Aulin in Columbus?

He had a fling with Paris Hilton? Dude's ahead of the game. I know she's not the hottest but something sexy about that girl!

I hope he's as "lucky" in Ohio!

Last I heard, he quit hockey when some lunatic in a rec league two-handed him across the neck or something along those lines. Hopefully he has better luck this time around.

Good luck to Jared!

I just read the article regarding that cheap shot - http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/LosAngeles/2007/07/13/4336712-sun.html

He's always had the worst of luck with injuries but that was just horrific. I hope he does well in Columbus. As far as Paris Hilton, I hope he wrapped up twice.

Hey Rich: http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=31734 shows the Kings 42 year uniform history. Is there a way you could conduct a poll to see which uni we fans like the best. Not much else going on in the hockey world, so maybe this could give us die-hards something to discuss/argue while wait for real news.

Just saw some highlights of the Canadian world junior camp and Colten Tuebert absolutely layed out another player with an open ice hit that sent him to the hospital. WHAT A HIT!

Here is a link to that hit...
http://tsn.ca/world_jrs/
Click on the Highlights: RED 2, WHITE 4

Teubert made no apologies for laying out Caron.

"It sucks for him, but hopefully he has a quick recovery," Teubert said. "We're all trying to make the team and it's an opportunity for me to show what I've got too. No spots are secure, that's how I have to play and it just happened."

Ah, Springfield. Such a lovely place in the summer, birds chirping, flowers in full bloom....I jest. Modern Springfield is a hellhole, but that was not the case in 1971. Baystate West and the Civic Center were well on the way, downtown was bustling with Forbes & Wallace, Steiger's, Johnson's Bookstore.

And the Kings won the Cup.

Since we are in a dead period, enjoy the true story of how the Kings won the only championship in organizational history.

Our story begins on February 28. The Springfield Kings suffered the worst loss in franchise history, losing 14-0 to the Clippers in Baltimore behind the one-and-only Rocky Farr.
Being professionals, players learn to put bad games behind them quickly. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. After such a humiliation, there would be consequences....

Big hit by Teubert. But isn't he is way out of position? Hard to argue too much with results: still, seems to me a risky play by the defenseman.

My other $.02: Teubert is one very strong young man. Another good pick by the Kings coaching staff.

Losing 2 - 1 before the hit, outscore opponent 4 - 0 after the hit. Too bad he will not be playing for them.

Jet -

You think Teubert will make the Kings this camp? He would have to out-play all but one of Hickey, Drewiske, Campbell and Voynov (and Harrold) to do it. Could happen. But I have to think Hickey and Voynov (and Harrold) have a leg up, since the absence of Quincey leaves a hole on the power-play that Hickey et al can fill but Tuebert can't.

The Kings would face the Clippers in a rematch on the following Saturday, March 6. Before that game, owner Eddie Shore and head coach Johnny “Iron Man” Wilson had a spirited discussion or two with the team. The AHL was not what one would call a gentleman’s league at the time. Think ‘Slap Shot’. Toughness? The Quebec Aces were the Flyer farm team at that time, and featured a kid named David Schultz, amongst others. The WHA was still two years away, and most AHL teams had a blend of vets and younguns.

Saturday night at the Eastern States Coliseum, a barnlike structure home to Springfield hockey since 1926….a sellout crowd of 6,000 jammed to the rafters to watch the fun. As expected, there were a series of fights culminating in a huge brawl. Even the Kings goaltender got into the action – it would not be the last fight for Billy Smith.

And then the unexpected happened.

With the crowd in a frenzy, veteran King defenseman Roger Cote skated up to the referee. To the shock of everyone, he threw down his gloves and proceeded to pound the ref to the ice. Cote was no goon – imagine Rob Scuderi beating up Tim Peel.

The crowd gasped and went silent; it was exactly as if the air had been sucked out of the building. Other players pulled Cote off the ref, and the game proceeded in a much-subdued manner. Once again, there would be consequences….

Quisp - I understand what you are saying with regards to the need for a point man on the pp. But, I think it is equally important to start the season with physical play. We are again likely to have one of the youngest teams in the league which usually translates to an opposing team’s game plan of "take the body at every opportunity". If we can match that physical play then our younger guys become braver.
Teu closed the space incredibly quick on that hit, yet in a fairly controlled way. If Teu and JJ can make a big hit every 10 games, the opposition’s breakouts are going to be slowed down.
Maybe just as important is that Regina is unlikely to be a positive situation for Teu. DL is all about development. Therefore I can not see any case where he would let Teu go back.

