The countdown is on; there’s less than 90 days away from Opening Night in both the AHL and NHL. While the latter will release their full 2026-27 regular season schedule next week, those at the AHL office had other ideas. It’s time to start thinking about puck drop in the Inland Empire, with Ontario’s full 72-game schedule released this afternoon.

Per the norm of past Reign seasons, it’s a heavy slate of Pacific Division opponents, mixed in with a few home and road contests against a pair of Central Division teams: the Texas Stars and Milwaukee Admirals.

This year’s slate of action begins on Friday, Oct. 2 in Coachella Valley, with a playoff rematch of the Reign and Firebirds. Regardless of the outcome, there will be an immediate rematch the next night in Ontario, serving as the team’s home opener.

November features two separate trips to Canada for games in Abbotsford early in the month followed by a two-game set in Calgary just after Thanksgiving. Interestingly, there are only four games scheduled with the Canucks next season, and they all come over a two-week stretch in November.

There isn’t a typical home-and-home series with San Diego until early March. However, the longtime rivals will also end the season with another home-and-home in mid-April.

In even better news, after somehow only seeing the Gulls four times all of last season, things return to a more common eight-game season series this time around. Ditto for the usual suspects: Bakersfield, Henderson, San Jose, etc.

Ontario will host a season long seven-game homestand from Jan. 8-23 and will embark on a pair of season long five-game road trips from Dec. 15-27 and Feb. 20-28.

When it comes to home games, 24 of the 36 Reign games scheduled for Toyota Arena will be played on either Friday (7), Saturday (11), or Sunday (6).

Overall, the sting of losing in last season’s Calder Cup Playoffs to Coachella Valley still burns deeply for players, coaches, and management. With mutual bad blood between the two teams for several years now, the temperature should be pretty high right out of the gates come October — and they’ll have new jerseys to show off too:

Ontario Reign to Debut Inland Blue and Gold Jerseys for 2026-27 Season

Ontario Reign 2026-27 Schedule:

All times listed are Pacific. Bold indicates a home game.

Fri,, Oct. 2 at Coachella Valley, 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3 vs. Coachella Valley, 6 p.m.
Sun,, Oct. 11 at Coachella Valley, 3 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 14 at San Diego, 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 17 vs. Henderson, 6 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 20 vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 23 at Texas, 5 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 24 at Texas, 5 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 28 at Henderson, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 30 vs. Tucson, 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 31 vs. Tucson, 3 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 4 vs. San Jose, 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 6 at Abbotsford, 6 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 at Abbotsford, 4 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 14 vs. Abbotsford, 6 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 15 vs. Colorado, 6 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 18 vs. Abbotsford, 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 21 vs. Coachella Valley, 6 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 22 vs. Henderson Silver, 3 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 24 at San Diego, 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 28 at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 29 at Calgary, 1 p.m.

Wed., Dec. 2 vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 5 at Bakersfield, 7:10 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 6 vs. Calgary, 3 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 9 vs. San Jose, 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 12 vs. San Diego, 6 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 15 at Tucson, 5:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 16 at Tucson, 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 19 at Henderson, 6 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 20 at Henderson, 5 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 27 at Coachella Valley, 3 p.m.
Thu., Dec. 31 vs. San Jose, 5 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 2 at Bakersfield, 7:10 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 3 vs. Coachella Valley, 3 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 6 at Henderson, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 8 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 9 vs. Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 13 vs. San Jose, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 15 vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 17 vs. Bakersfield, 3 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 20 vs. Coachella Valley, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 vs. San Diego, 6 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 29 at San Jose, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 30 at San Jose, 6 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 5 at Bakersfield, 7:10 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 6 vs. Bakersfield, 6 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 12 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 13 at Milwaukee, 4 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 17 vs. Colorado, 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 19 vs. Bakersfield, 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 20 at Bakersfield, 7:10 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 23 at Tucson, 5:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 24 at Tucson, 5:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 26 at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 28 at Calgary, 10 a.m.

Sat., Mar. 6 vs. San Diego, 6 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 7 at San Diego, 5 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 10 vs. Texas, 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 12 vs. Henderson, 7 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 14 vs. Texas, 3 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 17 at San Jose, 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 19 at Colorado, 6:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 20 at Colorado, 5:05 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 24 at San Jose, 10:30 a.m.
Sat., Mar. 27 vs. Tucson, 6 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 31 vs. Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

Fri., Apr. 2 vs. Tucson, ,7 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 3 at Coachella Valley, 6 p.m.
Wed., Apr. 7 vs. Henderson, 7 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 9 vs. San Diego, 7 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 10 at San Diego, 6 p.m.

For an in-depth chat with Reign coach Andrew Lord, and notes on several Kings prospects playing in the AHL, be sure to check out the articles linked below.

RELATED CONTENT:

LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings: Players No. 6-10

Kings Of The Podcast, Ep. 263 – Ending in LA, Starting in Ontario, and Guest Andrew Lord

UPDATED: NHL Rookie Faceoff Tournament Headed Back to San Jose, Full Schedule Released

Follow @mayorNHL

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

After a brief pause for the NHL Entry Draft and then Development Camp, we’re back at it, picking up where we left off with Part II in this year’s LA Kings Prospect Ranking series.

Just to tie up some loose ends, it’s worth noting that the list was finalized in May. Thus, it doesn’t include any emergency adds or changes to include players just selected at the Draft. Although they’re part of LA’s overall prospect pool now, we’ll watch and evaluate them over the coming months and eventually insert them into the next published rankings — currently scheduled for the December/January time frame.

If you missed it, here are links to Parts I and II from the series thus far:

LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings – Honorable Mentions

LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings: Players No. 11-15

And for some context mentioned in those earlier articles…

For those new to our player ranking series, since its inception roughly 15 years ago, this has become some of the most popular content published on Mayor’s Manor each season. The reports provided have come to serve as a vital source of player information, as nobody outside the Kings organization talks to more coaches, scouts, and general managers about LA’s top prospects on a regular basis than the team at MM. Endless hours go into evaluating players in the pipeline and preparing our write-ups. Additionally, the final slotting of players is influenced by hundreds of hours of game action and debating the team’s prospects with a myriad of well-respected hockey people, including our key sources inside the Kings organization.

…Our rankings typically start with a simple question, ‘How likely is this player to reach the NHL and play at least 50 games?’ (aka the industry standard for evaluating draft pick performance / efficiency). From there, we delve into impact in the NHL and then timing, i.e. how quickly is said player expected to become a full-time pro with the Kings and so on.

With that intro out of the way, let’s jump back into the good stuff.

2026 Prospect Rankings: Nos. 6-10

10. Franky Pinelli – Ontario Reign (AHL)

2nd round pick in 2021
Forward – left shot
2025-26 Stats: 14 goals, 21 assists, plus-16, 50 PIM in 65 games played

Recently signed to a one-year contract extension, this 23-year-old Canadian is at a bit of a crossroads. In terms of being a prospect, this is it for Pinelli, as it will be his final year of eligibility on our list. After being a second-round pick, he rewarded the Kings with two growth seasons in the OHL, including a 41-goal campaign his final year in Kitchener. To be blunt, we just haven’t seen the same type of improvement over his three pro seasons. His goal totals of 13, 15, and 14 have roughly been the same. There’s been a slight up-tick in his assists, yet nothing too substantial. Perhaps where the real change has come from is in his plus-minus rating. Two minus years were just flipped into a plus-16 rating this past season.

At this point, Pinelli needs to redefine his game to have a legit shot at NHL action, and it’s something Mark Yannetti spoke about during a recent Kings Of The Podcast interview.

“We obviously drafted him as a more skilled guy,” said the longtime Director of Amateur Scouting. “At the position he was drafted in, he was obviously drafted to fill a higher role in the lineup. And while I still think there’s runway for him, the expectations [surrounding] the slot he was drafted in, it’s unlikely he’ll reach those heights. That being said, there’s a little bit of soul-searching he’s going to have to do now too. Like, if you can’t make it, or if you’re not going to make it as a top-six or better, you have to find other avenues to get there.”

Yannetti even went into greater detail, talking about a role that could work for Pinelli.

“He plays on the edge sometimes,” explained Yannetti. “It’s not an easy role to play. It’s certainly a hard, hard role to play. But there aren’t a whole lot of guys who do that anymore. It’s a different kind of league. It’s a different kind of person today, different kind of player, different kind of mindset. But you see him do it every once in a while in the AHL. You saw him do it in junior. If he could kind of transition towards that — not saying he could be Darcy Tucker — but if he could transition towards that role where you play a little bit on the edge, there’s some dirt, there’s some rat in you, there’s a lot of physicality, there’s some borderline play. … He would fill that role in a way that lesser players fill that role because he has skill. It hasn’t translated to the level that we had hoped, but he has that skill.”

To hear more from that conversation — where Yannetti had a lot more to say — click here.

9. Koehn Ziemmer – Ontario Reign (AHL)

3rd round pick in 2023
Forward – right shot
2025-26 Stats: 11 goals, 13 assists, plus-10, 27 PIM in 57 games played

Throughout his rookie campaign as a pro last season, he was the classic example of a player leaving you wanting more. With 41 goals and 89 points with WHL Prince George in his draft year, Ziemmer was once thought to be a steal in the third round. Him openly talking about being a power forward who wasn’t afraid to fight had people thinking of perhaps a young Dustin Brown.

