It’s June and you know what that means… business is about to pick up!

Fresh on the minds of most people is the burning question of ‘When will the Kings finally hire a coach?’ That answer is allegedly expected over the next few weeks.

Additionally, two key hockey events are coming up on the calendar: the NHL Draft and Development Camp. We’ll delve into the former over a series of articles in the days and weeks ahead — including our usual player profiles and predictions for what LA may end up doing with their picks — but we’re here right now to talk about Dev Camp 2026.

The organization’s annual prospect-palooza is set to return to Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo for four days, beginning on Monday, June 29 and wrapping up on Thursday, July 2 (per various Mayor’s Manor sources). Although the official schedule hasn’t been released yet, we’ll assume it will follow a similar format as years past, including separate morning sessions for the forwards and defensemen, followed by an afternoon scrimmage. The highlight of the event each year, a black and white scrimmage, will most likely take place mid-morning on Thursday.

All of the Kings top prospects are expected to attend; plus several very important college free agents. So, who is coming and why should you care? We recently published a few articles breaking the news about a few from the latter group that can be read here:

Kings Add College Hockey’s Leading Goal Scorer and a Top UFA Defenseman to Upcoming Dev Camp

LA Kings at it Again, Land Top NCAA Center for 2026 Dev Camp

More Dev Camp News: One of NCAA’s Highest Scoring Defensemen Coming to LA

As usual, the camp is expected to be run by LA’s development coaches, including Jarret Stoll, Sean O’Donnell, and Mike Donnelly. Ontario Reign coach Andrew Lord will also likely be involved in some capacity.

Which prospects will be attending?

Typically, Dev Camp is largely comprised of Kings prospects from the prior three years (in this case, 2023-25), plus the current year’s draftees (2026). This could eliminate Kenny Connors, as he was originally selected in 2022. However, sometimes exceptions are made, especially considering he just completed his first full pro season in Ontario. Each situation is slightly different.

Below, we’ve put together a rough draft of the likely attendees. Keep in mind, this list will grow by a few names selected at the 2026 NHL Draft, along with potentially a small handful of additional camp invitees.

KINGS 2026 DEV CAMP ROSTER PREVIEW

Forwards

87 Vojtech Cihar – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
76 Jan Chovan – Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
XX Hank Cleaves – Dartmouth (free agent)
56 Ryan Conmy – Boston College
57 Kenny Connors – Ontario Reign
XX Kristian Epperson – Denver University
54 Jimmy Lombardi – Flint Firebirds (OHL)
XX Brendan McMorrow – Denver University
90 James Reeder – Denver University
86 Grant Slukynsky – Ontario Reign
XX Hayden Stavroff – Dartmouth (free agent)
53 Jared Wright – Ontario Reign
89 Koehn Ziemmer – Ontario Reign

Defensemen

68 Henry Brzustewicz – Ontario Reign
51 Jakub Dvorak – Ontario Reign
XX Ty Hanson – Minnesota Duluth (free agent)
50 Caeden Herrington – Penn State
95 Kirill Kirsanov – Ontario Reign
XX Isaiah Norlin – Colgate (free agent)
60 Otto Salin – Ontario Reign
91 Will Sharpe – Vancouver Giants (WHL)
59 Jack Sparkes – Clarkson University
80 Jared Woolley – Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Goaltenders

40 Carter George – Ontario Reign
65 Petteri Rimpinen – Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
85 Hampton Slukynsky – Ontario Reign

Additional Roster Notes

Camp Invitees

For those unfamiliar, invitees aren’t actually property of the team. Typically, these players fall into three categories – undrafted players who are committed to attend college the following season, players who are there as a favor to somebody in the organization, and Canadian junior players who somehow slipped through the NHL Draft. While they’re technically free agents in most cases, that’s often only true for a very short period of time. If they’re still Draft eligible, they need to be signed by a specific date in October or they’ll go back into next year’s NHL Draft.

Usually, the players invited to Dev Camp are also asked to return for Rookie Camp in September (unless they’re going to college, as those players aren’t eligible to return — see rules explanation here). It’s not uncommon for NHL teams to even sign an invitee or two to a contract following an impressive performance at Dev Camp.

Usually, the Kings have around 4-7 invitees at Dev Camp. Thus, there may be a few more added to the names already included in our roster preview.

2026 Draft Class

As noted above, the Kings will select their 2026 Draft class just prior to Dev Camp getting underway. They currently hold nine selections, beginning with No. 17 in Round 1, followed by two selections in Round 2. History suggests there will likely be some movement before all is said and done. Regardless, all 2026 selections will be invited and should help round out the final Dev Camp roster.

