New LA Kings Cody Ceci, Corey Perry, and Brian Dumoulin + GM Ken Holland | NHL Free Agency Media

New LA Kings Cody Ceci, Corey Perry, and Brian Dumoulin + GM Ken Holland | NHL Free Agency Media

Hey, Cody. Uh, welcome to Los Angeles. Uh, just kind of go through the the thought process of choosing LA as your next team to play for. Yeah, I mean, uh, we really enjoyed our time in Dallas. Um, we were hoping, uh, things would work out and then, uh, just kind of dragged on. I mean, they have a lot on their plate right now and they’re up against the cap. And then, uh, we had this awesome opportunity and we we took it right away. I mean, it’s kind of a no-brainer for us. uh just a great spot to to play, to live, and then yeah, just a good team as well. So, I think all those check the boxes for us and uh yeah, we we ended up doing it. Obviously, you have some familiarity with Ken Holland going back to your time at in Edmonton. Uh did that kind of help the decision making a little bit there? Yeah, for sure. I mean, uh always helps have a familiar face um around. Uh Kenny brought me into to Edmonton. Uh we had some uh some deep runs together. Um so yeah, that was a that was definitely a factor that played into it. Great. Thanks, Andrew. No, go ahead. Uh yeah. Hi Cody, welcome to Yeah. Can you hear me? Okay.
Yep.
Okay, great. Uh yeah, welcome to LA. Hey, I wanted to ask you uh you know obviously you’ve spent the last significant portion of your career in the Western Conference visiting here a lot with Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas. Uh you know what kind of appealed to you first of all as far as the city but also as as far as maybe the organization style of play, anything that you saw as an opponent? Yeah, I mean their uh their defensive play always stands out. Um I play a pretty defensive game myself, so hoping uh for that to be just a good fit. I mean, they’ve always been tough to to play against over the years. We’ve matched up against them a lot. So, I’m pretty familiar with the with the style of game they they play and then obviously spending a lot of time uh in those in those playoff series in LA, you you get to uh just kind of see how great the city is and how great uh the arena is and and everything uh that goes around around their hockey team there. So, uh yeah, it was just a combination of things. And as Kenny approached you, um, was there any discussion about your role? Obviously, there’s some flux there with two of the Kings core 6D moving out. Um, have they talked to you about maybe third pairing role or some sort of hybrid where you have, you know, more responsibility on special teams? Just an idea of, you know, maybe how you fit into this group? Yeah, they they talked a little bit about it. Uh, not sure how set anything is. Uh, they just expect me to to come in and help out with the hard minutes. uh playing against some other teams, top top guys, and then helping out on the on the PK. Um I think it’ll be kind of a similar role that I’ve I’ve played in the last probably four years in my four or five years of my career.
Thank you, Zach Douly. Go ahead. Hey, Cody. Uh welcome to LA and you know, congrats on the new deal. um you obviously played quite a bit against this team in the postseason um over the last few years. Uh what’s maybe your impression of playing against the Kings in the playoffs and what do you feel that that maybe you and some of the other guys added this summer can help to maybe bring this group over the top? Yeah, they’ve uh like I said, they’re just always a tough tough team to to play against. They’re so uh they put play so well uh defensively. Um, and uh, yeah, I think with the additions, I think they’re just trying to to keep that uh, keep everything in line, keep keep being hard to play against. Hopefully uh, yeah, hopefully we can take it take it over the edge this year. I mean, this year I was watching a lot of that series against against Edmonton and um, thought even for I mean, the first half they looked unbelievable. So, yeah, just hopefully uh, more of the same and then just get just get over that hump. And uh you were teammates with Corey Perry in 2324 in Edmonton. He signs here as well. Just uh anything you can share on just kind of that winning mentality that that he brought to that group with the Oilers. Yeah, he’s uh he’s been around the game a while. He plays hard. He knows what it takes to to win. And whenever you add a guy like that in your locker room, it’s uh it’s huge. I mean uh he contributes on the ice, but a lot of people don’t see what he what he brings to a locker room. And that’s uh that’s going to be uh huge for us.
Appreciate it. Thank you. Eric Stevens, go ahead. Hey, uh Cody, uh Zach just took a little bit of my thunder there with this question about Corey Perry. Um but to to build on top of that, C can you best describe what Corey is like as a teammate? Um and then also what it’s like to deal with him in front of that net as an opponent.
Yeah, he’s a he’s a tough matchup in front of the net. I mean, he’s a big guy. He’s hard to move. Um he’ll be in your face in the goalie’s face. So, uh yeah, definitely a player you want on your team. And then, uh in the room and away from the rink, we got along we got along pretty well. And he’s just a great guy in the room. He’s he’s quiet, but he’s he says the right thing at the right time. And uh just when you have a guy that’s been around as long as he has, he’s got uh he’s got a lot of good things to say.
It it um it’s been well documented for obvious reasons. Uh the Kings uh you know, haven’t losing to the Oilers here the last few years. Uh do how much of how much irony do you find it um that now you uh Corey Warren Fogle that Kenny’s brought the three of you guys along here to maybe help try to get past them?
Yeah, I mean uh I think it’s just kind of part of the part of the business the way things lined up and uh it’s hard to to keep everyone around in this league as as long as you want them and you try and make little tweaks here and there. So, uh, yeah, it’ll be a a good opportunity for us, uh, to do it. Um, but they’re, uh, they’re still a strong team, too. So, it’ll be just another good matchup if we end up playing them.