Expectations were high the following season, but a serious injury in late November derailed everything – including his spot on Team Canada’s World Junior team. Why do we bring all this up more than two years later? Because we’re still waiting for that guy to show up consistently at the pro level.

To be fair, Ziemmer rebounded nicely from the injury in 2024-25, closing out his WHL career with 37 goals and then showed up as a point-per-game player in the playoffs. He turned pro last summer and then struggled to get into Ontario’s lineup to start the season — getting healthy scratched for the team’s first five games. After playing in three of the next four contests, coach Andrew Lord had this to say in early November:

“His first two games were very good, he gave us a spark and made some good individual efforts,” explained the Reign bench boss. “It’s early days for him to contribute offensively like he’s done, with limited game time and time on ice is impressive. I think the most important thing in a young player’s season is that he’s just developing every day. He’s getting better through practice, through his details, learning the systems — all those things. He’s a great kid, as well. I’m really excited about where he’s at right now and where he’s going to go.”

On Feb. 7, just before the AHL All-Star break, Ziemmer recorded a natural hat trick. In mid-March he recorded goals in back-to-back games for the first time as a pro. Over the next 12 games of the regular season, he only had one goal.

Overall, he finished third on the team in points-per-game among rookies, producing at a .42 PPG clip.

Some may argue it’s a chicken or egg thing. Ziemmer was almost exclusively used on the fourth line and wasn’t in the lineup every night. However, he played every game in March and April, a stretch of 20 straight contests, and produced just eight points. We believe there’s untapped potential there, even though we’re not quite sure yet if he’s better at center at wing. He should be playing higher up the lineup. However, nobody is going to just hand him a spot on the second line.

Like Pinelli, with more skill being added to the Kings prospect pool, Ziemmer needs to show more in Year 2 or he’ll find himself in a critical sink or swim position next summer.

8. Kirill Kirsanov – Ontario Reign (AHL)

3rd round pick in 2021
Defenseman – left shot
2025-26 Stats: 4 goals, 9 assists, plus-9, 10 PIM in 68 games played

Every time we pull these lists together, there is one player arguably ranked too low. And Kirsanov is that guy right now. At 6-foot-3, 220 lbs., perhaps no other rookie came into Ontario last season with more intrigue. After years of waiting for him to come over from Russia — and likely accentuated by comments from NHL legend Igor Larionov — Kirsanov finally arrived, hype in hand.

Steady right from the start, it was obvious the Reign added a more seasoned prospect — something noted throughout the season by Lord and others. He looked like anything but a rookie in the AHL, so it was no surprise to hear LA GM Ken Holland recently name-dropping his 23-year-old rearguard several times.

It was something Lord even tried explaining back during his own appearance on KOTP a few months ago, talking about Kirsanov and his partner, Angus Booth. “They’ve quietly been an absolute essential piece to our team — a rookie and another young D-man, the two of them together have been awesome. Checking other teams’ top lines, logging big minutes, PK, you name it.”

Yannetti summed it up best, “The expectations for Kirsanov will start to be magnified this year.”

No doubt about it. The question isn’t if he’ll play NHL games this coming season, but when.

7. Angus Booth – Ontario Reign (AHL)

4th round pick in 2022
Defenseman – left shot
2025-26 Stats: 1 goal, 17 assists, plus-12, 40 PIM in 61 games played

When he burst onto the scene and scored in his NHL debut last season, many people were asking, ‘Who is this Booth kid?’ Well, he’s been flying under the radar the past few seasons and part of that may be because he was a mid-round pick out of the QMJHL. Make no mistake about it, though, he was already one of Ontario’s best defensemen as a rookie in 2024-25; so much so that he would have been called up at the end of the season had it not been for an injury.

Kings Prospect Angus Booth Intent on Avoiding Sophomore Slump

As noted in that article from training camp last September, Booth cared less about the praise he earned early on and was already looking ahead, where he planned on topping his impressive debut campaign.

“That was huge to me, to hear all that positive feedback from some very high-class people, such as Marco [Sturm] and Chris Hajt, and a lot of the Kings management,” he said. “That meant a lot to me, but we all know about the second-year slump or the sophomore slump, as they call it. I really don’t want to fall victim to that issue. So, I’m just starting fresh. I’m not worrying about last year, good or bad. Just starting new and feeling good again.”

Booth delivered on that promise, looking smooth throughout the year. Despite an NHL goal in Game 1, don’t look for Booth to run a power play anytime soon. That’s simply not his game. He’s not flashy, yet he’s one of those guys coaches quickly learn they count on in any situation and in all three zones. Booth leads with hockey IQ and it should help him get back to the NHL at some point next season.

“Whether he can come in and kick the door down, or whether he can make more of a slow burn via call-up and get games [we’ll have to see],” said Yannetti. “But yeah, he’s a mobile guy. He moves the puck really well. You can’t discount people who can move the puck. It’s something that gets lost sometimes. But he gets the puck up the ice quickly, and he gives the guys the puck early. He can skate it, but he doesn’t skate it where other guys have to slow down. He uses his speed well to open up either space or get himself to a passing lane early so he can give the guys the puck early.

“Guys in the AHL love it, and guys in the NHL like it even more. So, he has one of those attributes that allows for team possession, allows for speed up the ice, allows for fewer seconds, fewer minutes in your zone. The controlled zone exits, controlled zone entries — he does both of those extremely well, and he has some versatility with it, with his skating and his hockey sense. And the thing I like about him is it’s more quick-sort, quick-vision. He’s not a progression-based reader like a Makar or Hughes or anything like that, but he’s a very quick-sort, quick-recognition guy, and the puck’s off his stick.”

6. Jared Wright – Ontario Reign (AHL)

6th round pick in 2022
Forward – right shot
2025-26 AHL Stats: 17 goals, 13 assists, plus-27, 11 PIM in 54 games played
2025-26 NHL Stats: 0 goals, 4 assists, even rating, 4 PIM in 23 games played

Wright is an NHL player currently projected to make the Kings opening night roster in September. We’ll deal with the most-talked about issue right up front — he didn’t score in 23 NHL games last season.

“Well, listen, the people who watch him and see Austin Wagner — he’s not Wagner,” Yannetti remarked on KOTP. “If I’m going to talk people off the ledge, he’s not that. But there are some similarities. Wagner was a speed-first guy. Wright’s bigger and Wright’s faster. Wright is certainly better mobility-wise, with his agility and his edges. Wagner was an explosive straight-on speed guy. And Wright is an explosive straight-on speed guy. Maybe even a touch faster. But in that group, Wright does it at 6-foot-3 and his mobility is better. … [Wagner’s] sense is a little lower than Jared’s. That certainly might be the biggest factor in why they’re not the same player. Wright would have a level better sense. If you use a 10-point scale or a five-point scale, whatever you use — if it was a 10-point scale, he’d probably be one and a half points higher to two points higher on that scale for the sense.”

Jumping ahead in Yannetti’s breakdown of the situation: “So, they have some similarities. The foundational elements of the players are similar. But when you look at some of the categories and you break them down — the agility, the sense, the size — and then Jared has showed, at least in one small sample size in the American League, that he can score better than Wagner showed he could score. … If people are worried about that, there are enough differences that you would think that Wright would have more success. And Wright’s figured it out really quickly. I don’t want to sound like a dinosaur, but Wright’s fights have been good. They’ve been at the right time. There’s no backing down. He wants to make a difference. He wants to be a good team player too. So, there’s a lot of nuances to Jared that really points to success. … He’s just a rock-solid, speed-based winger with size who can forecheck really well.”

We can type a bunch more words, yet it’s really not necessary. Wright showed what a special player he was in college, quickly earning the trust of David Carle at Denver and helping win a national championship in 2024. He built upon that by leading all Reign players with a plus-27 rating last season and was second-best among Ontario rookies with a .56 points-per-game mark. He was only bested in that category by Kenny Connors, his linemate in the AHL. They were great together and we’re hopeful they’ll be reunited soon. What a duo.

ICYMI – listen to Wright on KOTP here.

Next up, the coveted Top 5 spots in our Kings Prospect Rankings.

Follow @mayorsmanor

Images by Megan Sanders

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

Why Connors and Wright Are Headed to AHL Ontario Today

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

We’re always looking to try new things here at Mayor’s Manor, including additional use of audio and video features. As some may have noticed last week on social media, we had a team of four photographers descend upon Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo to capture all the action at this year’s LA Kings Development Camp. We also sent videographer Evan Sabourin — who was back in SoCal after traveling to Buffalo to cover the NHL Draft for us.

We summarized each of the four days with a notebook packed with notes, quotes, and other fun stuff. If you missed any of those articles, here are some links to help you catch up:

10 Tidbits: Kings 2026 Dev Camp, Day 1

10 Tidbits: Kings 2026 Dev Camp, Day 2

10 Tidbits: Kings 2026 Dev Camp, Day 3

Final Tidbits from LA Kings 2026 Dev Camp

We also posted an article on two of the more important free agents invited to camp:

Big Green Making Big Impressions Early at Kings Dev Camp

And now for the main event — our first-ever video highlights are below. Enjoy!

