News Clips

4-6-17

FROM LA KINGS INSIDER: a moderately encouraging season. He hasn’t quite developed a scoring stroke that had been April 5, 2017 theorized after he recorded 34 goals in 106 AHL By: Jon Rosen games through his 21 and 22-year-old seasons, but Waking Up With The Kings: April 5 there’s still some room to grow for a player whose work, detail and preparation has helped to forge a The remained committed to high level of trust with the coaching staff, and at 24, their game plan in a 6-4 win over the visiting he’s still young. In conversations with Darryl Oilers, turning a first period in which Sutter, Shore’s absence as he dealt with an upper- they were able to generate quality scoring chances body injury during the recent seven-game home (though not a surplus in shots on goal) into actual stand was referenced as a significant blow to the scoring, putting five past Cam Talbot before sealing checking play the team receives from its depth the game with an empty-netter. It was an forward group. There has always seemed to be a unfortunate start for Los Angeles, which was placed chemistry Shore and Brown have built up both on on killing detail on the game’s second shift. and off the ice, and while it’s a waste of time Though there was a Kopitar-Toffoli two-on-one and theorizing personnel alignment six months in a near Adrian Kempe break that Andrej Sekera dove advance of the 2017-18 season, their partnership is to break up, it was Milan Lucic finishing off a play something that should be considered. in which Connor McDavid sped into the attacking (Counterpoint: In their 104:17 of 5×5 ice zone and turned Derek Forbort around quickly time together this season, the Kings have scored before his centering pass opportunistically ended up 0.58 G/60 and have surrendered 4.03 G/60.) The on the ex-King’s stick. After Jordan Eberle found 22-21-23 line was on the ice for all three even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Edmonton doubled its strength goals against last night, but they were still lead – credit Nugent-Hopkins for a strong two-goal an effective group pushing the team’s attack. effort, and Eberle for one of his most noticeable games against L.A. – the Kings headed into the So, are the Oilers the team Kings fans are rooting break trailing by two in a period they held a slight for to be the last Pacific Division team standing? scoring chance advantage and had won 16 of 18 We all know what fans thing of the Ducks and faceoffs in. Battling through their familiar inability Sharks, and over the last two weeks, certain players to finish, they broke through for three goals in the on the Flames. For Smythe Division enthusiasts, is second period based largely on the play of their such a thought heresy? A better question: Does youth. Paul LaDue made a nice box-out to win a Edmonton have the defense capable of winning loose puck in the low slot before advancing it tight-checking playoff games? Is Ryan Nugent- through the neutral zone to Dustin Brown, who took Hopkins able to endure the highly physical match- a hit to make a play along the boards in setting up ups against Pacific Division centers? Who do you Nick Shore’s redirection of Jonny Brodzinksi’s favor in an Oilers-Sharks series? Talk amongst chance. After some nice interplay between Shore yourselves, Insiders. and Brown tied the game at two, Brodzinski made one of his most noticeable plays in the NHL when April 5, 2017 his physical play along the boards sent McDavid to By: Bo Hamby the ice, and after winning the puck battle, Kyle The View From Edmonton Clifford’ netfront move and backhanded was cleaned up by Nic Dowd to give Los Angeles its first lead of the night. Other than Brown, 26-year- olds Dowd and Clifford were the oldest Kings Oilers fall 6-4 to playoff-missing Kings mentioned in these scoring plays. “The 6-4 defeat was just their second loss in the last It’s always easy to say this the morning after a 11 games, but it hurt badly as Edmonton lost player notches four points, but Nick Shore is having valuable ground in its bid for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The fact they blew a 2-0 lead didn’t ease the mood “Forgettable night for Cam Talbot as he allowed any, either.” five goals on 26 shots with a .808 save%. A lot of the goals weren’t his fault, but there were still a few Cult of Hockey Podcast that he probably would like to have back. Shake it off, Dadbot. We’ll see you Thursday.” “The Cult’s David Staples and Bruce McCurdy talk about what went wrong, whether Eric Gryba should get a game, RNH’s hipster facial hair, how under- rated Adam Larsson is by outsiders, and that other FROM REIGN INSIDER: stinker today, the NHL and IOC standoff which will keep the world’s best hockey players out of the April 5, 2017 Olympics.” By: Lindsay Czarnecki April 5: Bus Texts With Stothers