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MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

LA Kings at it Again, Land Top NCAA Center for 2026 Dev Camp

Goalie Hampton Slukynsky is Hammering His Way Into Kings Prospect Pool

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About six months ago, whispers began of a new league-wide jersey program coming for the NHL’s 2026-27 season. Tabbed as a Hometown Remix (HTR) collection, this is expected to be a cousin to the previously popular Reverse Retro sweaters that were designed during the Adidas era. Some rumors even suggested this has been on the table since Fanatics took over making hockey jerseys in 2024.

Regardless of the exact origins, the initial reports of LA’s jersey coming on a purple shell have all but been confirmed. Now comes the fun part, what will it look like? Rather than wait until its expected September debut, we asked our longtime artist at AloImages to play junior detective, hoping to piece some clues together for a possible preview. A series of mockups were created, which we’ll walk through and explain below.

Design Methodology

To begin the conversation, it’s first important to delineate the five distinct eras of Kings jerseys. While each of these segments lasted roughly 10 years, there were also some sidebar jerseys along the way — i.e. specialty jerseys for outdoor games or even third jerseys worn for a year or two. All of this is important to sort through, as we begin to analyze which era might get the ‘remix’ treatment, and why.

The 1967 Jersey – First used when the franchise launched into action as part of the NHL’s Second Six (joining the Original Six franchises), this also is said to be the foundation for which the team is heading back toward in the coming years. For example, we had reported for more than a year that they’d first launch the new crown jersey as a third jersey, and then there would be a white version of the new crown jersey eventually added to serve as the road jersey. Essentially, they’d flip the current set-up with the ’67 looking crown becoming the home/road in black/white and the current Gretzky-era home/road will move to becoming the thirds.

Because of this, we don’t believe the ’67 jersey or the crown are likely to play heavily into the HTR program. Remember, this new jersey will have a purple base. The original ’67 already had a purple version. That had gold accents. Could they now do a purple and silver version of the ’67 jersey? They could, yet that feels more like a possible third jersey down the road.

Remember, HTR — like Reverse Retro — will most likely be a one to two-year specialty jersey program, similar to baseball’s City Connect collection. These jerseys aren’t designed to be permanent. Thus, teams typically want to design something that’s a one-off fun idea, and steer clear of ideas that may be useful for a more permanent third jersey down the road. This is a point worth noting since many fans loved both editions of LA’s gorgeous Reverse Retros.

We also understand that for longtime fans, it’s Forum Blue and Gold, not purple. However, since they haven’t played at the Forum for nearly 30 years, we’ll call it purple.

The 1980 Jersey – Produced in both a purple and gold versions, this jersey was already given the remix treatment during Reverse Retro 2.0 when a white version was released. To use this shell again, it would need a different crest, as we’ve already seen every version with a crown. Either way, we don’t think this shell is a strong contender to be used for HTR. We’ll try to put a fresh spin on it though when we get to our mockups.

The 1988 Jersey – This sweater is referred to by several different names, including the Chevron and the Gretzky. Regardless of what you call it, there’s good reasons to believe this won’t be included in the HTR program. For starters, an updated version of this jersey was launched a few years ago and serves as the team’s current home/road kit. Could they put a different crest on it as a remix? Sure, but why? We’ve also already seen the purple version as part of the original Reverse Retro launch. Thus, this jersey is almost surely off the table for further discussion.

The 1998 Jersey – Like the sweater above, this also has a few different nicknames and is commonly referred to as the 2000’s jersey or the shield. In reality, this came out in 1998, as the team was going through a heavy rebrand of a new ownership and in preparation for the Kings to make their move to downtown LA and Staples Center. A new day was coming and nearly everything was getting a makeover. The classic ’67 crown was also redone during this era, first in a third jersey and then eventually as the team’s main home/road crest. Ever since the new ‘home plate’ design launched — which we’ll talk about next — the team has largely tried to distance themselves from this entire design era. It’s really never been marketed again; which makes it rather fertile ground for the upcoming HTR collection. More on that below.

The 2011 Jersey – This jersey’s whole existence is somewhat fascinating. For starters, it really wasn’t new. The design is actually a play on the Kings earliest design marks, going all the way back to 1967. Take a look here — we still strongly believe there was a real missed opportunity to bring this look back a few years ago. We digress, though.

When a black version launched in 2008, it was never intended to become the team’s full-time jersey. It was a third jersey. The players loved it; and they asked to wear it in the playoffs as their home jersey. This was so popular that a white version launched in 2011 and this look became the full-time home/road jersey. Then, the Kings won their first Stanley Cup in it, and the rest is history. Here’s a crazy thing to think about. Most people wouldn’t consider this look to be one of the Kings iconic jerseys — reserving that comment for more of the classic purple and gold or the Gretzky era stylings. However, the Kings actually wore this jersey on the ice longer than any other design. All pretty much by accident.

