The Kings on Monday assigned forward Michael Mersch to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old had one goal and three points in 17 games with the Kings. He also had 19 goals and 28 points in 34 games with the Reign.
The Kings recalled forward Michael Mersch from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League in advance of Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Kings were already without winger Marian Gaborik, who could be sidelined for the rest of the regular season because of a knee injury, but then center Anze Kopitar was forced from a 2-1 overtime loss Thursday to the St. Louis Blues because of a lower-body injury. Kopitar played only in the first period.
Kopitar’s status was termed day to day, but Saturday isn’t expected to be his day.
The 23-year-old Mersch had one goal and three points in 15 games with the Kings earlier this season..He also had 19 goals and 28 points in 34 games with the Reign before he was recalled. He led the team in goals and was 10th in the league. He also had a plus-6 defensive rating and 22 penalty minutes.
The Kings on Wednesday assigned goaltender Peter Budaj to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. They recalled him on an emergency basis last Thursday in order to replace an injured Jonathan Quick. Quick is sound again after suffering an lower-body injury and missing three games. Budaj appeared in one game, a 5-4 overtime victory Friday over the New York Rangers. It was his first victory in the NHL since April 4, 2014 while with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Kings placed winger Marian Gaborik on injured reserve Saturday after he suffered what the team called a lower-body injury during a 5-4 overtime victory Friday over the Rangers in New York.
Gaborik was hurt during a first-period collision with the Rangers’ Dominic Moore and needed help getting to the dressing room with what appeared to be a left leg injury.
There is no timetable for his return to the lineup. The Kings on Saturday sent him back to Los Angeles to be examined further.
Gaborik, who turns 34 on Sunday, had 12 goals and 22 points in 54 games this season. He has 386 goals and 773 points in 933 career games in the NHL with the Kings, Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Kings didn’t announce a corresponding roster move to fill Gaborik’s spot on the roster for Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. It’s possible they could recall forward Michael Mersch from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League.
The Kings assigned defenseman Christian Ehrhoff to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League on Thursday, after he cleared waivers earlier in the day. They also recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from Ontario to take Ehrhoff’s spot on the roster and summoned Reign goalie Peter Budaj on an emergency recall.
Budaj was recalled to serve as a backup to Jhonas Enroth after Jonathan Quick suffered an injury during the Kings’ 9-2 victory Tuesday over the Boston Bruins. Quick was said to be day-to-day, but Thursday was not his day. The 33-year-old Budaj led the AHL with 26 victories, a 1.58 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage and eight shutouts.
Gravel, 23, was called up to the NHL for the first time. The former St. Cloud State standout had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 42 games for the Reign.
Kings defenseman Christian Ehrhoff cleared waivers Thursday at 9 a.m., and that wasn’t a big surprise. The Kings could send him to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League, clearing the way to recall defenseman Kevin Gravel.
Check back for updates
The San Jose Barracuda defeated the Ontario Reign 4-2 on Wednesday at the SAP Center to give Roy Sommer his AHL record-breaking 637th victory as a coach. Here’s what I wrote about him when the Reign denied Sommer his tying win by ralling for a 3-2 overtime victory Jan. 22 in Ontario:
ONTARIO — Roy Sommer didn’t know what the fuss all about was Friday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. He was only doing his job, coaching the San Jose Barracuda during their American Hockey League game against the Ontario Reign.
He said he was honored to be in his position, standing behind the bench of the San Jose Sharks’ top minor-league team for the 18th season, one victory away from tying Fred “Bun” Cook’s 60-year-old AHL record of 636 coaching victories.
“I’d just like to get it over with,” Sommer said. “I personally don’t see the big deal about it. When you sit down and think about it, all of a sudden it’s caught up to me. It was 400 games, then 500, then 600, then it’s the record is right around the corner and now it’s here. One minute you’re a young kid and then all of a sudden, you’re sitting in the boat and you’re real old.”
Sommer laughed as he talked with a couple of reporters before the game. Hours later, the Barracuda dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Reign, denying Sommer his record-tying victory. He can tie the mark in the rematch between the teams tonight at the SAP Center in San Jose.
“I think it’s going to be a record that’s hard to break,” Sommer said. “I’ve had the opportunity to coach in the American League for 18 years. Most coaches just want to get the hell out of here, get to the NHL or go to juniors or go to Europe or something, but it’s been a great run.”
Sommer’s son, Marley, was with him Friday. His wife, Melissa, is a teacher and was at home in San Jose. Another son, Castan, plays on the hockey team at Holy Cross. Their daughter, Kira, is a journalism student at George Washington University.
Sommer’s life has been a nomadic one that’s traversed the four corners of North America, finally settling back home in the Bay Area. The 58-year-old was born in Oakland, left home to attend a hockey camp in Nelson, British Columbia, and earned a spot on a junior-level team in Edmonton.
