Oh no! Please pass on our gratitude to Matt for his fine efforts.

oh man.. i'm really sorry to hear that. is his e-mail address still working, so we can send him our thanks?

i was one of his more vocal critics (esp on letsgokings.com), but I really appreciated his commitment to the team, and I noticed the quality of his reporting was continuously growing.

Wow. I am shocked. Matt did a lot of good things here while you were doing other things Rich, he will be missed. What a blow to the Paper and morale. I look forward to your contributions. It's already been a rough year as a Die-Hard Kings fan and then this.

Cheers Matt.

Rich, good luck as the Daily News moves forward. Thanks to Matt for all his efforts this season.

Wow. This sort of came out of no where. Bad timing too with some dorks on here calling him out for adding personal opinions in his coverage on the blog. I am sorry to see him go and wish him the best. He did a terrific job and will be missed.

But I am glad that you are taking his place Rich. I always liked your coverage the most out of all the sources I regularly check up on and was disheartened to see you leave this blog.

Do you know if this is, for now, considered a permanent move to have you take over the blog or somewhat temporary?

Either way I look forward to your future updates and thank you for stepping in to keep this blog going.

Also a final thanks goes out to Matt for his outstanding coverage of LA's Finest. Cheers Matt!

As a subscriber to the Daily News, this is just is just another blow to the hockey coverage. First not sending reporters on the road, less coverage in the paper, or just reprinting the blog instead of fresh stories, now letting Matt go, it's just a joke. As much as I;m happy Rich is back to a point, with all his other duties, the coverage will suffer & Kings fans get screwed even more. When my renewal comes in the mail, its next stop is the trash.

Hemorrage, that's part of the problem. No one reads print newspapers anymore, everyone reads stuff online. And unfortunately guys like Matt get the shaft because of it.
Rich tell Matt we appreciated his short stay with us and that we enjoyed every bit of info about our team that he shared with us.

Thanks to Matt for his great coverage of the Kings and his dedication to this blog and the readers. I hope he'll continue to read the blog on his own, and even post responses.

Thanks for stepping in to fill the void Rich. It'll be good to have you back. Best of luck to you and the newspaper.

Matthew, thank you for the great reporting on the Kings blog. I'm sure you did fine work elsewhere, as well, but I am a die-hard hockey fan, and I really feel you stepped into the breach left by Rich's moving off the Kings beat. I wish you all the best, and want you to know your work was appreciated.

I wish you the best of luck Matt. And hope you find a job real soon. Tanks for all the coverage on the Kings.

that's a shame, good luck with everything Matt.

Oh man, that sucks - Matt, you did a great job. I wish you all the best with whatever you end up doing now. Hope to see your work pop up somewhere again soon :)

Rich, welcome back - I guess you won't have as much time to dedicate to the blog as you did before, but it is all very much appreciated. We all know how much effort you dedicated to cover the Kings when you did this blog before, and if you can give it even half of what you did then we'll still be very well off.

God Bless Matt.
I pray and hope the best for him.
Give my best to him and his family.

Rich,
Thank you for your continuing commitment to this blog and the fans that read it. And please pass along my thanks to Matt for the amount of time and effort that he put in to it as well.
It is a tough time not just for newspapers, but the entire field of journalism. Thank you for your dedication to your (excellent) product.

Best wishes to Matt. He does a nice job and I'm confident he will land on his feet at another newspaper soon. This is a bad time for the nation's economy right now and it is affecting all industries, the newspaper business included. Unfortunately, the overwhelming trend is toward electronic media and online communication, so the future is none too bright for the admirable profession chosen by Matt and others. We will miss his contributions here but I'm certain we'll see his name pop up again soon elsewhere given his talents and training!

He will surely be missed on the blog. I'm sure he'll have no problem landing firmly on his feet and moving on to his next gig.

Wishing him all the best.
Reggie

Matt, I never posted comments but I always read the blog. Thanks so much for your coverage over the past season. I agree with Sam Gilbert- I'm certain we'll see you land somewhere soon.

This is a real blow. Matt, you did a great job. This blog was a great source for up dates with the BS and commentary.

Good luck finding a home at another paper.

That sucks. I've really come to depend on this blog to get my Kings news. It is hands down the best source of info out there for a Kings fan. Matt has done a great job and will be missed. I hope that the level of coverage doesn't drop in his absence.

