Stamkos interview, Part 2
Here's the other half of the Steven Stamkos interview, courtesy of Don Fulton...
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Question: I know mentioned that you don’t want to think too much about the NHL draft, but if you could pick any NHL franchise to take you, who would it be?
Stamkos: I guess I have to play this one politically correct (laughing). It is just every kid’s dream to make it to the NHL and whatever team takes me, I’ll be there with a smile on my face and excited to get things going. I’m not in a position to really say which team I would prefer. For me, just getting selected on draft day is probably going to be one of the best days of my life to share with my friends and family. Whatever team drafts me, I’ll just be excited to join the organization and hopefully be able to make an impact.
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Question: Do you know much about the Los Angeles Kings organization?
Stamkos: I’m a pretty passionate hockey fan and I love watching hockey. For me it is kind of hard to see the Kings in the position they are with the amount of young talent that they have. They’ve got great young prospects and great young forwards, and a good talent there in Jack Johnson. It is kind of weird seeing them where they are in the standings. I thought they would do a lot better, but they are pretty young, but for me it is always exciting watching them play, just the style of game that they play. From what I hear it is a great place to play and a great atmosphere.
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Question: Have you talked with any of the Kings’ scouts this season?
Stamkos: After the first playoff game in Windsor I actually had the opportunity to speak with Mr. (Michael) Futa (Director of Amateur scouting) and I believe Mr. Lombardi was there with him – I think he was there with him, I can’t be 100% sure. I talked to both of them after the game and they just kind of asked how I thought I played and just told me to keep my play up. We’ll see come draft day and the lottery how things play out.
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Question: Have you ever been out to California? It was 85 degrees today.
Stamkos: No, I haven’t actually. It is definitely a place I’d like to visit one day, and if I happen to end up playing there it would be a nice bonus. It was minus 1 here in Sarnia.
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Question: When you find yourself thinking about your hockey future, have you thought about the possibility of playing in Hollywood?
Stamkos: That is definitely an awesome dream. I kind of catch myself sometimes looking at the NHL standings on TSN and to see who is going to be picking where. It is kind of hard not to pay attention to it with all of the media attention and what not. It is always kind of cool to look at the bottom five to see who is going to be battling it out for that lottery pick, and whether I go 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 you never know which team is going to be selecting there. Being in L.A. has definitely been on my mind considering they’ve been at the bottom most of the season.
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Question: Given the choice: Los Angeles or Tampa Bay?
Stamkos: (Laughs) Both of those places would be unbelievable places to play, especially considering those temperatures. L.A. would be great for me and Tampa would be great for me. It doesn’t really matter. L.A. has a lot of forward prospects; then again Tampa Bay has Vincent Lecavalier and (Martin) St. Louis. There are lots of really positive things to say about both teams. If I end up going to one of those teams it will definitely be a dream come true for me.
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Question: Is your game NHL-ready right now?
Stamkos: Personally, I think I am ready to make that step. Like I mentioned before, I’m definitely going to have to work hard in the summer to bulk up a bit and get a little more speed, but I think as far as my hockey-sense and hockey-smarts on the ice go I think I am perfectly capable of playing at the next level right away.
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Question: Anything you’d like to say to all the Kings’ fans who want you out in Los Angeles so bad they are rooting for the team to lose?
Stamkos: If I am selected by the Kings it would be an honor and I’d be very excited to get out there and check out the city and hopefully make the team as an 18 year-old.
paging Mr. Cloutier....please report in net for the rest of the season...........
I like this kid, he reminds me of Sid, attitude wise. He doesn't talk like a team leader, but then again aren't Crosby and Iggy great team leaders? HELL YEAH.
Gr i want this guy, but i don't want the KINGS TO LOSE, i dont want to suffer for these last 6 games, hey Kings, go 3-3 and let Tampa go 4-3 okay? Screw Doughty lol/
If the Director of Am Scouting and Lomardi (if it was in fact him) were at the 1st game- it definitely means the kings are doing their due diligence with this kid. Nice that Stamkos had 2 goals in that game and was 1st star.
Anonymous said:
If the Director of Am Scouting and Lomardi (if it was in fact him) were at the 1st game- it definitely means the kings are doing their due diligence with this kid.
Could you POSSIBLY imagine a team dead last in the NHL standings for 2/3 of the season NOT doing their due diligence on the obvious number one pick???? Now if they get that first pick and go up to the podium and DON'T select Steven Stamkos, then you know that they need to call proctologists to have their heads removed... ;)
Great interview. Stamkos seems very level-headed. Git 'er done, Kings! Thanks Rich.
