News Clips

1-17-18

FROM LA KINGS INSIDER: good teammate,” Stevens said. “He’s come in, his attitude has been terrific. He’s like another coach in the locker room. He understands the game really January 16, 2017 well, and I just think it’s a situation where maybe By: Jon Rosen some young guys are taking a step. Get an January 16: Carter Skating Solo, opportunity to look at some young guys and see LaDue/Amadio, Dieter’s Cranberries Tribute where they’re at. Muzz has been on the IR, so there are only so many spots on your team. But he’s been Good afternoon from El Segundo, Insiders. The terrific. He’s been a really good teammate and a Kings practiced at Toyota Sports Center at 10:00 really good guy to have here. He’s good for us, a.m. Tuesday morning and remained on the ice for good for the young guys, and when he played, he over an hour. It may have been their longest helped us.” practice since training camp. “Today was just a really important reset day,” John Stevens said. -Soo native Michael Amadio scored his first career NHL against the Maple Leafs, but he was The forwards were grouped by color-coded jerseys: never a huge fan of ’s NHL team. (It’s seven hours from his hometown above Lake Huron to the Gray: Kempe-Kopitar-Brown greater Toronto area, and he was more of a fan of Blue: Pearson-Lewis-Toffoli Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche when he was Yellow: Iafallo-Shore-Gaborik-Mitchell younger.) Purple: Clifford-Andreoff-Amadio-Brodzinski He’s back with the Kings after having received a Notes! phone call while walking to his apartment after returning home from yesterday afternoon’s Ontario -Defensive pairings were fluid; we’ll continue to Reign game, a 3-2 win over Texas in which he take a look at how they shape up in advance of scored a third-period goal and netted the shootout Thursday’s game versus Pittsburgh. So! Trevor game-winner. His third period marker extended his Lewis is back at center, and Adrian Kempe moved point streak to 17 games, the longest in the AHL to wing. “We put Adrian on the wing last night and this season. actually liked him there,” Stevens said. “We were concerned that taking him out of the middle would “It’s definitely been a lot of fun, but I’ve got to give take some speed out of his game because he’s so a lot of credit to my linemates and teammates. good in the middle of the ice, but we saw that he They’re helping me a lot out there, which makes it a was able to maintain that last night. He still made lot easier,” he said. One of his regular linemates has plays off the wall, he still had an opportunity to get been Matt Moulson, who has five goals and 24 to open space with speed, so we thought we’d give points in 17 games and has assisted on seven of nine another look, and Lewie’s played lots of center in goals since being loaned to Ontario and making his his career. A real responsible guy. He’s always been Reign debut on December 9. able to take faceoffs and just gave us a little bit of a different look there.” Jonny Brodzinski, who skated to the right of Amadio at practice today, had also spent time with -An update: the Moulson-Amadio connection, which should help further ease the 21-year-old’s transition to the There’s still no timetable yet on his return, but professional game. Even Amadio admitted having a that’s a significant step in his recovery. few jitters re-joining the team earlier today for practice. -John Stevens knows that Jussi Jokinen, placed on waivers earlier today, is a very good pro. But there “It’s still pretty exciting, and I’m still a little are younger players the Kings are also looking to nervous coming up,” he said. “But it’s nice to see take a look at. “He’s been great. He’s been a really the guys again. They’re making me feel

comfortable, so it’s a little better this time knowing carry that on up here and help the team win,” he the guys. It’s been a lot of fun.” said.

