Recently in Player interviews Category

It's tough to make judgments based on a phone call, but it seems safe to say the Kings got a great character guy today in Rob Scuderi. Often it's the little things that say a lot about in person. In Scuderi's case, he made two attempts to reconnect after his cell phone cut out, and apologized profusely for interrupting the conversation. It's already clear that Scuderi will be a ``go-to guy'' for reporters seeking quotes.

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Question: Did you think the Kings were an option from the start, or is this something that just developed over the last couple days?

SCUDERI: ``They showed some interest on the first day, but they didn't really make an offer, so my agent and I didn't really know what would happen. I was interested in the Kings, because obviously there's a lot of young talent there. Today they made an offer and we got it done.''

Question: You mentioned the young talent. How much do you know about this Kings team?

SCUDERI: ``When you play in the East, you don't look a whole lot at the West. I think we played them once or twice during my time with the Penguins, but when I talked to Lombardi and Hextall, they told me to take a long look at the roster. It's not hard to see the good mix of talented guys and the young talent they have coming up. It's hard to miss guys like Doughty and Johnson, and it looks like there's a whole lot of potential on this team.''

Question: In talking to Lombardi, he seemed to be looking for a guy with some experience and leadership. Did he talk to you about what he expects, on and off the ice?

SCUDERI: ``One of the positives, one of the things that made my decision easier, is that they don't expect me to do anything different than I did for the last four years in Pittsburgh. A lot of guys, when they sign a free-agent contract, they feel like they have to do more and they feel obligated to live up to it, and it ends up hurting them because they try to do too much. They know what they can expect from me, both on and off the ice. I'm a family man, and I'm not the type of man who's going to be out burning the candle at both ends. I hope I can bring some leadership to the team.''

Question: Fans saw a lot of you in the playoffs, obviously, but maybe not a lot in general. What should people know about your game?

SCUDERI: ``I'd say I'm an extremely under-the-radar type of player. If you haven't noticed me during a game, I probably had a good one. You can expect me to make the simple plays when they need to be made and not take chances that lead to bad mistakes.''

Question: During your time in Pittsburgh, the Penguins went from being a pretty bad team to being champions. What types of things do these young Kings need to know about winning?

SCUDERI: ``It's all about the attitude and work ethic that you bring to the rink every day. We tried to create a winning culture in Pittsburgh, and I've seen how fast things can turn around for a team. I'm hoping I can be one of the players who helps create that type of culture here. This is a talented team, with all the defensemen and with guys like Kopitar and Brown and Frolov. They're not that far away. They were in it until the final month of the season, and I really think they're not that far away.''

Here's the second half of the long interview with new team captain Dustin Brown...

Here's the first part of a long interview I did with Dustin Brown a few days ago. You'll note the question, ``What would it mean to you to be team captain?'' I did the interview before he was announced as captain, so that's why it's worded the way it is. Anyway, there will be a big story on Brown in tomorrow's Daily News, but this is the first part of the long-form interview that I did for the story.

I consider Brown to be a really interesting story on the Kings. He arrived at age 18 and basically sat in the corner and didn't say anything. Over the last five years he has really evolved, not only as a player but as a man and a teammate. It's no coincidence that his emergence, in both areas, coincided with the departure of Sean Avery, who really was a miserable teammate to Brown in particular. So I hope you enjoy the first half of the interview with Dustin Brown...

There's no debate about which player was the surprise of training camp. Wayne Simmonds showed potential 12 months ago, but he seemed to be a raw talent in need of a lot of development. Simmonds came in this summer, starting at the development camp, and impressed team management with his improved strength and puck-handling skills. He earned a spot on the roster and will get third-line minutes when the season opens. Of course, with Patrick O'Sullivan returning, Simmonds will need to immediately show that he should stick in the NHL. Here's what Simmonds had to say about his memorable training camp...

Here's what Patrick O'Sullivan had to say about his new contract...

Here's my interview with Oscar Moller from after today's practice. Moller is definitely making a strong impression. I asked a team official today if Moller was going to make the team, and he said of Moller, ``He's making it tough on us.'' If you're a young player fighting for a roster spot, that's what you want to hear... For those who need updates on tonight's game against Colorado, I'll do my best to provide live updates throughout the game. It is available on 1150-AM, with the audio also streamed on the Kings' site. Here's Oscar...