He looks good but the Kings are playing well right now, Tampa isn't and ultimately its the lottery that will decide it....So much out of our control, even if Clouts plays the rest of the season....
Get Dan Cloutier in net NOW.
C
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Kopitar
Stamkos
Boyle
Handzus
That looks so good.
Dean, I mean it, start Cloutier.
either him or schenn
[i]Could you POSSIBLY imagine a team dead last in the NHL standings for 2/3 of the season NOT doing their due diligence on the obvious number one pick???? Now if they get that first pick and go up to the podium and DON'T select Steven Stamkos, then you know that they need to call proctologists to have their heads removed... ;)[/i]
I would have to seriously consider becoming a Ducks fan if they did that
Ten bucks the Stamkos will never be a King. No guarantee we will get the 1st pick with the worst record in the league. When was the last time that actually happened? Even if we did get the 1st pick I have a feeling DL will go with Doughty or package a deal to trade down. Basically all I am saying is to not get your hopes up fellow fans. There are no guarantees. Of course I would love nothing more than to get Stamkos and Tavares in '09.
If the Kings end up with the first over all pick I have a hard time believing DL will pass on Stamkos. And to make a statement like, take Doughty when you already have Hickey in the stable sounds like a waste and poor management. There is nobody in the Kings current lineup projecting to be a Yzerman or Sakic and Stamkos truely is a defensive minded forward that can put up the offensive numbers. In game 3 of the Spitfires/Sting series the Spits got back in with a nice 5-2 win. Stamkos had a goal and ended up a plus 1. Do you see what I mean? You can't score against his line but he is going to score.
I don't want Tavares in '09 unless it's with some other team's pick acquired by trade.
Another's thoughts on who the Kings should pick:
"Los Angeles Kings – Steven Stamkos, C, Sarnia Sting – The reason I say ‘realistic best-case scenario’ is that everyone’s actual best-case scenario is landing Stamkos, a do-it-all pivot with speed and skill.
So this would be a very short blog if I did that. There have been rumblings GM Dean Lombardi may pass on Stamkos in favor of one of the top defensemen in the mix, such as Guelph’s Drew Doughty or Niagara’s Alex Pietrangelo. Here’s some advice, Dean: Take off your Michal Handzus/Ladislav Nagy-signing hat and go find your trade-for-Jack Johnson hat.
Yeah, you’ve got a wealth of talent under the age of 25, but in case you didn’t notice, center Michael Cammalleri wasn’t exactly enthused about his arbitration result this past summer. He’s an unrestricted free agent after next season and you may not be his first choice. Go with the best player available."
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/14322-THNcom-Blog-Who-should-draft-whom.html
WE WANT STAMKOS! WE WANT STAMKOS!
Come on, cheer with me!
To all of you guys who think we should trade Bernier, that is not the answer, we are not that desperate. DL will never trade him, for the fact that he might turn out to be a new Brodeur or Roy. Bernier is one of the biggest talents the Kings have had for years, and he will surely be a no.1 NHL goalie. Look at his briliant performance in the Junior World Cup, and the games against russia before that. Ok, he had some bad numbers this season, but that will turn around once he gets more comfortable.
I agree that Cammy is a great sniper, but we can manage without him, and he would surely be even better for another team. Lets trade him for a high class big defenseman. Like your suggestions of Shea Weber. Throw in a draftpick and goalie prospect also.
Erik Ersberg plays great now, but I dont think he will be a new Lundkvist or even Salo. He will more likely be another Johan Holmkvist or Johan Hedberg, that is a great goalie that can play anytime, if the no.1 is playing low.
Well...I think maybe this was my 2 cents (what does that expression mean? I am a stupid sweded who havent heard it before, more than from Kent Brockman on the Simpsons)
yes, I mean Swede, not sweded...
Forget Cloutier...Paging Mr. Fukufuji.
PLEASE,,, PLEAAAAASE,,, please.. can we stop talking about stamkos.... hockey is all about superstitions and luck etc... so can we NOT JINX getting the #1 pick... and NOT JINX knowing that Lombardi might not take him should we have the number 1 pick....
PLEASE:::: FORMAL REQUEST!
I can hear it now, Breakfast with the GM, 2009:
"We tried to gret Stamkos, we really did. But you have to understand... blah, blah, blah, blah."
Hey, we are The Los Angeles Kings. It's just the way we roll.