Known as a defensively responsible center, Amadio He totaled eight goals and 17 points in 34 games is still a player who potted 50 goals in 68 games as with the Reign, so the success in the defensive zone the ’s captain in his 19-year-old has allowed him the confidence and wherewithal to 2015-16 OHL season, and followed up his allow other parts of his game to grow. breakthrough campaign with a respectable 16 goals and 41 points as an AHL rookie last year. It’s a “Yeah, I think if you’re clean down there breaking challenge to be able to produce as a 20-year-old in pucks out, it leads to more offensive opportunities,” the AHL, but Amadio did so while remaining on the he said. “You gain confidence that way, and then all right side of the puck. of a sudden you’re feeling more comfortable on the blue line. I felt pretty good offensively this year, “I’ve always been on myself about being a good and I’d like to keep that going as well.” offensive player, but being a good defensive player at the same time,” he said. “You’ve got to take care John Stevens flew to Grand Forks, North Dakota to of your own end and be as creative as you want in visit with LaDue over the off-season, allowing him the offensive zone.” to get a clearer sense of his defenseman who turned 25 in September. He spoke about LaDue’s skill set Amadio’s 1.13 points per game in the AHL ranked and how closely he worked with him last season as sixth among players with at least 25 games this the Associate Head Coach who worked closely with season. Of the five players with a higher scoring Kings blue liners. rate, only Tucson’s Dylan Strome and Nick Merkley are younger. John Stevens, on how regularly he worked with Paul LaDue last season: “I definitely wanted to be back up here, and it’s nice Daily. … With all those guys. It’s something I love to get the call again.” the most. When young players come up and you’re an assistant coach, we usually sit down and watch -Paul LaDue is poised to make his 2017-18 debut their games, every game together, watch their shifts. later this week. He was recalled immediately before Just talk about their game. It’s not like corrective the start of the season when Alec Martinez suffered stuff – ‘What are you seeing here? What was your a lower-body injury in practice, necessitating his read? Did you like your positioning? This was quick return. really good. What do you think you can do better?’ They have questions sometimes. They see things “I try not to look down on it,” he said when asked that maybe you didn’t see as a coach, so to me those about not making the team out of training camp. interactions were really productive, and it becomes “Just keep improving every day, just listen to what very clear what the expectations are, how we want the coaching staff and the development staff says, to play, what we think of him as a player, what our and just take it all in and try to improve. Now I’m expectations of him are in terms of preparation and back, and trying to make a statement.” compete, so we’ve been through all that, yeah.

Some of that statement is trying to show that he has Stevens, on any sort of acclimation process for improved “in all areas,” but also that he’s firmer in Michael Amadio and LaDue: the defensive zone. No, there’s a lot of familiarity with the organization and how we play and how they play down there and “Just playing harder in the D-zone and being things that are important. I think Stuttsy and I, I consistent every game in the D zone is what I’ve think across the organization, believe certain things been trying to focus on, and it’s grown since last are really important to players in winning, and those year, and even this year down in Ontario, it’s been two kids have been here long enough that they’ve continuing to get better, and hopefully I can just spent a lot of time, training camps, time with both