It's a shame that Richard Clune is now out with a broken bone in his chest, as he was just starting to develop some positive buzz in training camp. From talking to people around camp, it didn't seem to be a huge stretch to think that Clune might crack the NHL roster as that third- or fourth-line agitator/tough guy. I talked with Clune about the trade that brought him over from Dallas, and he also had some very interesting things to say about the somewhat-obvious comparisons to Sean Avery.

Clune, a third-round pick of Dallas in 2005, split time between the AHL and ECHL last season. In 38 games with Iowa of the AHL, Clune had three goals, five assists and 137 penalty minutes.

Plus, thanks to the wonder of YouTube, here are videos of Clune's three preseason fights. The first one is from the first day of training camp, against Drew Bagnall. The other two are from Monday's game against Phoenix, against Todd Fedoruk and Garth Murray.

Click after the videos to read the interview...

I sat down with center Derek Armstrong. Since he's one of the few veterans in the locker room now, I wanted to get his thoughts on playing on a team with so many young guys. Here's his thoughts...

I chatted today with goalie Erik Ersberg, who missed the first two days of training camp with flu symptoms. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice to say, Ersberg is feeling better and hopes to build upon his strong play at the end of last season. Here, Ersberg talks about his work this summer and gives his thoughts on the upcoming season...

Here's what Jason LaBarbera had to say about Terry Murray's training-camp emphasis on defensive improvement...

``It's huge. Obviously last year was tough at times, for everyone. We had breakdowns all over the ice, including myself. The biggest thing is that, as a whole group of guys, we have to be better and be more committed. Right from today, we're already going over that kind of stuff, and that's huge. I think last year, not everybody was on the same page with things and not everybody trusted each other. It got us in a lot of trouble. Right from day one, if we can get on the same page and everybody knows what each other's roles are and understands what we're supposed to do as a unit, we're going to be all right.''

Here's what Jason LaBarbera had to say about his attitude entering camp and his reaction to the low expectations that people are putting on the Kings this season...

I sat down with Jason LaBarbera this afternoon and talked about his summer. LaBarbera spent part of the summer recovering from the surgery he had to repair a sports hernia and also took the opportunity to get in much better shape. Here's what LaBarbera, who clearly looks trimmer, had to say about his offseason improvements...

Here's the rookie-camp interview with Thomas Hickey. On the OTHER subject, Patrick O'Sullivan and his agency did not return calls today. I'm still waiting for an extended chat with Dean Lombardi. For now, here's Hickey...

Here's the interview with defenseman Drew Doughty from rookie camp a few days ago...

(On how things were going in rookie camp...)
``We had a lot of emphasis on the D-zone coverage, just making sure that we had the new systems done right. (Terry Murray) has kind of changed the systems here from how they used to run them, so we really emphasized D-zone coverage. I think, in the scrimmage, it paid off.''

(On what management said about his chances of making the team...)
``They haven't really told me much at all. I just came into camp and I really want to have a spot on this team. I'm going to work my hardest to do that. I'm going to play the best I can and hopefully if I do that, things will come to me.''

(On what he, specifically, was trying to develop in camp...)
``I'm just trying to learn a lot. I know the guys who are here, the older guys, and they're all great players. To learn from them is just a great thing. I love sitting on the bench, watching the other guys play, just to see what they do. That helps me a lot, I think, just to watch the older guys play. I think I learned a lot.''

(On some of the big hits he delivered in camp...)
``It's something I try to bring a lot. I definitely never give up an opportunity to make a big hit. I love doing it, I think it can change the momentum of the game. it gives your team a little momentum under your belts and I just enjoy doing it. Hopefully if I do play for the L.A. Kings this year, I'll continue doing it.''

I had Jack Johnson on the phone for a few minutes and got to ask a few questions about the upcoming season. The main reason for the call was a little Hockey News feature about players who did something interesting during the summer. In Johnson's case, that meant resuming his education at the University of Michigan. Johnson took an upper-level writing class, an American literature class, an American culture class and a psychology class and got an A in each class. Johnson said he intends to take classes every summer until he gets his degree (academically, he's halfway through his junior year right now) and said he might look into taking some online courses during the season.