Kings’ offence erupts in win to end Oilers’ streak This edition of Bus Texts with Stothers comes as the Reign are staying over in San Jose following a “Nick Shore, Dustin Brown, Nic Dowd and Drew lopsided loss in a crucial late-season game. Doughty also scored for Los Angeles in its first game since being eliminated from the playoff race. San Jose 5, Reign 1 The Kings beat a playoff-bound opponent for only For Ontario, the game fell apart in the third period the second time in their last seven contests.” but the start wasn’t great either. Ontario got within one goal early in the third on a T.J. Hensick power Oilers’ L.A. woes continue as playoff matchups play mark but then surrendered three unanswered take shape goals in a span of 4:15 to allow the Western Conference leaders earn what looked like an easy “Yes, there was a day when 6-4 was considered a win by the scoreline. The Reign were first plagued goalie duel when L.A. and Edmonton met, with by one of their now-becoming-more-common bad [Grant] Fuhr and Mario Lessard battling from starts and that was reason alone in the early stages behind fibreglass masks. But not today, with the to believe the game would end with a loss. At one Oilers learning the art of locking down the opponent they were being outshot 14-1 and took the en route to winning nine of their past 10 heading game’s first three minors in the first 10 minutes. But into this game.” goalie Jeff Zatkoff fended off a lot of pressure and a lot of pucks to keep the game locked at zero after SB Nation – Copper & Blue one. San Jose finally broke through in the second on a pair of goals by Timo Meier, the first being an Los Angeles Kings 6, 4 odd-angle rising shot from the left circle and the second being off a in-tight pass from Daniel “Lose to the Kings, bad enough. The Ducks took O’Regan for an easy bury. Despite being doubled- advantage of Edmonton’s loss in LA by taking up in shots at 28-16 entering the third, the Reign got down by a 3-1 margin. Anaheim widens a little life from Hensick, who put away a bounce their Pacific standings lead by four. It doesn’t off the back boards of a Zac Leslie shot that had remove the chance for the Oilers to win the Pacific, been blocked on the way in. It went rapidly but it surely doesn’t help.” downhill from there. First, Tim Heed blasted a shot from the point by Zatkoff at 12:31 and then Buddy Oilers Nation Robinson got away from the Reign defense and deked around Zatkoff’s pokecheck attempt for a GDB 79.0 Wrap Up: Royal Flush backhanded finish at 15:57. San Jose’s fifth mark came from Adam Helewka as he finished a 2-on-1 skip pass over Cameron Schilling from Rourke

Chartier at 16:45. Now with just five games They were just moving pucks. We knew they were a remaining on their schedule and their magic number good team and they were going to come out hard. to clinch a postseason berth still at five, the Reign They were just moving pucks, chipping pucks deep, are in a spot where they need wins fast and face San playing hard. They came out hard and I thought we Diego, second in the West, four more times. Help adjusted well later in the first as the game started to could be on the way if Justin Auger, Kurtis go along. MacDermid and Zach Trotman get healthy and Adrian Kempe, and Paul LaDue LoVerde, on what needs to be better going into return from the Kings, but there’s work to do with San Diego: the group that’s currently available. We just need to keep playing. This one’s done, it’s over with. Move on, get ready for San Diego here. BUS TEXTS WITH STOTHERS Like you said, it was a tough one. It’s not ideal, it’s ORI: Hi, Stutts. Did you feel like the team had not what we wanted but just got to regroup here and gotten back into the game after the Hensick goal get ready to play the next one. and what went wrong after that? Stothers: Yes I do feel like the team had gotten Alex Lintuniemi, on why the game got away back into the game. I really felt that there was at from the Reign in the third: least a point to be had. Then the best team in the They’ve got a good squad. We came out a little league dug their heels in and exposed some of our slow in the first but we picked up in the second and inexperience and soft plays. third we played pretty good until they scored three ORI: At this juncture in the season I know the team goals in a row like bang, bang, bang. Other than is without key players and the focus is on the ones that, we just gotta clean it up and be better. that are here, but what do you want to see from the ones that are? More grit? More execution? Lintuniemi, on how the Reign manage times Stothers: I want to see more growth, more when being outshot heavily: improvement. It does not matter if it’s your first We’re just trying to stay calm on the bench and just week,or you have been here all year long. If you are stay calm not go in panic mode or anything. Just getting more minutes, and more ice time, in the make plays like we know we can do. We know absence of others, then prove that you belong. Make we’re a good hockey club but we were not our best a contribution. today. ORI: A crucial stretch the rest of the way and four games against a tough San Diego team. Without Lintuniemi, on how the Reign can break out of having clinched a playoff spot, how do you their recent funk: approach this final stint and press on? These are big games obviously. We just gotta find a Stothers: Press on!! way to come out better in the first, get a better start than we did. It all just comes down to who’s executing better so we just gotta be a little more April 5, 2017 sharp in San Diego. By: Lindsay Czarnecki April 5 Postgame Quotes: LoVerde, Lintuniemi, Mike Amadio, on why San Jose was able to Amadio break through: They just kept coming. They buried their chances, I Vincent LoVerde, on what went wrong in the think that was the biggest difference. We had some third period: chances. Their goalie played really well. They just We got that goal to pull within one. A couple capitalized, that was the difference. unfortunate bounces. Things didn’t go our well. San Jose played well. Amadio, on playing with different linemates was hard: LoVerde, on what San Jose did well in the first Not so much. I think every time you go out there period: you just want to compete. I think we needed to get

