Thomas Hickey interview

Rich, from the video footage on lakings.com, it appears that Hickey has bulked up since last summer. If you get another chance, can you ask him how much weight he has added, what his current weight is, and what his ideal playing weight is?

But does he still look like he's fourteen?

I just saw on the Kings site that the scrimmage next week is going to be webcast: http://kings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368234 .

I don't care if he looks like he is 4 and weighs 12 pounds...if he can play, he can play.

Just ask Brian Rafalski.

He sounds like a pretty well-spoken kid. I also noticed during some of the LA Kings.com interviews he looks bigger compared to last year. However, he will still need to continue bulking up.

mrbrett7 -

Actually a player with Hickey's skills who looked like he was four and weighed 12 pounds would be unstoppable.

hahahaha Quisp...yeah, just TRY to check that...try seeing that also!

Regardless of his size, 'Opie' should be just fine. He does look a little bigger. I'm kinda hoping for a majority of youth at D this year. With JMFJ and Colt 45 for toughness, Hickey and Doughty for skill, Maybe Martinez, Harrold, or Dallman with Preissing, It's a little risky, but why not? If the kids are up for it, let 'em learn like Brownie did. (As long as they don't jack up their ankles like Brownie did his 1st year...;0) )

Good interview.
From everything I've read, I think this kid will make DL look like a genius.
I hope he makes the team out of camp.

I'd like to ask him,
how much has he talked to Teubert about
playing together?

They could be a natural combination
just 1-2 years down the road.

I f***in' love Hickey, everything I've seen or read about him. I hope he makes the team this year, as we all do I'm sure. I just don't want to kid myself (or over-kid myself, since I'm already hoping for Doughty, Moulson, Purcell, Boyle, Martinez and some surprise bonus rookie, e.g. Parse, Lewis, Moller or Simmonds...or Teubert).

Mulling the boyish qualities of Hickey led me indirectly to the Wikipedia entry on Bobby Orr, not that I'm comparing ANYONE to Orr, but because I was curious to see if there was any mention of just how scrawny he was playing for the B's at 18. I had forgotten that Bobby played four years for Oshawa (starting when he was 14).

I also had forgotten, if I ever knew, that Orr never cashed a paycheck from the Chicago Blackhawks, where he was signed for his last declining years, his quote being something like "I was paid to play hockey, and since I never (really) played I can't accept payment."

Great interview Rich. Thanks for the great site.

I was at the morning session today. Here's what I saw

Heidi Androl is even hotter in person. Jonathan Bernier is about twice as fast on post to post drills as Zatkoff. Rowat looked better than Zatkoff. Doughty is going to be great offensively and is really smart defensively. Just needs to be a little stronger. On the offensive side today he looked like a better skater than Lubo. Teubert impressed me offensively an even more so defensively. I hope he makes the team this year. Azevedo is tiny but has great hockey smarts. Moller played solid today he's really come along since last year.

i might have some video uploaded by the end of the day. i'll post a link rich.

Interesting that a young guy like that is closely following the teams off season personnel moves. When his name was announced at the draft I had to look in The Hockey News to remember who he was. But, since then, in all honesty, everything he does on the ice and every thing he says makes me think he could be a very, very good NHLer. I don't know if it's his maturity or awareness or what, but he has something special in him.

nykingfan, I agree. Watching him during the WJC, he was very solid during that tournament. It can be argued that the Hickey & Schenn combo was Canada's top pairing in that tournament.
Color analyst Pierre McGuire for TSN, said about Hickey during one of the games. I remember this cause it really stuck out cause he was talking about a Kings prospect. "I didn't think Hickey was a good addition for team Canada, but he has proved me very much wrong. He's gotten better and better every game. He's been solid on the backend." Very close to what he said. I know it's only McGuire, and that it was a young players tournament, but watching all Canada's games, Hickey was very, very solid. I can't wait to see what this defense is gonna be like in 2-3 years.

Johnson/Doughty
Hickey/Teubert
Martinez/Greene

Wow! If all those players develop into the players they are supposed to be. To go along with Kopitar, Brown, O'Sullivan, Frolov, Boyle, Purcell, and Bernier and/or Zatkoff and/or Quick, which ever develops into a #1 goaltender like they are projected to be? Look out. This team is gonna be dynamite. Add to the fact, like DL said in a recent interview, free agents are gonna be calling Dean to sign here.
Damn, the next couple of seasons are gonna be fun to watch these guys develop and come together as a team.

Please Anthony, don't post and ruin my Kings future high.

Or Ersberg, or Labarbera...

i saw hickey play against portland last year. he was a stand out along with holloway that night. however, he looked really small, even next to the youngsters in the whl. its hard to imagine him playing against the monsters in the bigs. i would be surprised if he made the team this year...but theres no denying his talent and skill. best of luck thomas!

Just read a post over on another Kings website, the poster was at the rink today (Friday) and said that Hickey was back walking on crutches. Apparently one of the screws in his foot/ankle came loose. Any word on this Rich?