Here's what Johnson had to say about some topics relevant to the upcoming season...

Don Fulton tracked down Jack Johnson for an interview, in which Johnson talks about his summer, his recovery from his injury and his thoughts about his rookie season, which included his first NHL goal (seen below).

Here's the interview...

Here's an interview, after today's morning session, with Justin Azevedo, the Kings' sixth-round draft pick this year. Azevedo has attracted some attention after being named the Ontario Hockey League's most outstanding player. He had 43 goals and 81 assists in 67 games last season with Kitchener. I'll be heading down to the camp this afternoon to check it out in person and grab some more interviews. For now, here's Azevedo...

Just got off a conference call with Rob Blake, who says the Kings never made him an offer. (Left unsaid was that Blake's agent apparently talked to the Kings on July 1 and asked for $4 million). Before Blake got on the call, San Jose general manager Doug Wilson said he called Blake's agent on July 1 to inquire about Blake's services. Here's some quotes from Blake...

On not getting an offer: ``No, i didn't receive one from the Kings. As time went past on July 1... I made a decision a few weeks ago, a month ago, that i wanted to play again. That wasn't going to be happen in L.A. and I had to start looking elsewhere. I've always admired San Jose and they have a ton of potential. They've been on the verge every year and excited to be right there.''

On whether he was ``on board'' with the Kings' rebuilding plans: ``I've been on board for the past couple years. I don't think the idea of rebuilding was just something this summer. It just became evident that there was two different thoughts going on. When you don't hear back from a team in a couple days, it's time to look elsewhere.''

On why he thinks things didn't work out with the Kings and whether he's disappointed: ``I made the commitment to come back to LA. It's a great organization and it's headed in a great direction. I was fortunate to play with Kopitar, and Jack Johnson on defense. He's an up and comer and he's going to be great. As far as things with myself, I'm not really sure what happened down the line there. The team is going to be great. It's great that they're sticking with the plan for building. I wish them all the best and years down the road I'm sure I'll be watching them.''

On whether he was negatively influenced by the Cammalleri and Visnovsky trades: ``I really have no say in any of that. You see the direction the Kings are going and they're going to stick with that and build going forward. They have a great cornerstone, with young forwards and goalies and defense. They're going in the right direction.''

Here's another Q&A from Don, this one with prospect David Meckler, who will be a restricted free agent this summer...

Don caught up with Gabe Gauthier, who is one of those players who will enter training camp competing for a spot on the Kings' roster. Gauthier, 24, did not record a point in three games with the Kings last season. He totaled 23 goals and 37 assists with the Manchester Monarchs. Here's Don's interview with Gauthier...

I didn't want this to get lost in all the Marc Crawford news, but Don did a real nice interview with Anze Kopitar recently. Obviously the interview took place before Tuesday's news, but it's still a good chance to catch up with Kopitar and hear about his experiences at the World Championships and his...trip to Egypt? Here's a video of Kopitar at the World Championships, followed by the Q&A...

Here's the interview I did yesterday with Patrick O'Sullivan. He discusses his experience at the World Championships this month, as well as his personal development as a player, his hopes for the Kings' improvement and his contract situation this summer.

It's been very interesting to watch O'Sullivan develop. I still remember watching him at his first prospects camp and thinking he had all the talent in the world, then watching him consistently go backward until he eventually landed back in the AHL. Then he started a tremendous comeback and essentially reinvented himself in the eyes of the Kings. Along the way, he's gone from being a quiet kid to a more confident player.

Here's the full interview with O'Sullivan...

Here's the interview Don did this week with Danny Taylor, the much-traveled goalie who logged some big miles between Los Angeles and Reading near the end of last season. Don gets the scoop on what that was like for Taylor and also gets to know Taylor a little bit, going into what should be a crucial summer for him.

Hope everyone enjoys another of Don's great interviews. I'm working on getting the Patrick O'Sullivan interview up today...shouldn't be long. Enjoy...