Um, and my just my final question, I know last year, obviously, especially after you got to Dallas, your focus was, you know, a long playoff run with the Stars, but, you know, somebody of your profile, a right hand shot, got some size on D whatsoever. How much did you see last year and maybe doing well setting you setting yourself up uh for a contract like this, you know, especially with this in the rising cap environment? Yeah, I think the timing of it worked out uh well for me and um I’ve been up but uh some some times that weren’t maybe as uh as good. So, uh, yeah, I think it, uh, it helped out a bit. And then getting the opportunity to play in Dallas, go on that run and show how I can play in the playoffs. Uh, I think that, uh, definitely, uh, definitely helped me out. But, uh, yeah, I mean, it’s I think it’s just a combination of things and and playing, uh, playing hard, playing a lot of games the last, uh, last four years. I think uh, that just kind of set me up as a whole.
So, we’ll start with Dennis Bernstein. Go ahead,
Cory. Welcome to LA. Not a lot of people would have had you on the Kings yesterday. What convinced you, and I assume you still wanted to chase a cup, that Los Angeles gives you the best shot to win next season?
Well, I think you you look at their roster and the way they’re constructed, um, you know, the way they they they played in the regular season, they’re, you know, tight defensively. They have a lot of a lot of skill, a lot of firepower, good goalie, good back end. Um, I mean it’s uh it’s it’s it looks good and you know hopefully I come in and help that. Eric Stevens, go ahead. Hey Corey, how are you doing?
Good. How are you?
Good. Good. Um Dennis took uh one of my questions. Uh, so I’ll ask this. Uh, to be honest, h how do you go about winning over Kings fans? Uh, I knew that question was gonna going to pop up. Um, you know what? It’s I’m just going to let my play, you know, speak and uh and go from there. I mean, obviously I’ve had some or many battles against LA and um you know, the fans were were passionate and hard and you know, it’s exciting uh when you see that, but um now they uh now I got to get them on my side and uh hopefully we can do that early.
Could you have ever imagined it at any point in your career? I I mean I’ll say no because I I didn’t know know where this where this my career was going to go and and how it was going to play out. So um but at the same time I’m excited. Um you know I’m looking forward to it. I look forward to the challenge and uh you know and looking forward to to getting going with the guys because it’s uh I know a few of them already. Uh I’ve played with some of them. Um know a good friend in Drew Dowy and um you know he’s uh he called me called me earlier and he’s excited. So you know that uh that just gets the the blood boiling again because this unfinished business.
On on a more serious uh tip uh you know there were reports that um you had hoped um and and maybe were trying to work out a stay in Edmonton. Obviously it went very well for you uh the last couple of years. So, so where where did things maybe went arry there? And then what what was kind of your reaction when you, you know, learned and found that Kenny was calling you up? Well, you know, it’s going to be, you know, Edmonton’s always going to have a a soft spot in my heart because um you know, going there and them bringing me in and uh and you know, going to two cup finals and and going through it all with those guys, not getting the job done. You know, it’s memorable because those fans are so passionate and especially in playoff time. It’s it’s a tremendous building and one of the one of the greatest to to play in. But um you know when we kind of had a had a feeling it wasn’t going to go the way you know we kind of kind of planned and you know those things happen and you you move on to something else and and you get ready for something else. So um you know when Kenny called and uh you know having that relationship it definitely helps. Thanks for
Yeah. Zach Douly go ahead. Hey Goria, congrats on the new deal and and welcome to LA. Um wanted to to know over these last couple of playoff series that you’ve been on the other side of of the Kings, maybe what stood out to you about what was maybe missing on the LA side come playoff time that maybe you and some of these other summer additions might be able to help bolster. That’s a loaded question. Um
it is. I’m sorry.
Yeah. No, you know what? We’re we’re just trying to come in and help and and get over and you know get over that hump you could say or whatever you want to call it. Um what what are they missing? I don’t you know they have a lot of a lot of great players. They have a good goalie. They have great defense and, you know, some star forwards and, um, you know, there’s hopefully the pieces that that Kenny did today can we can all come in and just add to that and, uh, and and move forward as a team and and see where this thing can go. And then, uh, another guy signed today was Cody Cece. You guys were teammates in Edmonton 23 24. What kind of player are the Kings getting in in Cody from your experience as a teammate? He’s a he’s a solid teammate, great person, great individual, and you know, on the ice, he he plays hard. Um he’s a you know, I would call him a stay-at-home defenseman, puck moving, but um you know, but he he’s a big body and uh you know, I know firsthand when you’re around the net, it’s it’s not easy to get there when he’s on the ice. Appreciate it. Thanks, Cory.
No problem. Andrew Null, go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Cory, welcome back to Southern California. Looking forward to seeing you in the room every day. Um, I want I wanted to ask Zach’s first question maybe from a different perspective. Not so much what LA is missing,
but what you think you can bring to them, especially when game 82 is over and game 83 rolls around.
