With a couple head coach hirings happening around the NHL this week, the Sound Of Hockey guys are left pondering Seattle’s plan for filling that position. This week’s episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast really digs into that topic, with John giving the hot take that he believes Rod Brind’Amour coming to the Kraken is more likely than people may think.
If you’ve been on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happened in John and Darren’s beer league championship, you’ll get a recap here. You’ll also get a fair dose of discussion about the opening games of the Stanley Cup Playoff Semifinal rounds, which are well underway.
Other topics this week include the concerning decline in USA Hockey membership, Owen Power potentially returning to college, and some general Kraken tidbits.
Bits include Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars. Segments include Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
With a couple head coach hirings happening around the NHL this week, the Sound Of Hockey guys are left pondering Seattle’s plan for filling that position. This week’s episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast really digs into that topic, with John giving the hot take that he believes Rod Brind’Amour coming to the Kraken is more likely than people may think.
If you’ve been on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happened in John and Darren’s beer league championship, you’ll get a recap here. You’ll also get a fair dose of discussion about the opening games of the Stanley Cup Playoff Semifinal rounds, which are well underway.
Other topics this week include the concerning decline in USA Hockey membership, Owen Power potentially returning to college, and some general Kraken tidbits.
Bits include Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars. Segments include Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
Last Friday, USA Hockey released their membership statistics for the 2020-21 season, and the results were not pretty. After years of small but steady growth, USA Hockey player memberships were down 19 percent over last season. 47 states saw declines with only two states seeing an increase in hockey player memberships and one state flat year over year.
USA Hockey Memberships – The hardest hit states
California saw the largest decrease in player memberships with 20,769 fewer players registered in 2020-21 versus 2019-20. That was a decline of 63 percent. California was fifth in total memberships during the 2019-20 season but slipped to No. 13 for the 2020-21 season. Michigan also saw a steep decline of 15,645 fewer player memberships this season.
Just about all age groups were impacted, but adult hockey memberships (19 and older) were the hardest hit with a decline of over 67,000 players (38 percent).
There is no sugar coating it. This is bad. But it is hardly a surprise. USA Hockey officials are projecting that it could be three years to recover from the loss of membership.
During the meeting, USAH officials projected it could take up to three years to recover the loss in membership, which obviously puts a big dent in the operating budget as well. First hard numbers I've seen on COVID impact on grassroots hockey.
Washington State was one of the hardest hit states with a reduction of 4,148 players, a decrease of 38 percent year over year. The decline comes after steady growth over the last 10 seasons.
Consistent with the national trend, adult hockey saw the biggest drop with a 55 percent decline season over season.
The outlook for Washington State
As bad as this year looked for Washington State, there should be plenty of reasons for optimism for a rebound. Nevada saw huge growth in USA hockey player memberships since the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL.
With the arrival of the Kraken in the fall, the Kraken Training Center at Northgate will bring the fourth, fifth, and sixth sheets of ice added to the region within the last 12 months. With the anticipation of the new facility, there is also growing excitement for the fall programing there with Learn to Skate and Learn to Play options for both youth and adults. We at SOH anticipate Washington State being one of the quickest states to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
Last week we played a game of “Would you rather?,” where we hid team and player names of a few squads participating in the NHL Expansion Draft and then asked the readers to submit their preferred selections based on the information provided. We had an overwhelming response to the post, so we figured we should do it again this week.
For those that missed last week, the game is simple. I am going to lay out three teams and a few of the players that are expected to be exposed in the NHL Expansion Draft from those teams. You will then select the players in a short survey at the bottom of the post. There is no right or wrong answer here; it is just a way to get your preference without the bias of seeing the player names.
Team D
Player 1
Position: Right Wing
Age on 10-1-2021: 29.8 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $2M through the 2022-23 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Had six goals and 13 assists over 46 games during the 2020-21 season. Solid two-way winger with very good hockey sense. Will never put up big offensive numbers but is reliable defensively.
Player 2
Position: Forward
Age on 10-1-2021: 23.2 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: Becoming RFA after receiving $763K/year in 2020-21
High-Level Scouting Report: Has played in just 38 NHL games; 36 came in 2020-21 season. Only had nine points in those 36 games this season. Had 22 goals and 20 assists in 55 games in the AHL during the 2019-20 season. Offensive-minded player that is likely a second-line forward in the NHL.