Don tracked down Brady Murray for a wide-ranging interview that deals with the recently concluded Manchester season, his development as a player and the famous Murray competitive streak, passed down from his father. Here's the interview...

It's two interviews for the prices of one today. Don talked to forward Matt Moulson, who made his debut with the Kings this season and totaled five goals and four assists in 22 games. Moulson also had 28 goals and 28 assists in 57 regular-season games with Manchester. Here's a video of Moulson's first goal, followed by his chat with Don...

Don tracked down prospect Alec Martinez, a defenseman who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Kings, for an interview. The Kings think highly of Martinez, who was a fourth-round draft pick out of Miami (Ohio) University last year. Martinez's hockeydb.com profile gives his college stats. Enjoy the interview...

As I continue to sort through the Yannetti/Futa stuff, here's an interview Don did this week with Jason LaBarbera, who is recovering from his surgery to repair a sports hernia. Don also attaches a video of one of LaBarbera's best saves of the season...

Here's the second part of Don's interview with Thomas Hickey...

Don tracked down Thomas Hickey, the Kings' top prospect on defense, who has had a rough few weeks. Hickey sustained a knee injury and a concussion and watched his Seattle team get eliminated from the WHL playoffs. Hickey discusses his season and his injuries and looks to the future. It's a good, long interview, so here's the first part...

Here's the Q&A Don did recently with Manchester Monarchs enforcer Kevin Westgarth, who will attempt to extend the not-so-long tradition of Kings enforcers who graduated from Princeton...

Now's a good time to get to know Kevin Westgarth. He's 24, a graduate of Princeton -- much like former Kings enforcer George Parros -- and Westgarth totaled 191 penalty minutes in 69 games with Manchester this season. That's not completely easy to do. Westgarth projects as a future King, although for the moment Raitis Ivanans fills a similar role.

Here are Westgarth's bios on hockeydb.com and hockeyfights.com.

Don tracked down Westgarth this week and did a really cool feature. He found eight of Westgarth's fights on YouTube and had Westgarth ``analyze'' them. Don, it seems has a future as hockey's Larry Merchant, doing post-fight interviews...

There's also a Q&A with Westgarth coming soon, but for now, definitely give this a look...

Thanks to Don Fulton, who tracked down Brian Boyle this morning and got an update on the knee injury Boyle suffered while playing for Manchester this week. Boyle also talked about his progress as a player and his future. Here's the interview...

In his most challenging effort to date, Don Fulton finally tracked down Kings prospect Wayne Simmonds, and got a great interview for his effort. As I just finished telling Don, Simmonds is one of the players I'm most looking forward to seeing again, just to see how he has developed since last fall. Here's the interview...

Here another great interview from Don Fulton, with Jeff Zatkoff:

Don Fulton tracked down Alex Pietrangelo, who has been out of commission recently because of a bout with mononucleosis. But Don tracked down yet another defensive prospect who might end up in the Kings organization in June...

Here's the last (at least for a day or two) of Don's interviews, this one with Manchester goalie Jon Quick. Here's Jon, with Don:

I'm not stalling on the Lombardi stuff... it's just a hectic day at the office and it takes a while to get the Lombardi stuff in publishable form. Until then, you can read another great interview from Don, this one with Bud Holloway. Thank again to Don for tracking these guys down!

As I prepare to leave for yet another Daily News goodbye lunch, here's the interview that Don Fulton did with Thomas Hickey, the Kings' first-round draft pick last year. The Lombardi stuff will take a while to get up -- as it usually does -- but I'll do my best. Here's Hickey...

From Don:

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Peter Harrold went from being "the" guy on defense for the Manchester Monarchs, to adding some necessary depth on the Kings' blue line. The 24-year old says he has made the transition, but is still learning the NHL brand of hockey.

"It's a pretty big transition, I mean the game is so much faster here," Harrold said. "I think I'm fitting in pretty well and learning more and more every day. It's important to try and get better every day."

Still, it is kind of strange going from being the quarterback of the Monarchs' power play to suddenly being a depth player for the Kings.