more pucks in on their D, get their D turning, more 5) SJ – Buddy Robinson (15) (Joakim Ryan, Troy shots on net. I think that was the difference for us. Grosenick), 15:57 6) SJ – Adam Helewka (13) (Rourke Chartier), Amadio, on what the Reign need to do to have 16:45 better starts: I think we just need to come out strong. Get our feet POSTGAME NOTES under us, get moving. Get pucks deep … I think that’s what we need to do. –With the loss, the Reign dropped to 33-20-10-0 overall and finish the regular season 3-4-1-0 against Amadio, on facing San Diego in four of the last San Jose, which improved to 42-14-2-5. Ontario five: dropped to 27-19-9-0 against Pacific Division We just need to get back to playing our game. I opponents and 12-11-8-0 on the road. know they’ve been playing well and we just need to get back, back to the little things, being simple and –The Reign’s magic number to reach the playoffs doing other things right and work as hard as we can. continues to stay at five with now five games remaining due to their loss and Stockton’s 5-3 win over San Diego. The Reign still sit at third in the April 5, 2017 Pacific behind San Jose and San Diego but Stockton By: Lindsay Czarnecki has moved into fourth place ahead of Bakersfield. Game 63: San Jose 5, Reign 1 + Postgame With San Jose and San Diego already clinched, the Notes/Video race for the final spots is getting tougher for Ontario. 5, 1 Final –The Reign dropped to 6-7-2-0 in their last 15 games. Radio feed Box score –Goalie Jeff Zatkoff finished with 33 saves on 28 shots as his Reign record dropped to 1-3-1. SOG: ONT 24, SJ 38 PP: ONT 1/4, SJ 0/3 –Ontario dropped to 3-14-4-0 when trailing after two periods. ONT starters: G Jeff Zatkoff, D Alex Lintuniemi, D Vincent LoVerde, LW Patrick Bjorkstrand, C T.J. –The Reign were outshot 38-24 and were led by Hensick, RW Sean Backman Michael Mersch’s four shots on goal. SJ starters: G Troy Grosenick, D Tim Heed, D Joakim Ryan, LW Nikita Jevpalovs, C John PREGAME NOTES McCarthy, RW Ryan Carpenter –Here’s how the Reign lines (big shakeup) shake FIRST PERIOD out to start: No scoring Patrick Bjorkstrand – T.J. Hensick – Sean Backman SECOND PERIOD Michael Mersch – Mike Amadio – Sam Herr 1) SJ – Timo Meier (13) (Barclay Goodrow), 9:52 Philippe Maillet – – Teddy Purcell 2) SJ – Timo Meier (14) (Daniel O’Regan, Jacob Joel Lowry – Andrew Crescenzi – Paul Middleton), 16:32 Bisssonnette

THIRD PERIOD Alex Lintuniemi – Vincent LoVerde 3) ONT PPG – T.J. Hensick (Zac Leslie, Teddy Zac Leslie – Matt Roy Purcell), 7:08 Cameron Schilling – Alexx Privitera 4) SJ – Tim Heed (14) (Adam Helewka), 12:31

–Paul Bissonnette is making his return to the lineup leads all first-year players with 54 points (21 goals, after dealing with lower-body injury for most of the 33 assists). season. Bissonnette has been out the last 22 and 41 of the last 42 games. –The Barracuda are tied for the AHL lead with 14 shorthanded goals and Barclay Goodrow has four. –Tonight’s scratches for Ontario: D Damir Sharipzianov, D Rob Scuderi, D Kurtis –The Barracuda are 22-3-1-2, including a 14-game MacDermid, F Quentin Shore, F Devin Setoguchi, F winning streak, since dropping a 7-2 decision to the Daniel Ciampini, F Justin Auger and D Zach Reign on Jan. 21. Trotman.

–The Reign’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is five points with six games remaining. The number is reduced with points earned or teams outside the playoff picture failing to earn standings points. San Jose has already clinched a playoff berth.

–This is goalie Jeff Zatkoff’s first start since a March 18 3-2 overtime loss to Charlotte. He’s 1-2-1 this season with the Reign with a 2.88 GAA and .910 SV%. Troy Grosenick (28-9-3; 2.03 GAA, .929 SV%) will man the net for the Barracuda.

–Earlier today the reassigned forward Timo Meier back to the Barracuda.