He returned to Edmonton to play three games with the NHL’s Oilers, scoring one goal and drawing a fighting major in his debut with the Wayne Gretzky-led team. The rest of his playing career was spent in the minor leagues, including the AHL, however.
After stints as a coach in the junior-level Western Hockey League and the ECHL, Sommer coached the San Jose Rhinos of Roller Hockey International. One season later, then-Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi hired him as an assistant coach under Darryl Sutter.
Sommer and Sutter bonded instantly.
Marley, known as Mo, and Sutter’s son, Chris, have Down Syndrome.
“There was a connection also because of our boys,” Sutter said. “I think when we first met in San Jose, Roy helped us a lot. They already had all the connections. Chris was probably 4 or 5, but we could get him right into the programs.”
After two seasons with the Sharks, Sommer jumped at the chance to coach their minor-league club in 1998-99. He’s never left, even as the team moved from Lexington, Ky., to Cleveland, to Worcester, Mass., and then San Jose in the AHL’s California migration this season.
“Maybe they think I’m a development coach,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities to be an NHL assistant. It just didn’t work out and I ended up staying. I’m glad I did. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. They’ve hung with me for a long time, too.”
Kings winger Kyle Clifford sat out for 24 games because of a concussion, but he was set to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Ducks at Staples Center. He spent the All-Star break with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League in order to get sharp after a layoff that began was he was hurt Dec. 6.
“Just getting the timing back, getting a lot of minutes, getting playing, getting the detail and everything that goes with being a good, effective player,” Clifford told reporters in El Segundo of his short stint with the Reign over the weekend.
The Kings on Thursday assigned forward Kyle Clifford to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment. He had three assists and 28 penalty minutes in 23 games before he suffered a concussion last month. He has been sidelined for 23 games, but recently began skating with his teammates while wearing a protective visor.
The Reign play the rival Gulls on Friday in San Diego.
ONTARIO — Roy Sommer didn’t know what the fuss all about was Friday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. He was only doing his job, coaching the San Jose Barracuda during their American Hockey League game against the Ontario Reign.
He said he was honored to be in his position, standing behind the bench of the San Jose Sharks’ top minor-league team for the 18th season, one victory away from tying Fred “Bun” Cook’s 60-year-old AHL record of 636 coaching victories.
“I’d just like to get it over with,” Sommer said. “I personally don’t see the big deal about it. When you sit down and think about it, all of a sudden it’s caught up to me. It was 400 games, then 500, then 600, then it’s the record is right around the corner and now it’s here. One minute you’re a young kid and then all of a sudden, you’re sitting in the boat and you’re real old.”
Sommer laughed as he talked with a couple of reporters before the game. Hours later, the Barracuda dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Reign, denying Sommer his record-tying victory. He can tie the mark in the rematch between the teams tonight at the SAP Center in San Jose.
“I think it’s going to be a record that’s hard to break,” Sommer said. “I’ve had the opportunity to coach in the American League for 18 years. Most coaches just want to get the hell out of here, get to the NHL or go to juniors or go to Europe or something, but it’s been a great run.”
Sommer’s son, Marley, was with him Friday. His wife, Melissa, is a teacher and was at home in San Jose. Another son, Castan, plays on the hockey team at Holy Cross. Their daughter, Kira, is a journalism student at George Washington University.
Sommer’s life has been a nomadic one that’s traversed the four corners of North America, finally settling back home in the Bay Area. The 58-year-old was born in Oakland, left home to attend a hockey camp in Nelson, British Columbia, and earned a spot on a junior-level team in Edmonton.
He returned to Edmonton to play three games with the NHL’s Oilers, scoring one goal and drawing a fighting major in his debut with the Wayne Gretzky-led team. The rest of his playing career was spent in the minor leagues, including the AHL, however.
After stints as a coach in the junior-level Western Hockey League and the ECHL, Sommer coached the San Jose Rhinos of Roller Hockey International. One season later, then-Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi hired him as an assistant coach under Darryl Sutter.
Sommer and Sutter bonded instantly.
Marley, known as Mo, and Sutter’s son, Chris, have Down Syndrome.
“There was a connection also because of our boys,” Sutter said. “I think when we first met in San Jose, Roy helped us a lot. They already had all the connections. Chris was probably 4 or 5, but we could get him right into the programs.”
After two seasons with the Sharks, Sommer jumped at the chance to coach their minor-league club in 1998-99. He’s never left, even as the team moved from Lexington, Ky., to Cleveland, to Worcester, Mass., and then San Jose in the AHL’s California migration this season.
“Maybe they think I’m a development coach,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities to be an NHL assistant. It just didn’t work out and I ended up staying. I’m glad I did. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. They’ve hung with me for a long time, too.”