Even so, it’s likely too soon to bring this back under any retro type program. They just moved away from it a few years ago. Do they really need to remix it into a purple version so soon? Probably not.

The 2024 Jersey – The team’s current jersey is a return to their roots in many ways. We’ve also seen the purple version of this during Reverse Retro. We only list it here to complete the full list of LA’s five major jersey eras.

Round One Mocks – June 2026

Some people may have skipped all of those words up above. We know, TLDR (aka Too Long Didn’t Read, for those not versed in current internet sarcasm). That preamble is important though, as it sets the stage for why certain jerseys and crests were selected in our mockups below. The idea wasn’t to present every possible remix combination, but rather to hone in on likely contenders.

The 1967 Jersey — This sweater originally featured a crown, so that’s out as a possible crest in the HTR. Thus, this shell would most likely need to feature the ’98 crest. We’ve mocked it up with two different hem options.

The 1980 Jersey – When you get to the Kings second jersey era, things start to open up a little bit. We’ll begin with something pretty simple and straightforward; this uses the basic purple and gold styling from that era, but remixes the overall look to now feature the 1988 chevron styled logo.

While this basically works, also note that it’s likely too similar to the original Reverse Retro jersey. We changed the crest here to go with a yellow chevron used in one of the earlier RR comps, just to give it a bit of change. Again, though, it’s just too close to the first RR jersey.

So, then we started getting into some purple and silver versions of the 1980 shell.

After taking a look at how things might come together with the 1988 chevron, including the two different hem lines above, we then started playing around with the 1998 shield. In this version, we even included the ‘Los Angeles’ across the bottom, staying true to the original look of what accompanied that crest.

One word of caution, though. This was the jersey template used for the last Reverse Retro line, so we’re not sure they’d want to go back to it again so soon… even if it’s using a purple base this time instead of white.

The 1998 Jersey – This jersey originally featured the shield, so what other crests would be possible? We started out with the updated crown (left side below), but that jersey was basically already done as a third jersey in 1999. However, once we added a black version of the 1988 chevron, all the elements almost came together too perfectly. In the end, this was our personal favorite from this round of comps. And even if the Los Angeles is removed from the hem line, it’s still a great way to begin incorporating purple into the team’s current primary home/away look — which also features the chevron crest. Maybe this jersey (or something pretty similar) should even be held back for a permanent third jersey, rather than just a short-lived HTR offering.

From the possible edge of beauty just presented to whatever the other side of the coin would be, we also tried an out of the box remix of the 2000s era shield in purple and gold:

Now, to add a little more context to this image, we started down the path of that jersey with what sounded potentially interesting in a verbal discussion, and it just didn’t come together nicely enough in execution. Yes, we could try removing the shoulder patches and smoothing things out in a few places to give it a stronger purple and gold feel, yet it just didn’t feel like a path worth further exploring.

The Wild Card

Who likes elephants in the room?

There’s one other skeleton in the Kings jersey closet that needs to be brought up.

Yes, we’re talking about the infamous Burger King jersey.

We usually avoid all reference to the 1996 monstrosity that stretches the bounds of ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ saying. Yet, it may just be applicable here.

From the early leaks and other whispers around the league, one of the general themes around HTR jerseys may be a retro vibe of the ’90s. If that’s the case, the BK jersey (as it’s affectionately known by most) could be in play. And if you add in the fact that Anaheim did a remake of their similarly timed Wild Wing jersey during the last Reverse Retro cycle — and it was overwhelmingly well received — there may never be a better moment than now to bring back the BK jersey.

While we don’t believe the BK crest will ultimately be what the Kings end up using for next season’s HTR jersey, we’ll at least explore the idea here for any fans who might be interested. 

Where would one even start (other than redesigning it from the ground up, of course)?

We’ll begin with two remixed versions of the original BK look, one in purple and gold, while the other version gets black and silver accents.

If a larger, more traditional sized crest is preferred, there are a few different options:

Then, if you really want to remix the original concept, maybe take the sash away altogether:

Finally, oh what the heck… if BK really is back on the table, how about remixing the crest with a jersey from a different Kings era altogether?

That’s a lot of remixing, with plenty to chew on for now. We’ll begin to whittle things down in our next article (i.e. round two of comps), but wanted to first give readers a behind-the-scenes peek at how the entire iteration process goes from start to finish.

If you have a favorite, let’s hear about it. We’re expecting the social media debates to begin immediately, and continue on until the actual HTR jersey is released in September.