Well, that that’s what that’s why we we play the game is to first you got to get in the playoffs and then, you know, then you have that chance. Everybody will have a chance, you know, once game 83 happens. So, um, and I think, you know, you you playing 20 years, I think everybody knows my game by now. Um, you know, it’s it’s pretty simple. It’s hard. Um, you know, go the dirty areas, be in front of the net, you know, control the puck from, uh, from the faceoff circles down. And, and that’s my my type of game. Um, you know, it’s uh it it’s been who I am, you know, from when I came into this league and to who I am now. And uh that that can’t change because then I wouldn’t be the same player and say be as as effective.
And of course, you arrived today with Joel Armia, a guy you played with in Montreal if I’m not mistaken, and another guy who goes for it. I mean, he’s a physical imposing guy, good on the PK. We know that. But what do you think that you and him can kind of bring attitudinally to this team? uh especially in big games, but even the day-to-day grind of the season. Yeah. No, like I played with them in in Montreal and you know, we we got put together on the line and you know, in that uh just at the end of the season or in the first round against Toronto with with Eric Stall and um you know, I thought we had good chemistry and we kind of took off and um you know, we we kind of think the game alike and and and played alike. So, um, you know, but he he is definitely one of the guys that that’s going to be on the PK. He’s got a good stick. He he has skill. Um, and he’s smart and and that’s what makes him a good player. So, I’m excited to get back with him. Uh, and and all the other guys that I’ve that I that I’ve played with or or know. It’s it’s exciting.
And last, I just want to ask you a quick one about the structure of your deal. I saw it’s 2 million base salary and then you have about 2 million in bonuses. Um, can you give us any insight as to how you guys reached that and maybe what the the bonuses are a little bit? Um, yeah, I mean there’s game played and playoff stuff in there. Um, so you know, it’ll all come out, but uh, you know, it it it’s a bonus. Keep the, you know, cap down, I guess you could say. Older guy. I don’t know. It’s all all those all those intangibles that that come with it and um you know it’s been been the same thing I’ve done the last couple years is is bonus style uh contract. So
awesome. Thank you very much. Congrats.
Thank you. Greg Beum, go ahead.
Hey Cory, congratulations man.
Thank you.
You’re you’re 40. You’re about to start your 30th third decade in the NHL. Uh most of your peers like Gatsy are on the golf course having living their best lives. What keeps you going? what keeps you suiting up and and and putting on the skates every year?
Well, I I just love the game. I love playing. I love being around the team. I love being around the rink. Um, you know, it just it’s just who I am. And, you know, somebody asked me a couple years ago how long, you know, if I if I’m going to continue to play. And I said, “Yeah, another five, six, seven years.” And, you know, they they kind of laughed, but here we are a couple years later and we’re still going. So, um, you know, it’s it’s the day-to-day things that I enjoy and, um, you know, one day they’re going to have to cut cut the cut my skates off to to get me out of there. That’s uh that’s how I always explained it.
Uh, is there any is there any uh special meaning to kind of making it come full circle? You were here for 14 years in Anaheim. You went to a bunch of different cities. Now you’re back in Southern California. I assume you’ve maintained your ties in Southern California to a certain level. So, is there anything special about about coming back around to LA?
Well, yeah, there you know, Anaheim was home for for 14 years and we made friends and um you know, my wife still is in contact with people back there and um so, you know, it’s it’s kind of kind of coming home, you could say, and back to back to California. And, you know, we’re excited as a family and uh you know, we’re excited to get this thing this thing going.
Thanks, man. See you soon. Thanks. Eric Stevens, go ahead.
Hey, uh, Corey, just on the back of that, the other obvious question, it’s been some time and some years, but in some teams, but how do you think Ducks fans are going to react? Oh man. Um, you know, it’s it is what it is. It’s, you know, I’ve been gone. This will be my seventh year gone. Um, you know, honestly, I don’t really know anybody there anymore. um in the you know on team it’s a it’s totally changed since I’ve been there but uh you know I hope the Ducks fans can realize that uh I just love the game and I just want to play and I want to win and um you know this is another chapter
you know what just in general actually though how do you think you know you know that where the Kings are at the the Ducks are trying to kind of they’ve been rebuilding they’re now trying to get in position to win again h how do you think this kind of fits into just spicing up the rivalry again. I mean, you you you know what it was like, especially in that playoff series and whatsoever when when both of them are good and and competing for stuff. Yeah, I know. It’s uh definitely Anaheim is is on the rise and, you know, they’re they’re doing some good things and bringing some good players and drafting some good players. So, um, you know, we played them at the end of the season. They were tough to play against and and I don’t I don’t see why that’s not just going to continue to to grow and I think, uh, you know, it’ll just add to that rivalry and, um, you know, this time I’m just on the other side of it, that’s all. Thanks, Cory.
All right.
Good to see you again.
Same.
Any other questions? Media Andrew, go ahead. Uh, yeah. Just from a strictly emotional standpoint, the first time you put on that King sweater, I mean, having been such a big part of the Oilers and the Bucks, do you think it’ll I mean, obviously you’re a pro, you’ve made many changes in your career, but just that that first time you put on the black and silver, do you think that’s going to feel a little strange for you? Uh yeah, it obviously it’s uh it’s going to be, you know, a change and going to be a little bit different, but um you can go back and you can look at the other teams I played for in Dallas, Chicago, now Edmonton, and you know, we had rivalries with all those teams when I was in Anaheim, and you know, LA’s no exception. So, um yeah, it’s going to be it’s going to be different. It’s uh you know, it’ll take getting used to when I get my stuff here in the summer and and get it on and but you know, once training camp comes around, I’ll be uh I’ll be fine and ready to go.