Player 3
Position: Defense
Age on 10-1-2021: 27.5 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $5.3M through the 2023-24 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Fantastic skater. Can play the role of a shutdown defenseman that can log a ton of minutes. Has some offensive capabilities as well. Had 10 points over 52 games in the 2020-21 season.
Team E
Player 1
Position: Forward
Age on 10-1-2021: 29.3 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $1.7M through the 2021-22 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Heavy-hitting forward that can kill penalties. Not a lot of scoring touch and is likely a career bottom-six forward. Had four goals and seven assists in 41 games over the 2020-21 season.
Player 2
Position: Defense
Age on 10-1-2021: 27.3 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $2.7M through the 2021-22 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Puck moving defenseman with some offensive upside. Had 10 assists in 30 games played this season in the NHL.
Player 3
Position: Defense
Age on 10-1-2021: 24.2 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: Becoming RFA after receiving $793K/year in 2020-21
High-Level Scouting Report: Smart two-way player that is not afraid to jump into the play to join the rush. Spent this last season split between the NHL and AHL and has only 18 NHL games over the last two seasons. Long-term potential is a little bit unknown due to the small sample size of NHL games.
Team F
Player 1
Position: Wing
Age on 10-1-2021: 29.3 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $1.5M through the 2022-23 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Undersized depth scoring forward on a cheap contract over the next two seasons. Scored 14 goals in 53 games during the 2020-21 season. Reliable in defensive situations.
Player 2
Position: Defense
Age on 10-1-2021: 30.9 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: $3.9M through the 2023-24 season
High-Level Scouting Report: Big, physical defenseman without a lot of scoring upside. Slots in well on the second defense pairing. Had two goals and 17 assists over 56 games during the 2020-21 season.
Player 3
Position: Goalie
Age on 10-1-2021: 25.7 years old
Annual Salary Cap Hit: Becoming RFA after receiving $717K/year in 2020-21
High-Level Scouting Report: Great quickness and lateral movement. At 6-foot-2 he is a little small for the position but has shown promise to be a regular goalie in the NHL. During 2020-21 season, he played 37 games with a save percentage of .908 and a goals-against-average of 2.69.
Submit your NHL Expansion Draft selections
If you want to play GM, fill out the questions below and we will share the results in the Weekly One-Timers at the end of the week.
One of the points of discussion during the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the quality of officiating. We have heard from columnists, coaches, and plenty of fans complaining about the calls going against them this year. This is a common complaint every year.
A few months ago, I published a Data Dump piece on penalties that evaluated how often they were assessed in games and when they were most frequently called during the regular season. For this week’s Data Dump, I wanted to revisit that piece with a focus on comparing regular season penalties called to those called in playoff games.
Penalties called per 60 minutes
I was a surprised to see that the rate of penalties called in playoff games is higher than regular-season games.
But whenever you look at data, it is important to add context to the figures. Like in my previous article, I used the goal differential to provide context to these penalties.
Penalties called where the goal differential is two goals or less seems rather consistent between regular season and playoffs. It is in the blowout game situation (goal differential of three or more) where things seem to get a bit out of hand. If you watch playoff hockey on a regular basis you can formulate why this happens, as teams tend to “send messages” or get frustrated and start committing penalties when the game becomes one-sided.
Penalties called by scenario: leading team vs trailing team
When we looked at the regular season trends a few months ago, there seemed to be some indicators that referees were more likely to call a penalty on teams that were leading a game versus trailing a game.
When we isolate the playoff games, there seems to be less variance between the penalties called on leading versus trailing teams.
The last two playoff seasons appear to have little to no difference in the number penalties called. Before we wrap this up and claim there is no bias in calling penalties if a team is leading versus trailing in the playoffs, let’s add some score differential context.
In the chart above, the difference between penalties called on the leading versus trailing team seems very consistent in the regular season, regardless of the goal differential. Let us look at the playoff games.