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

Development Camp Starts Monday in LA — Roster and Schedule Review

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

When Kings General Manager Ken Holland saw the calendar flip to July 1 last week, he didn’t waste any time getting to work — signing a handful of players on both sides of the puck. Among a group of several veteran forwards added to LA’s roster was 38-year-old Mats Zuccarello.

Per @mayorNHL, Zuccarello gets a $5 million bonus at 10 games played

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) July 1, 2026

He comes to the Kings on a one-year contract that features over $5M in bonuses (including $5M at 10 games played and another $500k in potential playoff bonuses). Because the Oslo, Norway native is over 35, his contract can include performance bonuses, and the deal structure actually helps the Kings short-term, as only his $1M base impacts the salary cap for now.

Last season, he produced 54 points (15G, 39A) in 59 games for the Wild. Zuccarello also averaged 18:39 of ice time in Minnesota. With 936 career regular-season NHL games played thus far — primarily with the Rangers and Wild — he could see milestone game No. 1,000 in a Kings uniform should he get 64 starts next season.

At 5-foot-8, and known for his hustle, he’s been a fan favorite nearly every place he’s played. Now, Zuccarello is tasked with the difficult adjustment of leaving a Minnesota team he loved dearly and starting over again in Los Angeles. During his media call after signing with the Kings, that narrative emerged from the conversation, while Zuccarello also made it abundantly clear he’s ready to turn the page and is excited to join a team that clearly wants him.

Below are key comments from that introductory chat.

Zuccarello on the process of becoming a free agent and ultimately signing in LA:

I think I got an understanding pretty early on that [the Wild] wanted to part ways and try something new. They have some other pieces, and they had to figure that out. And obviously, in the beginning — our family had been there for many years. So that was a little sad in the beginning, but then you realize it’s something you can’t control. Once you start thinking about moving and a new chapter in life, me and my family became very excited.

You’re circling around, you hear some teams are interested, and once things got going, I felt like the Kings were a team that was really interested in me, and showed me that they had a place for me. I’m a simple guy, and that’s really important to me — to feel like the team you’re playing for wants you.

In talking with LA, we really connected. I liked everything they said. I think the Kings are a dream to play for, for any player. I played against them in the [2014 Stanley Cup] Final many years ago. This is a team that’s always been [solid], and when you have a chance to join a franchise like that, it’s really nice. And obviously the players they have right now are really skillful — it’s always hard to play against the Kings, so to be able to join that group of players and that franchise is humbling. It’s an opportunity I look forward to, and hopefully I can find my footing and be some help for this organization.

On his friendship with Kevin Fiala, and the two having played together previously:

I talked to Kev. I have a really good relationship with Kev. He had only good things to say about the team and the city and the fans and the organization. So that was a huge help for sure. He’s a good friend of mine. I’m really excited that he’s a part of the team, but also the top players they have, and the team that they have going into the season — really exciting. So yeah, he was a big factor, one of the ones I talked to for sure.

On signing with the Kings:

I really have — how do I say it in English — admiration for the organization, the team. There were some similar offers from some other teams. It’s exciting when you’re in free agency and a lot of teams want you; it makes you feel really good. But I just had a good feeling about this team, and how they pursued me and really made me feel wanted. That was the ultimate thing at the end. [There is] always a business situation around it, so it was a deal that helped both parties, and a deal I think we’re both happy with. So, it was really nice to get it done, and I was just super excited to be part of the Kings.

On leaving Minnesota after the organization decided to not offer him a new contract:

You know what, I’m going to be honest. I was a little bit disappointed in how it happened. That was the thing. It was a sad moment for my family, especially my girls, who go to school there and everything like that. But once you kind of understood it, you move on and understand that from their side it’s a business, and they decided to move on. I just have to say that I talked to Billy [Guerin, Wild GM], and we squared up and shook on it, so there’s no hard feelings there.

I was a little bit disappointed in the beginning with how the thing was handled, but I’ve seen some reports that I was “pissed” or “ticked” or whatever they used — which is not true. I have respect for the Wild organization. I spent seven really good years there, which I’ve addressed before. There are no hard feelings. Obviously when you spend a lot of time in a place like that, you get relationships on and off the ice and around the community that are always sad to leave behind, but I do have respect for their decision. I had seven good years. I feel like I played some of my best hockey and helped the team in certain ways. We would’ve liked to win a Stanley Cup, but everyone wants to do that. At the end, I have no hard feelings. I’m super excited to get to LA, meet the guys, and create a new chapter in my hockey life and our family life.

Once everything is all sorted out, I’m really happy about this decision. Obviously, I’ve seen a lot of talk about me and Kirill [Kaprisov], and we’ve been really good friends for a long time. He’s going to be fine; I’m going to be fine. We’re going to move on, still be good friends. That’s part of the business, the hockey life. Sometimes it comes with new beginnings and new opportunities — an opportunity now that I’m super excited about and eager to get going.

On the conversation with Guerin:

Bill and I had an understanding, once we finally got to talk. He expressed his side, I expressed my side, we shook hands, left there as friends. No hard feelings. That was it. I wasn’t pissed at the situation or the answer I got. I respect that. That’s their choice, and I gotta live with that and look forward.

So me and Bill squared up. He agreed with what I said, and I agreed with what he said. It was — for a minute there I was just a little disappointed in how it happened, how the situation went. So let’s just leave it at that. You can ask Billy if they want to elaborate on that, but it’s not for me to create any bad situations, because me and Billy are in a good spot. We talked it out; we hugged it out. Yeah, I’m just excited that I got to spend seven years with the organization and the fans in Minnesota, which was really great to me and my family. But now we’re looking ahead and hopefully get that same feeling here in LA. Really excited about that. … I have no anger or bitterness toward the [Wild] team or the organization. I wish them all luck. I’m just happy that I got to move on to an organization like the Kings, where you really feel wanted. At the end of the day, for us humans, you want to feel wanted, and that’s really good.

On how Kaprisov is taking the news of him leaving for LA:

I’ve talked to him throughout this process. We both know it’s part of the business. Obviously, he’s going to have to lose one of his best friends, who he spent almost every day with and talked to on the phone. That’s just part of it. That’s the sad part. But we’re still going to remain friends, and I’ll be cheering for him — except when he plays the Kings.

On his previous comment about LA having a spot for him, and if Laviolette or Holland happened to share more details on what that would be next season:

I think I’m going to be the captain and the GM and the President. [laughs]

No — there’s no guaranteed spot. It’s the NHL, you have to prove yourself. I know there’s a good opportunity for me to prove myself, and that’s the most important thing. I like Lavi’s vision on how to play, how to go about the business every day in practice, how to manage games. We had a really good talk — even Kenny too — about how the Kings want to play this year, which I really enjoyed and am excited about.

I think you have to earn your spot, which everyone else has to do too. But I’m going to get a good opportunity to do that, and hopefully I have a chance to earn my spot. There’s no guarantees in hockey. We have to come prepared. It’s a team sport — we need 20 guys to pull the rope for us to be successful. So, I’m just happy to be a part of that and trying to help out.

On if he can explain more about what he meant referring to himself as a simple guy:

You know what? Probably not a simple guy. I have feelings like everyone else, but I try to take it — it probably looks like I like the bright lights, playing in New York and LA. But I just want to play on a good hockey team with good people who all pull in the same direction. That’s something special about hockey: the team spirit you have, playing with good players, a good organization, coaches and fans that are supportive.

I just think the whole thing is — I’m simple in that way, that when you feel like people want you, you want to give everything for those people. And I feel the Kings were probably the first team that pushed for me. I felt really wanted the whole way, and that means a lot to me. I’ve been in the game for many years now, and hockey is a lot about confidence, feeling good when you go on the ice. That’s a big thing for me, and that’s a really good vibe I got from them — a good start, when you feel like you’re wanted.

We’re all complex guys, but it’s simple in that I try not to take everything so serious. When it’s game time and serious, you’re serious. But trying to keep the room light, keep some positivity, some lightness, some jokes to relieve the pressure a little bit. We hockey players live under a lot of pressure, and sometimes that can go to your head. So trying to keep it exciting, come to the rink every day, have fun with it, and once it’s time to get down to business, then you’re a serious guy. But keep it light every day and have fun about it.

On what it is about the Kings that made him think he’d be a good fit on this team:

I think, from the conversations I’ve had, they feel like they could play a little bit more offensive-minded at times. Hopefully I can contribute with that. Obviously we have to play a hard defensive game — that’s a given — but that was the understanding I got: try and play a little bit more in the offensive zone, and hopefully I can help with that. Just talking to the team and the organization, you’re gonna get a really good opportunity to prove yourself, and that’s all you can ask for. So hopefully I can take that and help the team grow here, get to the postseason, and move on from there.

I’m always excited for new chapters. I appreciate the chapter I had, but hockey goes fast, and now it’s a new chapter I’m super excited about. Hopefully we can grow this team. There are some new key guys — even Panarin, he’s fairly new, and Kevin [Fiala] was out for a little bit last year. He’s coming back…so there’s some excitement there for us to start something new.

Sad to see Kopitar leave. I played with him in the World Cup many years ago. One of my favorite guys in hockey. So, it’s sad, I wish he was still here. But hopefully we can fill his void and be a strong team this upcoming season.