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Jared Woolley lifts his second straight #MemorialCup. Ends his junior career as one of only four players to win back-to-back Memorial Cups with two different teams #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/r0F2DA4eps

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) June 1, 2026

Teammate Sam O’Reilly was named tournament MVP after a goal and three assists in the final, completing a clean sweep of the regular-season MVP, playoff MVP, and Memorial Cup MVP. That trifecta has only been accomplished by three other players: Corey Perry, Brad Richards, and Mitch Marner. It’s also the third straight year an OHL team has lifted the Cup.

Everett, playing in their first Memorial Cup, did their best to prove they belonged. The Silvertips beat Chicoutimi twice — including a 6-1 semifinal victory — to reach the final, but Kitchener’s depth was too much. Chicoutimi, led by Anaheim prospect and QMJHL MVP Maxim Massé, went 1-2, earning their lone win 3-2 in overtime against Kelowna.

The hosting Rockets had the toughest tournament, going 0-3 and tying the record for fewest goals in tournament history with two, despite rostering Utah first-round pick Tij Iginla and Kings prospect Vojtech Cihar.

A recap of both Woolley and Cihar’s full seasons will be featured in our upcoming prospect tracker.

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Lead photo via Kitchener Rangers

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Some things will forever just be fun to talk about. And when it comes to Kings playoff moments, few topics provide more depth and storylines than the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Things began with Kelly Hrudey, LA’s starting goaltender, getting benched in Round 1.

Then, after getting dominated by Vancouver during the regular season, an unlikely hero emerged in double overtime to give the Kings a 3-2 series lead en route to eventually punching their ticket to the organization’s first-ever Conference Final.

Of course, what came next still stands the test of time. LA-Toronto was one of the best seven-game series in NHL history.

On May 29, 1993, Wayne Gretzky led the @LAKings to their first Campbell Conference championship, and their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Gretzky scored his first playoff hat trick with the #LAKings in a 5-4 win in Game 7 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/8RE6cjbIPs

— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) May 29, 2026

Building upon that tweet and today’s anniversary of the infamous Game 7 in Toronto, below is an article that originally appeared on Mayor’s Manor more than a decade ago. We’re republishing it now to give longtime fans a chance to reminisce about those incredible two weeks of hockey. Plus, some newer fans can gain some insight into all the drama that unfolded. Hat tricks by both captains, a style of physical play you won’t see in the NHL anymore and enough back-and-forth action to put even the most stoic observers on the edge of their seats.

It was the series that created and cemented a whole new generation of hockey loyalists in Los Angeles. And in their honor, we present a look back at that incredible series – followed by interviews with many of the key names involved: Robitaille, Blake, Hrudey, Granato, Shuchuk and others.  Enjoy…

Things were quite different in 1993. The Ducks were just a movie, wearing a helmet was optional for players, Gary Bettman was recently named the NHL’s first Commissioner, Bruce McNall still owned the Kings, and mullets were cool.

Five years prior, LA had made ‘the trade’ with Edmonton to bring Wayne Gretzky to SoCal, turning Hollywood to Hockeywood. The Kings had their best year ever in 1990-91, posting 102 points and winning the Smythe Division. After losing to Edmonton that postseason — and the year after — coach Tom Webster was fired.

Then, prior to the 1992-93 season the Kings hired Barry Melrose – who had never been behind the bench for an NHL game. His star player, No. 99, missed the first 36 games of the season with a back injury. Luc Robitaille captained the team while he was out and promptly produced the best season of his career, with 63 goals and 125 points. The team finished in 3rd place in their division with a record of 39-35-10, or 11th best in the 24-team league.

Fan favorite and starting goaltender, Kelly Hrudey, had gone through a horrible slump earlier in the year and still wasn’t right as the playoffs began. Down 2-1 in the series, Melrose replaced him with Robb Stauber. Hrudey has stated, “Robb played in game four and we won 2-1 to even the series. Barry stuck with him in games five and six…He won the series.”

Melrose kept Stauber between the pipes to open the second round against Vancouver. After the Kings lost the first game, Hrudey recalls “Immediately following the game Barry called me into his office and told me I was going to start game two.” The Kings went on to win the series 4-2, setting the stage for what came next…

SIMPLY, THE SERIES

The Campbell Conference Finals in 1993 ultimately determined which team would play the Canadians for the Stanley Cup. At the time, hockey know-it-alls claimed the Maple Leafs were going to send Melrose, Gretzky and the rest of the Kings packing.

Even though Toronto had gone 2-1-1 against LA during the regular season, team leader Doug Gilmour wasn’t taking his opponent lightly, saying “We don’t want to get into a scoring match up with the Kings. We want to play them strong defensively and go from there.”

Rookie goalie Felix Potvin agreed, adding “It’s going to be a tough series…they’ve got a wide-open offense…and we’re going to have to try to shut them down. We don’t want to get into a shootout with the Kings.”

