Quite a game up in Halifax today. They're still in pool play in the World Championships. Canada took a 3-0 lead early in the second period. USA pulled within 3-2 on Patrick O'Sullivan's goal 3:09 into the second period, then within 4-3 on Dustin Brown's power-play goal 5:18 into the third period. O'Sullivan assisted on Brown's goal, and Brown had an assist earlier in the game. USA tied it 4-4 seven minutes into the third period and Canada scored the winner with 47 seconds remaining when Dany Heatley one-timed a wobbly pass from Ryan Getzlaf past Craig Anderson. Both teams will advance to the elimination round, which begins Thursday.

Slovenia, with Anze Kopitar, plays Latvia this afternoon and most likely needs a victory to avoid being dropped to a lower division next year.

There seems to be some debate about the Kings' assertion that they're losing more money than before the lockout. Keeping in mind, of course, that the Kings aren't opening the financial books, what do you think?

Here's the last of the prospect evaluations. Thanks again to Don for tracking down all this information and doing such comprehensive reports...

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Jeff Zatkoff
Goaltender
DOB - 6-9-87
Record/Stats:
Miami/Ohio (NCAA): 27-8-1, 1.72, .933

Zatkoff on his own play this year:

"From a statistical point of view I was very happy. I worked extremely hard at a few camps we had, working on my style and my stance and that helped me a lot in terms of this year just being bigger. I'm a butterfly goalie, but at the same time I don't like to stay strictly butterfly. I like to watch the puck and use my athleticism."

Development areas (from Hockey's Future):

While Zatkoff does a good job of steering pucks away from the crease, his puck handling, particularly in controlling rebounds is an area that should improve with continued growth and development.

Wayne Simmonds
Forward
DOB - 8-26-88
Stats:
Owen Sound (OHL)
- Regular season: 17 goals, 22 assists (39 points), 43 PIM
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
- Reg season: 16 goals, 20 assists (36 points), 68 PIM
- Post season: 5 goals, 9 assists (14 points), 32 PIM

Reporter Ben Leeson from The Sault Star on Simmonds:

"Simmonds is a tough player to contain because of his speed, strength and reach. He seems to maximize all three when he gets a little fierce and battles hard to get into scoring position and pursue rebounds. His wrist shot is hard and accurate and he uses it well even when driving off the wing under pressure from defenders. He's strong on the puck and smart away from it. He excels when he has a centre who knows how to find him. His conditioning is superb. He never seems to tire much."
"Wayne has an NHL frame, but at 175 pounds he could stand to pack on weight if he wants to make the most of it. Sometimes he needs to just let a shot go instead of looking for the nice play. He should be ready for the pro game next year. If he develops at the same rate he has been, I could see him becoming a 20- or 25-goal man at the NHL level."

Linden Rowat
Goaltender
DOB - 6-27-89
Record/Stats:
Regina (WHL)
- Reg season: 33-15-4, 2.68, .904
- Post season: 2-3, 3.17, .872

Regina Pats' Coach Curtis Hunt on Linden Rowat:

"His maturity level was just unbelievable the last two years, and even beyond his numbers I think he has done a real good job of changing the things that were maybe a staple in his play, and is just more aggressive and patient. He is really good at reading the rushes and reading the play."

"He's got a tremendous work ethic, whether it be in games, practice or in his sessions with the goaltender coach, and he's one of those kids that's a quiet leader in our room as well."

Development areas:

"He just needs to continue his learning in how to read the rush and understand the options on the rush for the opposing team, both with possession and with dump pucks. He needs to also continue to play with a predator mentality and be aggressive in the goal. You look at guys like Luongo who are big and when they get out of the net there is not a lot of twine to shoot at - we just want him to learn how to play aggressive all the time and trust his defensemen."

Jonathan Quick
Goaltender
DOB - 1-21-86
Records/Stats:
Kings: 1-2, 3.84, .855
Reading (ECHL): 23-11-2, 2.79, .905
Manchester (AHL)
- Reg season: 11-8-0, 2.32, .922
- Post season: 0-1, 1.02, .974

Manchester coach Mark Morris on Jon Quick:

"I definitely think that he has had the full gamut of experiences. I think he was real fortunate to get all the minutes that he could in Reading and when he got the call to the NHL he performed admirably. It really has been quite a roller coaster that he has been on in terms of movement, but he was as good as they get for us. In his playoff game he did all he could to keep the game close and he gave us every opportunity to win that game."