–This is the eighth and final meeting for the Reign against the Barracuda this regular season. The Reign are 3-3-1-0 against San Jose and 2-1-0-0 at SAP Center. . –Barracuda forward Daniel O’Regan, who was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie team earlier today,

FROM LATIMES.COM

April 5, 2017 3:55 AM By: Kevin Baxter Roster questions loom as Kings prepare for final three games

The Kings have a lot of roster decisions to make this summer.

Can they afford to bring back both Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, who are restricted free agents? Will they have to move a high-priced veteran such as Dustin Brown (owed $5.875 million next season) or Marian Gaborik ($4.875 million) to create salary-cap room?

And if they trade a forward, who might take his place?

Rookie Jonny Brodzinski, called up from Ontario last month, is trying to force his way into those conversations in the final week of the regular season. In Tuesday’s win over the Edmonton Oilers, Brodzinski picked up his first two NHL points with a pair of second-period assists, a performance he hopes earns him an even longer look Thursday against the .

Some teammates already like what they’ve seen.

“He can definitely shoot a hockey puck,” Pearson said.

However, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said he doesn’t plan to turn the final three games of the season into a formal audition for young players such as Brodzinski and Adrian Kempe.

“We’re not taking ice time away from anybody; we’re not giving anybody any more,” he said. “The reason that we’re not in the playoffs was because maybe we’ve given a lot of guys ice time.”

So Brodzinski, a 23-year-old center selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, will have to make the most of the time he does get.

“I feel like I’ve been playing some pretty good games,” said Brodzinski, whose appearance Tuesday was his fourth in the NHL. “Just keep plugging away, keep playing my game and good things will happen.”

KINGS NEXT UP

VS. CALGARY

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790.

Update: This game means a lot to Calgary (44-32-4) but very little to the Kings (38-34-7), whose role is relegated to spoiler. The Flames enter the game even with Nashville with 92 points with two games to go. Both teams will advance to the postseason but the team with a better finish will be rewarded with a kinder first-round matchup. … The Kings are 2-1-1 against the Flames this season, the most recent a fight-filled 4-1 win in Calgary last week. Calgary, coming off consecutive losses to the Ducks, has lost three of its last four.

April 5, 2017 9:35 AM By: Kevin Baxter Three things we learned from the Kings' 6-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers

The Kings will go home after their final regular-season game Sunday rather than to the playoffs. It’s just the second time since 2009 that the team missed the postseason and had its year end when the regular-season schedule did.

So it’s all about learning now. And here are three things we learned in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

The kid is all right

Tuesday’s game was arguably the first of the 2017-18 season so Coach Darryl Sutter decided to give fans a sneak peak at the team’s future. And the future looks bright, with rookie Jonny Brodzinski picking up his first two NHL assists with a pair of second-period helpers.

Brodzinski’s first assist came on a hard shot that appeared to go in on its own. But replays showed Nick Shore — who had a goal and three assists Tuesday — got a stick on the puck as it went past.

“I actually wasn’t sure if Nick tipped it or not,” Brodzinski said. “But then he went and celebrated, I knew he tipped it. All good feelings.”

Brodzinski, a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft, was called up from Ontario on March 23 and has played just four games and 51 minutes in the NHL.

“I feel like I’ve been playing some pretty good games,” he said. “I’ve been getting my chances, just pucks weren’t going to the back of the net. Tonight, take that shot, Shore gets a tip on it, and then create that puck battle on the boards and we get a goal there, too.

“Just keep plugging away, keep playing my game and good things will happen.”

Playoff elimination brings out the best in the Kings

One game after their postseason hopes mathematically ended, the Kings, offensively challenged all season, scored six times, matching the team’s second-highest output of the season.

“It’s kind of weird,” said Tanner Pearson, whose third-period goal proved to the game-winner. “You get removed from the playoffs and you come out with a six-goal game. It would’ve been nice to have that a couple of games ago.”

Even more impressive: The six goals, which included an empty-netter from , came on only 27 shots.

“We were just executing on some of the chances that we’ve had,” said Shore, whose four points were a career high and tied the season high for a Kings player this season. “There were some looks that we’ve had the last couple games, but tonight they went in.

Kings have the recipe for stopping Connor McDavid — and the Oilers

The NHL’s scoring leader assisted on Edmonton’s first goal but was held in check for the rest of the night as the playoff-bound Oilers lost their 11th consecutive game at the Staples Center. In five games against the Kings this season, McDavid has a goal and three assists, which sounds pretty good. But only three other Western Conference teams have limited McDavid to fewer than four points.

“You know you’re not going to shut him down. That’s a fact,” Coach Darryl Sutter said. “You can just try to stay on top of him and not turn pucks over, and if you do that, you have a better opportunity.

“It’s like playing against [Pittsburgh’s] Sidney Crosby. It’s not a one-man deal. It’s got to be a team deal, and probably at some point the goaltending’s got to make a big save or [somebody] not taking a penalty, things like that that give a star more space.”