In the chart above, the rate at which penalties are called is flipped in games where the goal differential is three or more. The data shows that penalties are more likely called on the trailing team when the goal differential is three or more. As previously stated, the reasons for this are the “message sending” and frustration-type penalties.
Penalties called in the third period
One of the most compelling visuals in the regular season post I did in March was the chart showing penalties called in the third period based on goal differential. Here is the updated visual with the breakdown.
One of the takeaways I see in the chart above is that the leading team seems more likely to be called for a penalty in the last five minutes of a one-goal game than any other time in the game. Now we can look at how this same data looks in the playoffs.
The large discrepancy of penalties in the playoffs in the last five minutes of a one-goal game between the leading and trailing team is no longer present. What jumps out at me in this chart is the spread in the two-goal game. In the first 10 minutes of the third period in a two-goal game, the leading team is much more likely to get a penalty called on them (about 61 percent) compared to the trailing team (about 39 percent).
Conclusions
Directionally, there are some interesting things in this analysis of penalties called in the regular season versus playoff games, but before we draw any hard-and-fast conclusions, here are a few other things to consider:
Because only the top-16 teams qualify for the playoffs, there should be more parity in playoff games compared to regular season games, which could explain some of the variance when comparing the two types of contests.
There is also a much bigger sample size when looking at the regular season versus the playoffs. The higher volume of regular-season games will smooth out any anomalies that could create higher variance with a smaller sample size.
There are always other dimensions that could be added to the analysis to gather more intelligence about the data (i.e., type of penalty, player personnel deployed, etc.).
I hope this gives you a little deeper understanding of penalties called during the Stanley Cup Playoffs as opposed to just believing a coach’s remarks in a post-game press conference or a tweet you might have seen from a prominent journalist.
It turns out the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs really are exciting after all! Who knew?! What a wild week it has been in the NHL, as all four second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs were put to rest without a single Game 7 being reached. While it was a bit disappointing that there wasn’t a Game 7 this time, the second round did not lack excitement or intensity.
On to the Conference Finals Stanley Cup Semifinals (apparently we aren’t calling it the Conference Finals this year because there technically aren’t conferences)!
The second round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in a nutshell
The Montreal Canadiens continued their shocking run with a sweep of the Jets and are now set to become the first Canadian (Canadien?) team to cross the border into the United States since the pandemic started.
Remember when Mike Milbury called that thing the Space Needle?
The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to defend their crown while playing fast and loose with the salary cap, which no longer exists during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina’s Dougie Hamilton isn’t thrilled about the brilliant finagling that the Bolts have done, complaining to the media on Thursday, “We lost to a team that’s $18 million over the cap.” Sure, Dougie, but those are the rules, and with the Lightning being that far over the cap currently, they will be absolutely screwed for the Expansion Draft, so we Seattleites are just fine with it.
The hockey world continues to sleep on the New York Islanders year in and year out. People seem to forget that they reached the Conference Finals last season and are still coached by Barry Trotz, a darn good coach, and managed by Lou Lamoriello, a darn good manager.
People are over the moon for this team on Long Island, and even co-owner Jon Ledecky is getting in on the fun.
In retrospect, Bruce Cassidy referring to the Islanders as the “New York Saints” after Game 5 was a huge mistake because it seemed to galvanize this team and its fanbase even more, and it cost Cassidy $25,000 in fines.
And we can’t forget the Vegas Golden Knights who closed out Colorado in impressive style on Thursday, capping yet another disappointing postseason for the usually electrifying Avalanche. Maybe the Avs were just thinking too much?
Anyway, I personally don’t think the issue was that the Avalanche were thinking too much. I think the issue was that they kept wearing those heinous blue pants all season long.
32 Bar & Grill
After getting sued for initially naming the restaurant at the Kraken Training Center the Kraken Bar & Grill, the Seattle Kraken have announced a new name for the establishment. The 32 Bar & Grill does have a nice ring to it, and frankly I like this better than “Kraken Bar & Grill.”
As my beer league team and I were standing in the parking lot of Lynnwood Arena drinking a couple pops after a late-night game earlier this week, we were discussing how great it will be to have an actual on-site bar to go into following those tough contests in the future.
We’re definitely pumped to have a few naughty waters at this place!