Development areas:

"He is an extremely competitive goaltender and he is so flexible and so acrobatic. Some of the body positions that he gets in and some of the ways that he finds to stop pucks is not normal. His compete level in practice is extremely high and if he just gets a little better positionally he won't have to rely on his reflexes so much."

Oscar Moller
Forward
DOB - 1-22-89
Stats:
Chilliwack (WHL)
- Reg season: 39 goals, 43 assists (82 points), 42 PIM
- Post season: 2 goals, 1 assist
Manchester (AHL)
- Post season: 1 assist

McKeen's Hockey.com on Oscar Moller:

"He's an undersized, highly skilled prospect who plays a strong all-around game," described one scout. "He's good behind the puck, he's good with the puck, he's solid defensively. He's got a great shot, probably his best attribute." While he's quite courageous for his size on most occasions, he can be a little inconsistent in his effort. "He's not very big," added another scout. "Sometimes he doesn't come out with maximum energy level." If Moller were two inches taller and had an extra gear, he'd be a surefire top-15 pick. "He is oozing with character and leadership qualities," gushed one head scout after the scouting combine. "He lacks speed; otherwise he's a top-end pick." The one thing scouts just can't overlook however is average speed in a small package, no matter how much character the player may have. Thus Moller may not be a top 30 pick, although he's close given his skills and drive.

(Moller goals at 2:04 and 2:40)

Here's the last of it. It comes back to the financial problems, although I must issue a disclaimer. They talk about salaries going up, and at the time, sitting in that conference room, I didn't have access to the fact that the Kings' payroll has dropped significantly since 2004 (although it has raised slightly since 2003). So what follows might seem like something of an incomplete answer. You can be sure this topic won't just die out though...

I hope everyone found the quotes from this meeting worthwhile...

Resuming the quotes from the meeting last week... Maybe the most interesting thing, at the beginning, is Robitaille's quote about the Kings drafting a defenseman. That's certainly no shock to anyone, but it's the first time anyone in the organization has outright said that a defenseman is on the way. Beyond that, there's some talk about how to market this team, as it develops, and about the proper way to bring along the top prospects.

Someone asked, in a comment, about a follow-up question regarding the Kings losing money. That's coming, in the next and final installment of these quotes. For now, here's some stuff on the young talent...

Alec Martinez
Defenseman
DOB - 7-26-87
Stats:
Miami/Ohio (NCAA): 10 goals, 20 assists (30 points), 42 PIM (final 2008 stats)

Accolades: Named Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Best Defensive Defenseman for 2008.

From Inside College Hockey.com:

12/20/07: Martinez does it all -- he's an extremely reliable defender.

3/14/08: Martinez continually exudes a strong presence at both ends of the ice. The junior notched 26 points on seven goals and 19 assists, all while maintaining a gaudy +26 plus-minus rating that many blueliners sacrifice in exchange for those kind of offensive numbers.

Bud Holloway
Forward
DOB - 3-1-88
Stats:
Seattle (WHL)
- Reg season: 43 goals, 40 assists (83 points), 55 PIM
- Post season: 5 goals, 5 assists

Seattle coach Rob Sumner on Bud Holloway

"Bud has great offensive numbers, but he is a very well-rounded player. He scores goals so that captures attention as it should, but he is very responsible and understands the defensive side of the game."

"Bud has taken the next step strength and confidence-wise, and he expects to impact every game, and he does. He's got an unbelievable shot, and he is a very good and fast skater. He's got great hands too, down low, in tight, he can play a physical, aggressive, down low, hard-to-play-against, protecting the puck type game. He's got the skills to make one-on-one skills to beat you. He's not one dimensional."

Development areas:

"I don't think Bud has glaring weaknesses. Going from playing against young men or kids at the junior level to playing against men who do it for a living, it is really about strength. Some of it will be physical, and a lot of it will be mental development."

Thomas Hickey
Defenseman
DOB - 2-8-89
Stats:
Seattle (WHL)
- Reg season: 11 goals, 34 assists (45 points), 49 PIM
- Post season: 1 goal, 9 assists

Seattle Coach Rob Sumner on Thomas Hickey:

"He was a year older, and physically he could really battle. The physically maturity helped him round-out his game. I think it has improved his shot. His skating ability and his shot are strong aspects of his game."

