “one-man show” with Bob Miller, a Q&A with the Triple Crown Line, a speakers series with former Kings greats, live music with Eddie Kowalczyk, autograph sessions and much more. This event is like Tip a King on Red Bull and speed.

The Los Angeles Kings have packed so much into these three days that it’s like boot camp for the Kings fan. However, Hockey Fest is much more than a three-day celebration of all things Kings: it’s symbolic. Do you think they would have done this if all we had done in the offseason is sign Brian Wilsie 2.0? Exactly, the Kings want you to be excited about Kings hockey this season. The Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs in 2007-2008, held their own Hockey Fest that summer and went on to the Western Conference Finals. Now I’m not suggesting that’s going to happen for Los Angeles, but the playoff spirit is in the air and it’s time to jump on the train. Personally, I can’t wait to see Bob Miller’s one-man show. This is a Hall of Fame living legend of broadcasting live on stage. It’s going to be pretty special.

If you think your child will be born that weekend, see if there’s a way to switch that around. If you’re getting married that weekend: put. it. off. If you’re an LA Kings fan, this is an event not to be missed.

Now you know Team KingsCast will be there, what about you? What are you most looking forward to?

Keith Korneluk is a co-host on KingsCast. Follow him on Twitter

COMMENTARY: Forward Jeremy Roenick announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on August 6, 2009, ending a stellar NHL career that spanned twenty years and will earn him induction into the hallowed halls of the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. But there is one nagging little thing that, especially to the chagrin of Los Angeles hockey fans, no one is talking about…

LOS ANGELES — At a press conference on August 6, San Jose Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick announced his retirement from the National Hockey League, ending a glorious NHL career that saw him don the jerseys of the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and the Sharks.

In that twenty-year span, Roenick scored 513 goals and contributed 703 assists for 1,216 points with 1,463 penalty minutes in 1,363 regular-season games. The only American-born players who have scored more goals are Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk.

In the playoffs, Roenick scored 53 goals and tallied 69 assists for 122 points with 115 penalty minutes in 154 games, although the Stanley Cup would elude him.

In international play, Roenick represented the United States at the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Games (won the silver medal both times). He also played in the 1992 Canada Cup, World Championships (1991, runner-up) and World Junior Championships (1988 and 1989).

Roenick, easily one of the greatest US-born players to ever play the game and will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, should be proud of what he accomplished in his twenty years in the NHL.

“I am not only happy but proud of the twenty-year career that I have had in the National Hockey League,” said Roenick. “To end my career on my terms was very important to me and I must thank [Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager] Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks organization for providing me that opportunity.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty

I’m not going to lie, it’s tough to find true female hockey fans out there. Even rarer is a female Los Angeles Kings fan. But, if you’ve been listening to the last few episodes of KingsCast, you’ve probably heard the lovely voice of our new co-host, Connie Kim. Connie’s been providing excellent and funny commentary at her blog,A Queen Among Kings for a while. However, today we are happy to announce that Connie has joined KingsCast as a co-host and blogger.

While adding the female perspective to our show is a very good thing, don’t be mistaken: Connie knows her hockey. We look forward to reading about her unique perspective on the LA Kings for a very long time as well as listening to her on the show once we go back into production. Don’t hold it against her but Connie is a huge Rob Blake fan. I guess we can agree to disagree.

Listen to Connie on the latest episode of KingsCast. See Connie on Overtime by KingsCast

So, on behalf of Chris Kaliszewski and myself, welcome aboard, Connie! Take the time to welcome Connie to KingsCast. So now, what do you want her to talk about?

Keith Korneluk is a producer and co-host of the KingsCast Hockey Podcast. Follow him onTwitter

Joanne Guiliano of the 10 Minute Miss Conduct guest posts and talks a bit about Thomas Hickey and the Manchester Monarchs.

It’s the offseason. The only part of the year when hockey fans are known to generally dislike everyday activities, write poetry, shut out the outside world and cry themselves to sleep, if they even get sleep at all…a pathetic existence, we know…but it’s all one can do while we hurry up and wait for the excitement that is training camp, preseason, and then before you know it, the kickoff of yet another mind-blowing hockey season.