teams, so I don’t think there’s any fog in terms of and getting our eyes on him. We’ve been in touch what’s expected of them as players or how we play. with Stuttsy and we’ve watched some games down The other thing with Paulie, I had a chance to go see there, both on he and Kev (Kevin Gravel) when him in his hometown last year in the summer and they were playing down there. Talked to Blakey and see him on his turf, where he trained, where he’s the development staff and just where his game is at. from and all that. Sometimes that’s really good, too, Paul, he’s just a good blend defenseman I think that in terms of getting an understanding of a player. I can defend well and move pucks and almost have a wanted to know more about his family, so the Martinez mold where he can help you at both ends relationships with both those kids – I did the same of the rink, and that’s kind of what we expect – just with Kev in Minnesota. Those kids are really good, good, solid productive minutes at both ends of the quality kids, number one, and we’re optimistic rink from Paulie when he’s on the ice. He has the about their potential. ability to play against and defend with his skill set and he has the ability to move pucks and generate -Sadly, Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer of the either on attack or some offense with his skill set. Cranberries, passed away suddenly Monday at the age of 46. Dieter Ruehle, who is an absolute gem, On the focus of today’s practice: has been known to play their material at Kings Today was just a really important reset day. We games. In addition to Dreams, which he played talked to our leadership group, and then I think during a first period stoppage, he covered Linger we’ve gotten away from our team game a little bit at right as the Staples Center doors opened. It was a times, and when we play with a sense of urgency stirring tribute. Stick taps to Annie Merovich and and are really all dialed in to the way we need to the Kings’ game operations for passing this along: play, we’re a pretty good team. When we don’t, we usually play just good enough to lose. That’s something we want to address. Sometimes you say January 16, 2017 you need to play better and you’ve got to play the By: Jon Rosen right way, and we’ll just talk specifically, ‘what January 16 Practice Quotes: John Stevens does that mean?’ make sure there’s no misunderstanding, and there isn’t. It’s the On today’s roster moves, and what he expects importance of guys knowing that we can’t have any from Michael Amadio and Paul LaDue: games where one line’s not going, or one or two Well, Amadio’s gone down and played really well. defensemen aren’t going. We need everybody all He’s a player who went down there and just kind of the time playing the game to the maximum of their took his game to another level. He did some really potential for us to win hockey games. This group is good things offensively, but his game without the really honest with each other, so we’ll just touch on puck has been really solid. It’s just the example of a all parts of that, get our game connected again, get young player who went down and … some execution back, get our legs back underneath [inaudible/phone call] … and has really, really of us after the long break there and get ready for an played well, so it just gives us another look. important stretch here now up until the All-Star Another right-shot guy in the middle that’s got good Break. jump to his game. Coming off the break sometimes I think it’s good, guys that have played like that, On adjusting lines at today’s practice: and then an opportunity for other guys to get down We’re in a situation now where we’ve lost several and play more. LaDue, Paulie’s been coming along. games in a row, so I think it’s time to take a He’s had a solid first half of the season down there. different look at a couple things. We put Adrian on He’s got good mobility. Gives you another right- the wing last night and actually liked him there. We shot option, so it changes the look a little bit. were concerned that taking him out of the middle would take some speed out of his game because On LaDue getting top pairing minutes in he’s so good in the middle of the ice, but we saw Ontario, and what the plan is moving forward: that he was able to maintain that last night. He still The first step was just getting him in practice today made plays off the wall, he still had an opportunity

to get to open space with speed, so we thought we’d where Drew, it looks effortless at times. He’s an give another look, and Lewie’s played lots of center important guy. If you look at him, every situation in his career. A real responsible guy. He’s always he’s played on, he’s an important guy when he been able to take faceoffs and just gave us a little bit played for team Canada, he’s an important guy on of a different look there. the , and he has the ability to make a difference in a lot of different situations. On Drew Doughty leading the NHL in time on ice per game: -Two quotes on Paul LaDue and one quote on Jussi For years now he’s been maybe not the top guy, but Jokinen have been withheld for today’s practice he’s been in the top conversation in terms of report minutes played in all situation. It’s not always – I -Lead photo via Adam Pantozzi/NHLI guess every team’s got one or two guys – but he plays in every key situation. He’s the first guy over the boards, and he should be. He’s earned the right January 16, 2017 to be, and he’s the most effective guy in all those By: Jon Rosen situations so he’s a guy that wants to play all the Roster Moves: Amadio, LaDue Up, Fantenberg, time and make a difference, and I think we’re trying MacDermid Down; Jokinen On Waivers to get some young guys involved. A few injuries we’ve had – Marty early in the year, and then Muzz The Los Angeles Kings were busy on Tuesday lately – his minutes probably climbed a little too morning, recalling defenseman Paul LaDue and much. We’d like to get that number down a little forward Michael Amadio from AHL-Ontario and bit, and I think with the schedule sometimes, assigning defensemen Oscar Fantenberg and Kurtis minutes can climb in that range, but I think he’s a MacDermid to their top farm club. The transactions better player if we can get his minutes down just a keep the team at 23 players on the active roster. little bit. But Drew’s one of the best competitors that we’ve ever had here. He wants to play all the Additionally, Pierre LeBrun of The time, wants ot be on the ice all the time, wants to Athletic reported that Jussi Jokinen was placed on make a difference, and he would prefer there were waivers. Given that the team assigned two no timeouts in a hockey game, no TV timeouts, just defensemen and recalled one forward and one keep playing. He’s a valuable guy that can really defenseman, this is further indication that Jake have an impact in a hockey game, and it’s not Muzzin (IR / upper-body) is on the verge of a return surprising that his minutes are where they are, and, should Jokinen come off the roster after although I would say we’d like to get those down clearing waivers or being claimed, Muzzin could be just a little bit. [Reporter: That’s kind of a tricky activated in advance of Thursday’s home game thing, because he’s never going to say, ‘I want to against Pittsburgh. play less,’ right?] He always wants to play more. I think all good players do, but he’s a good enough These moves come as the Kings have dropped four team guy that knows when he plays less and you straight games in regulation, the last three coming give him more minutes, especially with the without Muzzin’s presence. With the moves, there schedule, it allows him to be a little fresher, maybe is now a better right-handed, left-handed balance on a little more involved, even one extra step getting the blue line as LaDue, who recorded eight assists up the ice or even on a power play, kill, in 22 games with the Kings last season and has getting somewhere. But he’s been able to handle it. eight goals and 17 points in 34 games with the He’s a rare breed. His recovery is second to none. Reign this season, emerges as another right-handed His ability to come off a shift and be ready to go option on the blue line beyond Drew Doughty. again is as good as I’ve ever seen, and he doesn’t Lefties Alec Martinez and Kevin Gravel are both exude a lot of energy the way he skates. He’s such capable of skating on their off-side. an efficient skater that if you looked at him or other guys, even a guy like Muzz who’s a bigger, heavier guy, it takes a lot more energy to get around the ice,