There were also plenty of odd associations on both sides, as well. Leafs winger Mike Krushelnyski had played two seasons for the Kings before being traded to Toronto a few years earlier. Glenn Anderson of the Leafs had played with Gretzky and Jari Kurri back in Edmonton and felt the Kings were “very determined not only to get by this series against us but to win the Stanley Cup.”

As if those weren’t enough storylines to chew on, Toronto’s captain, Wendel Clark, also happened to be the first cousin of Melrose.

Clark, who played a key role in most of the games, has since said “That series was probably the most excitement I saw around here,” referring to Maple Leaf Gardens.

Melrose didn’t let family ties stand in the way of what he proudly states “was one of the best series the NHL has had in the last 30 years,” adding “both buildings were electric, and both cities were unbelievable.”

Game 1 – While the Maple Leafs defeated the Kings 4-1 to take the early series lead, the real story of the game centered on a hit LA defenseman Marty McSorley put on Gilmour. Clark took exception to the hit and went after McSorley, in what became a series long theme (click here for video of the whole incident). The hit also enraged Burns, who tried going after Melrose on the bench, convinced he ordered the hit on Gilmour.

McSorley’s bruised face was on the cover of the Toronto sports page with a quote from Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher “All I’m saying is (McSorley) may try (going after Gilmour), but it won’t happen again.”

The coaches were beginning their own war too. Burns began to take aim at Melrose through the media – feeling the Kings coach didn’t respect him or his team. After Melrose made a comment about the Leafs being good at protecting a lead because they have “10 guys 30 years old. They plug up the middle pretty well.” Burns retorted with “We had 99 points this year, his team had 88. I guess our 30-year-olds did a pretty good job clogging up the middle. We beat Detroit and St. Louis, and I firmly believe we’ll beat the Los Angeles Kings, too.” The war of words later escalated to Melrose commenting on Burns’ weight – even telling him to have another donut – while Burns would call him Billy Ray Cyrus.

Looking back now, Melrose says “Pat and I are both competitive guys. We’re both outgoing guys,” Melrose said. “We both talk a lot, and when you get both of those things combined…a lot of stuff is going to happen.”

Game 2 – The Kings tie the series with a 3-2 win in Toronto

Game 3 – With the series now in LA for games three and four, the Kings win 4-2, taking the series lead

Game 4 – The Leafs tie the series with a 4-2 victory at the Forum

Game 5 – In the first of back to back overtime games, the Leafs win 3-2 when Anderson whacks a puck out of the air with 40 seconds left in the extra period…the Leafs now lead the series 3-2 and the series heads back to LA.

Game 6 – Prior to the game, then-Toronto columnist Bob McKenzie noted that Gretzky was playing like he had a piano on his back throughout the series..the Great One then went out and proved you don’t call out a legend like that…

Urban myth has it that Wayne addressed the team before the game and asked them to give it their all to tie the series and send things back to Toronto, where he promised he would take care of things in game seven.

It almost never came to be. The Kings dominated the first two periods and were up 4-1 early in the third. However, Clark scored three goals for the Leafs to even the game 4-4 and send things to overtime. Early in the fourth period Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour for what Leaf fans will forever claim should have been a penalty. Referee Kerry Fraser disagreed and play continued.

From behind the net Robitaille set up Gretzky to win the game. Kings 5, Leafs 4. Board the plane. We’re going back to Toronto for game seven and a possible trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Game 7 – In what will forever be known as ‘The Series’ among Kings fans and players, this is ‘The Game’

Gretzky opened the scoring on a shorthanded give-and-go with McSorley to provide the Kings an early 1-0 lead. He then set up Tomas Sandstrom for a goal to put the Kings up 2-0 at the end of the first period.

Toronto tied things up early in the second on goals from Clark and then Anderson. Melrose called a time out to settle things down. At the half way point of the second period Gretzky was alone in the slot and put a slap shot past Potvin to give the Kings the lead again at 3-2. Like the intermission before, the Kings were leading at the break.

Clark scored his second goal of the game mere minutes into the third period to tie things up once again. Both teams rushed up and down the ice repeatedly for over 10 minutes, neither scoring. With just under four minutes remaining in regulation, Kings forward Mike Donnelly scored on a rebound of a shot originally taken by Alex Zhitnik – giving the Kings a precious one goal lead.

Seconds later, Gretzky ended up with the puck, circled behind the net and backhanded it off the skate of Leafs defenseman Dave Ellet. It went by Potvin and the Kings now had a two goal lead on #99’s hat trick.

The next few minutes probably seemed like an eternity to Kings fans everywhere. Then, with about a minute to go, Ellet got a small sense of redemption, scoring to pull the the Leafs close, now trailing by just a goal.