For the Kings organization, there is particularly a lot to look forward to. For the parent club, Los Angeles is looking to make big waves defensively in the Pacific Division this season with the addition of Rob Scuderi, Rob Scuderi’s Championship Ring, and the re-signing of Jack “MF” Johnson and Teddy Purcell among other things, but let’s not forget about the huge, ridiculous things happening for the King’s AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.

With last season seeing the transformation of Jonathan Quick from AHL goalie to NHL superhero, one can only assume even bigger things are in the cards for the Monarchs this year…especially given the hand they are playing…

Well while every offseason, fans grasp onto some kind of ridiculous expectation for their respective teams going into the new season, waiting with bated breath for it to be realized…the Kings organization is in PRIME position to deliver on those expectations this year. They have a secret weapon…which has turned out to be not so secret after all…

Of course I speak about Thomas Hickey. Moan and groan all you want, but to any Kings fan…and ESPECIALLY to any Monarchs fan, just the though of him melts our frozen puck-like hearts and we become giddy and squeal like little school girls…why, you ask? To which I answer…Do you really HAVE to ask?? Anyone who watched even one game of the 2009 World Junior Championships would know the answer to that. At 5’11, and 190 lbs, Hickey may be small for a defenseman, but in watching the guy skate, you’d swear he didn’t know it.

As Captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds (where he began playing in 2005), Hickey’s 45 point performance (11 G, 34 A) in 07-08 earned him a spot on the Team Canada roster for the 2009 WJC (his second consecutive year on the roster)…and not only would he be representing his home country, but he would do it in style, with a “C” on his chest. Playing alongside 2009 first round pick and 1st overall, Jonathan Tavares, Team Canada was unstoppable. Winning the gold medal for the fifth year in a row, Team Canada proved that they are literally the best team in the world, and Thomas Hickey proved why he belongs wearing the “C”.

…and if that gold medal was only a sign of things to come, we have some amazing things to look forward to. In returning from the WJC, Hickey helped his team into a playoff spot in the WHL playoffs and the Quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and after getting called up to Manchester on April 1st, to begin his professional career, Hickey posted an impressive 7 points in 7 games and 2 assists alone in his professional debut. It’s evident that Hickey finished off his 2008-2009 season as a two way defenseman really hitting his stride and after ending last season on such a high note, one can only expect huge things from the 20 year old defenseman this coming season.

But where Thomas Hickey really earns brownie points is in leadership. He is more mature than his 20 young years would lead one to believe and at the risk of building him up as a squeaky clean Sidney Crosby type (who needs that hanging over their head?)he may very well be on his way as establishing himself as the Monarchs go-to guy and fan favorite.

Every jaded hockey fan and every hockey team knows, there’s no point in building expectations…but then again, those teams didn’t have Thomas Hickey.

As we slowly sneak past Development Camps, and into Training Camps…the anticipation only builds for what will hopefully be a season to remember. Opening night will kick things off, and we hockey fans will come out of hibernation and start banging glass and flipping off refs like normal…then before you know it, the All Star Game will be here and we will be into the dog days of the hockey season. So I remind you: get excited, take the time to get to know your team, enjoy it while it lasts…and never, never stop cheering.

Thanks to Joanne for stopping by and guest-posting. Check out her blog here.

As a fan of the Los Angeles Kings, we are conditioned to slow starts, rapid fall-offs and just not making the playoffs. It happens. With only one Stanely Cup Finals appearance in 43 years, it’s understandable for an LA Kings fan to expect very little. Since the lockout we’ve seen the likes of Jeremy Roenick, Brian Willsie and Yutaka Fukufuji come through the ranks. We also saw a significant regime change that resulted in three consecutive top 5 picks. To date there’s nothing to hang our hat on. Fans laugh at us, mock us and expect us fizzle out in the bottom of the Pacific Division yet again. Well, I’m here today to tell you that this is not the case anymore. Be on notice, NHL fans, the Los Angeles Kings are coming for you. With a fresh dose of confidence, here’s why:

1. Ryan Smyth – While this 33-year old former Oiler-for-life may have had his injuries and could be “past his prime”, his 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points last season will drastically help this offensively anemic team. Why? Matt Moulson started on the top line last season and in 7 games he had 1 goal and 0 assists. So Kyle Calder took over. He scored a slightly more but still dreadful 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 79 games. That’s a 31 point differential. Not to mention Ryan Smyth is loaded with character while Matt Moulson looks like Snoopy and Kyle Calder was on the Price is Right.