On if he could share a little bit about what was discussed with Laviolette, and what excited him the most about his new coach’s vision for the team:

I’ve never played for him. I’ve heard really good things about him. He was a positive guy to talk to. And Kenny and Luc also made me really feel like this is a team you’ll give it all for and be excited to come to. Obviously, he has a vision — I’m not going to spill his vision, I’m sure he’s going to tell you guys how he feels. But a lot of the things we talked about are things I really cherish in hockey as well: playing both ways, both sides of the puck, work hard and have fun every day, and create a team that can work for each other and hopefully go all the way. That’s his goal. That’s my goal. Hopefully we can create something here in LA.

For an early look on how the Kings lineup might come together in training camp, be sure to check out the article linked below.

Follow @mayorsmanor

Lead photo by Matt Krohn

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

5 Things We Learned From Ken Holland’s Free Agency Availability

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

Although Kings GM Ken Holland was quite busy signing players last week, nearly all of those free agent deals were of the one-year variety. Not so for forward Erik Haula, his new deal with Los Angeles calls for two years at a $3.6M AAV.

Now 35, the longtime NHL veteran is coming off a career-high 81 games last season with Nashville — where he posted 14 goals and 28 points, along with 118 hits, 51 blocked shots, while averaging 16:40 of ice time.

Back in 2009, the native of Pori, Finland, was selected by Minnesota and over the past 13 seasons he’s also played for New Jersey, Boston, Florida, Carolina, and Vegas. A former college hockey player at the University of Minnesota, Haula skated in the USHL (Omaha Lancers) prior to making his NCAA debut and was named to the league’s All-Star Game and All-Rookie Team. He’s also represented his home country in multiple international tournaments including the Olympics, World Championships, World Junior Championship, and Under-18s. He also suited up for Finland at the NHL’s 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Haula recently met with the media via Zoom and shared the following thoughts about joining the Kings:

Haula on his signing in LA and if he heard about the Kings having interest in him at the NHL Trade Deadline in March, after seeing him play with Joel Armia at the Olympics earlier this year:

I obviously had a good chemistry at the Olympics with Armia, so I knew that there’s a possibility; with the Kings pushing for a playoff spot that could happen. It didn’t, [but] other than that, I feel like LA showed strong interest right away this summer. It felt like it was meant to be, it felt like the right spot with great opportunity and a good group altogether, a great organization. So, it was a pretty easy decision for me.

On any discussions he might have already had about where he’ll slot into the lineup:

Overall, I think the discussion has been that there’s good opportunity, and we’re going to try different things out. We have a pretty deep forward group, I would say. I’m sure they’re gonna try different things out and see what works the best. For me personally, it doesn’t really matter. I feel pretty confident that we’re gonna make it work.

On if he’s spoken to new head coach Peter Laviolette yet:

I have not had the chance to talk to him yet, so looking forward to that.

On if he’s spoken to Armia yet:

Yeah, he was probably my first call when this came to fruition and was an option. I obviously had a lot of questions. He was my roommate in the Olympics, so we had a lot of time to talk about things in LA, and when I was in Nashville and vice versa. He’s helped a ton, for sure.

On what Kings fans can expect from him on a nightly basis, other than points:

I’m just a hard worker, 200-foot player. A consistent veteran guy that tries to do things the right way and play the right way.

On the Kings having strong regular seasons, followed by playoff struggles the past few seasons:

I think everyone kind of knows everyone’s history a little bit because everyone just watches hockey. I’ve been in the playoffs a lot. I’ve played against the Kings a ton and my main thing is that they’ve always been hard to play against. There are no easy games, ever. I like that. I think that’s a great quality in a team and, as I said, they have a deep forward group with a new coach coming in. I think little tweaks are going to make a huge difference, probably. Hopefully, I can be part of that.

On if LA became a more attractive option this summer because of the roster opening down the middle with Anze Kopitar retiring:

I don’t know if that was a deciding factor for me. I knew that they needed help in the middle, [regardless] if Kopi was back there or not. I think that from the initial conversations there was going to be a good role for me either way. I was just excited about the group in general. It’s an older group, and like I said, a lot of depth at forward. They needed a little bit of help at center, so hopefully I can come and fill that void a little bit and help out.

On the climate in Los Angeles being a pretty attractive place to come and play for a few years at this point in his career:

That plays a big factor in it. I have a family, two kids, and just going over options with my wife, it was really, really attractive to us. The outreach from everybody, guys that I played with, everyone says they love LA and love living there and the quality of life. So, everything that we thought of was kind of confirmed. It makes us feel like we’ve definitely made the right choice.

On what worked well when playing with Armia and how much he helped win him over to land in Los Angeles:

Joel is interesting. I don’t even know if everyone knows this, but we went to the same high school back in Finland. He was two floors below me, essentially for a long period of time. Our families know each other — I know, his parents and his family really well. I think there’s some kind of chemistry that comes from that, as well. I don’t know, he does things that aren’t like my strongest suit; his puck protection ability, has a skill with the puck. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it. It’s just something that worked right away. I think we had good chemistry already at the 4 Nations tournament the year before; but now, this year, I feel like we were both even healthier and it was a lot of fun. He definitely had a big part in it. I’m just excited to be back with him and to see what we can do.

FUN FACT: The first NHL player to come out of that high school, Björneborgs Svenska Samskola (BSS), was Christian Ruuttu — who now serves as the Kings Director of European Scouting. BSS is located in Pori, Finland and is actually a Swedish-speaking school. Several other pro players have attended there, as well; including guys in the AHL, KHL, and other leagues. What makes things even more remarkable is it’s a rather small school, with less than 250 students for grades 1-12. And hockey isn’t even part of the school’s curriculum. Pretty interesting.

On the importance of signing a two-year deal with the Kings:

I’m definitely tired of jumping around, that’s for sure — eight teams in 14 years. It hasn’t been easy at times, and definitely not easy on the family. It’s a blessing to still be able to play in the NHL and a couple more seasons gets me closer to 1,000 games. That’s something that’s always been a goal of mine. I’m just gonna try to keep on going as long as I can. I have high standards for myself. Two years sounds perfect and we’ll see where we’re at after that.

On being an older guy and the process of integrating younger players into the room:

I feel like that’s not something easy to talk about. It’s just more about getting to know the people first and understand how they are and all of that before you can try to comment on how to help somebody. There are younger guys who are mature. And then there are younger guys who come off as younger guys. So, I think it’s always important just to get to know your teammates and situations. Just having an older team, in general, I feel like all the younger guys should be excited about that. I think there’s a lot to learn from each individual in a locker room. It’s exciting.

On if he’s sticking with No. 56 in LA:

I don’t think there’s any point in changing at this point. I was laughing with a buddy earlier that it’s good I got 56 when I was in Minnesota when it all started. Looking back now at my career path, I’ve been able to keep the number throughout all the teams. So, we’ll stick with it.

On coming back to the Pacific Division, and if he noticed any specific differences between playing in the Eastern Conference vs. the West:

There’s difference in travel, for sure. Over in the West, I feel like there’s longer road trips, longer home stands, and I actually like that; instead of having the one or two-day trips here and there. It kind of breaks up the weeks all the time, so I’m looking forward to that.

For an early look on how the Kings lineup might come together in training camp, be sure to check out the article linked below.

Follow @mayorsmanor

Lead photo by IIHF

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

5 Things We Learned From Ken Holland’s Free Agency Availability

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

Enjoy a free replay of this weekend’s Hot Stove on NHL Network Radio, where John Hoven joined hosts Dennis Bernstein, Dave Pagnotta, and Ryan Paton for their final show of the season. With summer in full swing, they covered all the hot topics of the week — including: a variety of recent LA Kings UFA roster adds, LA’s new coaching staff, trade rumors, and the Leo Carlsson offer sheet.

Greater detail on several topics can also be found here:

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

This radio segment can be heard using the player below or download any of our audio files for free on the Mayor’s Manor Apple podcast page located here.

Four days of Development Camp at the Kings training facility in El Segundo are now in the books, including the final scrimmage delivering the week’s most competitive hockey. Between the on-ice reps and media availabilities that followed, there was plenty to unpack before putting a bow on things.

Here are our final 10 Tidbits from the last day of Dev Camp 2026. 

Keeping Score

In the annual Black-and-White scrimmage, Team Black took home the win by a final score of 4-1. Liam Lefebvre, one of LA’s second-round selections at last weekend’s NHL Entry Draft, scored the opener for Black while displaying a full-fledged effort. He first showed off some good puck protection by the near wall, then passed the puck away and called for it back immediately. Upon receiving it back, he fired it right past Carter George — starting a run of three straight goals by his squad. 

Lefebvre

One of the most impressive first year players in camp… And he comes up big again.

Beautiful wrister up top after he called for the puck. Beats George.

1-0 Team Black

Final chance for these kids to make an impression at Dev Camp.

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

Lombardi

Epperson to Goljer to Lombardi

After a quiet appearance at last year’s Dev Camp, Lombardi had a great OHL season and has been noticeable here all week. #GoKingsGo

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

Zielinski
Epperson

Nice rebound game from Z. Was good Monday, then a non-factor Tuesday.