Tick, tock…pass, shot, save…rinse, repeat…ten seconds left…three seconds left…game over. Kings win the game 5-4 and the series 4 games to 3.

Gretzky has been quoted as saying that his performance in Game 7 was the best NHL game of his career. For Kings fans, it will certainly was.

With a roster full of guys like Corey Millen, Gary Shuchuk and Pat Conacher the Kings beat an original six team in the playoffs for the first time since entering the league in 1967. Oh yeah, they also had guys named Granato, Carson, and Blake.

In two of the iconic moments in franchise history, Gretzky skated over to the bench after the game to give Melrose a huge hug (pictured at right)…later in the locker room, Luc Robitaille kissed Dave Taylor as they celebrated around the Campbell Conference trophy (picture above).

It most likely was the greatest seven game series ever played in the National Hockey League and the mere mention of Kings-Maple Leafs will forever bring back memories of that epic playoff battle.

Ah, 1993…when mullets were cool and the Kings owned LA.

NOTE: The above article was originally posted on MayorsManor in January 2010. Numerous highlights of the series are available on YouTube including this one: here. We’ve also conducted numerous interviews over the last few years with many of the key figures during that run. For your reference, several are linked below. Each features great stories about the games, the players and even some background info that’s never been revealed before. Again, enjoy…

20 Questions with #20 – Interview with Luc Robitaille

Interview with Rob Blake

Interview with Kelly Hrudey

Interview with Gary Shuchuk – Kings playoff hero in 1993

Interview with Robb Stauber – honest conversation about what was happening in goal

Podcast with Kerry Fraser – fascinating behind-the-scenes info on many of the Kings stories he was involved in

Podcast with Tony Granato

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Winning the Stanley Cup is obviously hard to top when looking back at the Kings greatest playoff moments. Yet, when it comes to naming the best series ever, LA’s 1993 battle with Toronto is beyond legendary among just those two teams; it goes down as one of the best in NHL history. Seven games, constant momentum shifts, fights, hat tricks, it had it all. And Game 6 had some major controversy — centered around referee Kerry Fraser, Doug Gilmour, and Wayne Gretzky.

On May 27, 1993, the @LAKings staved elimination in Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Final. Wayne Gretzky scored the game-winning goal in a 5-4 win in overtime, and sent the #LAKings to Toronto for Game 7 at Maple Leaf Gardens.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/pbrniT8tf6

— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) May 27, 2026

Had the Leafs won that game, they would have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for a meeting with the Canadiens, a true dream matchup north of the border. It wasn’t to be, though (more on that later this week, following Game 7).

Back in the day, as they say, Fraser made an appearance on an early version of the Mayor’s Manor podcast. It turned out to be one of the most fascinating and revealing interviews ever to appear on this site. An encore replay is available below and here’s some of the commentary from the original release of that show:

There aren’t many people like Kerry Fraser. He’s perhaps the most recognizable referee in the history of hockey and throughout his 30-year career, he managed to get under the skin of fans in nearly every NHL city.

While taking his last laps around North America last year — eventually leading to his retirement after more than 2,000 games — Fraser penned a book, The Final Call. It’s a telling memoir featuring candid insight and often provides the emotion behind stories fans may not have otherwise been privy to.

In the podcast below Fraser shares some of those memories. He talks about lecturing a young Mario Lemieux and the friction it created, allowing Mark Messier a little latitude when taking care of a situation on the ice and recalls a crushed Theo Fleury asking him for help.

Of course, he also talks about several key events involving the Kings – including the non-call on Gretzky vs. Toronto, Marty McSorley’s illegal stick in the Stanley Cup Final, coach Tom Webster throwing a stick at him and quite a bit more.

He shares the experiences of receiving death threats, contemplates rule changes and offers opinions on calling penalties in the final minutes of play. We also play word association, and you may not believe what he has to say about guys like Gary Bettman, Chris Pronger, Sean Avery, Patrick Roy and several others. The most shocking though may be his comments on Alex Ovechkin.

For those interested in ordering a copy of his book, The Final Call, see here:

The Final Call: Hockey Stories from a Legend in Stripes

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Another game, another dominating performance by the Kitchener Rangers at this year’s Memorial Cup. Building upon their 5-0 shutout over host Kelowna in Friday’s opener, the reigning OHL champions followed that up with a 6-2 win over WHL Everett on Monday.

Kings prospect Jared Woolley was held off the scoresheet yet still managed to play solid defensively and continues to impose his will in the tournament. On this night, though, one of the key storylines surrounded a good ol’ fashioned donnybrook between Andrew MacNeil (Canadiens) and Jaxsin Vaughan (undrafted).