FROM DAILYNEWS.COM

April 5, 2017 2:51 PM By: Elliott Teaford Kings face Calgary 8 days after chippy win over Flames

FLAMES AT KINGS Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: FSW / 790-AM Update: The Kings (38-34-7) won a rage-fueled victory over the playoff-bound Flames (44-32-4) when the teams met March 29 in Calgary. The Kings were upset about Matthew Tkachuk’s elbow to the head of Drew Doughty during a March 19 game in Calgary. Tkachuk earned a two-game suspension from the NHL, but the Kings weren’t satisfied and used their anger to deliver a payback in the form of a 4-1 victory in the most recent contest. ... The Kings can inflict a little more misery to the Flames, who began their California stay with a fight- filled loss Tuesday to the Ducks. Calgary’s escaped a suspension for a late knee-to-knee hit that injured the Ducks’ Cam Fowler in the third period. Calgary goalie Chad Johnson was injured making a first- period save. The Flames recalled Jon Gilles from their AHL team in Stockton on an emergency loan in order to replace Johnson and perhaps start in place of Brian Elliott against the Kings. ... Nick Shore had a career-high four points, including a personal-best three assists, in the Kings’ 6-4 victory Tuesday over the Edmonton Oilers. Jonny Brodzinski had two assists against Edmonton for his first NHL points.

FROM LAKINGS.COM

April 5, 2017 By: Jesse Cohen The Man Behind the Mask: Jack Campbell Former first-round pick has found his game in the LA Kings organization

As closes in on his 500th career game, he continues to show the importance for an NHL team to have an elite level goaltender. From 2006 to 2008, the Kings used 11 different . Over the next eight seasons, the Kings have called into action just eight goalies. Dating back to his breakout season of 2008-09, Quick has been the de facto starting net minder for the Kings, appearing in 75 percent of games prior to the start of this season. When it was clear that Quick would be sidlined for the majority of 2016-17, the Kings weren't the only team impacted. With Peter Budaj filling in for Quick in LA, the Ontario Reign had to turn to the newly acquired Jack Campbell. Once touted as the "Goalie of the Future" for the , Campbell erased any concerns with a strong opening night performance. As Reign Insider Lindsay Czarnecki noted, this is "a whole new Jack Campbell." After splitting time between the AHL and ECHL in 2015-16, Campbell has been asked to play the lion's share of games in Ontario. So far, he has appeared in 49 of the club's 62 games and represented the team at the AHL All-Star Game. Campbell continued to impress at All-Star Weekend as he went a perfect 5-for-5 in the breakaway challenge during the Skills Competition.

Whether it's his work with goalie coach Dusty Imoo, escaping the pressure of being a first-round pick (11thoverall) in Dallas, or just something in the air in Ontario, Campbell has put together a solid season for the Reign and is confident that he can continue to improve.

As long as he continues putting up saves like this one, fans in both Ontario and Los Angeles will have reason to remember the name Jack Campbell.

FROM ESPN.COM

April 5, 2017 8:44 PM By: Craig Custance Regrading every team's offseason moves

When the biggest moves were done, the major signings completed, we did what we always do in this space. We graded.

In the middle of July last year, we evaluated the offseason moves of every team until that point. With the 2016- 17 season winding down into its final week, it’s the perfect time to check two things: How accurate the grades were, and how effective the offseason additions were. So with that, let's regrade each team's moves from last offseason:

Los Angeles Kings July grade: C

The Kings lost Milan Lucic, stripped Dustin Brown of his captaincy and weren’t able to adequately address needs on defense due to bad contracts on the books. I don’t know how he’s going to do it, but GM has to find a way to move some of the money on the books in Los Angeles if they’re going to rebuild that roster around a strong core of Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick.

April grade: C-

FROM SPORTSNET.COM

April 5, 2017 12:26 PM By: Elliotte Friedman 30 Thoughts: Could Russian NHLers bolt to KHL over Olympics decision? 25. The Calgary Flames wanted to do a special video for just in case he decides to retire after this season. They asked him when he was with Colorado and again after being traded to Los Angeles. Both times, he declined. Last week, he was the first star after a game in which he was brilliant. It was set up to be a massive final lap, but Iginla didn’t stay out long.

26. The other newsmaker that night was Matthew Tkachuk, who backed up his tough talk at Drew Doughty by refusing to back down against a Kings team that targeted him. The Flames were very impressed with how he handled himself, and they weren’t the only ones. The only thing they asked him to avoid was taking it public.

April 5, 2017 11:43 AM By: Andrew Berkshire Goaltending has made NHL’s most disappointing team

Sixteen teams are headed for the NHL playoffs, seven of which didn’t make it last year, should the standings remain the same. With that kind of turnover there’s bound to be some interesting surprises, but what we wanted to focus on today were the biggest disappointments.