Leadership: "He's our captain, and as an 18-year-old player, that is rare in our league. Usually that is for 19 or 20-year-olds. He really go into the leadership mix at 16 because he was such a good player and logged so much ice time as a young player that he was a leader among that young group and respected by the older guys. He formally got in to the leadership mix at 17 when I put an 'A on his sweater, and that was very young, but he was ready for it. He is mature beyond his years."

Development areas:

"He dominates at our level against the young guys, but looking ahead to the NHL, there are very, very strong men at that level and he's going to have to take another step strength and physical development-wise. And I think his shot has improved, but I think the next step is to create more strength on the shot as well."

NHL next season?

"I know the guy and how competitive he is and how he comes to play and impact games, so I would certainly never count Thomas out. I think the world of Thomas and believe he is going to be a great NHL player."

Marc-Andre Cliche
Forward
DOB - 3-23-87
Stats:
Manchester (AHL)
- Reg season: 11 goals, 10 assists (21 points/52 games played), 25 PIM
- Post season: 1 assist, 9 SOG (4 games)

Manchester coach Mark Morris on Marc-Andre Cliche:

"Marc is a steady, reliable depth forward right now. He is extremely coachable, very mature and he's very responsible. His confidence grew when he returned from the injury, and strangely enough it has worked to his favor because he gave us a real boast with added goal scoring that we didn't know he had along with his ability to shut down the opposition. He's a key penalty killer and we just got better in that area when he returned to the lineup."

"His defensive game is pretty sound. His reaction time is improving. He is a strong guy on the face-offs, and he also is good at positioning himself to block passing lanes. He is a real character guy who is willing to do what it takes, especially in responsible roles, the kind that most guys aren't willing to pay a price for, he is willing to do it. He'll block shots and take a hit to make a play. He is accountable."

Development areas:

Speed?

"He surprises us with his speed sometimes, when goes after a loose puck. He finds a way to get there. He won't wow you at first glance with his speed, but he is a strong kid and I think his desire is going to negate any shortcomings he may have."

"I think he has made some huge strides and I can see him being a responsible third or fourth line guy in a few years."

Following up on the player evaluations from a couple weeks back, Don volunteered to do prospect evaluations as well, and did a ton of great leg work to track down information and get fresh quotes directly from coaches. Don compiled 10 top prospects and I'll start posting them in alphabetical order, along with, in maybe cases, a quick YouTube video to show what these guys look like...

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Jonathan Bernier
Goaltender
DOB - 8-7-88
Records/Stats:
Kings: 1-3-0, 4.03, .864
Lewiston (QMJHL): 18-15-0, 2.73, .908
Manchester (AHL):
- Reg season: 1-1-1, 1.63, .946
- Post season: 0-3, 2.76, .908

Manchester Coach Mark Morris on Jonathan Bernier:

"I've been sold on the kid since the very first time I saw him in development camp a couple of summers ago. I was blown away by his calm demeanor in net, his quickness, and he is very calculated in his movements, but positionally he is sound. He gives off an air of sure-handedness and calmness when there are mad scrambles in front of the net. There's no panic. He's got a high threshold for just holding his position and he doesn't seem to give up a lot of rebounds. The puck seems to stick to him like velcro."

Development areas:

"There aren't a whole lot of major things that I can talk about when it comes to his weaknesses. I just think that over the course of time he will learn how to be a better puck handler and just seasoning. I don't see a whole lot of holes in his game."

Mental aspects of the game (following demotion):

"I think most guys who come our of Junior think they should be in the National Hockey League, and I'm not saying this about Jonathan in particular, but some guys that are drafted high just don't have a clear understanding of the hockey that is played in the American League and the purpose of the league, which is to get these guys quality minutes and learning at a rate to get them ready for the NHL. You just don't want to see a guy get in over his head and I think it is something that he is starting to appreciate now with the quality of shots and level of proficiency in the American League."

Lewiston coach Ed Harding on Bernier:

"Jonathan is a very mature 19 year old. He is a professional with very good leadership qualities. Over his years in Lewiston, he has learned to compete hard every minute and his practice habits have developed tremendously."

Officially, that's USA 5, Slovenia 1. Anyone else sense a trend in these World Championships? I wonder if one player has ever scored ALL of the goals for his team in a major international tournament... I suppose it's possible. Anyway, Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan had assists for Team USA, which next has a big showdown with Canada on Tuesday. Slovenia plays Latvia on Tuesday and probably needs a victory to avoid being relegated to the lower division in next year's World Championships.