I've never commented on this blog just one of your silent supporters. Thank you Matt for all you put into keeping this going! Rich thank you for taking over again so we have something to look forward to reading.

Real sorry to hear about that, Matt. Wherever you move on to, or if a job should open up again at the paper, you have an abundant amount of references from blog readers here to can talk about your commitment to the beat and making connections with your readers. Best of luck.

Sorry to hear about this. Matt did a fine job representing the paper and Kings fans with his work on this blog. Unfortunately, with the situation that print media is finding itself in I guess that these kind of mass layoffs are only innevitable. Matt is a good reporter and writer and I'm sure he will land on his feet. Good Luck Matt! I hope to read you soon. On that note Good luck keeping it all together Rich. We can only hope that this source of kings info that we fans have all come to enjoy doesn't follow the same fate

Matt,

You will be missed. Thanks for all the hard work and effort to give us rabid fans the Kings coverage that we crave. Best of luck in your next endeavor.

Matt, we'll miss you here. I know you'll land on your feet. Remember, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

I'm really sorry to see Matt go. It was great to have his dedication when Rich moved on. This blog is a lifeline for Kings info, so I'm glad to see that it's not going away!!! But I'm sad to hear that Matt was let go, so good luck in the future, and glad to have you back Rich!

Very sad news indeed.

Matt, hope you are allowed to check in once in a while.

Rich, lets hope with all your other duties, you can keep us up to date on the Kings.

Matt did a great job. I've been laid off before and although it's rough, hopefully Matt will get a better opportunity elsewhere.

Matt did a great job. I've been laid off before and although it's rough, I was able to find a better opportunity elswhere. Hopefully Matt will be able to do the same.

I'm really happy and at the same time quite bummed for Matt. Please send all of our condolences. We hope he lands on his feet.

We'll miss you Matt. Thanks for all the great coverage and good luck!

I've heard of possible layoffs a couple of days ago. I was hoping that neither one of you guys will get hit.
I'm sure he'll get back up on his feet, it's still sad to see Matt go. Good luck during these hard times Rich.

Just want to also add a deserved thanks to Matt for all his work on this blog. I have been a Kings fan for over 20 years and it has been difficult. This blog has been one of the bright spots as of late (during a time where there has been very few) and Rich and Matt have really done alot of us Kings fans a great service with this blog. Matt, good luck buddy and thanks again...

This is bullshit, he did a damn fine job... especially with interviews. Thanks for the hard work.

How else would we have found out that Thornton had a NTC - How else would we have found out how peeved Crow was after a loss - This stinks - Coverage of the Kings already stinks - now, it just got worse.

Three cheers for Matt!! Your efforts here were GREATLY appreciated and we wish you the best of luck now in these hard times and in the future!!

Thank you to Rich for stepping back in, good luck to you as things move forward!!

What a BLOW! Matt all the best to you. Please sign on once you have landed and let us all know where you are. Your next employer will be lucky to have you.

Thanks for the hard work and the fine coverage of my favor hockey team!

Hope to hear from you soon!

God Bless Matt and his Family. You stayed up several nights to keep us updated with several notes and news......They should of layed off the Inland Empire area, instead of the
Long Beach Press

I forgot to say that THE BANKS SUCK A..!!

Matt you always worked hard for us and you will be missed. Thank you.

Sad to hear. Good luck with everything, Matt.

Matt - thank you for all your hard work and for putting up with us crazy Kings fans.

Your fine reporting will be sorely missed but i'm sure you will land on your feet someplace else...

Good luck and stop by and post with us from time to time!

Thanks to Matt for making this season bearable, insightful and fun. The Daily News was the best place for printed material on Kings hockey by far, not even close. This will be a blow not only for this site but for the printed side as well. There is nothing better then waking up on the weekends and reading the paper and for me this is still true. Matt I wish you the best and with hopes that we will be seeing/reading your work sometime soon.
Living in Long Beach, The Press could sure use an upgrade in theirs sports paper and them getting yourself would be true upgrade for them as I find you a credit to your industry.
Rich thanks for your hard work in the past, present and future.