2. Consistent goaltending – Sure, the young and relatively unproven tandem of Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg could be a flash in the pan but I prefer them to the following netminders who have passed through the organization: Mathieu Garon, Jason LaBarbera, Dan Cloutier, Barry Brust, Yutaka Fukufuji, Sean Burke (the guy practically qualified for AARP when with the team) and Dan Taylor. If Quick or Ersberg should stumble or succumb to injury, Jonathan Bernier (who seems like he now has his head on straight) will be ready for the challenge.

3. Dean Lombardi – Regardless of the fact that he has given us three seasons of consistent losing, he is re-building the right way. Long gone are the days when you trade Jeff Tambellini and Denis Grebeshkov for Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel just to make the playoffs with no shot at winning a Stanley Cup. Dean Lombardi has ripped apart and re-built our scouting system, development programs, video development and team. After a bit of losing, I’m happy we have Drew Doughty, Thomas Hickey, Wayne Simmonds, Oscar Moller and many others. We have a strong stable of rookies who are already making an impact and many more coming up.

4. Defense – Remember Nathan Dempsey, Jeff Cowan, Mike Weaver and Olev Tverdovsky? They have now been replaced by Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Rob Scuderi, Matt Greene and Sean O’Donnell. This team was seventh in the league on the Penalty Kill last season without Rob Scuderi and, for much of the season, Jack Johnson. Think you’ll miss Kyle Quincey? Not if Jack Johnson’s strong performance at the IIHF World Championships this year holds up (7 points in 9 games). Drew Doughty lead all rookies in Average Time on Ice by a large margin (a full 2:17 over second place Luke Schenn). Will he suffer that sophomore slump? I don’t think so.

5. Kings Vision – The fine folks behind the scenes of the on-line world at the Los Angeles Kings had a bit of a makeover as well when Dean Lombardi took the helm. Gone is that wretched website that no one could use and would always crash on my Mac. Instead, they hired Heidi Androl and started covering the Kings with regular video shows on Kings Vision. Now, instead of a small blurb in the Los Angeles Times, we get ’round the clock video interviews and features that can satisfy the hunger of even the most rabid LA Kings fan (combined with episodes of Overtime by KingsCast). Kings Vision has personality and it’s engaging. The website is great and the Kings are even breaking news on Twitter. Giving this level of access to the fans is key.

6. Downtown LA – Remember when commuting to Staples Center meant gambling with your life as bullets whizzed by? Having a drink after a game meant getting a forty from the 7-11 and drinking it from a paper bag? No more as AEG has almost completed the spectacular LA Live which hosts a theatre, a plethora of good restaurants and, soon, a Ritz Carlton (with residences starting at a paltry $1.8 million). Downtown Los Angeles has been revitalized, despite the sluggish economy. Restaurants and bars have been opening to a great deal of fanfare. In fact, I hang out in downtown now as much as I do the rest of the city (even on non-game nights).

So, yeah, I’m (still) excited to be a Los Angeles Kings fan. I think this team is going to be a force this year. We’re not winning a Cup but we’re going to make some noise in the playoffs. And, hey, if not, there’s a lot of ways to drown my sorrows after the game.

So are you excited this year or are you going in expecting the worst? What are your 6 reasons to be a LA Kings fan this year? For that matter, what are your 6 reasons not to be?

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year entry-level contract with unrestricted free agent center Juraj Mikus, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Tuesday.

Mikus, 22, recently participated in the Kings annual Development Camp. The 6-1, 200-pound native of Skalica, Slovakia, recorded 90 points (31-59=90), 52 penalty minutes and a plus-58 rating while appearing in all 56 regular season games with Skalica HK 36 of the Slovak Extraliga this past season. Mikus led his team in assists and finished second to teammate and former King Ziggy Palffy in both goals and total points.