You could argue that the biggest disappointment this year has been the performance of the , a true Cup contender the last couple years that now needs a series of miraculous events in order to capture a wild-card spot, but with the injuries that team has dealt with I don’t think they can be called disappointing.

Same goes for the , who over-performed last year and faced raised expectations that weren’t realistic, then suffered long-term injuries to half their top-six forwards, Aaron Ekblad, and Roberto Luongo.

The two biggest disappointments this season have been out West, where the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets are both way out of the playoffs, but the sorrow comes for different reasons.

The Kings missed the playoffs in a fluke situation two years ago due to going 2-8 in the shootout, but after making it last season only to get bounced in Round 1, this year feels like the end of an era. The core is still strong, but unlike Chicago, the Kings have had trouble replacing their depth players to stay effective, and it’s haunted them.

They’re still the most dominant Corsi team in the NHL the last three years, but with so few goals and just one playoff win to show for it, there’s undeniably something missing. With this kind of failure for a team with high expectations internally, some changes are likely coming, but a panic firing of Darryl Sutter could set them back even further. The Kings face a tough test this off-season.

FROM FOXSPORTS.COM

April 5, 2017 1:40 PM By: Pete Stella Luc Robitaille asks Kings trivia questions while Uber passenger

Hey, let’s take Uber to an LA Kings.

Great idea!

Oh, wait, is that … Luuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccc Robitaille in the car?!

As Uber recently partnered with AEG, the owners of the LA Kings, Ontario Reign, LA Live, the Stub Hub Center and much more, Robitaille, the president of business operations for the Kings, took part in a fun stunt in which he sat as an Uber passengar as unsuspecting Kings fans joined the ride.

Along the way to Staples Center, Robitaille, a Hockey Hall of Famer, asked some trivia questions to the diehard fans.

Check out the hilarious video above.

The Uber/AEG deal will help expand transportation options for fans attending AEG venues, festivals, concerts and sporting events.

FROM CBSSPORTS.COM

April 6, 2017 By: STATS Flames hope to avoid fisticuffs vs. Kings

LOS ANGELES -- With the playoffs just days away, the Calgary Flames are starting to build a reputation as a feisty team. Coming off a fight-filled loss to the on Tuesday that featured a questionable hit, they face a Los Angeles Kings team that could be looking for some revenge for a similar hit on a star player recently.

The Flames (44-32-4) will make the Western Conference playoffs as a wild-card qualifier after dropping a 3-1 decision to Anaheim -- coupled with the San Jose Sharks' win over the -- that eliminated the possibility of finishing among the top three teams in the Pacific Division.

Calgary's final two games against Los Angeles and San Jose will determine if the Flames face the Pacific winner or the in the first round of the postseason.

Mark Giordano's late knee-on-knee hit on Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler was responsible for a 106 penalty- minute third period that included three 10-minute misconducts and three game misconducts, a rarity in today's game.

"I just hope he's OK," Giordano said of the hit on Fowler. "There was no intent to hurt him. I was just trying to come across and try to stop him from getting to the net. He came through the middle with a lot of speed and I was coming across to make a hit on him. I hope it's nothing too serious. You obviously don't like to see guys get hurt."

The NHL Department of Player Safety stated Wednesday that no review for the Fowler hit would be forthcoming, so Giordano is expected to play Thursday.

There may be some lingering bad blood between Calgary and Los Angeles dating back to a March 19 meeting that saw Flames rookie winger Matthew Tkachuk elbow Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in the jaw, earning Tkachuk a two-game suspension. In the following game between the teams, they combined for 74 penalty minutes.

After clinching the playoff spot, the Flames dropped a home-and-home series to Anaheim -- a potential first- round playoff foe. Although Calgary lost in Anaheim for the 25th consecutive time, Flames coach Glen Gulutzan is pointing at the Los Angeles game as an opportunity to get his team back on track.

"I was not unhappy with our game in Anaheim," Gulutzan said. "We stuck together when things got tough in the third period. There are some positive things we can take away from this game."

The Kings (38-34-7) -- eliminated from postseason contention after a home loss Sunday against the -- found surprising offense in a 6-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Los Angeles is 28th in goals per game (1.86) and last in the league in shooting percentage (6.01), a primary reason why it missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons after winning the 2014 Stanley Cup.

Tanner Pearson is one of few Kings experiencing a solid offensive season -- his career-high 24th goal was the decisive tally of the Edmonton win. Like the rest of his teammates, Pearson struggled to find a reason for the team's offensive shortcomings despite a roster filled with established players.

"It's kind of weird, said Pearson. "You get removed from the playoffs, and then you come out with a six-goal game the next day, so it would have been nice to have that a couple games ago."