Sound Of Hockey’s own John Barr put together a fun exercise earlier this week, a “Would You Rather” for a few teams that will be participating in the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. In that exercise, John gave a choice of three players from each of the three teams and shared some basic information about them. The catch was that he withheld the players’ names and asked fans to tell us who they would select in the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft based solely on the information provided.
We had a huge response from readers, which was awesome to see. Thank you to all who participated.
Here are the results and the revelation of who the players were.
I’ll be honest, there are more Tanner Jeannot stans reading Sound Of Hockey than I realized.
Columbus promotes former assistant coach
The Blue Jackets have promoted from within to fill the vacancy left by former head coach John Tortorella. After seven seasons as an assistant, Brad Larsen, 43, becomes the eighth head coach in franchise history.
“I couldn’t be happier for Brad and his family. He’s coached me my whole career, since I played in (AHL) Springfield, and has earned this opportunity. As soon as we found out Torts wouldn’t be back, I knew (Larsen) would be the right man for the job."
Some familiar faces from around the Seattle metropolitan area will be back in the WHL next season, but with teams north of the border. Former Everett general manager Garry Davidson was named Director of Player Personnel for the Calgary Hitmen after nine seasons at the helm of the Silvertips. It had been announced in May that Davidson would not be returning to Everett in what turned out to be a cost-cutting move.
Meanwhile, friend of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast Steve Konowalchuk has been hired as the head coach of the Red Deer Rebels. Konowalchuk coached the Seattle Thunderbirds from 2011-2017 and led the T-Birds to a WHL championship in 2016-17.
Also, ho hum, Silvertips netminder Dustin Wolf won another major award, the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy as the WHL goalie of the year. This is the second time Wolf has won this prestigious prize, and it was well deserved after the Calgary Flames prospect posted a record of 18-3-0 with a 1.80 goals against average and .940 save percentage.
Around the boards
Taya Currie, a 16-year-old netminder, made history this week by becoming the first female ever drafted to the OHL. Selected in the fourteenth round by the Sarnia Sting, Currie now has an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Manon Rheaume, who broke the gender barrier in both the QMJHL and the NHL, and Shannon Szabados, who once had a brief stint with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL.
Finalists for the biggest individual NHL awards were announced this week. Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews make up the field for the Hart Trophy. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Philipp Grubauer are in the running for the Vezina Trophy, while Adam Fox, Victor Hedman, and Cale Makar are the finalists for the Norris Trophy. The full list of awards finalists can be found here.
Palate cleanser
This has quickly become one of my favorite GIFs of all time:
— mostly wish i cheered for some other team (@mostlyleafies) June 7, 2021
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Last summer, Matt Beniers was preparing to play hockey for his freshman NCAA season with Harvard University. It was his first year of NHL Draft eligibility and one loaded with high expectations for the center. Then Covid-19 became an issue as hockey leagues around the world were making the tough call not to play. That included the Ivy League which meant no season for Harvard and left Beniers scrambling. Beniers would land on his feet to turn in a spectacular season and is poised to be selected at the top of July’s NHL Draft, perhaps even going second overall to the Seattle Kraken.
When the Ivy League announced it was not going to play, Beniers was able to transfer to the University of Michigan. He had been playing in nearby Plymouth, MI for the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and was familiar with the coaching staff.
That made the decision easier.
“I just kind of had to make a hockey decision and make a decision for myself,” Beniers said during Michigan’s media day in the fall. “It just kind of fit all the things that I wanted in a school, obviously, great academics and a great program. A lot of guys I already knew were going there.”
Once he made the decision to become a Wolverine, the excitement grew.
Michigan already had two impressive incoming freshmen in defenseman Owen Power and forward Kent Johnson. All three players were projected by NHL’s Central scouting as potential first-round picks in the NHL Draft heading into the season.
“I didn’t really know how great it would be until I got here,” Beniers added. “Every day we’re pushing each other. And those two, like, they obviously also love hockey, and it’s what they want to do with the rest of their life. So, it’s kind of cool being around guys that just love the game and want to get better every day. It pushes me, I push them and so I think it will be a lot of benefit from playing together.”
