Zatkoff interview

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On returning to the ice this week after a break...
``It was good. This kind of marks the end of the summer and the beginning of the next season, so that's exciting. It's been a little different, talking to the guys who were getting ready to go back to school, but this is what I want to be doing for a living so it's exciting to get started on it now.''

On feeling like a ``veteran'' in his third development camp...
``It's nice because you know what to expect when you come in, and these guys do a great job.''

On what he wants to accomplish in camp this week...
``For me, as a goaltender, we have Bill Ranford and Kim here and it's a full week for us. We get to absorb everything they have to offer and we have to listen to them and be open to new things and be able to learn and get better.''

On how much contact he had with Kings coaches while in college...
``I talked to them occasionally and they got some game tapes, but obviously they really didn't get to work with me during the season. They would talk to my assistant coach and try to have me do some of the drills that they do here, but it's much different when you're able to work with these guys face to face.''

On his relationship with fellow goalie prospects Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick...
``We're all friends. It's nice because we all talk and get along but we have a good, healthy competition and we push one another to get better.''

On whether he sees the camp as a chance to impress the Kings...
``Definitely. I always want to give my best every time I'm on the ice. This is about development but there's always some evaluation going on. I want to be sharp and I want to be open to the new things that the coaches are teaching.''

On how he expects the game to change, going from college hockey to pro hockey...
``I was able to go to Manchester for the last few weeks of last season and get a feel for the speed of the game there, and I've been talking a lot to Bill Ranford and Ron Hextall. The more games I get to see and play in, the better it will be. In college, you're able to get by doing certain things, but not at the next level. Everything is a little quicker and shots are a lot faster off the stick.''

On what he's trying to work on this week...
``For me, the biggest thing has been my stance and my on-ice awareness. The coaches have been talking to me a lot about staying upright and using my size to my advantage, staying big in the net, getting in good position and just letting pucks hit me in the chest. There are always things I can work on. It's all about building good habits. The important thing is the repetition and, for me, the on-ice awareness and the ability to get to a spot before the puck gets there.''

On his impressions of his fellow prospects...
``All the guys here are great, and the thing is, they're not just great players. They're great people too. You want to have a good team off the ice too, and on the ice the guys are all really competitive and they're great players.''