With the Kings playing meaningless games to close out the season, it has given coach Darryl Sutter the opportunity to look at the organization's best prospects. He gave the opportunity to rookie forwards Adrian Kempe and Jonny Brodzinski to show what they can add to a struggling offense going into next season. Brodzinski's willingness to shoot the puck at any opportunity paid off with his first two NHL points in the Edmonton victory.

"I feel like I have been playing some really good games," Brodzinski said. "I'm getting my chances, just pucks weren't going into the back of the net. I just have to keep plugging away and keep playing my game, and good things will happen."

FROM GREENSPORTSALLIANCE.ORG

March 16, 2017 By: LA Kings PR LA Kings Green: Team Launches Sustainable Initiatives

The LA Kings today announced their latest initiative: LA Kings Green, an umbrella program to encompass the team’s sustainable initiatives.

In recognition that environmental issues directly impact hockey, a sport that is often learned atop of frozen ponds, LA Kings Green aims to bring more awareness to the most critical environmental issues and will continue to drive positive impact through arena operations as well as fan and community engagement.

In collaboration with AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s corporate-wide sustainability program, LA Kings Green addresses a wide-range of sustainability-related topics. The focus of Kings Green is threefold:

• Arena Operations: Regular upgrades to the facility to improve its efficiency and maintain STAPLES Center’s status as an industry leader in sustainable practices. • Fan Engagement: Positive, actionable information learned at STAPLES Center and on the LA Kings website to apply at home. • Community Engagement: Practical opportunities for fans to reduce their environmental footprint through community service events.

“We’re always looking for more ways to enhance fan engagement and the game-day experience. STAPLES Center prioritizes environmental sustainability: This is an ISO-14001-certified building, has had array of rooftop solar panels since 2009, was the first US NHL arena to install LED sports lights, and, most recently, Former Vice President Al Gore and other dignitaries helped us celebrate the installation of our new 500- kilowatt Bloom Energy fuel cell, which will further help reduce the arena’s carbon footprint,” said Lee Zeidman, President, STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE. “We’re excited to support the LA Kings with the launch of their new sustainability initiative, Kings Green. This program will add significant value to communicating environmental best practices to our guests.”

Read the full story here.

FROM GEEKWIRE.COM

April 5, 2017 6:00 AM By: Taylor Soper Uber inks deal with AEG to become ‘official’ ride-hailing provider at 27 venues around the world

Uber today announced a partnership with AEG, one of the top global sports and live entertainment companies. The ride-hailing giant will now be an “official” transportation partner at 27 of AEG’s properties, including The O2 in London, and the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The deal allows Uber to establish designated pickup and dropoff points at each venue. It will also offer “in- venue perks” for fans and other “exclusive promotions.” The company will receive digital and traditional in- venue signage as part of the deal. There will be extra perks for LA Kings fans, who will receive special offers, invitation to a driver incentive program, and a “King of the Month” promotion that awards Uber drivers during games. Uber has set up similar deals with individual sports teams; this partnership is noteworthy given AEG’s wide footprint across the globe.

FROM BIZJOURNALS.COM

April 5, 2017 11:19 AM By: I-Chun Chen Uber named rideshare partner for AEG's top U.S., European venues

Uber and AEG have signed an agreement making Uber the official rideshare and transportation partner for 27 AEG venues and assets around the world.

Los Angeles-based AEG said the multiyear deal, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, will help expand transportation options and provide more benefits to those going to AEG venues, festivals, concerts and sporting events.

Uber said its riders will have easier access to AEG’s events, facilities and teams with the newly designated pick-up and drop-off “Uber Zones” at participating locations. In addition, throughout the year, there will be “surprise elements” for passengers, as well as various in-venue perks and exclusive promotions via the Uber, Los Angeles Kings, LA Galaxy and AXS apps.

The partnership includes marquee venues and assets around the globe including: The O2 (London); The SSE Arena, Wembley (London); Staples Center and L.A. Live (Los Angeles), StubHub Center (Carson, California); LA Kings, LA Galaxy, and AXS.com.

Participating AEG Presents clubs and festivals include: Verizon Theater (Dallas); 1stBank Center, Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Bluebird Theater, Gothic Theater and The Ogden Theater (Denver); The Coliseum and The Joint at Hard Rock (Las Vegas); and PlayStation Theater, Terminal 5, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Rough Trade, and Brooklyn Steel (New York); BUKU Music + Art Project (New Orleans), Modernism Week (Palm Springs, Calif.), Off the Rails Country Music Festival (Frisco, Texas), Rock on the Range (Columbus, Ohio), Mo Pop Festival (Detroit), and Bumbershoot (Seattle).