Below are some highlights:

As old school as it gets. Like it or hate it, it influenced the game. https://t.co/N3HBUMCorf

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 26, 2026

Upcoming Schedule

Kitchener will look to run their round robin record to a perfect 3-0 when they face off with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens (1-1) on Tuesday night. A victory by Woolley and the Rangers would give them a bye into the championship game on Sunday, May 31.

Fellow Kings prospect Vojtech Cihar and the host Kelowna Rockets (0-2) will play their final round robin game on Wednesday, taking on Everett (1-1). A regulation win would push Kelowna to a 1-2 record and keep them alive in hopes of a possible tie-breaker game on Thursday, in advance of Friday’s semifinal matchup of the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds. Should they lose, they’d officially be eliminated from the tournament.

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Lead photo courtesy of Steve Dunsmoor | CHL

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Opening night of the 2026 Memorial Cup did not disappoint. In addition to some Kings-on-Kings crime — in the form of LA prospects Jared Woolley (Kitchener) and Vojtech Cihar (Kelowna) facing off — there was also the battle for an early advantage in the short tournament. And the OHL champion Rangers wasted no time putting the other three teams on notice.

Kitchener earned a dominant 5-0 victory, including a goal and a fight from Woolley.

Here are some highlights (note: Woolley wears No. 51 and plays on the top D-pair):

INSANE SEQUENCE. Čihař out of the box gets a breakaway, misses. Puck goes the other way and Woolley drops down low to score!!! #GoKingsGo #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/dib051xWN7

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) May 23, 2026

Miscellaneous comments surrounding the game:

Speaking from experience

Jared Woolley spoke about the @OHLRangers‘ preparation and how he feels comfortable on the big stage.#MemorialCup | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/TZ08pDgNcA

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 22, 2026

“Just keep getting better”

Jared Woolley knows exactly what it takes, and wants to see his team continue to improve as this game and the tournament continues.#MemorialCup | @OHLRangers pic.twitter.com/6HUrFPNv4w

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 23, 2026

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It’s a four-team, round robin tournament — where Kitchener, Kelowna, WHL champion Everett, and QMJHL champion Chicoutimi will each play one another. The top three advance to a single-elimination bracket, with the first seed getting a bye and the second and third seed playing for a spot in the championship game. Getting a win in Game 1 on Friday will be important, yet it’s still conceivable that both Kitchener and Kelowna could advance to the point they meet up again in the semifinal or final.

Woolley, a sixth-round pick by the Kings in 2024, just won his third consecutive OHL championship. The first two were with London, and now the third with Kitchener came after a mid-season trade. He and teammate Sam O’Reilly became just the second and third players in the modern OHL era to three-peat. The 6-foot-5, left-shot defenseman anchored Kitchener’s top pair through a 16-2 playoff run and is expected to turn pro and join AHL Ontario this fall. He also won the Memorial Cup with London last year and now he’s gunning for another.

Cihar took a less direct route to get here. LA’s second-round pick last summer was playing in Czechia to start the season, posting eight points in 27 games with HC Energie Karlovy Vary. With the Memorial Cup in mind, Kelowna went all-in to acquire his WHL rights from Lethbridge this past November. “When I heard that Kelowna will host the Mem Cup, I was kind of like, okay, I’m more into it now…I know it’s the biggest tournament in junior hockey” he told LA Kings Insider.

He arrived in Kelowna shortly after winning MVP at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota and the production didn’t stop. Cihar posted 31 points in 31 regular-season games and currently holds a team-leading 13 points in nine playoff games. From eight points in the Czech league to the best player at the WJC to Kelowna’s most dangerous forward — all in four months.

Woolley and Cihar won’t be the only star power playing in the tournament either. Everett, the WHL champion, features Detroit first-round pick Carter Bear, Seattle prospect and WHL playoff MVP Julius Miettinen, and Landon DuPont, a potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. They also eliminated Cihar’s Rockets in the second round, so a rematch carries extra weight. Chicoutimi, representing the QMJHL, is led by Anaheim prospect and league MVP Maxim Massé.

The round robin runs from May 22-27, with most games at 6 p.m. Pacific on NHL Network. The final game will be at 4 p.m. PT.

May 22: Kitchener vs. Kelowna
May 23: Everett vs. Chicoutimi
May 24: Kelowna vs. Chicoutimi
May 25: Everett vs. Kitchener
May 26: Chicoutimi vs. Kitchener
May 27: Kelowna vs. Everett

A tiebreaker, if needed, is scheduled for May 28. The semifinal is the 29th and the championship game is the 31st at 4 p.m. PT.

