Madden | GO KINGS GO

Where in the World Have the Los Angeles Kings…

November 10, 2020November 11, 2020
by KT Nash

It has been a long eight months since we have last seen the Los Angeles Kings or the Ontario Reign play in California. As we inch closer to a 2020-2021 season, let us explore what the Kings have been doing with their extended offseason.

This is a departure from my traditional article format; however, it is interesting to see how the team has used this time to relax, recharge, and, most importantly, train for next season. I am going to compile several mini articles highlighting some of the most interesting offseason stories on the team.

Anze Kopitar Runs Youth Hockey Camp with the President of Slovenia?

Yes, you read that correctly. Slovenia was hit less severely by the Covid-19 pandemic and, with proper social distancing measures in place, Anze Kopitar was cleared to run his annual Hockey Academy youth summer camp in his hometown of Bled, Slovenia. As if actually being able to do something outside was not exciting enough, Borut Pahor, the President of Slovenia, came for a visit to play with Kopitar and the campers! Sounds like a fun way to spend the offseason!

   
  
 
 
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   @instahockeyacademy had a special guest today. Thank you Mr. president @borutpahor for a pleasant visit!
 A post shared by  Anze Kopitar (@anzekopitar) on Jul 9, 2020 at 8:30am PDT

5 Prospects in Germany

While North America is not quite ready to return to hockey after spending several months in “the bubble”, some European leagues have begun to return to play. The Kings’ parent organization, AEG, is also the owner of the Eisbaeren Berlin hockey club in Germany’s top league, the DEL. The Kings had plenty of top prospects that were excited to return to play, thus, the Kings lent 5 players, Alex Turcotte, Tyler Madden, Akil Thomas, Aidan Dudas, and Jacob Ingham, to the team to allow them to play a little bit before the AHL and NHL seasons resume. It is nice to see the Kings play… somewhere!

   
  
 
 
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   :)
 A post shared by  AT19 (@_alexturcotte) on Oct 18, 2020 at 5:00pm PDT

Alex Iafallo Finds a New Project while Staying at Home

For Alex Iafallo, staying in Los Angeles seemed to be the best option, but that does not mean that he was just sitting around doing nothing since early March. An avid surfer, Iafallo decided to build his own surf board! He also put together a pretty nice edit of the whole process. Hockey? Craftsmanship? Cinematography? He is man of many talents. Who knew?

   
  
 
 
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   Built this board in the garage in March, finally put an edit together - - - - - - - 🎵: Invincible by Deaf Kev (NCS release)
 A post shared by  alex_iafallo (@alex_iafallo) on Sep 20, 2020 at 12:33pm PDT

Evidently, the Kings have been very busy throughout the extended offseason. These are just a few of the most interesting stories but, like all hockey fans, I cannot wait to see all of these players back in Los Angeles playing the great game of hockey.

Main image via nhl.com

Prospect Report: Tyler Madden

June 15, 2020June 16, 2020
by KT Nash

Day nine of 10 prospects in 10 days is Tyler Madden, the prospect the Kings received in the Tyler Toffoli trade.

After a successful season in the USHL, Madden was eligible in the 2018 NHL draft. He received generally strong, albeit not perfect, scouting reports going into the draft. He was chosen by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round, 63rd overall, which was consistent with his rankings.

Madden committed to play NCAA Division I hockey with the Northeastern Huskies. He had a very good showing in his freshman year with the Huskies, posting 28 points (12+16=28) in 36 games played. NCAA hockey is one of the best ways to emulate the play and style of professional hockey at the amateur level. College hockey is more physical and more defensive than any junior hockey. With that in mind, Madden’s statistics are quite impressive, especially for a freshman. He was named to the NCAA Hockey East All-Rookie Team and he had an honorable mention to their All-Star Team.

His performance also earned him a spot on Team USA for the 2019 World Juniors Tournament. He scored 4 points (3+1=4) in 7 games en route to a Silver Medal. This was a specular season for Madden and it improved his worth as a top prospect for Vancouver.

He spent his 2019-2020 season with Northeastern and had another productive campaign. He posted 37 points (19+18=37) in 27 games played. He scored more goals and points than in his previous season in fewer games played. He was named to the NCAA East First All-Star Team, their Second All-American Team, and the NCAA New England D1 All-Stars.

Madden was also traded to the Kings in the 2019-2020 season. Vancouver received Tyler Toffoli and the Kings received Madden alongside Tim Schaller, a 2021 second round pick and a 2022 conditional pick. This was an excellent trade for the Kings as Madden will surely play in the NHL in the near future. In fact, the Kings even signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Because he has signed a professional contract, Madden is no longer eligible for the NCAA. Next season he should start with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. As the Kings have a large prospect pool at center, it is unlikely that he will see much, if any, time with the Kings next year. He is a an excellent skater and will fit quite well in the modern NHL that is characterized by speed. In all likelihood he will be a mainstay with the Kings in the next few seasons, eventually working towards playing on the second line.

Madden is a Kings prospect that I am looking towards seeing with the Kings in the future; he will be an excellent offensive addition to a team that desperately needs it as soon as possible.