In 72 career AHL games, LaDue, a 25-year-old well but simply couldn’t score, the Kings were selected in the sixth round in 2012, has 14 goals, 35 unable to generate a spark through long stretches of points and a plus-six rating. a 4-1 matinee loss to the Sharks on Monday and woke up Tuesday morning faced with the reality Though John Stevens has recently been happy with that they’re back in the middle of a hungry playoff the play of much of the team’s established core, pack. There are 10 Western Conference teams that there has been a drop off when considering the role have collected between 49 and 56 points, and only players and depth scorers below them. Five-on-five six playoff berths to go around, if we are to assume goals-against over the last three games have been that Vegas (looking like a clear lock) and Winnipeg scored by Austin Watson (two), Ondrej Kase (two), (without games in hand but in a comfortable Scott Hartnell, Chris Tierney, Barclay Goodrow and position) are playoff-bound. Los Angeles is stuck Mikkel Boedker, representing the need for on 53 points, one more point than San Jose, which adjustments both in depth performance, and, in has two games in hand but is the first team left out today’s case, personnel. Amadio, a center, had in the playoff grouping of musical chairs. But other recorded points in 17 consecutive games with than perhaps the second period of the Calgary Ontario – the longest streak by any AHL player game, there wasn’t really a great deal of since Paul Carey’s 19-game point streak last season commonalities stringing Monday’s game along with – and leaves the Reign with 11 goals and 34 points the three losses that preceded it. in 30 games. The 21-year-old also had one goal in eight games with the Kings earlier this year. The alarm has been sounded several times: for the Kings to win – emphasized with their personnel At practice on Tuesday, Amadio skated as part of a shortcomings with Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin out four-skater consortium that also included Kyle – they need to get performances from every player Clifford, Andy Andreoff and Jonny Brodzinski. in their lineup. This has been said in various He’s a third round draft pick from 2014 who has 27 ways by John Stevens after recent games, and it was goals, 75 points and a plus-20 rating in 98 AHL clearly applicable again on Monday. The core games. Defensive pairings were shuffled throughout players have largely been there, and the top players Tuesday’s practice, so it wasn’t possible to get a have effectively checked well and limited the firm read of who LaDue was partnered with. opposition’s top players. For the third straight game, though, the Kings were unable to contain the Fantenberg, 26, a free agent signing from the opposition’s role players, which suggests some summer of 2017, has two goals, nine points and a challenges the team is facing towards the bottom of plus-three rating in 26 games this season. the lineup. Five-on-five goals-against over the last MacDermid, signed as a free agent out of OHL- three games have been scored by Austin Watson Owen Sound in September, 2012, has one goal, four (two), Ondrej Kase (two), Scott Hartnell, Chris points and a minus-four rating in 34 games. Tierney, Barclay Goodrow and Mikkel Boedker. The big guns have largely been held in check, apart Lots more to come throughout the day… from power play and empty net production. San Jose’s role players were better than Los Angeles’ role players on Monday, and the Sharks escaped January 16, 2017 Staples Center with a win for the ninth time in 10 By: Jon Rosen games (including playoffs), even though their game Waking Up With The Kings: January 16 hadn’t been in particularly good order in January. Still, San Jose is among the league’s best teams at In an ominous performance that was more defensive zone coverage and suppressing shots reminiscent of their late-season 2016-17 drop off towards their net, and I’m not sure if Martin Jones than some of the more familiar outings in which broke a sweat over the first 40 minutes of the game. they played well but were felled by mistakes, or untimely goaltending, or one of the yesteryear The Kings are 0-3-0 without Jake Muzzin in their possession demonstrations in which they played lineup, and a combination of a thinly stretched