A few shifts ago, Z just picked a guy’s pocket in the defensive zone. He’s making plays at both ends.

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

Cracking the Code

As has been the case for several years now on Dev Camp’s final day, once the three periods were finished, the coaches elected to do a five-man shootout. First up was Lefebvre — however this time it was against 6-foot-6 Russian netminder Yegor Rybkin — who entered the game mid-second period and had been near unstoppable until this point. Lefebvre showed off more of his creative skills, as he sized him up and pulled off a sweet backhand-to-forehand move to light the lamp.

Lefebvre is dirty.

It’s been really hard for guys to beat Rybkin if he sees the puck.

The scrimmage ended with a shootout, and Lefebvre showed off his quick hands and release to score on Rybkin.

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

From A to Z, and L to R, in the Q

Two interesting comments to close out on Lefebvre here. While it’s only Dev Camp, he was impressive all week. Each day, he looked more and more like he could have easily been a top-30 pick, rather than a mid-second rounder. His ability to beat several of the Kings top goalie prospects — including Rybkin today, along with George earlier in the week — didn’t go unnoticed; especially considering what a challenge that was for several other guys in camp who normally don’t have any problems scoring.

Looking ahead, we probably haven’t seen the last of Lefebvre vs. Rybkin. Next season, the big Russian netminder is expected to play in Moncton of the QMJHL. Meanwhile, Lefebvre was recently traded to Cape Breton. As Eastern Conference rivals, that’s potentially eight regular season matchups on deck.

More info on Kings draft pick Liam Lefebvre…

Cape Breton is expected to contend for the QMJHL championship next season & is hopeful of a Memorial Cup appearance. They specifically targeted him as a guy they wanted. Great situation overall. Then he’s off to college the yr after. https://t.co/KJsE1BnGk4

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) June 28, 2026

Basic Training 

Finland is one of the only Western countries with a mandatory military service for men that lasts anywhere between six months to a year. What does that have to do with hockey? Well, Petteri Rimpinen is Finnish, and Director of Kings Goaltending Bill Ranford told media Rimpinen was serving in the army as recently as last week.

“We’ve got to give him props. He’s been in the army since the end of the season, and has only skated a few times,” Ranford noted. “[He] came out here and was a little rusty to start, but — wow, just from day one to day four, just a big difference. And that’s hard to do.”

Going from one type of intense training to flying halfway around the globe and jumping on the ice can’t be easy.

“He wasn’t doing any hockey training. I think three days ago they did a 100-kilometer hike with rucksacks… So I’ve got to give him a lot of credit for coming here. No excuses, just came out here. Good for him.”

From what Mayor’s Manor later learned, Rimpinen will be back at the base this weekend and is only expected to be there for a few more weeks. Then, it’s back to prepping for his upcoming Liiga season.

If the young goalie can show the type of improvement he did in LA after a 100-kilometer hike, imagine what he’ll look like after a full summer of training.

Tooth and Consequences

Dev Camp left a mark on Vojtech Cihar, quite literally.  On Monday, he took a stick to the face and immediately headed off the ice to the medical center. As we mentioned in a previous article earlier in the week, there was a rumor going around that he may have lost one or two teeth. We finally got around to asking him about it on the final day of camp.

“They knocked, like, three teeth out,” he said. “But right now I’ve got all of them back.”

In addition to the teeth, it looked like he had a few stitches on a cut on the right side of his mouth. It didn’t cause him to miss a beat though, and he wore a full face shield for the remainder of camp. 

Fortunately, his teeth were fixed up and the smile is still intact.

For those wondering about Cihar and the bubble… He was high sticked Monday. Chipped three teeth, required some stitches in his upper lip area. New caps were put on, and he was back in business. #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/Vw0NtTGCih

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 3, 2026

How Do You Say That?

Some names take a little extra work, and Vojtěch Čihář’s is certainly one of them. Those little squiggles above his name that we tend to leave out for ease are called diacritics — colloquially referred to as accent marks — and they don’t have a clean English equivalent. That is why neither half of his name sounds the way it reads. 

Vojtěch comes out closer to VOY-tech than VOJ-tech. As for the last name, it’s not SEE-har, and it’s not CHEE-hash either. The closest an English speaker is going to get is CHEE-harsh, with a little rolling of the ‘r’ that most broadcasters won’t bother reaching for.

No one is going to hold it against you that much if you go with a more natural English pronunciation, but if you want to get it right, CHEE-harsh is the way to go.

Got a chance yesterday to ask Vojtěch Čihař the correct pronunciation of his name and he was happy to oblige pic.twitter.com/XtUuEwgxgZ

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) July 3, 2026

The Road Less Traveled

The most common path to the NHL is through the CHL, NCAA, or European Leagues. Blake Zielinski doesn’t fall into any of those camps. He was drafted out of the USHL, a league which accounted for about 10% of players drafted this year. Just because it’s a less popular route to the pros doesn’t mean it’s less successful.

Alex Laferriere is just one of the current NHLers drafted out of the league to find success. Ironically, he played for the Des Moines Buccaneers — the same team where Zielinski just played last season. 

We asked Zielinski about it and here’s what he had to say.

“[Laferriere] actually reached out to me when I got drafted. I’ve kind of continued to follow that path — we’ve been through the same organizations, [and those] organizations are doing the right thing. So for me, it’s about staying focused, understanding there are going to be ups and downs. It’s good to know someone who’s playing in the NHL is on the same path.”

Interestingly, Zielinski put up more points in the USHL last season than Laferriere did while he was there. That doesn’t mean he will necessarily be more successful at the pro level, but it certainly bodes well for him.

Where Was Woolley?

Pictured above, Jared Woolley was on the ice for morning skills sessions. However, the 6-foot-5 defender, who has skyrocketed up the Kings prospect rankings, did not play in any of the three scrimmages at Dev Camp this year as he is still recovering from being a little banged up coming out of the Memorial Cup with Kitchener. Following another OHL Championship and a third straight trip to the CHL’s annual mini-tournament, Woolley is expected to be just fine come September — when he’ll join a group of prospects set to represent the Kings at this year’s Rookie Faceoff event in San Jose. After that, he’s expected to settle in on the blueline for coach Andrew Lord and AHL Ontario.

Summer Showcase

Team USA’s Summer Showcase serves as an international appetizer ahead of the World Junior Championships. Not only does it help the American coaching staff, it also gives the national teams of Canada, Sweden, and Finland an opportunity to evaluate their top prospects on a bigger stage before finalizing their invites for December WJC camps.

It’s pretty much the last thing on the summer calendar for most prospects under 20 years old and missing it usually means a player won’t have the inside track on being part of the final team. Brendan McMorrow found that out the hard way last year, and not because of anything that happened on the ice.

“I broke my wrist driving a scooter,” he admitted. “I would much rather have gone to the Showcase, been healthy, [and] been in the training camp.”

In his specific case, though, it ended up not mattering; he made Team USA’s final roster anyway. When we asked if he felt like he had something to prove at the WJC after missing time with the injury, he pushed back a bit.

“I didn’t really go out there trying to prove anything,” said the Denver University forward. “I was just going out there to play my game and try to win games for USA.”

Whatever the formula was, it worked. McMorrow was named Player of the Game in his first outing at the World Juniors.

The aforementioned Lefebvre now finds himself in a similar spot heading into next season, having not received a Summer Showcase invite.

“I didn’t get invited,” he said, “but I think a strong start to the year, playing within my identity — you never know. So I’m just going to keep working hard, have a good start to the year, and we’ll see from there.”

One Kings prospect who won’t have to worry about getting a head start is Henry Brzustewicz. He was invited to the Showcase earlier this week, after attending camp and being one of the last cuts from Team USA’s WJC final roster last season.

Three prospects, three paths. But by December, we’ll know which ones head to the tournament.

Picture Perfect

Last, but certainly not least, we want to shout out our amazing photographers. Mayor’s Manor had four photographers on hand to cover the last day of Dev Camp and they all had some pretty awesome snapshots — including a few from surprise appearances by LA regulars Adrian Kempe, Darcy Kuemper, and Trevor Moore, who all showed up early in the morning to get on the ice with the forwards group and the goalies. Below are just some of the fantastic stills they grabbed.

Kings Dev Camp
Delaney Donahue

That’s right! MM has four photographers at camp today. All first rounders. pic.twitter.com/Cb7L348RHw

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

When some of the fellas show up at @lakings Dev Camp…

@megansanders_04 pic.twitter.com/ZCNfezFDRP

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

More photos from Day 4
Dev Camp | LA Kings
@aloimages pic.twitter.com/8SjwmdbVSE

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 3, 2026

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

10 Tidbits from Dev Camp, Day 3

5 Things We Learned From Ken Holland’s Free Agency Availability

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

He’s Back, Corey Perry Returns to LA Kings on One-Year Deal

Scott Laughton Returning to Kings on a Three-Year Deal

Follow @mayorsmanor

Lead photo by Gracie Faye

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

The article below was originally published on June 11, 2026. It has now been updated to include the full schedule, where noted.

Mayor’s Manor has learned through a variety of sources that the NHL Rookie Faceoff event is set to go big this September. Originally reconstructed as a six-team tournament back in 2018, Vegas hosted at their training facility in Summerlin that year and it featured the Kings, Ducks, Coyotes, Sharks, Avalanche, and Golden Knights.