Unfortunately this is just another sign that the newspaper industry doesn’t understand the times. The writing is on the wall. The Internet is becoming even more pervasive every day with devices like the iPhone and the Kindle (for all its flaws). The classifieds, a major revenue stream for newspapers, has been killed by the likes of craigslist. Add to that an overwhelming push for “green” processes and it’s obvious the newspaper industry as we currently know it is doomed. Paper subscriptions will continue to decline until eventually they will become insignificant. The industry needs to adapt. This announcement is a sign that they don’t know how to do that.

What distinguishes this blog from the countless other Kings blogs and sites? Simply put it is Matt and Rich--professional journalists with access to the team that others don’t have. If the Daily News (and all other papers) is to survive, they must their focus their efforts towards digital delivery of content. The best assets they have to compete in those endeavors are their journalists. It is what will keep readers like us visiting this site. About one year ago, this blog took off when Rich blogged about Jack Johnson’s arrival to the Kings. Since that day, I have not returned to LetGoKings.com. Why would I read what irrational fans have to say when I can read what a professional journalist who has access to the entire Kings organization has to say? It’s too bad that the powers that be at these major newspapers don’t understand that. Instead they are just focused on cutting costs as subscriptions decline. If they continue, they will simple cut themselves down to nothing.

This is very sad.

Best of luck to you, Matt! They say the living well is the best revenge. I hope you land a better job and get that revenge.

Thanks Rich for filling this void. We are truly indebted to you. This is the best source of Kings news anywhere.

Matt, you were by far our best source for Kings news, and your departure is a savage blow the the Kings community. You will be sorely missed. Good luck, and hopefully we'll get to read your work in the future.

Horrible news. Layoffs etc are tough. I can't thank Matt enough for his coverage. He did a fine job and I know he'll get back on his feet. Thank you for everything.

good luck matt

Good luck Matt. Thanks for your work to keep us Kings fans informed. Living in OC, all I ever see is Quacks coverage.

Rich - it's up to you again. I know you won't let us down!

F*** the man!
(i'm getting it to shortly...exactly right Harry)

Thanks Matt for all of your hard work. We all appreciate your passion for the Kings.
Welcome back Rich....

Take care Matt, I think most of us have been laid off at one time or another, while it seems tough now, I am sure with your USC education, you will land squarely on your feet.
Best of Luck!!

Agree with everyone above. I guess it was easier to cut staff than to do the homework and find ways of converting this blog's massive reader base into revenue stream. Advertising? Membership? Bueller? Anyone? Seriously, I would be more likely to pay a few bucks for an online subscription to something like this than I would be to subscribe to the paper.

thanks for all you did for us kings fans, matt. your voice will be missed.

Thanks Matt for the work you put in bringing us such good Kings coverage, hopefully the layoff doesn't bring you too much personal hardship and you can get on here now and then and "tell us how you really feel"! ;)

Thank you for all you've done for us Kings fans Matt! Best of luck!!!

Sorry to hear the news. Good luck on your future
endeavors.

Matt,

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication this past season. As a Kings fan, this site has brought a great amount of joy and insight from a lackluster season. The depth and quality you provided on a daily basis has not and will not go unappreciated. Best of luck Matt. I hope to see you posting on this blog soon and to see you at a Kings game in the future.

Dear Rich & Matt, like many, words alone cannot express my appreciation for the GREAT work you guys have been doing on this blog. I usually hit this site within 5-10 minutes first thing each a.m. after checking email. Without a doubt, you have the BEST Kings coverage going. Bar none. THANK YOU! Your interviews, practice reports, inside scoop make it ALL worthwhile.

To Matt, times are tough. There's an open door somewhere where you'll be appreciated again. I know, because 7 months ago I was laid off from a good paying job. 50 applications later, looks like I'm having to head to Texas to find meaningful work. After 19 years as a season ticket holder I'm going to a little town 2 hours from any form of hockey (San Antonio Dragons or something) and 5 hours from the hated Dallas Stars. W/O NHL Center Ice + Inside Kings, how else will I survive?

Again, Thanks a TON guys.

Cheers, Crash aka Craig

We truly appreciated all of your hard work Matt.

Best of luck.

Very sorry to here this Matt. After 9 yrs working for a Co. and to get laid off says a lot abt. Job Security doesn't it.

I liked your style, Matt. See you in another life, brother.