defense and the inability to regularly forecheck has were a few brighter spots, as well, including Marian been a poor combination in recent games. San Gaborik’s threatening play both on the rush and in Jose’s first goal came as the result of an iffy line the zone after several off-games. But it’s a good change in which Torrey Mitchell’s line jumped onto time for two non-game days in which the Kings can the ice to defend an unimpeded advancement into take stock of what’s working, adjust the issues that the Los Angeles zone, and though Christian Folin aren’t working, and hunker down for a tough three- battled well in front of Darcy Kuemper, he was in-four weekend against Pittsburgh, at Anaheim, unable to deny some net-front playmaking from a and against the New York Rangers. very effective Joonas Donskoi, who spun and centered the puck to a net-crashing Tierney, who snuck behind Kurtis MacDermid and banged the centering feed into a wide open net. Tierney is an ideal checking/depth center, but that was still a relatively easy goal to be ceded to that line. MacDermid has been on the ice for too many goals against as of late and has been a minus player in six of the last seven games. Paul LaDue will be coming soon, but while there’s upside in his game and he’s a needed right-handed shot, he has 22 games of NHL experience and isn’t any sort of fix-all. There

FROM LAKINGS.COM

January 16, 2017 Amadio, LaDue Recalled by LA Kings; Fantenberg, MacDermid Assigned to AHL Including his goal yesterday for the , Mike Amadio is currently on a 17-game point streak The LA Kings have recalled forward Michael Amadio and defenseman Paul LaDue from the Ontario Reign of the , Kings Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake announced today. The 21-year-old Amadio (born May 13, 1996) is a 6-1, 204-pound native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario who has appeared in 30 games this season for Ontario, recording 34 points (11-23=34), a plus-15 rating and 12 penalty minutes. At the time of his recall, he ranks tied for 11th in the AHL in points and tied for eighth in the league in assists. Among Reign players he ranks first in points, assists and plus/minus, and ranks second in goals. Including his goal yesterday against the Texas Stars, Amadio is currently on a 17-game point streak. He has amassed 28 points (9-19=28) during the streak, which started on Dec. 9, 2017. It is the longest streak by anyone in the league this season, and longest since Paul Carey recorded a point in 19 consecutive games, Oct. 26-Dec. 26, 2016 (with Hershey). Selected in the third-round (90th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Amadio appeared in eight games earlier this season with the Kings, recording one point (1-0=1) and four penalty minutes. He scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 2 against the . The 25-year-old LaDue (born Sept. 6, 1992) is a 6-2, 198-pound native of Grand Forks, N.D., who has appeared in 34 games this season with Ontario, registering 17 points (8-9=17), a plus-7 rating and 20 penalty minutes. At the time of his recall, among Ontario defensemen he ranks first in points, goals and plus/minus and power-play goals (4), and tied for first in assists. Selected in the sixth-round (181st overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, LaDue appeared in 22 games last season with the Kings, posting eight points (0-8=8) and four penalty minutes. Oscar Fantenberg has appeared in 26 games during his first NHL season, posting nine points (2-7=9), a plus-3 rating and 11 penalty minutes. Kurtis MacDermid has appeared in 34 games with the Kings during his first NHL season, recording four points (1-3=4) and 57 penalty minutes The Kings host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday at 7 p.m. at STAPLES Center. The game will be broadcast on NBCSN and KABC Radio 790.