Thank you, Eric. Go ahead. Sorry, just I you know what brought up one more. What number? 10, 90, or 94?
I can’t give that away, can I? You You can probably take a good guess. Which one do you like better? How about that? Is that a good
I’m not gonna I’m not gonna give that one away yet. I gotta still talk to Kenny about that.
Okay. All right. Thanks, man.
Yeah.
First, we’ll start with Andrew. No. Go ahead, Andrew. Yeah. Hey, D. Welcome back to uh Southern California.
Yeah. Excited. Definitely excited to stay.
It’s awesome. Yeah. And I understand that, you know, initially when you were leaving Seattle last summer, you had kind of wanted to go to the east coast, but then your experience in Anaheim warmed you up more to this area. Was that a factor in your signing being comfortable with the region and the market and and maybe wanting to come back here for the next three, four seasons?
Yeah, I think definitely. Uh we had such a great experience in Anaheim. Uh obviously quality of life and living in Southern California played a big part of it. Um, my family loved it and I mean although it’s it’s far from home where we live in the summer, uh, it was such a good experience out there that it made it easy um, going back there and I think the transition um, for this upcoming season will be a lot easier now that we’ve experienced that last year.
Are you guys up in Maine or you’re in Boston during the summers?
We’re in Boston. We’re in like a town just south of Boston. So that’s that’s where we spend our summers.
Okay, cool. And then as far as on ice stuff, you know, as you were communicating with Ken Holland, obviously big changes in the deep four with you and Cody Cece coming in, Vlad and and Spenny going out. Um, you know, what was communicated to you about your role, whether it was in terms of manage, special teams or um, you know, within the dynamic of the group, I I guess what what was kind of discussed there between you and Ken Holland as you narrowed in on a pact here? Yeah, I talked uh I spoke with them um before and uh I spoke with Ken, I spoke with uh head coach Jim Hiller. So um they seem to know my game and what I bring to the what I bring to the table. So I think that’s really important. Um they knew who I who I am as a player and how it compliments the team, especially uh when you look at LA and how structured they are, especially in breakouts and how they want their day to play. Um especially just move the puck. uh they don’t necessarily need you jumping to the play and leading the rush. Um uh very defensive style. They don’t really give up too many oddman rushes. So um very defensive cautious. So that definitely um leads into my game. Uh had a lot of good good uh talks with them. Um you can see their desire to win and how close this group is to winning. Obviously that excites me. Um I love playing in big games and I love playing in the playoffs. Uh especially not being um in the playoffs with my last year in Pittsburgh and then my year in Seattle, getting a taste of that, getting it with New Jersey last year just really cemented in me like how much I love that time of the year and playing in those big moments when everyone’s watching and um being able to step up and play different roles throughout the whole year, whether it be on the left side, the right side, play with older guys, younger guys. I’ve kind of done almost everything in my career at this point, so nothing phases me. And I I think it all boils down to just wanting to win and have a chance at winning another cup.
Well, awesome. Well, I’m really happy to have you back in the market and can’t wait to see you. Welcome back.
Yeah, thank you very much. Zach Douly, go ahead. Hey Brian, congrats on the new deal and welcome to LA. Um, you talk about that playoff experience that you’ve had in your career. You know, you had guys like yourself, Cory Perry, Cody Cece who all have kind of been through it a little bit in the playoffs. How important is it to a team maybe trying to get over the hump uh to add some different guys in who have climbed the mountain before? Yeah, I mean I think the experience is really really important and I’ve seen it um just the more that you play in those high stakes, high competitive um the playoff game is a lot different than regular season. I mean you’re playing at one team in a best of seven. you’re not traveling, you’re not playing different teams night in and night out. And you’re also like the just the competitiveness, physicalness, just how important every play is, the consistency that you have to have to win um in every round. It’s just something that uh you have to do repetitively in order to gain gain that experience. So, um you can see when they added Cody and they added um uh Cory that obviously they bring that to the table, too. But I mean just this group in LA, they’re they’re a team that’s been in the playoffs almost every year. So they have a lot of guys with that experience as well. And obviously they have um they’re an organization that has won Stanley Cup. So they have that in the room and they have that ability and that capability. So it’s really really exciting to be a part of that culture that they’ve already established here. Um so it just excites me and um really really excited to join the group and see the see the guys. I know they’ve they’ve been saying it. I’ve heard nothing but great things about how good the group is. So, I’m looking forward to adding to it.
You spoke a little bit about, you know, the Kings style and structure earlier, but as an opposing player, you know, for so many years, what was always maybe your impression over the last few specifically of what the Kings were like, you know, as an opponent and as a team to play against? Yeah, I mean, I knew especially their structure and how structured they were as an opposing team going in anytime we play the Kings. Being in LA, obviously we saw them a lot a couple times in preseason and four times during the regular season. Um, you kind of even could see in the breakouts how structured they were, but you still really couldn’t stop it. You still couldn’t get oddman rushes on them. It was you had to work for every inch of ice out there to try to try to score and that that wears on you and that’s hard. Um, and I mean I I kind of love that. I love defending. Um, that’s kind of what I who I am first and foremost. I love breakouts. Um, that’s what I bring a lot to the table. Just being able to move the puck clean on the tape and not really have to chip out pucks or punt pucks. Just try to hit the middle um when the center’s open. I know their centers do a great job of uh getting open for the Dmen and just supporting the Dmen. So, um I really love the style of play that they they have.