Here's the map of the season-ticket costs for next season. Rinkrat at LGK took the initiative to post a picture of the map. I have the same map but he had the ambition to post it!

Season-ticket price map

The United States is playing Latvia right now in the World Championships. Dustin Brown scored 7:21 into the game to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead, and Patrick Kane just scored, 8:22 into the second period, for a 2-0 lead. By the way, the U.S. is wearing the old-school, 1980-style jerseys. No names on the back, which makes it a little hard to watch, but still very cool.

Here's the big ``meat'' part of the ``meeting,'' in which the execs discuss how the ticket-price increases might help the on-ice product in the long term, and I discover that the franchise is losing MORE money than it was before we all endured the lockout. At the end, they discuss the plans for the new season-ticket holder website. Here's the next part of the interview...

The IIHF World Hockey Championships opened today, and Canada beat Slovenia 5-1 in a pool-play game in Halifax. Anze Kopitar scored the only goal for Slovenia. Kopitar's father, Matjaz, is an assistant coach for Slovenia. The United States, with Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan, plays Latvia at 4:15 p.m. Pacific time.

Here we get more into the question-and-answer part of the meeting, in which the execs talk about why the price increases had to happen now, and if they're prepared for the inevitable backlash from the fans...

What follows here is a statement, really, from Kings chief marketing officer Chris McGowan, about the season-ticket price increases and what the organization is doing to make the increases more palatable. In future posts, we'll get around to talking about why the increases had to be done this summer, coming off a terrible season, and why they're important to the health of the organization. Here's the McGowan quotes...

For those in the Valley/Ventura Country area, Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera will be appearing and signing autographs at the Robeks (smoothie place) in Westlake Village from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday. The store is located at 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit H.

The meeting I had at the Kings' offices Wednesday lasted more than two hours, and I want to share as much of it as possible, so I'm going through the process of transcribing quotes and sorting it all out. I'll share the first part now, which deals with the Kings' vision for the future and, specifically, why the fans should have faith that things are improving. Dean Lombardi and Luc Robitaille address the issue...

Following up on Don's great feature yesterday, we bring you the answers from Kings color commentators Jim Fox and Daryl Evans. It's another great look at two guys who spend a tremendous amount of time with the Kings all season long. Thanks to Jim and Daryl for participating and to Don for tracking them down...

Some stuff that didn't make it into today's story includes:

-- The Kings will have a draft party at the new Nokia Theatre, across from Staples.
-- A third jersey will be introduced in November, one that incorporates several looks from the past, and all season-ticket holders will receive a jersey.
-- The Kings will now charge more (roughly $2 more per game) for tickets behind the goal where the Kings shoot twice.
-- There will be a new website for season-ticket holders, one that will be somewhat interactive. Ask a question of a front-office member and it might be answered on the website (hmmm, that sounds familiar...)

I'll start transcribing all the quotes today. There's some very interesting stuff...

Here's the story I wrote for today's paper, about the Kings' season-ticket pricing and their general financial woes.

Kings announce ticket price hikes, say they're not just losing on the ice

As I said earlier, I have a ton of quotes from Lombardi, Robitaille and McGowan, about these subjects and a few others. As soon as I'm confident that things are working OK with the blog, I'll start posting. Don also has a ``10 questions'' with Jim and Daryl ready to go, as well as some great prospect evaluations. So stay tuned!

I just got out of a long meeting with Dean Lombardi, Luc Robitaille, chief marketing officer Chris McGowan and vice president of communications Michael Altieri, who laid out next year's season-ticket prices. The Kings will have a ``blended'' increase of 5.66 percent, meaning that some prices will go up and others will come down (mostly up).

I'll attach a quick story I just wrote for our website, and I'll get into much more detail later, including some very, very extensive quotes. Problem is, I don't even know if or when this post will see the light of day, because our server problems are crippling this blog. I apologize for our inexcusable service and I thank you greatly for your continued support.

There will be a more extensive story in tomorrow's paper, which I will (hopefully be able to) link to on the blog. Here's the quick story for now...

Here's a new feature for the blog, and another great idea Don has brought to the table. It's 10 questions with Bob Miller and Nick Nickson, who give some open and honest opinions about some of the issues the Kings are dealing with these days. There will be a second part, with color commentators Jim Fox and Daryl Evans. Thanks to all involved!