It was a fantastic showcase for prospects from each of those teams, and it went on to later be held in Anaheim, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. After eventually growing to seven teams, last year was a little funky — as the event essentially split in half, with the three California teams doing their own thing. Meanwhile, the Avalanche hosted their own three-team deal in Colorado.

We’ve confirmed that for 2026, things are going old school. It is being planned as a six-team event once again. And it will include all of the original member clubs, with one slight exception. Arizona is now the Utah Mammoth.

From what we’ve been able to gather, some teams only want to play two games. Yet, the Kings and Mammoth are confirmed to play three games each.

From a schedule standpoint, the Kings will play Saturday and Sunday (opponents TBD), then practice on Monday. Tuesday will feature the Kings-Mammoth game, and then the group will return to Los Angeles for training camp. This will all go down in San Jose on September 12-15.

Updated July 2, 2026 – Full Schedule Release:

Saturday, September 12
Colorado vs. Anaheim – 1 p.m.
Utah vs. Vegas – 3 p.m.
Los Angeles vs. San Jose – 5 p.m.

Sunday, September 13
Vegas vs Colorado – 1 p.m.
Anaheim vs. Los Angeles – 3 p.m.
San Jose vs. Utah – 5 p.m.

Monday, September 14
No games scheduled – practice day

Tuesday, September 15
Utah vs. Los Angeles – 1 p.m.

The Sharks organization previously hosted the event at their AHL facility in 2022 and it was very well run. There was plenty of space and the games were exciting. Of course, who could forget the now infamous Brandt Clarke walk-off goal?

This year’s event is expected to feature Kings prospects like Henry Brzustewicz, Kirill Kirsanov, Hampton Slukynsky, Carter George, Kenny Connors, Vojtech Cihar, Jan Chovan, Koehn Ziemmer, and many more. For a full list of players who will begin their summer journey in LA for Development Camp later this month, see here.

Circling back to the tournament, while all of LA’s prospects in recent memory have played in the event, its roots actually go back to the early 2000s. Even Kings legend Anze Kopitar made his North American debut in those games, which were labeled the Pacific Division Shootout back then.

See below for some photos and quotes from those early games.

LOOKING BACK AT ROOKIE HISTORY

2003 Pacific Division Shootout

Here’s the roster for 2003’s inaugural event played at the Kings training facility in El Segundo:

Among the players who participated was an 18-year-old Dustin Brown, in what was some of his first real exposure to the team’s operations. He was drafted by the club only a few months prior, taken 13th overall in the first round.

Back then, the event had a slightly different format, in that each team played a total of four games — three preliminary round games, one each against the other three teams, and then a single ‘playoff’ game. Essentially, the top two teams met in a championship game as their fourth contest, while the third and fourth place teams squared off in a ‘bronze medal’ game.

In one of their preliminary round games, the Kings shut out the Sharks 5-0. They also played well against the Ducks and Coyotes. Eventually, though, LA had to settle for second place after they were bested by Arizona 3-1 with the event title on the line. Meanwhile, San Jose took third place by downing Anaheim 4-2 in the consolation game.

2004 Pacific Division Shootout

In year two, the event was hosted by Anaheim. Here’s who LA brought to the tournament:

Brown was back for his second Shootout. The prior year, he played 31 games for the Kings before being shut down with an ankle injury. Following the 2004 event, the NHL Lockout wiped out the regular season. However, not for Brown and several other Kings prospects. He was sent to AHL Manchester, where he scored 29 goals and was essentially a point-per-game player (74 points in 79 games).

As for the Rookie event, LA would again have to settle for second place. Their preliminary games included a 3-2 overtime victory over Anaheim. SoCal native Noah Clarke scored two goals, including the game-winner. Petr Kanko had the other Kings goal.

In their second game, the Ducks picked up a 6-2 win over the Sharks. Corey Perry had a goal for Anaheim and Ryan Getzlaf chipped in with four assists.

LA produced more goals than any other team in either the Shootout or Rookie Faceoff history with an 11-2 drubbing of the Coyotes later that same day. Kanko was at it again, scoring four goals and adding an assist for good measure. Clarke also had a multi-point game, notching a goal and an assist.

The Kings and Sharks tied 3-3 in the final preliminary game in 2004. LA showed plenty of resiliency in that game too, going down 3-0 in the first period and finding a way to eventually even the score with second period goals by Mike Lukajic and Denis Grebeshkov, followed by a Greg Hogeboom short-handed goal. There wasn’t a shootout, so the game was recorded as a tie after a scoreless overtime session. Even so, the Kings had secured enough points in the standings to again play for the Shootout championship.

It was the Anaheim Mighty Ducks skating to a 7-2 win over the Kings, leaving LA as the bridesmaid once again. Curtis Glencross scored a hat trick to help seal things for the host team. Getzlaf and Dustin Penner also scored for the Ducks.

2005 Pacific Division Shootout

Kopitar gave people a quick taste of what he could potentially mean for the Kings when he came over to North America for the 2005 Shootout held in San Jose. A few months prior, LA had selected Kopitar 11th overall at the NHL Draft.

This is who else LA brought to the tournament:

LA played preliminary round games against Anaheim, Arizona, and San Jose. They again didn’t claim the championship, despite some strong individual efforts from several prospects.

Following the event, Kopitar returned to Europe for one final season of hockey. He skated in 47 games for Sodertalje SK in the Swedish Elite League, recording 20 points (8G, 12A).

2006 Pacific Division Shootout

For what ended up being the final Shootout, Kopitar returned and was ready to take a run at making the Kings roster. Better yet, he was able to do it in front of the hometown fans, as LA was once again tapped to host the event. Here is the Kings roster from that year:

LA accumulated a 2-1 record in preliminary games via the following scores:

Kings 6, Ducks 5
Kings 3, Sharks 2
Coyotes 4, Kings 2

While Kopitar stole all the headlines for LA in 2006, Pavelski was the unlikely star for San Jose. He scored three goals in the tournament, including two in their final game. A seventh-round selection by the Sharks, he was targeted for the AHL that season. However, his play in the tournament caught the eye of Sharks GM Doug Wilson, who said — “He has been very strong on faceoffs all week long. That gets him out on the ice in key situations and getting that experience will help him grow. His game in all areas of the ice is very well-rounded.” Following the tournament, Pavelski would go on to play in only 16 AHL games before a late November call-up.

Ironically enough, ‘Little Joe’ was recalled by the Sharks and made his NHL debut in a 6-3 win over the Kings, scoring his first NHL goal that night too. Pavelski never looked back, going on to play 1,296 NHL games and counting.

In a little more Sharks trivia from that same game against the Kings in Nov. 2006, defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic (who has since played over 1,200 NHL games too) scored his first NHL goal that night, as well. Along with Pavelski and Kopitar, that trio had played in the Pacific Division Shootout event just a few months prior and were now well on their way to making their marks on a much bigger stage.

Below are some pictures of Kopitar, Perry, Trevor Lewis, and goalie Yutaka Fukufuji at the 2006 Shootout (select images courtesy of Jon Swenson).

KOPITAR’S TOURNAMENT MEMORIES

Now with his Hall of Fame-worthy career over, Kopitar will eventually be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, followed by his familiar No. 11 jersey retired into the rafters at Crypto.com Arena.

However, in a little-known piece of trivia, he didn’t start out as No. 11. When he first came over to skate in the 2005 Pacific Division Shootout, he wore No. 52 for that small handful of tournament games and a couple of Kings preseason games.

“That first tournament in San Jose; I remember it was like a whole new world for me,” he told Mayor’s Manor last year. “Obviously, it was a lot different than playing in a Junior league in Sweden, with all the big, high-ranking prospects and all that stuff. So, it was hard, but it was also an eye-opening experience. That was a fun time.”

When he came back to LA for his second Shootout the following year, Kopitar didn’t have quite the same nerve-racking week as he had in 2005.

“In the second one, we hosted,” he began. “I remember, I felt a lot more comfortable the second time around. I had a good tournament and I think that’s why I made the Kings team that year.”

What about that initial No. 52 jersey?

“I’ve always assumed that 52 was assigned to me that first year because I wore No. 25 for our national team,” noted Kopitar.

“Back when I was still wearing a cage at the World Championship,” he added, with one of his trademark smirks and a soft chuckle. “Then, the next year, I showed up and they gave me No. 11 right away.”

And apparently, why No. 11 was selected has remained a bit of a mystery, even to this day.

“I kept asking Dean [Lombardi] and Grange [Kings Head Equipment Manager Darren Granger] and nobody could give me a straight answer!”

Never one to leave a story without an ending, we reached out to Lombardi a few hours later to ask if he had any recollection at all as to why No. 11 was assigned to Kopitar that year.

“The only thing I can think of is that there were always a limited quantity of numbers available for rookies and the GM was an old school fuddy duddy that did not want any of his players to have numbers in the 80s and 90s because he thought it subtracted from the team-first psyche,” Lombardi responded via text. “To Kopitar’s credit, he never sought to follow the trend of the young upstarts with offensive linemen numbers.”