And just one more for you. uh any personal relationships you have with guys on the team or anybody that you’ve maybe talked to over these last couple hours uh who play in LA who you might know from from past teams or summer training, whatever it might be. Yeah, I I mean not too much familiarity. I played with Cody um for a little bit in Pittsburgh uh obviously who they just signed also. Um I played against a lot of these guys for a long time. So obviously playing in Anaheim I played a lot against them a lot more. Um, a bunch of guys have already reached out to me, which is really nice. You can see it’s such a welcome welcoming group. Um, but obviously I’m looking forward to to getting to know them, meeting more. I I I uh love the team aspect and I love getting to know guys and um I know I’ve heard such a great group. I I played with Jeff Carter who obviously was a longtime king when I was in Pittsburgh and uh he obviously just raved about the people um in the organization um management ownership and the team obviously he played with a few guys that are still there. So um that’s where it starts obviously with those leaders and and Dowy and and Kopi. So uh yeah they’ve I’ve heard nothing but great things.
Appreciate it and congrats again.
Thank you very much.
Josh Schaefer. Go ahead. Hey Brian, congrats and welcome to LA. Um, you had mentioned earlier, you know, a team that’s kind of looking in this win now window as you get later into, you know, your veteran career and join this group, looking at different opportunities for you, how important is it to find a group that is ready to win now? Yeah, I think that’s so important. And I I mean it’s one thing that I’ve kind of seen the difference is obviously when I was with Anaheim last year. I mean everyone wants to win but you see that teams are in different stages and um we had a lot of young guys that were playing a lot and um it was almost a developmental phase a little bit and you can see the teams that want to win and are desperate to win and try to do everything they can to win. And that’s what I’m really really excited about with this with this King’s group. I mean, they’re I I feel like they’re right there. And I mean, I you can tell just in the group and the belief um of how good they are and how structured they are, how how well they they play to it and they play as a team. And um yeah, it just just excites me a chance to win because it’s so fun when you do. I mean, obviously you see the celebrations and um how exciting it is to win, the bond that it creates with you and your teammates and um and just playing so many games, you realize that it’s a lot more fun to win than lose. Thanks, Brian. Welcome.
Thank you.
You can ask it following your first. We’ll start with Dennis Bernstein. Go ahead, Dennis. Ken, you added four players, but my question is about the one you weren’t able to retain. On the face of it, the Gabricov deal looks like something you could have and maybe should have been able to do. Can you tell us why he did not return as a king? Well, first off, I would say to you on free agency day, um players and the team have are free to make decisions. So, um, we were involved in negotiations over the last, um, well, since I got here, I think before I got here, Rob Blake ultimately, um, we couldn’t find obviously a, uh, anything that, um, that that worked for both sides. And, uh, that deal, uh, MNER doesn’t um, hit free agency. Bezard goes back to Vancouver. There’s been reports that other players turned down deals to come to LA. Are you concerned now that maybe LA isn’t the destination that maybe you thought of uh when you first took the job? No, I think you’re totally wrong. Like I would say to you that players have choices and for a variety of reasons, some players want to 700 players all don’t all want to go to one spot. It’s lots of players want to come to LA. We talked to lots of people. Um, we made some decisions on some people that wanted to be here. Um, and we obviously only had so much cap space. So, um, I think that the statement you made is totally inaccurate. Eric Stevens, go ahead. Yeah. Hey, Ken. Um, obviously bringing in uh, uh, CC and Dumalan. um therefore your blue line. So um how do you think their additions to it and you alluded to it you know looking differently obviously what do you with their additions how do you think that that changes the dynamic of your blue line and does it make it better? Well I think it makes it different. We believe it’s going to be better. Um, obviously Gabricov was really important here, especially at the penalty kill. That’s what Cody Cece has done. Um, did in Edmonton, did in Dallas, uh, did in San Jose. Um, Brian Dublin’s the same. He can kill penalties. Brian Dublin can play left defense, can play right defense. Um, you know, with the growth of uh Brandt Clark, another year older, a healthy Drew Dowy. Um, we obviously saw what Mike Anderson and and Edmonson could do last year. We feel like we’ve got six deep. Um, more is a guy that played young, a defenseman that played real well when he was called up. Burroughs was here. So, we feel we’ve got some we’ve got depth. If we do do have uh we we have do some have some injuries, we’ll have some competition in training camp. Um you know, obviously Dumlan and CC are both big guys. Uh they can defend and make some passes and uh so I think that uh we feel we’ve got good good depth on the back end. Um and and again obviously Drew Dowy coming back is a big big piece of it. The growth of Brandt Clark is a big piece of it. Um and then uh we we’ve brought in two players who are uh what I would call, you know, pros. They’ve been around the the National Hike League a lot a long time. And um Doomland’s got a Stanley Cup on his resume or a couple. Um Cody Cece’s gone to the Stanley Cup finals with with Edmonton and went to the final four this year. So, they’ve been under the pressures of uh Stanley Cup uh playoff hockey deep into the deep into the playoffs into the second and third and fourth rounds with Cory Perry. What are what are the intangibles and attributes that he brings um at this stage? and we saw that in the playoffs, but but what what are the attributes that he brings to your group that you felt you either maybe didn’t have or didn’t have enough of? Well, first off, he lives in the blue paint. I I believe teams that that have