Playing mostly against older college players, Beniers had a strong season, but Michigan’s run for a National Championship was cut down. Again, Covid-19 was the culprit as the Wolverines had to withdraw from the NCAA tournament due to a number of positive tests.
That disappointment hasn’t soured Beniers’ NHL Draft expectations which will come to a head on July 23 and just may land him in Seattle with the Kraken.
Matt Beniers by the numbers
Beniers, 18, started drawing attention after a strong 2019-2020 season with the USNTDP, splitting time between the U18 and USHL squads. In total, he appeared in 60 games and scored 25 goals to go with 32 assists for a total of 57 points.
He was also a key part of Team USA’s gold medal winning club at the World Junior Championship in January. Beniers was one of the youngest players on the team, a tournament dominated by 19-year-old NHL-drafted players, but by tournament’s end was one of the Americans’ top forwards.
Over the past couple of weeks, he won a bronze medal playing for Team USA at the IIHF World Championship. Playing against older professionals, he recorded a pair of points in six games but drew rave reviews.
He has the size, listed at 6-foot-1 and 174 pounds, and as a ‘late birthday’ he will turn 19 just after the start of the upcoming NHL season.
What do the scouts say about Beniers?
Beniers is consistently ranked high among scouting services. NHL Central Scouting ranked him as the sixth-best North American skater while other services either had him ranked first or second overall.
Chris Peters from Hockey Sense compares him to Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews in terms of a guy who didn’t pile up numbers in college but who displayed the necessary skill to be an elite two-way center and a guy that will make those around him better.
“I view a guy like Matty Beniers as a franchise building block,” Peters told the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. “I was talking to a scout and he called Matty Beniers a May-June player, meaning this is a guy that’s going to win the Stanley Cup, this is a guy that’s going to be there in the playoffs…He’s such an impact player, he impacts the game in all zones, and then he does have the skill to finish.”
Scouting reports on Beniers all hail him as the quintessential 200-foot center. He hounds pucks in the defensive zone but can quickly transition into offense and lead a rush the other way. His vision is superb, and teammates have to be ready for his pass.
It’s also how he would scout himself when asked what makes him a quality player.
“I would say either my hockey IQ or my ability to play in all situations,” Beniers said about himself. “Just my ability to play defense, produce offensively, but also and play penalty kill, power play, kind of whatever they need, I can fill that role or whatever role they want me to fill.”
Beniers’ skill on display
After winning the second overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery on June 2, Seattle general manager Ron Francis was asked if there was a player who would be able to step directly into the NHL. Most players need a year or two of further development after being drafted with maybe three or four playing the same year they are selected.
“You wait to get them into training camp and see how they play and how they perform and make sure that they’re ready,” Francis said. “Not only from a hockey game standpoint, but also physically and mentally. It’s not an easy league, and less and less players are stepping out of the draft and stepping into the NHL.”
Could Beniers be such a player?
With his late birthday, he’ll be nearly a year older than most of the players drafted which will certainly help. But his skills will perhaps be the biggest factor.
“He has the physical package, he’s strong, he’s competitive, and I’ve never seen him intimidated in any game.” Peters said. “He has the speed and the quickness; his brain operates at the level that you need at the NHL level. I do think Beniers has the most likely game to translate because the other thing that he can do is you don’t need to put them on your top two lines, you can put them on your third line and he’s still gonna find a way to make an impact.”
Watching Beniers, those skills become evident quickly.
In the clip below from the World Juniors you see the definition of a 200-foot player. Beniers retrieves a loose puck in his own end and quickly turns up ice the other way. He hits the neutral zone with speed and has his head up to spot an open winger at the blue line. Beniers connects a perfect pass for a shot on goal.
Beniers can play in all situations, especially on the penalty kill. In this clip he makes an absurd play on the kill while also showing off how strong he is on the puck. Good luck getting it from him.
Matt Beniers rags the puck for nearly 20 seconds while killing a penalty.
During the World Junior Championship gold medal game against Canada, he showed off his whole tool kit on one shift. Here he handles the puck through traffic in the neutral zone and finds an open shooter for a high-danger scoring opportunity. After the shot is stopped, Beniers hustles down the rebound to set up another teammate.