RELATED CONTENT:

VIDEO: Kopitar Mic’d Up for Final NHL Game

VIDEO: Anze Kopitar’s Final Postgame Presser

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What a difference a day makes. A mere 24 hours ago, there was a nervous energy that had been building for a few days in Los Angeles, as Scott Laughton walked to free agency on July 1. However, when all was said and done, the two sides managed to agree on a three-year contract late Wednesday. His new deal comes with a very manageable $3.5M AAV.

On Thursday, the veteran center held a Zoom call with media to share the following thoughts…

Laughton on the process of actually becoming a free agent and then re-signing in Los Angeles:

I think LA was kind of for sure at the top of the list after the year ended. I thought the fit was seamless. The guys were amazing with me, and just the staff, everyone that works around it. So, I thought the moves that Kenny made yesterday definitely strengthened our team. [We lost] Kopi — you’re not going to fill that role. Leadership, play, everything that comes into it. But I thought Kenny did a really good job, and I wanted to be part of it.

On the coaching changes, with Peter Laviolette taking over behind the bench:

I haven’t talked to Lavi yet. I know him a little bit. I played five games for him in the lockout year. So I had a little glimpse of it, a short training camp. I was 18 years old, so it was a long time ago, but I still remember his practices — up-tempo, and a lot of offensive-zone stuff like that. I haven’t talked to him, but I’m sure we’ll have those conversations coming up as it gets closer to the [start of training camp] and see where he wants me. I think it all plays out once you get to camp and everything kind of slots itself in.

On what his priorities were when it came to the contract itself, and if a long-term deal was important:

I think so. Even when I was back in Philly, I signed a five-year deal. Security has always been important to me, and my family absolutely loved it when we went down there. It was a short period of time, but after playing in the same place for twelve years and getting traded twice in the same calendar year, it’s a pretty big whirlwind — especially with a young son. Definitely getting a little bit of term was on my mind, and just trying to fit in the best I could in the group that’s already there. Those guys were amazing with me. So yeah, I wanted to be a part of it, be a part of that group.

On mentioning Kopitar leaving, and if he sees himself as someone within the room who can help fill some of that void — especially working with some of the team’s younger players:

I hope so. There’s a ton of guys in that room who do a really good job — a veteran team. But that’s kind of one of my things, I guess, to try and do some of those things, whether it’s dinners or anything like that. Being a voice in the locker room, and lead by example, and bring the same energy and consistency every day. Every morning you come to the rink, you show up and you be the same person. I learned that when I was 19 and 20 years old, getting scratched a couple games in a row. You kind of want to pout and everything like that, but it’s the best league in the world. It’s an absolute blessing to play in this league, and I’m super grateful to be able to go to LA and be a part of it.

On if any of Holland’s other free agent signings impacted his decision to come back:

I don’t think it impacted it, but it definitely — I don’t know the right word for it — but definitely made me excited to come back as well. Zuccarello’s one of the most underrated players; playing against him for so long, he makes so many good plays in the offensive zone. Haula I’ve been taking faceoffs against for a long time too. And Corey Perry is as known — we’ve gone at it for a bunch of years. And Erik Gustafsson, we actually played together in Philly, another great guy. So yeah, I don’t think it impacted it, but definitely made me excited coming back and having those additions, especially when you lose a couple of guys.

On if making the playoffs is enough or if the talent in the room demands a higher standard:

I think you have to demand a higher standard. You look at our roster, I’m pretty excited about it. The forward group is pretty deep. You have guys like Laff and Moore, and guys who play the defensive side of the game. Then, picking up Bread last year. You have Zook, Juice — you can go down the list — and Q’s still young, still developing. Then you have Clarkey, who just signed a deal. So there’s a bunch of guys who are developing and coming into their own at the right age. Yeah, I think you can do something special when everyone believes in one goal, and you have to start that at camp.

On Holland adding proven veterans with experience, and how that plays in the NHL today with so many younger players around the league:

I think it helps in the ebbs and flows of a year. You go through so much throughout a year, whether it’s you lose a couple in a row, you win a couple in a row — and that’s when you have the leadership to kind of keep you even-keel and go through the season and keep building the process of your game, everyone believing in that. I think it helps, having everyone on the same page. And we still have some younger guys who are coming into their own and can make a big difference. So, it’s exciting for me.

On the style the Kings were playing last year compared to changes that are expected to take place under Laviolette, and if he’s expecting a lot of changes:

That’s a tough question. When I got there, I think they were playing a little bit differently from what they were playing before, with DJ. We were playing pretty aggressive in our game, trying to be as aggressive as possible. But I know Lavi from the past and from talking to guys — even his practices, the offensive-zone tactics, you’re working on a lot of stuff being behind the net, but playing out in front, and pace of play. I think we’re going to learn a lot. Lavi’s been around a while. He’s an excellent coach and someone I’m excited to play for. I think guys can learn a lot, and we build it together as a group, and we’ll see what happens.

On re-signing in Los Angeles compared to what might have been out there with other clubs:

I think first and foremost, just how much both me and my wife and son absolutely loved coming there. Everyone from the front office taking care of your wife, taking care of your family away from the rink — that’s a huge factor. And the on-ice component too. Obviously, we were swept by Colorado, but the culture was something that stuck out to me. You’re coming back from a shift and you’re hearing it from the guys and everything like that. There are certain moments throughout a year where it kind of sticks with you, and there were a lot of those in the last couple months there. I kind of held on to those. But the market is what it is, and I was comfortable at what I signed, and really comfortable at where I’m going to be for the next three years. Really excited about it.

On the culture and what allowed him to mesh with the Kings so seamlessly in such a short amount of time:

I think it was early on. You have guys like Kopi and Doughty, who have won, and you see their day-to-day — everyone’s day-to-day, come to the rink and kind of building together. Yeah, it’s just a feeling that I had there. It really helped having Jeff Malott at the time, one of my best friends, and then obviously knowing the head coach, I think that plays a factor into it. But the guys were unbelievable from day one. It seemed like I just fit in, and felt like I played there for a couple years. So, it was a special group that I came into.

On if he talked to any of his Kings teammates before making a decision to re-sign in LA:

You have a couple of those conversations; a couple group chats throughout the summer that you keep on to — and the group chat with the Kings is still going. But yeah, you have some conversations probably like a week after, two weeks after, and you kind of have to sit on it and see what’s going on and go back home and take a deep breath. I still talk to a bunch of the guys to see what’s going on with their summer. I’m just super excited to get back. Feels like a long summer already, so I’m excited to get back.

For a quick look at how it all may come together with Laughton back in the fold, we’ve prepared a quick article to review:

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

And for more details on what Holland was up to once free agency opened, be sure to check out these other articles:

REPORT: Kings Set to Add Free Agent Forward Mats Zuccarello on One-Year Deal

He’s Back, Corey Perry Returns to LA Kings on One-Year Deal

REPORT: UFA Gustafsson Closing in on One-Year Deal with Kings, Update on Giroux and Others

REPORT: Kings Set to Add Free Agent Center Erik Haula

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Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

July 1 wasn’t only the start of NHL Free Agency — it was also Day 3 of Development Camp.

Without an afternoon scrimmage on Wednesday, the schedule was much lighter: some positional practices in the morning and a little individual work. Yet a shorter day didn’t mean a quiet one.

Below are 10 tidbits collected throughout the day.

Glass Act

Colgate’s Isiah Norlin is among the small handful of high-profile camp invitees, and if he was looking to make some noise, he accomplished it. About halfway through the defense’s group session, he collided with fellow invitee Moritz Kretzschmar on the boards and a panel of glass was knocked loose.

Norlin didn’t take much credit for it afterward.

“I think the glass is a little weak,” he suggested. “I didn’t really hit him that hard.”

No further explanation needed. A 6-foot-6 defenseman using his physicality was bound to do some damage at camp — even if he didn’t put his full weight into it.

It was a 6’6” Isaiah Norlin delivering a huge hit on 6’1” Moritz Kretzschmar. The kid from Colgate is not playing around #GoKingsGo https://t.co/xJDklElFdV

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) July 1, 2026

More on Norlin

On a more serious note, what makes Norlin special and why are people keeping a close eye on him this week?

After being named BCHL Defenseman of the Year in 2024 he’s landed at Colgate and hasn’t slowed down one bit. Last season, his 28 points (8 G, 20 A) in 37 GP placed him second on the team in scoring — from the blue line. He wasn’t done. The Minnesota native also led all ECAC defensemen with five power-play goals and earned Second Team All-ECAC honors. Most importantly, Norlin knows who he is and excels in the role, finishing 12th in all of college hockey with .757 points-per-game among defensemen.

When Teddy Belisle, LA’s Director of U.S. Amateur Scouting was on Kings Of The Podcast recently, he had this to say about the 23-year-old rearguard:

“He kind of came out of nowhere — through the BCHL, Nebraska-Omaha, and then found a home at Colgate, where he’s excelled. He’s a 6-ft-6 skating defenseman. And he’s pretty exciting with the package and the size. You’re talking someone at that size who’s a really above-average skater.”

Hear the full interview with Belisle here.

Read more about Norlin in our camp preview article here.

Hammering Away

Netminder Hampton Slukynsky is attending his fourth Dev Camp, a rarity among players — but such is life for a goaltender originally drafted out of high school.