success um come especially come playoff time, go to the blue paint hard. That’s his calling card. he goes to the blue paint and whether he scores a goal, um you need people in front of the net that that are driving the net. Um they’re distracting the goalie, they’re they’re they’re banging around, there’s traffic at the net. Um and that’s what he that’s what he does. And then and then obviously he’s he he’s got an impressive resume. Um he’s around been been around uh winning teams and big been a big part of of helping teams go on long playoff runs. Um comfortable standing up in the locker room when necessary and um saying what’s needed um to the group and you know he can go up the lineup down the lineup. You know he’s not Cory Perry of being 25 years of age but you know he had 19 goals this year. He had 10 goals in the playoffs. um you know, not sure how many goals and assists he’s going to get, but he’s but he’s going to bring an attitude um to the team and certainly he’s another dimension. One of the things that that this team was had a tough time with last year was being successful in the power play and specialty teams are really important. So with the resigning of Kusmeco, who’s a right shot and and and the addition of Corey Perry who’s a right shot, it gives the coach two options of of a right shot. you know, Cory Perry goes to the to the net to the blue paint. Kusmeco is more of a guy that sits, you know, more and he can he picks people out and and can make can make plays and distribute the puck. And then you’ve obviously got, you know, Kempy and Biffield and Copitar and Fiala. So, it gives uh Jim Hiller and the coaching staff more options uh on the power play because again, if you’re going to be successful over the uh 82 game schedule into the playoffs, you got to be good on the on the special teams, penalty killing and uh power play and Kuzco and and Perry up front. Um that’s what they do. They’re good in the power play. and Dumalan and and Cece, that’s what they’ve done throughout their career is is uh be on the PK
and and um I’ll ask one more and then I’ll I’ll let someone else jump in here with Perry. Um, I imagine that you’ve got to like at I I don’t know what you envision him in terms of where he’s going to be in the lineup, but I imagine that you’ve got to like that at this stage of his career, he doesn’t mind playing on the fourth line if that’s the case or moving up in the lineup or or or playing a, you know, a big role when it comes to the postseason that that you don’t want that he doesn’t mind where he plays as long as, you know, when the lights are I he’ll be in there.
I think you’re absolutely right. Uh you know, he’s he’s going first off, he’s versatile. He can uh you know, he can he can go up and down the lineup. Again, I do I expect that he’s going to play 18 minutes a night on the first line? No. And I don’t think he did expects that. And that’s not what he did um you know, the last few years. But, you know, some games when things aren’t he can go up the lineup and he, you know, because of his hockey sense and and his in his hands, um, he can he can he he has no obviously he’s always been, uh, or was a player on the top line playing against the other team best players. So, he’s done that in his career, but at this stage of his career, I think he understands his role and some nights he’s going to be on the fourth line. Um, and you know, expect to see him on the power play. And there’s some nights when and if you have some an injury or somebody’s not going, he can go up and he can play with your top three lines and uh and uh he can play think with those people. He can he can uh be successful moving up the lineup. So he gives us uh gives us some versatility in the lineup. Um, you know, when I I kind of look at guys like Biffield and Leferier and Turkot, uh, Brent Clark, um, you know, I guess it’s what I did in Detroit and what I did in Edmonton. You know, you got some good young players. I want to have, you know, the the Corey Perry’s and the CC’s, the Dumalins. They’re role models. They’re pros. Um, you know, I’ve talked to a lot of people. I mean, obviously I know Cy Perry and I know Cody Cece. I talked to, you know, three, four coaches here over the last three, three, four days, four or five days on Brian Dumlan. Um, about him as a person. You know, everybody I I talked to his his general manager at the end of the year, Fitzgerald. They all everybody tells me what a fabulous person Brian Dumlan is. So, we’re we’re moving good people uh into the locker room. And I I think that, you know, you you need that chemistry on the ice, but you also need chemistry off the ice. And so with the additions of Dumlan, with the additions of Cece and Corey Perry and um you know, Joel Arma, who Mark Bersan knows real well from his days in Montreal. Um we’re moving in pros. We’re moving in good people that we think will help us on the ice, but we’ll also have a team with real good chemistry off the ice. Zack Douly, go ahead. Hey, uh, looking at, you know, the defenseman coming in and CC and Dumalan with Gabricov going out, he was around 23 minutes a game last year. Would you envision or hope that maybe a Clark or one of those guys would step in and become like a true second pair or do you maybe see a little bit more balance potentially between three pairs uh, with the guys he brought in? Well, I would see, you know, balance. I mean, obviously what we what we did was we got three lefties in in Doomland, Mikey Anderson, Edmonson. We got three righties in in Dowy, Brent, Clark, and Cece. Um, Doomland can play left to right. If you get if you get an injury to a lefty, you know, more of a ver can shoot up and Duman can can slide over. Um, you know, you got to have some depth. So I but I mean if you look at these guys you know in the playoffs if you look at the ice time that Dumlan played for New Jersey in the playoffs. I think one game they went to overtime or double I think he played 37 or 38 minutes. Um so he can log minutes if he has to. Cody Cece played 22 23 minutes um you know 21 to 23 minutes probably a game in in all three places this year. Edmonton, San Jose, or last year Edmonton, then San Jose and and Dallas. So, but I would anticipate that the ice time’s going to when healthy, it’s going to be more, you know, evenly spread out. Um, you know, is the coach going to use