If I had to guess, I would say that both Teu and Hickey make the team as 6 and 7. They trade out depending on what team we are facing. If we are out of the race, then OD goes to the Ducks in Feb.

One big downside is that two contracts would come up in the same year, three if Lewis earns a spot.

Hey guys, hate to change the subject, but the Patrick Kane affair in Buffalo over the weekend was a big deal. He's a big star, and a Boy Scout by reputation... but beating up a 62 year old cab driver over 20-24 cents change with his brother at 4 A.M. is going to destroy his reputation--if it's true.

What are your thoughts? I can imagine how this makes Anze Kopitar and his pancakes look more and more acceptable as a role model...

Bako -

At this point, the story appears not only to be true, but to be a little worse than originally reported, with the added details of "do you know who I am?!" etc.. Great summer for Chicago. I suspect he will be suspended by the league for a bit.

Jet -

Okay, let's run with your assumption.

Scuderi/Doughty
Johnson/Greene
xx/SOD
Drewiske
(Harrold)

That's seven names. The Kings will carry either seven or eight defensemen, and dress six. Five of the above names are certainly going to dress every night. Drewiske, Harrold, Hickey, Teubert, Campbell and Voynov will fight it out for the last three spots, two of which will be frequent press box seats.

SOD is there to be a mentor to the kids, Hickey if he makes it, or Voynov, or Teubert. Whoever. Hickey is not going to make the team only to be #7 and sit in the press box. Neither is Teubert. Teubert can't be sent to Manchester, due to his juniors eligibility. Harrold, perversely, is a guy who could make the team precisely because they wouldn't be too broken up about scratching him every night. Like Zeiler. They're serviceable as spare parts.

If Teubert makes it, then it's

Scuderi/DOughty
Johnson/Greene
SOD/Teubert
Harrold (scratch)

and Drewiske, Voynov, Hickey and Campbell play in Manchester.

If Hickey outplays Teubert, which I think is likely, the third pair will be Hickey/SOD. And Teubert goes back to juniors. Also, if Teubert makes the team, there will be a problem with the power play. Since you will only have two defensemen who can play the point (Doughty and Johnson). Stoll can be one of the others. Who else? Williams? Eh. It doesn't really work.

As far as both Hickey and Teubert making the team, I think you'd have to move someone, and I don't know who that would be (one of Greene or SOD). I really think it's just not going to happen.

As far as Teubert not having a good situation in Regina, I think you're underemphasizing the World Juniors, where Teubert will be a big deal.

Really, I think what you're imagining is the 2010-2011 defense:

Scuderi/Doughty
Johnson/Greene
Hickey/Teubert
Drewiske

Another scenario we're overlooking is Andrew Campbell having a great camp. He's been playing against grown-ups, unlike Teubert. He could out-Teubert Teubert. Not in the long-run, but maybe this season. I don't know. Could happen.

And then there's Voynov? He could out-Hickey Hickey. That strikes me as less likely but still possible.

At some point, I think we're going to see one of Hickey or Voynov -- and the odds overwhelmingly say Voynov -- gets dealt. Not this year, but maybe next year.

Less than a month till camp starts. Or is it exactly a month? tick, tock...

Quisp -- thanks for playing along. I think Harold will be joining Armstrong. Drewiske was solid, but not an impact player at this point. I'm thinking:

Scuderi/DOughty
Johnson/Greene
SOD/Teubert
Hickey
With Hickey and Teubert switching depending on the type of team we play. If hickey can hold up and we are out of contention at the trading deadline then OD is odd man out. (I love everything OD has given us. His legacy will live on for years) The D unit then becomes Scuds.

I think the worlds would be great for Teubert's development, but not worth subjecting him to another year at Regina. If DL can convince the Pats to trade him to a team with a good coach, then it could work. Do you think he should just "suck it up" and go back to Regina?

jet - re teubert

Well, I assume that's what he's going to do (suck it up and go back to Regina). In the old days, defensemen weren't expected to ripen until they'd done a couple of years in the AHL. It's a lot to expect him to make the team at 19. But more than that, even if he plays his a** off and has a spectacular camp, I don't know where you put him. I don't think you can have Hickey and Teubert each playing 40 games and spending the rest of the time in the press box. And the power play thing is a big deal. The team simply cannot afford to take a step backward on the PP this year. They have to at least hold steady on the PP numbers while improving the 5-on-5 numbers. That argues strongly for Hickey or Voynov.