While he has all the skills and speed to be a two-way center, Beniers can finish. It’s an aspect of his game that can get overlooked. Here we see him put himself in a position to receive a pass for a scoring chance, one that he buries.
#NTDP Alumni Update. Some more fine work from the Wolverines on the 2nd goal of the game for Matt Beniers.
A nice keep in from Cam York ignites the play and such a good play from Kent Johnson as he finds Beniers in tight for the tap in. #GoBluepic.twitter.com/qkUmB4kZSk
Will the Seattle Kraken draft Matt Beniers second overall?
Seattle may not have a say, as the Buffalo Sabres may want to snatch Beniers first overall. This is a draft year where there are no sure things at the top of the list. Rather, there are five or six guys who all have the ability to turn into impact players.
Beniers is certainly in that group and if Buffalo goes in another direction with the first pick, it will be hard to imagine Francis passing up a chance to add a player like Beniers.
An epic battle is brewing on the ice between two Sound Of Hockey hosts. You can cut the tension with a knife on this latest episode, as John and Darren break down a beer league matchup for the ages.
Once that elephant in the room has been addressed, the guys quickly pivot to the Kraken news of the week that Seattle has landed the No 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. This is a huge deal, and John, Andy, and Darren break down what it means and who the team might pick.
As part of that conversation, Andy introduces a new bit, “Translating Ron Francis,” in which the guys try to decipher what the Seattle general manager was actually saying in his most recent press conference.
Next you’ll get plenty of NHL Stanley Cup Playoff discussion, as the guys focus on the Montreal Canadiens making a remarkable run, before they dive into Three Stars.
Segments this week include Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
An epic battle is brewing on the ice between two Sound Of Hockey hosts. You can cut the tension with a knife on this latest episode, as John and Darren break down a beer league matchup for the ages.
Once that elephant in the room has been addressed, the guys quickly pivot to the Kraken news of the week that Seattle has landed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. This is a huge deal, and John, Andy, and Darren break down what it means and who the team might pick.
As part of that conversation, Andy introduces a new bit, “Translating Ron Francis,” in which the guys try to decipher what the Seattle general manager was actually saying in his most recent press conference.
Next you’ll get plenty of NHL Stanley Cup Playoff discussion, as the guys focus on the Montreal Canadiens making a remarkable run, before they dive into Three Stars.
Segments this week include Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
When the NHL puts the Pacific Division back in place for the 2021-2022 season, the Seattle Kraken will see a lot of the once mighty Los Angeles Kings. It seems like just yesterday they won two Stanley Cups in three years – the last win was 2014 – but since then the Kings have missed the playoffs in five of seven seasons.
Their two playoff appearances – in 2016 and 2018 – both ended in first-round knockouts.
The key players, like Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Quick, from those Cup teams are still on the roster. So, what gives? Why are they bad? Time has played a role as those players are not as effective as they once were, but also, the supporting cast is gone, replaced by younger players.
Seattle should beware, however, because the Kings have cap space and some promising young prospects on the rise. Could an improving Kings team turn a division rivalry into a full-on hate fest? It’s easy not to like Doughty so the chance is definitely there for Seattle to lean into some Kings abhorrence.
Let’s get to know the Kraken division rival Los Angeles Kings
Established: 1967
Nickname history: The name ‘Kings’ came from a fan contest and was liked by original owner Jack Kent Cooke. The team’s original colors were ‘Forum Blue’ and yellow. The colors were changed to black, silver, and white for the 1997 season.
First season in NHL: 1967-1968 (31-33-10 record)
AHL affiliate: Ontario Reign
ECHL affiliate: None
Stanley Cup Final appearances: 1993 (lost to Montreal), 2012 (beat New Jersey), and 2014 (beat New York Rangers)
Presidents’ Trophies: none
Division titles: One (1990-1991)
All-time leading scorer: Marcel Dionne (1,307)
All-time leading goals: Luc Robitaille (557)
All-time leader in assists: Marcel Dionne (757)
2020-2021 record: 21-28-7 (sixth in West Division)
2020-2021 leading scorer: Anze Kopitar (13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points in 56 games)