five forwards on the power play again? I would expect that. But, you know, Brent Clark can play on the power play if he has to. Drew Douy can play on the power play. So, I guess my thought as a manager, you try to give the coach as many options uh as possible and then the coach has got to figure out which what what are the best options. Uh so, you know, lefties, righties on defense, but one lefty can slide over and play either side. Um you know, and then and then we tried to get more depth more depth up front. Um try to get a little bit bigger up front with the addition of Arma and Perry. They’re they’re big guys. You know, you guys saw Kuzzmeo down the stretch. He he had a real impact in the team. He’s got a high skill level. Um and then and then obviously Anton Forsber in goal. Um just tried to bring, you know, make a change in net and and and uh have a real good one two punch one in one two punch in net. Um I think David Riddage did a good job, but we made a decision to to explore the market and and made a decision to bring in Anton Forsber. So, um, we like the team today. Uh, we like the moves that we’ve made. Now, we I obviously understand that we got to get to September, October, and it’s got to happen on the ice, uh, starting in October. And then, uh, just to build on that, you mentioned Arma there also. You talked a lot about Perry, but you bring in the two of those guys, whether they’re on the fourth line or elsewhere. Do you feel like that maybe gives you that fourth line that should be trusted to play maybe a little bit larger of a role in big games as you alluded to last week?
Well, I think so. Um, you know, Arma was one of the top um forwards in the National Hockey League in time on ice in the penalty kill. So, he’s a, you know, he can play in the, you know, if let’s say they’re on the fourth line. Well, Arma can work play on the penalty kill and Perry Perry can play on the power play. uh um you know I would say today I’m I’m seeing Turkot as a center you know and maybe let’s say centering the fourth line but but he also um this year played up on the first line and Turk’s like a Swiss Army knife he can he can play left wing he can play right wing he can play with the skilled players he can uh if he’s down on the fourth line he he’ll have Perry and Arma with him probably and we’ve got Helenius and we’ve got Malot and Lee so We’re expecting to go to to to training camp and have a a real competitive training camp. Um you’re going to need more than 13 forwards and and and six defenseman over 82 games. So we feel like we’ve got 14 15 forwards. Um and you know we got eight seven eight defenseman uh that that that we feel comfortable with. Uh resigned CPPley who had a big impact on the team two years ago. We feel we’ve got good depth and goals. So, the goals heading into this um period of time, this free agency was to try to make the team deeper, a little bit bigger, a little bit better. Um but it was a good it was a really good team last year and try to try to build on that and um we believe we’ve done that. I just spent a half an hour talking to Jim Hiller about the moves we made and um I believe he’s he’s excited to get going and again let’s now it’s got to happen on the ice but but we feel good about the things that we’re able to accomplish. Appreciate that. Thanks Ken.
Yeah, Daryl Evans. Go ahead. Go ahead, Daryl. Yeah. Hi, Ken. Uh, you you kind of touched on most of the things I was going to ask about, and that was the the depth, adding uh the players that you did, but more importantly, did you feel the team was at the stage where it needed to be veteran players to come in to kind of make that difference and between Jim and yourself in conversation, uh, a need to use that fourth line more than maybe it was used last year because of injuries at the end of the year? Yeah, I I mean I just, you know, talking to Jim and the as we worked our way up to July 1st and, you know, we went through the six playoff games and the minutes the minutes that that that were played in games 1, 2, 3, four, five, and six and, you know, it’s was a lot of nine forwards and four defenseman. Um, I don’t know that that’s necessarily a reflection on the guys that didn’t play, but certainly the coach when the when the game started to tighten up, um, and the series was on the line. Um, he didn’t he start the bench shrunk and you know, you’re you’re you’re gassed, you know, and especially if you go into overtime and you’re you’re using three lines. So, excuse me. Guys like um you know Aria Perry whose makeup was here. You’re adding two two more forwards. Um by field a fair year and Turkut are a year older. I’m big on that. The part of getting better is the internal growth and they’re they’re they’re three really good young forwards and they should be you know a little bit better this year than they were last year in terms of their of their importance to the team. whether it’s, you know, part of it might be goals and assists, but it’s it’s ice time and roll and and playing, you know, harder minutes against better competition and that this I see the same for for Brandt Clark. So, you know, the goal was was uh you know, you know, I I think I’ve said this before. They played they lost to Edmonton four years in a row, but three of the years the series was up for grabs and and really in three of the years the the LA Kings were in command, not in command, but had the ed the leg up on the series. 3-2 going into game six in the first year up, you know, coming home up 3-2 and and up 2-1 and three nothing after one period the second year and up two nothing this year. So the but at the end of they didn’t they didn’t the other team won. So, you know, you’re not quite good enough and and how do we how do we get a little bit better? And we made the moves today that that uh we believe are are are going to make us a little bit better. And, you know, um now let’s get to training camp and and and see what we got. And again, I’m I’m anxious to see where, you know, where Green Tree is, where’s where’s Helenius, where’s you know, where’s uh you know, these young players I’ve talked about. This is also a part of the of of of uh the of the pack the package and the process of of taking the next step. But um we think we’re deeper. We think we’re we’re better. We think we’re a little bit bigger. Um now we got to go play it.