His full story is quite surreal, from buying a pitching machine and watching YouTube videos when learning how to become a goaltender to being named Goalie of the Year in multiple leagues, to working his way up to becoming the Kings top goaltending prospect. Oh, he also led his team to championships in the USHL and at Western Michigan in back-to-back years.

“It’s just about learning so much each year,” said the 6-foot-2 goaltender, when asked what his fourth Dev Camp experience has been like. “I’m trying to take what I’ve learned in the past and use that to my advantage, then trying to go out there and have some fun. This is a week for a lot of learning, so I’m soaking in as much as I can, taking as much as I can from the staff here. I’m trying to implement some of it into my game.”

Looking ahead to next season, he’ll be suiting up for the Ontario Reign after turning pro a few months ago and even making his AHL debut late in the regular season.

“To be able to come out here following my college season was huge, just to get a taste of that and keep moving forward,” he explained. “The AHL is not like college. It’s a lot more structure, a lot more pace. More older guys kind of controlling the game. So, learning that new style — a lot of bigger guys, with a lot more traffic in front of the net. I learned a lot of things and [I’ll be] trying to use that to my advantage so I know what to expect.”

And about all that success to date?

“I think winning is kind of a result of the process — what you and your team do every day,” explained Slukynsky. “I’m just trying to control what I can control, do the right things on and off the ice, preparing the right way. I think that will lead to the things you want and the success you want to have. So, I’m trying to do what I can and trying to get better every day.”

Those aren’t simply words, it’s what he lives by. And it’s working thus far.

Leaving Home for Happy Valley

Another player from the college ranks, defenseman Caeden Herrington is now at his second Dev Camp. After being selected in the fourth round at the 2025 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-2 rearguard is back for another week of summer sessions in LA.

“It’s good to be back here and see some familiar faces,” he said. “I think I’ll just be a student of the game as much as I can — learn and continue to grow here and move forward in this second camp… I definitely think there’s a comfortable aspect to it, as far as you know the staff and you get to know some people and have some familiar faces, like I said earlier. And I think that kind of makes me able to settle in a little bit here. Obviously, Greener and O.D. and the whole development staff here are really elite at what they do. I’m picking up anything I can over the next couple of days is going to be really important for me to take into the rest of the summer.”

Following a step up in competition last year, as he moved from the USHL to college — “I think my game really matured this year. I took some steps defensively, and that takes time, and with time it takes growth.” — there’s some serious change on the immediate horizon for Herrington.

A native of Vermont, he naturally grew up wanting to play at the University of Vermont. And that’s exactly where Herrington landed… before opting to leave for Penn State heading into his sophomore year.

“Really looking forward to making the change and getting going next year defensively,” said Herrington, who didn’t hide from the higher expectations he’ll be facing now. “Pressure’s a privilege, obviously. I want to be one of the top guys there and help really perform and produce before making the jump eventually. So it was a little bit of an up-and-down, frustrating year for me. It’s exciting for kind of a new opportunity to get to do that… I loved Vermont, I had a great experience. Coach Steve Wiedler is a tremendous coach, and it was nothing but a privilege to be able to put the sweater on there for a year. But I think at the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me. And I’m really excited to go to Penn State. My mom’s side of the family is all in that area, so it’ll be pretty cool to join the team there.”

Where is Conmy?

Despite being a late round pick in 2023, Ryan Comny has been anything but an afterthought at previous Dev Camps. In fact, two of those summers his name was in the conversation for MVP of the week. Listed at 5-foot-10, he’s a bulldog on the ice. A fire bug, a spark plug, whatever you want to call him. The dude can flat out play hockey.

He’s also been noticeably absent this week from the scrimmages — because when Conmy is on the ice, you almost always can spot him. Find the puck, and you’ll find Conmy.

After two seasons at UNH, Conmy then transferred to Boston College for 2025-26. How did he do? The Florida-born winger finished third in points, behind a pair of first-round picks (Dean Letourneau and James Hagens). What’s more remarkable is he did it all while playing through a few different injuries. No fanfare, no public statements about it either. Conmy just goes about his business — and his business is hockey.

Thus, it’s no surprise that he’s been among the leaders in off-ice testing this week. Unfortunately, he’s still recovering from a recent procedure that’s prevents him from shooting the puck right now. If you ask the player, he’d probably tell you he could play, that’s merely how he’s wired. Thankfully, the LA staff stepped in and advised him against it, airing on the side of caution. No reason to push things in July, Conmy will be ready to go when the season starts in a few months.

This will be a big season too. Not only because the Eagles are hungry to reclaim their dominance in Hockey East, but because Conmy will be putting forth his final audition to earn an entry level contract.

Two-Way Play

Will Sharpe didn’t need much prompting to explain what he’s actually working on. Not the highlight stuff — the stuff that keeps a player on the ice, and active in all three zones.

“The main focus for me is developing the 200-foot game, being a two-way guy,” he noted. “I think I took strides with that this year, and obviously continuing to try and improve my offensive side, my hands, my shot. I think I’ve had some good coaches this year, people who’ve taught me lessons.”

He credited a pair of voices — Matt Greene and Sean O’Donnell — for being helpful and making things easy to absorb.

“They’ve been great to me. When they do come out and see me, for the most part they keep the corrections to the smallest they can. They don’t want to [overwhelm] me with stuff,” Sharpe said. “But they’ve been very positive guys with me and helping me. Very, very thankful for the development.”

New Faces and Old Friends

Camp is split every year between guys walking in cold and guys who already have some friends. Sharpe is the latter. Back for his second Dev Camp, he noticed the difference.

“Coming in as a fresh guy is a little bit tough at the start — nerves are high,” Sharpe said. “But it’s great to be back this year.”

That familiarity runs deeper than just knowing the building. Sharpe already has history with a handful of guys in this year’s group.

“There’s a couple guys that I know from last year, and guys that I’ve played with through my hockey career, I played with [Nate] Corbet in Kelowna, and [Tyson] Moss, I played with him when I was at Yale [Hockey Academy]. And I played with Henry [Brzustewicz] when we were twelve years old. Obviously, I’ve known some of these guys for a little while, but it’s nice to meet more guys.”

Lucas Ambrosio, the second-to-last pick in the draft, is one of the players meeting new people and making new friends. 

“We hang out as a [defense] group a lot here,” Ambrosio said. “Sparkes and Brzustewicz, [Jared] Woolley — we’re all kind of getting to know each other a little bit more, and growing as a group, and it’s been fun. Everyone’s nice and I’m having a lot of fun.”

Different stages of the same process. Sharpe’s settling back in, while Ambrosio is ramping up and getting started. Either way, both are learning from former pros in Greene and O’Donnell and making the most of their time in LA.

We Are Family

For Ambrosio, the thing that most stuck out from camp wasn’t a drill or a coaching point — it was culture.

“I think family’s big here, that’s one of the things they harp on,” he said. “If you’re good off the ice and a big family, you can bring it to the ice and do well. I think that’s key no matter where you go and what team you’re on.”

Ambrosio and his family had a head start on that as well. He and his parents met the Kings development staff back at the draft, well before he ever set foot in TSPC.

“It means a lot with how much effort they put into it,” he said. “It builds an early connection coming into camp.”

Norlin’s version of family was his actual family. His father, Joe, made the trip out for camp, landing Tuesday morning. “Hopefully I’ll be able to spend some time with him,” he joked.

It’s also the Minneapolis native’s first time in the City of Angels. “Minnesota is pretty cold and there’s no palm trees there obviously, so being here it’s been different for sure, but I’ve loved it so far.”

It’s a small thing — a dad flying out to watch his kid skate at a Dev Camp — but it means a lot. It’s also exactly the kind of thing the Kings talk about when they talk about culture. The hockey matters, but so does everything around it.

Snappy Sanders

The final day of Dev Camp on Thursday will surely bring more storylines. We’ll have live coverage on X/Twitter, and a full breakdown in our next article. However, we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to mention Megan Sanders. One of the extremely talented photographers Mayor’s Manor is lucky enough to have on staff has been shooting away all week and her work is worth going out of your way to take a look at — either on Instagram or twitter. We post only a small handful of her pics in our articles and on social media. There’s much, much more to peruse. Do it.

Here’s a very small taste of her handywork this week:

Petteri Rimpinen | Dev Camp
LA Kings prospect via Finland #GoKingsGo

@megansanders_04 pic.twitter.com/0RArvn1Nbn

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

Daniel Walters | QMJHL
LA Kings Dev Camp
Invitee, UFA#GoKingsGo

@megansanders_04 pic.twitter.com/xxxR5fSEci

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 2, 2026

Stretching to 10

Fine, we’re going to cheat here a bit to get to 10. This tidbit isn’t really about Dev Camp, it’s about the other major thing going on throughout Wednesday. Kings GM Ken Holland was a busy man. We documented it all in a series of articles, here are some links to keep you busy for hours:

5 Things We Learned From Ken Holland’s Free Agency Availability

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings

He’s Back, Corey Perry Returns to LA Kings on One-Year Deal

Scott Laughton Returning to Kings on a Three-Year Deal

REPORT: Kings Set to Add Free Agent Forward Mats Zuccarello on One-Year Deal

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Lead photo by Megan Sanders

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com