Matt's coverage was (along with Rich) THE reason to come to this site.

I agree with most of what everyone has said above with a few exceptions:

The economy has NOTHING to do with what happened. The layoffs were a result of the internet and the internet alone. The newspaper (and television) business has been on the decline ever since people started getting information and entertainment for FREE. This happened way before the economy showed any weakness.

Matt and Rich both have talent and talent translates to money on the internet... He will be fine and good riddance to the paper! Most papers deserve to go down for their lack of vision.

Once again Thanks Matt for everything but I know I'll be seeing you again.... just tell me the URL!

Matt, thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Hopefully, this will create a better opportunity for you - things have a funny way of working themselves out. You managed to create a very vocal and loyal following in a really short time which speaks volumes about your work. I have seen established hockey pundits like Spector quote your comments which leads me to believe that you should seriously consider starting your site and/or blog. Hopefully you and maybe Rich will look into it. This third tier (and I am probably being too PC) rag clearly does not deserve Rich either. Best of luck to you!

Thanks Matt - I read your stuff online every day.

At night? Read it on the wall in the bathroom of the bar I go to. I used to pee and read your articles.

We'll miss you.

Thank you, Matt. Good luck in your travels and in life. We all really appreciated everything you did for us as Kings fans. I hope that we can somehow repay you or some pays you in the future. If this blog goes down, this will be a horrible season in retrospect.

Sincerely... Brent

Thanks for your hard work and commitment to Kings coverage, Matt. Hopefully, you'll be able to continue it in some other way. -spudboy

Thenaks Matt. We read this blog every day

Thanks for all the hard work Matt. You will be missed. I wish you the best of luck. Check letsgokings.com , there is a thread there about you. Till we meet again, :-).

Larry

I`m an old kings fan, but this site is new to me,since i just got my first computer.I have really enjoyed your honest opions and your hard work.May God Bless you and your family. Thank`s Again!

wow....lame.

Good Luck Matt! Thanks for all your hard work.

"someone" said it all pretty well. Print as we know it is dead. Why would I buy a paper to read what I have already seen on line. I can fact check an important article in 3 minutes by searching primary sources on line. I used to religiously read the paper until I realized half the time I was not getting the truth. I only subsribed to the Daily news to support this blog.

I would gladly pay a subsription for this blog. I hope everyone else would too. I almost feel guilty getting all this access and info for free.

This blog was (and is) a God send for any Kings fan. I hope it's not next to get cut. Please, sell more advertizing. I'm going to to Fred Halls Fishing Tackle, Boat and Travel Show at the long Beach Convention Center on March 5-9, 2008 just to support you guys.

And lastly, Matt, come up with some cool tee shirts and sell em on this blog. We will all buy them and you can retire rich. (I don't mean make Rich retire, I mean retire with a lot of money.)

sorry to hear this. best of luck matt. thanks for all the effort with the kings.

Sorry Matt and Good Luck. Thanks for all the hard work and dedication. You'll definitely hook on somewhere else.

Welcome back Rich!

Being part of the media that covers the Kings when they're at home, I was saddened to hear the news. Matt and i talked frequently after games. He'll be missed.

I disagree that such moves being made by newspaper owners are strictly due to what's happening on the Internet. There's more to it. I've written something about this subject, but out of respect for Rich (and Matt) and their blog, I won't plug it here. If Rich wants to, he can let you all know where to find it.

Just another voice wanting to say thanks for all the effort, Matt. Your knowledge about the game and team were growing and the blog was the best (only) way to find out what was going on. Wishing you luck and good thoughts for finding a new gig quickly. Thanks again.

Just heard the news. This really sucks. Thanks to Matt for all his good work covering the Kings.

Sorry to hear about Matt losing his job, I wonder if he knows about the rainbow bridge?

I'm a former reporter for the Riverside Press-Enterprise and it's pathetic to see my hometown paper (the Press-Telegram) get eviscerated for the sake of the corporate raiders. This does NOT mean it's the Internet's fault or the economy's. It is pathetic that outdated notions of 30 percent profit margins are driving stockholders and corporate management to relentlessly cut the newsroom down, thus sealing their own fate as the quality of reporting goes down. Now I'm going to law school because there is no hope for young writers anymore.