FROM LATIMES.COM

January 16, 2017 By: Kevin Baxter What we learned from the Kings' 4-1 loss to the Sharks Maybe it was the 1 p.m. matinee start. Or the long holiday weekend. Or maybe it was the residue of the six-day NHL bye week, which ended just a few days earlier.

Whatever the cause, many of the Kings didn’t appear present for all of their team’s 4-1 loss to a motivated San Jose Sharks team Monday at Staples Center.

“Some guys were really off tonight,” said coach John Stevens, whose team has lost four straight, matching a season worst. “And it showed.”

Here’s what else we learned:

The Kings really miss defenseman Jake Muzzin

A team leader, Muzzin missed his third game Monday with an upper-body injury and the team hasn’t won since he went on injured reserved. The Kings have also been without forward Jeff Carter since mid October.

“Jake and Jeff are both a huge part of this team,” said center Trevor Lewis, who scored the Kings’ only goal with his team trailing 3-0 in the third period. “But we’ve got guys that can step in and fill a role. We’ve just got to get better.”

The Kings need to back up their words with actions

Stevens and some of his players talked before Monday’s game about how the matchup with the division-rival Sharks was a game with playoff implications. The team has also talked about the need to play hard from the opening faceoff to the final whistle. Then San Jose went out and took the lead in the first five minutes and never looked back. It was the third straight game in which the Kings never led.

“We want to come out and have a good start and play good for 60 minutes,” forward Adrian Kempe said. “That’s something we tried to look at and tried to bounce to, as we’ve done before. We didn’t play good at all for 60 minutes tonight. We have to go back and look at some things and try to be better.”

Stevens is running out of solutions — and patience

The coach said the absence of Carter and Muzzin has created opportunities for young players, but those opportunities have not been seized. So Tuesday morning the Kings sent defenseman Oscar Fantenberg and Kurtis MacDermid down to Ontario and called up forward Michael Amadio and defenseman Paul LaDue.

“I thought we had some good efforts from our key veteran guys, but they cannot do it on their own,” Stevens said after Monday’s loss. “You go to your lineup, there’s young guys getting an opportunity to play more, young veterans getting an opportunity, more responsibility in the lineup. We have to get our team reset on both sides of the puck … and play with a little urgency.”

January 16, 2017 By: Curtis Zupke Injured Kings center Jeff Carter is finally back on ice skating The long road of recovery for Jeff Carter has seen a significant sign of progress, just as the Kings changed out some parts to prevent the wheels from falling off.

Carter has begun skating on his own, according to general manager Rob Blake on Tuesday in what represents the biggest news yet in Carter’s comeback from a lacerated ankle tendon that has kept him out since Oct.18.

The Kings’ leading goal-scorer from last season is still out indefinitely, but his second-half return seriously would upgrade the Kings lineup as the Feb.26 trade deadline inches closer.

In the meantime, the Kings seek answers within the organizational roster and that led to the recalls of forward Michael Amadio and defenseman Paul LaDue. It also led to Adrian Kempe being moved to top line left wing in practice, and Trevor Lewis centering the second line with Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, a day after the Kings took their fourth straight loss.

“We’re in a situation we are now where we’ve lost several games in row,” coach John Stevens said. “I think it’s time to take a different look at a couple different things.”

Amadio and LaDue are expected to help shake up a lineup gone stale. Amadio is the hottest player in the American Hockey League with a 17-game point streak and 28 points during that run, playing on a line with veteran Matt Moulson. Amadio was up with the Kings this season and said getting sent down was motivation. He scored his first NHL goal Nov. 2, and he’s more comfortable at this level.

“It was nice to get to know the guys last time, and get to know them a little bit,” Amadio said. “Just coming back up for a second time they made it a lot easier on me, making me feel at home. It’s been awesome.”