And as you look through the entire year, okay, you’ve put together you made a lot of moves today. you added a lot of pieces and the pieces that you feel are going to take you to the next level, but it seems like you still have a little bit of flexibility just in case at coming, you know, like let’s say deadline time or sometime through the course of the year, if you had to pull the trigger to add something else, you could as well.
Yeah, I mean, we’ve got we’re still $4.5 million below the cap. Um, you know, as you know, it that money grows over the if you don’t, you know, if you don’t get hit with any significant injuries, that money grows over the course of the year and you got a lot of, you know, um, cap space available come the trade deadline. But obviously over 60 games, you got to play your way into a position where you want to you want to spend assets and and um use the cap space. So, uh, but we do have that, um, we we’ve we’ve kept that flexibility of having cap space and and quite a bit of cap space to give us, uh, the flexibility that somewhere over the next from here to early March if uh, if an opportunity presents itself.
All right. Appreciate your time, Ken. Thank you.
Thanks, Dennis Bernstein. Go ahead. Can the type of players that you added, the physical, the grinding players, and you said you mentioned you talking to Jim Hiller. Do you think the style of play will appreciably change from what you saw last season from this team? Uh, defined style of play. Well, maybe less off the rush, more grinding, more
Yeah. I mean I mean obviously that’s who Corey Perry is. I mean I guess you know I guess I would say this to you. Um, I’ve got a a vision of how a team should look. Um, and but you know, you you can’t um snap your fingers and and the team has been very very successful um through the regular season in um playing a certain way and I see us continuing to play a lot of a certain way. One of the areas that that that that team could have been better next year was the what last year last year was the power play,
you know. So, I kind of walked through, you know, we saw Kuzco, we resigned Kusenco to a one-year deal. We’ve added Cory Perry. If we can continue to be good on the penalty kill and Gabov was a big part of that and a and a big loss, but we’ve added CC and Dumlan who both penalty kill and we’re bringing back a healthy Drew Dowy. You know, special teams are important. So, we got to continue to be good in the penalty kill. And, you know, can we be better on the power play with the with the year the addition of Kusme and Perry over over 82 games. Um, you know, that’s that’s the big part of it. And then and then, you know, Arma a little a little deeper. You’re not counting on, you know, for whatever reason the the fourth line didn’t play as much. Can they play a little bit more? And can they can they can that take some of the minutes hard minutes off the um the big guys so that when they are out there the big minute people so that when they are out on the ice they’re not quite as gassed and they’ve got um a little more juice in the tank gas in the tank to to to play. That’s I mean these are the the we’re down to again you know we’re we’re talking 2% here 2% there 2% 2% marginally better here marginally better there a little bit better here a little bit better there and that often time is the difference so you know with the additions of Dumalan you know the guys we talked Dumlan CC Perry um Aria they’re all they’re all big people they they they you know they they’re they’re you want them to be hard to play against. Um they take up space. Um when Perry wants to go to the net front, um he goes to the net front. Armia is a a really good he’s, you know, he’s a good penalty killer. So we’ve brought in guys that are good on the special teams. Aria, Perry, Dumlan, Cece, special teams are critical. I think we’ve brought in some pros to make the team a little bit deeper. It’s a year later. So, some of the younger people, Helenius, uh, Greenree, um, Lefrenier, Biffield, Clark, Turkot, they’re another they’re another year older. They’re they’re a little more established. Uh, have a little better understanding of what the the NHL is all about and, you know, what they got to do. We believe all these little margins are going to make the the LA Kings a little bit better, a little bit different than than last year. And ultimately what you want to do is have a really good regular season and then it’s then the whole thing starts from fresh come playoff time. It’s going to be hard to make the playoffs in the West. You know, we were going over it over there. you know, lots of teams have made themselves uh better and it’s only eight teams make it out of 16. So, uh you know, you you got to be a little bit better just to be the same because I think you guys understand that. So, we believe we did it. Now, we got to go do it.
Thanks, K. Zach Douly, go ahead. Again, I’ve said one more. Um, do you see the moves made today as kind of most of your business for the summer? Um, or would you say you’re potentially open to other things if they come about or just kind of have to to see where things go? Um, you know, do I I think we’re mostly there. You know, over the last two weeks, I talked to many many most of the general managers in the league, and I think I said this the night of the the draft. um you know about any potential trades. You know, I see the trading front kind of um from our perspective um you know not being really somewhere to go. But if the right trade pops itself up that we think makes us uh different better, we’ll explore it. But but as we sit here today, uh um you know, we’ve got 14 15 forwards that we think are can compete to be on the team and we’ve got, you know, seven, eight defenseman that we think can compete to be on the team. And but if if somebody slips through the cracks either through an unrestricted free agent or there’s a trade uh possibility, we’ll certainly look at it. Thank you. Thank you media. If there are no more questions, this will conclude our free agency media availability with Ken Holland. Thank you, Ken, for your time and thank you media. Thank you.

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