Tune in Friday night to see it all unfold. One Kings prospect hasn’t lost an OHL playoff series in three years. The other was the best player at the World Juniors to begin his North American career. Now, they’ll be on opposite sides of the ice — and by May 31, one of them could be lifting the Memorial Cup.

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Housekeeping note: Once a prospect’s season has concluded and their final report has been filed, they will no longer be featured in this year’s Prospect Tracker and will instead be listed here. Players no longer featured: Jan Chovan (Sudbury Wolves), Ryan Conmy (Boston College), Kristian Epperson (Denver), Caeden Herrington (Vermont), Brendan McMorrow (Denver), James Reeder (Denver), Will Sharpe (Vancouver Giants), Hampton Slukynsky (Ontario Reign), Jack Sparkes (Clarkson), and Petteri Rimpinen (Kiekko-Espoo).

American Hockey League (AHL)

Henry Brzustewicz, Ontario Reign, RH Defenseman (31st overall in 2025)

2025-26 AHL Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, minus-1, 8 PIM in 10 games played

2025-26 OHL Stats: 19 goals, 37 assists, minus-16, 77 PIM in 61 games played

Brzustewicz’s season has ended for the second time. After being eliminated from the OHL playoffs by Carter George and the Soo, he was eliminated from the AHL playoffs as well after a closely fought five-game series against Coachella Valley. He didn’t find the scoresheet in the series, but registered more shots than any Ontario defenseman and fifth most overall on the team with nine. The offensive instincts were there even if the production wasn’t.

Unfortunately, Game 5 featured a moment he will likely want to forget. With the season on the line, Brzustewicz didn’t take a shift in overtime. No bad penalty, no glaring mistake, no clear reason — except perhaps that Andrew Lord didn’t want a player who had only been with the team for a month carrying the weight of the season on his shoulders. We may never know the why, but what we do know is that Brzustewicz showed flashes of strong play in his first professional stint. In all likelihood, he’ll be back with the Reign next season to grow his game and prepare for his NHL debut — whenever that may be. Perhaps he will even be playing alongside his former defensive partner Jared Woolley.

Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Jared Woolley, Kitchener Rangers, LH Defenseman (164th overall in 2024)

2025-26 Stats: 13 goals, 30 assists, plus-31, 116 PIM in 84 games played

After sweeping the Barrie Colts in the OHL Finals, Woolley has now won three straight OHL championships. Prior to the win, that remarkable feat had only been accomplished once in the 46 years of ‘modern’ OHL history. After the win, it had been done three times, as Woolley and his fellow former London Knights teammate Sam O’Reilly joined the list. It’s a special honor for a special player.

He finished the finals with one point, but his fingerprints were all over each victory — as has been the case all season. When he’s not showing up on the scoresheet it’s because he’s locked into his role as the number one defenseman. And with seven points across 18 playoff games, 36 points in 66 regular-season games, and now an OHL championship, so far this season has been as successful as possible for the Kings 2024 sixth-round pick.

The question remains, what could possibly top winning three straight OHL titles? Well, that could be winning his second straight Memorial Cup. Kitchener will head to Kelowna where the tournament opens on May 22nd. The first game will feature Woolley in a Kings prospect showdown with Vojtech Cihar. Two Kings prospects, two different paths to the tournament — and now they will face off on the biggest stage in junior hockey.

Jared Woolley is an OHL Champion for the third year in a row #GoKingsGo  pic.twitter.com/4nLHNrEmrf

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) May 13, 2026

Western Hockey League (WHL)

Vojtech Cihar, Kelowna Rockets, Forward (59th overall in 2025)

2025-26 WHL Stats: 18 goals, 26 assists, plus-23, 20 PIM in 40 games played

After posting 13 points in nine playoff games before Kelowna’s elimination, Cihar will be returning to action at the Memorial Cup. As the host city, Kelowna gets an automatic berth in the tournament to face off against the champions of the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL.

It will be the biggest stage of the season for the Czech forward, aside from his time at the World Juniors — where he won MVP. If he can deliver an MVP-like performance, Kelowna has a real shot at being competitive in the tournament. But without stellar play from him, the Rockets will no doubt struggle against the top teams in junior hockey. To start, his matchup against Woolley’s Rangers will be a challenge, as well as a must-see matchup, with one of the most dynamic forwards in the WHL doing his best while going up against the Kings top shutdown defenseman prospect.

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Lead photo of Woolley via Ontario Hockey League

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 a recent spot on KNX 1070 AM, where John Hoven shared some thoughts regarding the LA Kings, NHL, and city of Santa Monica negotiating for a potential game to be played near the pier. It’s a conversation that builds upon our initial story here:

REPORT: Kings Inching Closer to Outdoor Game on the Beach

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

Lead photo via AloImages