Originally selected by Montreal in the fourth-round (121st overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Mikus recorded 43 points (21-22=43) and 52 penalty minutes in 54 regular season games with HK 36 during the 2007-08 season. In 2006-07, he skated with Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), totaling 71 points (29-42=71) and 36 penalty minutes in 60 regular season games.

Mikus has also skated for his native Slovakia on an International stage on several occasions during his career. He last skated for his country at the 2009 World Championships, registering one point (0-1=1) and two penalty minutes in six games. He’s also skated with Slovakia at the 2008 World Championships (2 GP, 0-0=0), the 2007 World Junior Championships (6 GP, 5-1=6; his five goals led the tournament), the 2006 World Junior Championships (6 GP, 0-0=0) and the 2005 U-18 World Junior Championships (6 GP, 0-7=7).

Per LAKings.com

It’s a long summer for the Los Angeles Kings fan. So, why scour the internet for the latest Kings information when we can do it for you? Here’s a few interesting articles out there for you to check out on this hot Los Angeles Monday:

What’s Next For The Kings? by Matthew Barry
Kings and NHL release 2009-10 schedule by Jonathan Moncrief
NHL Finally Catching Up On Missed Marketing Opportunity by Gann Matsuda
Kings Sign Jack Johnson (and Dad) to 2-Year Deal by Matt Reitz
Q&A With Jack Johnson by Jeff Moeller

Enjoy!

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with restricted free agent defenseman Jack Johnson, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Friday.

Johnson, 22, matched a career-high with 11 points (6-5=11), recorded 46 penalty minutes and tied for first among Kings’ defensemen with six goals and three power-play goals even though he only appeared in 41 regular season games this past season. The defenseman sustained a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 13, 2008. He was activated from injured reserve after missing 41 games on Jan. 17, 2009.

Johnson, a 6-1, 225-pound native of Indianapolis also tied for first among NHL defensemen with three shootout goals (3-for-6 = 50 percent) this past season and his three shootout goals also tied for first on the Kings. Additionally, the blue-liner appeared in his 100th Kings/NHL game at Chicago on March 9, 2009, notched his first career multi-point game (1-1=2) vs. Atlanta on Feb. 16, 2009, and scored the game-deciding shootout goal at the New York Islanders on Feb. 10, 2009, while averaging 20:16 of ice time per game (fifth on the team).

Johnson was selected as the Kings’ Best Newcomer (Mark Bavis Memorial Award) and Outstanding Defenseman at the close of the 2007-08 season after recording 11 points (3-8=11) and 76 penalty minutes in 74 regular season games. That season, he also logged at least 23 minutes of ice time 25 times and in 15 of his last 20 contests. He finished third among NHL rookies (and third on the Kings) while averaging 21:41 of ice time per game and finished second among rookies (and second on the Kings) with 136 blocked shots. Johnson, who was selected to participate at the YoungStars skills event as part of the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta (Jan. 26, 2008), scored his first Kings/NHL goal at Vancouver on Oct. 19, 2007, and earned his first NHL point with an assist at Dallas on Oct. 10, 2007.

Read the rest of the press release on LAKings.com

We’ve been receiving a few emails from the passionate Manchester Monarchs fans out there asking for us to talk more about our AHL affiliate. And, we agree! While KingsCast has always been about the passionate fans of the Los Angeles Kings, we realize that we’ve left our Monarchs brothers and sisters out in the cold. So, we’re looking for a full-time blogger to cover the Manchester Monarchs right here on KingsCast. Once the season gets rolling, we’d love to have you have you on the podcast as well.

Ideally you attend Manchester Monarchs from time-to-time and are passionate about all things Manchester Monarchs hockey. If you have another blog, send us some of your writing samples and we’ll take a look. If you don’t, no big deal, shoot us an email and tell us why you’re right for the gig. If you’re an Ontario Reign fan, we’d like to hear from you as well. We don’t want to exclude our ECHL fans.

We look forward to hearing from you!

keith@kingscast.net