The agreement also includes state-of-the art digital and traditional in-venue signage for Uber as well as premium marketing and social promotion across numerous AEG assets including AXS.com, the LA Galaxy, the L.A. Kings and integration into select AEG Presents festival apps.

In addition, Uber and the L.A. Kings are teaming on promotions for L.A. fans, including special offers and merchandise for fans during away games, a driver incentive program for Kings fans who sign-up to be Uber drivers, and a “King of the Month” promotion, which will honor specific Uber drivers on-ice and reward them with tickets and a VIP experience.

FROM AEG

April 5, 2017

UBER BECOMES AN OFFICIAL RIDESHARE AND TRANSPORTATION PARTNER ACROSS TOP AEG ASSETS IN EUROPE AND THE U.S.

New, Multiyear Agreement Includes The O2, STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE, StubHub Center, LA Galaxy, LA Kings, and more than 20 other AEG Venues, Assets, and Festivals

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – April 5, 2017 – Uber, the world’s largest ridesharing company, and AEG, the world's leading sports and live entertainment company, partnered in an agreement that makes Uber the official rideshare and transportation partner for 27 AEG venues and assets around the world. The partnership, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, will help expand transportation options for fans and provide even more benefits to guests visiting AEG venues, festivals, concerts, and sporting events.

The multiyear partnership includes marquee venues and assets around the globe including: The O2 (London); The SSE Arena, Wembley (London, England); STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE (Los Angeles, Calif.), StubHub Center (Carson, Calif.); LA Kings, LA Galaxy, and AXS.com. Participating AEG Presents clubs and festivals include: Verizon Theater (Dallas); 1STBANK Center, Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, Bluebird Theater, Gothic Theater and The Ogden Theater (Denver); The Coliseum and The Joint at Hard Rock (Las Vegas); and PlayStation Theater, Terminal 5, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Rough Trade, and Brooklyn Steel (New York); BUKU Music + Art Project (New Orleans), Modernism Week (Palm Springs, Calif.), Off the Rails Country Music Festival (Frisco, Texas), Rock on the Range (Columbus, Ohio), MO POP FESTIVAL (Detroit), and Bumbershoot (Seattle).

Amy Friedlander Hoffman, head of experiential marketing at Uber, said, “Uber already plays a big part in a fan’s game day, concert, or event experience by getting you there safely and on time. This partnership with select AEG venues takes that experience to a whole different level. Now, fans will have access to new perks, designated pick-up and drop-off spots and exclusive promotions – creating the best event experiences for all fans.”

The new relationship will serve to enhance the overall fan experience by bringing a new level of convenience to AEG venues and premiere events. Uber riders will have easier access to AEG’s numerous events, facilities and teams around the world with the newly designated pick-up and drop-off “Uber Zones” at participating locations. Surprise elements for passengers, as well as various in-venue perks for fans, and a number of exclusive promotions via the Uber, LA Kings, LA Galaxy and AXS apps, respectively, will be made available to fans throughout the year.

“The AEG portfolio of globally recognized assets is unmatched. Having a chance to build this multi-entity partnership across major world markets can only be shared by equally powerful organizations that share a vision to enhance experiences through technology and live events,” said Nick Baker, senior vice president, AEG Global Partnerships. “With the help of Uber’s global platform and innovative technology, our fans will experience a new level of convenience, safety and ease as we continue to raise the bar and deliver topnotch experiences around the world.”

The Uber platform makes it extremely convenient for fans to take advantage of the new partnership. Passengers simply download Uber’s mobile app, enter the AEG venue name or event as the destination and tap request. A dedicated Uber driver will arrive shortly thereafter and take each passenger to the designated drop-off “Uber

Zone,” which will be available at participating events and locations. On the way home, fans simply go to the dedicated pick-up “Uber Zone,” open the app and instantly request a ride with the tap of a button.

The agreement also includes state-of-the art digital and traditional in-venue signage for Uber as well as premium marketing and social promotion across numerous AEG assets including AXS.com, the LA Galaxy, the LA Kings and integration into select AEG Presents festival apps. Additionally, as a way of saying thank you to fans in Los Angeles, Uber and the LA Kings will execute a number of activations throughout the year, including special offers and merchandise for LA Kings fans during away games, a driver incentive program for LA Kings fans who sign-up to be Uber drivers, a “King of the Month” promotion, which will honor specific Uber drivers on-ice and reward them with tickets and a VIP experience, and more. ###

ABOUT UBER Uber’s mission is to make transportation as reliable as running water—everywhere, for everyone. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? Six years and over two billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars.

ABOUT AEG Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 120 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas; AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world's largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

Media Contacts

Alexandra Valasek Uber [email protected] 724.664.7380

Kristi Mexia Beck Media & Marketing for AEG Global Partnerships [email protected] 310.300.4810