LaDue gives the Kings a right-shot defenseman in the two-way mold of Alec Martinez. LaDue did not crack the Kings lineup this season despite his 22-game experience last season. Those spots went to Kurtis MacDermid and Oscar Fantenberg, who were reassigned Tuesday.

Like Amadio, LaDue is motivated and more confident coming back up.

“I kind of know the pace of the game,” LaDue said. “It’s obviously going to be a little bit different than what I’m used to this year. But I know what I have to do to play good up here, and I’m prepared to do it.”

MacDermid was a minus player in six of his past seven games and tended to have difficulty with mobility against elite players. Fantenberg was useful on the power play but inconsistent defensively. In another move, veteran Jussi Jokinen was put on waivers. He was scratched in seven of 25 games with the Kings after they got him for Michael Cammalleri in a Nov. 14 trade.

That Amadio and LaDue have been up with the Kings signifies a change in the organization, which in past years did not often have room to shuttle younger players up and down to get their feet wet in the NHL. They’re not saviors but they’re not new, either, in Stevens’ eyes.

“Those two kids have been here long enough,” Stevens said. “I don’t think there’s any fog in terms of what’s expected of them as players or how we play.”

FROM DAILYNEWS.COM

January 16, 2017 By: Robert Morales Slumping Kings promote Michael Amadio, Paul LaDue

EL SEGUNDO — Roster moves often take place when a team is slumping. Therefore, it wasn’t shocking when the Kings made some Tuesday, the day after they dropped a 4-1 decision to San Jose for their fourth consecutive defeat.

The Kings announced they shipped defensemen Kurtis MacDermid and Oscar Fantenberg to Ontario of the AHL and recalled forward Michael Amadio and defenseman Paul LaDue from the Reign. The Kings also waived veteran forward Jussi Jokinen.

Since winning eight consecutive games beginning in late November, the Kings (24-15-5, 53 points) have gone 4- 7-2 and are in danger of falling out of a playoff spot, though they still have 38 games to play.

In 30 games for Ontario, Amadio scored 11 goals and doled out 23 assists for a team-high 34 points from his center position. Just 21, Amadio played eight games for the Kings earlier this season, scoring one goal.

Coach John Stevens liked what Amadio did after being demoted.

“He was a Player of the Month down there, just kind of taking his game to another level and he did some really good things offensively,” Stevens said. “But his game without the puck has been solid, so it’s just an example of a young player who went down after being here for a short time, just used it as motivation and he’s really, really played well.

“Just gives us a different look, another right-shot guy in the middle that’s got good jump to his game. Coming off the break, sometimes I think it’s good to (have) guys that have played like that and then an opportunity for other guys to go down and play more.”

The Kings are 0-2 since their mandated five-day bye.

Amadio scored 50 goals in juniors in 2015-16. But he realizes his play without the puck must also be strong.

“I’ve always been on myself to be a good offensive player, but being a good defensive player at the same time,” he said after practice. “So gotta take care of your own end and be as creative as you want in the offensive zone.”

Amadio acknowledged he’s both excited and nervous to be back with the big club.

“But it’s nice to see the guys again, they’re making me feel comfortable, so a little better this time knowing the guys,” he said.

LaDue, 25, is a scoring defenseman who had eight goals and nine assists in 34 games with Ontario.

“Paulie’s been coming along,” said Stevens, whose team next takes on Pittsburgh (24-19-3, 51 points) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Staples Center. “He had a solid first half of the season down there, he has good mobility, gives you another right-shot option, so it changes the look a little bit.”

Both MacDermid and Fantenberg shoot left-handed.

LaDue spoke in confident tones as he sat at his locker.

“I know what I have to do to play good up here,” he said, “and I’m prepared to do it.”

LaDue played 22 games for the Kings this past season and had eight assists. He did not make the team this season out of training camp, but he is not complaining.

“I try not to look down on that,” he said. “Just keep improving every day. … Now I’m back and I’m trying to make a statement.”

ICE CHIPS MacDermid had a goal and three assists and averaged 11:36 of ice time while leading the team with 57 penalty minutes in 34 games. Fantenberg had two goals and seven assists and had a time-on-ice average of 14:07 in 26 games. … After Pittsburgh, the Kings will play Friday night at 7 at Anaheim. … If Jokinen goes unclaimed, he will likely report to Ontario.