"It's no problem for me. Obviously you want to get to the point where you can be on the power play at this level, but you have to crawl before you can walk," he said. "I'm trying to learn a little more each and every day and when you watch those guys on the power play and try to pick up on the little things that they do so that when I get my chance I know what to do."

Odds are that the depleted defensive unit at Manchester will get an infusion should Harrold be reassigned to the Monarchs following the conclusion of the Kings' season.

"They haven't talked to me about it yet, but I'd like to go back. I like playing in the playoffs and as soon as the season is done here, I hope they send me back," Harrold said. "I pay a lot of attention to what is going on in Manchester. They're my friends that played there all year and most of last year, so I'd love to go down there and help them in the playoffs."

Don Fulton talked to Michael Cammalleri at practice today...

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Forward Michael Cammalleri has had a difficult season, to say the least.

Following his much-publicized arbitration hearing and, ultimately, the ruling in favor of the Kings, the 25-year-old winger has struggled to regain his 2006-2007 numbers that saw him net career highs in goals (34) and points (80). This season he has tallied 19 goals and 27 assists in 60 games, and most of his drop-off can be attributed to missing the entire month of January with a nagging rib injury.

Cammalleri answered a few questions about his disappointing season today:

Q: There's a perception from some people that the arbitration process and ruling has negatively impacted your game.

Cammalleri: I don't think the actual hearing had any negative impact. It's obviously been a tough year for me personally for different reasons. I'm not going to sit here and say the arbitration process is the reason why.

Q: There's another perception that from last year to this year you have turned into a selfish player.

Cammalleri: I don't know where that comes from. I wouldn't give much credit to hearing that. The game is still fun, and obviously it has been a frustrating year, but I still have fun playing the game. It's been frustrating because we haven't been able to win as many games as I thought we could have, but I don't think by any means that it is a selfish moment or anything like that. I just wanted us to do a little bit better as a team.

Q: Has this been your most frustrating year ever in organized hockey?

Cammalleri: It has been a tough year, but you live and you learn, and I've kind of been able to analyze some things for myself and for the team. You just get better from the experience, so it doesn't worry me too much.

Q: Are you 100% back from your injury?

Cammalleri: I feel really good. It is one of those injuries that I don't think will heal all the way until I get a full summer off. It definitely feels a lot better than it did.

Q: If you had to wager a guess; are you a member of the Los Angeles Kings next season?

Cammalleri: I would think so. My contract says that I am and I haven't heard otherwise.

Q: Do you want to be back?

Cammalleri: I definitely want to be a King. It will be interesting to see what we do.

Don Fulton caught up with Kings prospect Oscar Moller, who recently completed his season with Chiliwack of the WHL. We'll also have a practice report this afternoon...

Here's Don's interview with Teddy Purcell. Morning-skate reports coming soon...

Don Fulton tracked down Brian Boyle in Manchester and got an exclusive interview. He also talked to Teddy Purcell, so I'll have that up later, along with a report from today's morning skate.

The stories about skating in Southern California are great. I learned to skate at the tiny little rink inside the mall in Palos Verdes. It's not even full-size, but it sure felt like it. The mall has changed, almost completely, but the little rink is still there.

Here's Boyle...

Here's the other half of the Steven Stamkos interview, courtesy of Don Fulton...

Again, major thanks to Don for taking the initiative to get this interview with Steven Stamkos, who is considered the clear top prospect in the 2008 NHL Draft. Here's Don...

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There are a few things you need to know about Steven Stamkos.

First, he does prefer to be called Steven, but doesn't mind at all if you call him Steve. He just turned 18, but after talking with him you are left feeling like you just chatted with a 35 year-old NHL veteran.

Steven was kind enough to chat with me by phone from Sarnia, Ontario, where his team the Sarnia Sting currently leads its first round Ontario Hockey League playoff series against the Windsor Spitfires, two games to one.

He has scored five goals in the three games.

Steven discussed life in the OHL, the prospect of him likely being the number one pick in June's National Hockey League draft, and talked about the possibility of lacing them up in Hollywood and playing for the Los Angeles Kings.

A special thank you to Mark Glavin, the very helpful Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for the Sting for setting up the phone interview.