Thomas | 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

Prospects

Prospect Report: Akil Thomas

June 12, 2020June 13, 2020
by KT Nash

Day six of 10 prospects and 10 days is none other than Akil Thomas, the Kings’ 2018 second round, 51st overall pick.

Thomas is an offensively minded forward who is known for his playmaking ability. He played for the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs in his draft year, serving as their alternate captain, demonstrating leadership potential. He scored 81 points (22+59=81) in 68 games played in the 2017-2018 season. These were statistics good enough to earn him high praise going into the draft; He was consistently ranked in the middle of the first round, with scouts complementing his skating ability and tenacity.

However, he managed to slip to the middle of the second round. Many believe that this was due to a lackluster performance in the IIHF under-18 World Juniors Tournament of that year. In 4 games played, he had 2 points (1+1=2); he was projected to have a better showing in this tournament. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Kings were able to claim him in the second round.

Akil Thomas can be considered as a steal at 51st overall, especially when noting that some scouts had him ranked as high as 15th. He proved that he was an elite prospect in the season following his draft. In the 2018-2019, Thomas served as the IceDogs’ alternate captain once again and he posted 102 points (38+64=102) in 63 games played. He also had an incredible plus/minus of +42. These numbers are extremely good, even taking into consideration the how offensively minded major junior hockey is. Although team Canada did not name him to their World Juniors team, his spectacular season earned him a three-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

Entering into the 2019-2020 season, Thomas was named the captain of the IceDogs, further solidifying his role as a leader on the team. Before representing Canada in 2020 the IIHF World Junior Tournament, he scored 44 points (15+29=44) in 27 games played. The highlight of his season and his entire young career came during the World Juniors Tournament. Throughout the entire tournament, Thomas did not receive any significant playing time. Before the gold medal game, he only registered one point, an assist. However, with just under four minuets to go in the gold medal game, he scored a beautiful gold medal winning goal.

Scoring the tournament winning goal made headlines in the hockey community. Although he was under the immense pressure of the gold medal game, Thomas managed to score a goal after not receiving significant minuets throughout the tournament. This demonstrates his ability to be an impact player when the stakes are high. He simply leads my example and he rose to the occasion in this situation. His performance caused interest in potential trades within the OHL. Just days after his gold medal goal, he was traded to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for forward Cameron Butler and 4 draft picks. With the Petes, Thomas posted 40 points (9+31=40) in 22 games, before the season was ended due to the ongoing pandemic.

Next season, Thomas should play with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. It is also likely that he will earn a call-up to the Kings sometime during the season. In the future, he will probably play in the top 6 on the Kings. He should convert well to the NHL level, especially when considering his offensive and leadership abilities.

Off the ice, Thomas is an entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of a successful clothing line called Zale apparel. This brand designs and sells street ware. He is also a podcaster; he hosts the “Soul on Ice” podcast alongside Damon “Kwame” Mason and Elijah Roberts. This podcast covers hockey throughout the ages from a modern perspective. It is interesting to see such an elite prospect commit to so many things outside of hockey. I look forward to seeing how he expands on these endeavors once he is playing in the NHL.

Akil Thomas is a character player that has the potential to be a great leader at the NHL level. I look forward to seeing how his natural offensive talent translates to the NHL level.