FROM

NICKELODEON’S VIRAL SPORTS CLIP SERIES CRASHLETES RETURNS FOR AN EPIC THIRD SEASON, PREMIERING SUNDAY, FEB. 11, AT 10 A.M. (ET/PT) IN TEENNICK’S NICKSPORTS BLOCK

New Season Guest Stars Ryan Blaney, Dustin Brown, Brandi Chastain, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Prince Fielder, Jessie Graff, Todd Gurley, Tony Hawk, Laurie Hernandez, Melvin Ingram, DeAndre Jordan, Gus Kenworthy, Becky Lynch, The Miz, Candace Parker, Ryan Sheckler, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr., DeMarcus Ware and Shaun White Share it: @NickSportsTV @Crashletes NEW YORK–Jan. 16, 2018– Nickelodeon’s viral sports clip series Crashletes returns for its third season with the most outrageous sports moments and a superstar lineup of guest commentators, on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) in the NickSports programming block, which will begin airing on TeenNick that day. Crashletes co-hosts Brandon Broady and Stevie Nelson will be joined by a guest athlete in each episode who will help provide in-depth analysis of viral sports bloopers, blunders and absurdities. Created by Rob Dyrdek and Shane Nickerson of Superjacket Productions (Fantasy Factory, Ridiculousness), Crashletes will premiere with back-to-back premieres on Sunday, Feb. 11 and air regularly on Sundays at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) in TeenNick’s NickSports block.

The new season of Crashletes will feature guest appearances from: Ryan Blaney (NASCAR), Dustin Brown (NHL), Brandi Chastain (former USA Soccer player), Skylar Diggins-Smith (WNBA), Prince Fielder (former MLB player), Jessie Graff (professional stunt woman), Todd Gurley (NFL), Tony Hawk (professional skateboarder), Laurie Hernandez (professional artistic gymnast), Melvin Ingram (NFL), DeAndre Jordan (NBA), Gus Kenworthy (professional skier), Becky Lynch (WWE), The Miz (WWE), Candace Parker (WNBA), Ryan Sheckler (professional skateboarder), Bubba Wallace (NASCAR), DeMarcus Ware (former NFL player) and Shaun White (professional snowboarder).

The third season of Crashletes, shot in an all-new, 360-degree set with a live studio audience of kids, will feature brand-new viral clip categories such as “Ball of the Wild,” when animals take athleticism to new heights, and “High-Priced Crashletes,” a tribute to those who crash into very expensive items. Fan-favorite categories returning this season include: “Synchronized Stinking,” a celebration of our favorite pairs of Crashletes who fail together; “Friday Night Cat Fights,” when cats show off their fighting skills; and more.

Superjacket Productions is an all-media production company formed by Rob Dyrdek and Shane Nickerson in 2013. Building upon the success of shows like Ridiculousness, The Show, Fantasy Factory, and Rob & Big, Superjacket apply their comedic sensibility to highly repeatable formats, and strive to create uniquely entertaining content featuring the world’s most magnetic personalities.

NickSports celebrates kids’ love for the action and excitement of sports with an all-access pass to their favorite athletes, teams and leagues. Currently airing every Friday (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) on Nicktoons (moving to Sundays at 10 a.m. –12 p.m. ET/PT on TeenNick beginning Feb. 11), the programming block for kids and families features a lineup of original and acquired sports-themed programming including series, specials, movies and documentaries from major professional sports leagues including the NFL, MLS, NASCAR, WWE, MLB, PGA and NHL, and professional athletes. The weekly block features long- and short- form content including Crashletes, The Dude Perfect Show, Paradise Run, Jagger Eaton’s Mega Life and the critically- acclaimed basketball documentaries Little Ballers and Little Ballers Indiana, as well as fun interviews, parodies and sketches. Fans can follow NickSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @NickSportsTV #NickSports.

Contacts: Maggie Wang Dio McCollin [email protected] [email protected] 212-846-6381 212-846-7592