Keeping in mind that DL and TM seem in general more patient than the fan-base, I would imagine that they will be happy to have Teubert work on his game in juniors another season, and then bring him up to Manchester after Regina is done. (ont he other hand, Murray did make that comment that Tuebert is done with juniors, so maybe that's a "tell," I don't know). I also have to believe they would rather have the blue-chip prospects playing a lot than have them be healthy scratches for the big club.

DL may sign a cheap free-agent defenseman in the next few weeks, and that will put the issue to rest. Because if it's a smallish power-play guy, that would suggest Hickey in Manchester all year, and if it's a big Gauthier-type, that will tell you all you need to know about Teubert's chances this season.

And he can also get called up to the Kings after he's done in juniors. He doesn't have to stop in Manchester. Though I think that's where the smart money is.

As far as being out of contention at the trade deadline, yeah I think you're right SOD could be dealt then. But I don't think we'll be out by then. I don't know if we'll make the playoffs or not, but I will be very surprised if we aren't in the mix right up to the end. (the optimist in me thinks we will get in; but I was about 5 points too optimistic last season, so factor that in).

Quisp -- You were on the money in my book with number of points last year. I still think that if JJ was healthy that you would be within a point. I also believe we will be in the hunt to the end without and significant injuries.

But, I respectfully disagree with you on Teu going back to the Pats. There is just too much mental baggage and mental development is as important as physical. It is not good for a 19 year old to be somewhere nobody wants him.
My primary concern with him playing with the Kings is his size. While it looks like he gained 15 pounds since last summer, he still could use another 10. Also, with injuries and days off, each could get 50 games and possible more if there is a trade or we make the playoffs.

jet -

Yep. A lot can happen between now and October, to say nothing of what transpires over the course of a season (re inj***es etc.). I still think Teubert will incubate for another season, but if he makes it this fall I will be thrilled. (although, like I said, I don't know how there will be room.)

Even in this era, beating up a referee was outside the pale. The Kings actually suspended Cote before the league could take action. Within a few days, the league announced a $300 fine for Cote – a serious sanction in 1971, when that amounted to two week’s pay.

In addition, the Kings traded Cote to Cleveland for a journeyman winger named Billy Orban. As the games went on, Orban began to click with the Kings top skater, a dynamic young forward named Robert Goring, best known by his nickname of ‘Butch’.

As the season wound down, the Kings were in a tight fight for the playoffs. When the regular season ended, the team was in a tie with Quebec for the last playoff spot. A one game playoff was held on April 6, with the Kings hosting the game. A late 3-1 lead melted away in the last five minutes, and the Aces forced overtime.

The Kings need a hero….someone who could deliver the goods in OT. Only 26 seconds were needed for Goring to score and send the Kings forward. The next challenge would be a big one – a trip to the Montreal Forum to face the Voyageurs….

The Kings would face the Vees in a best-of-five series, with Montreal at a disadvantage: Their hot young goaltender Ken Dryden had been called up to the Habs, where he was building a legend of his own. The Kings still had their own future Hall-of-Famer in goal, and Billy Smith was on his game. The result was a three-game sweep of the Vees, sending the Kings into the semifinal round against the Cleveland Barons.

The Barons took the opener at Cleveland in OT, with the Kings rebounding for a 6-3 win at the Coliseum to even the series. Game three in Cleveland saw the Kings come from behind for a 6-5 win as Billy Orban had a career night, scoring four goals on a line with Goring. The Kings finished off the series back at home with a 6-0 blowout, moving to the finals against their archrivals, the Providence Reds.

Springfield and Providence had been competing in the same league (with a few interruptions) since 1926, and fan interest was at a peak. With the Boston Bruins having been eliminated in the NHL playoffs, a Worcester TV station decided to televise the finals to the delight of at least one fan.

The Kings opened in Providence with 4-2 and 6-5 wins, sending the series back to West Springfield for games three and four. The Purple and Gold took game three by a 2-1 score, as Billy Smith ran his playoff record to 10-1.

Game four on May 1 was a back-and-forth affair, with the Kings taking a late 4-3 lead. Finally, Providence pulled goaltender Michel Plasse (playing, as always, without a mask) for the extra attacker. It was left to Butch Goring to provide the only Championship moment in Kings history by stealing the puck, rushing up the right-wing boards, cutting to the middle, and filling the empty net from point-blank range with 20 seconds left. The delirious fans littered the ice with hundreds of pounds of debris, only serving to extend the celebration.

Goring finished the playoffs as the leading scorer, with 11 goals and 25 points in 12 games. Orban went 10-6-16, and defenceman Jean Potvin added 12 points while D Mike McMahon tallied 13 points to go with 57 PIM.

L.A. may never see a championship run, but fans of the Purple and Gold will always have one Cup to savor.