Hockey Teams

Although the NHL lockout will keep the Kings and Ducks off the ice at least through Oct. 24 there are still a number of hockey alternatives in Southern California. From the Ontario Reign — the Kings' ECHL affiliate — through college, high school, junior and youth leagues, teams are hoping to grab some of the spotlight usually dominated by the NHL teams. "We're definitely not taking advantage of anybody's misfortune," said Justin Kemp, president of the Reign. "But we are going to at least take advantage of the opportunity to promote ourselves and hopefully keep hockey in the front of people's minds in a positive way while the lockout is being resolved.

Leave it to Ducks Coach Bruce (Gabby) Boudreau to wax poetic about his team's season series against the Kings. "It's a rivalry and it's for Southern California. It's for Southern California bragging rights," Boudreau said. "I mean, I know as a person I don't like to see them on top and then every time you go outside they're flaunting it at you. And I'm sure they didn't like it after 2007 when the Ducks won. "There becomes a hatred. The games are always picked up a little bit more with each other.

Bullfrog President and General Manager Stuart Silver is expected to be in Nevada today to make an offer to buy the Reno Rage of the West Coast Hockey League. Silver said he intends to place $250,000 from unspecified investors with a Nevada bankruptcy trustee. He said his agent, Canadian sports broker Al Howell, believes the offer has a good shot of being forwarded to a federal bankruptcy court.

TEAMS LISTED IN PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH PLAYOFF BOUND The Vancouver Canucks had the best record in the West last season and won the Presidents' Trophy for ranking No. 1 overall but were quickly bounced from the playoffs by the Kings. The No. 2-seeded St. Louis Blues and No. 3-seeded Phoenix Coyotes met the same fate. But it might not be as easy as 1-2-3 for the Kings again. A look at how the conference shapes up: 1. VANCOUVER 2011-12: 51-22-9 (111 points); 1st in West.

The owner of the Anchorage Aces of the West Coast Hockey League said the $2.3-million bid received Thursday for the team in an auction on EBay Inc. was a mistake, and the team is still for sale. Mike Cusack Jr. said that the bid was placed by a student who was curious about the auction. The student's identity wasn't disclosed. Cusack said he's going to re-list the team on EBay.

Glasnost and familiarity have created considerable change for touring Soviet hockey teams and North Americans with whom they come into contact. During previous visits, players were closely watched by grim-faced "tour guides" and media interviews were rigidly conducted with interpreters who obviously altered any controversial words.

Twenty players on the Tri-City Americans Hockey Club refused to play their Western Hockey League game at the Tri-Cities Coliseum against the Portland Winter Hawks Saturday. The revolt surrounded Bill LaForge, hired by Americans' owner Ron Dixon Dec. 17 to become director of hockey operations. A player for the Americans who requested anonymity telephoned the Tri-City Herald on Saturday and said: "We won't play until Bill LaForge is out of the organization.

To the list of myriad uses for the Internet you can add one more: unloading a bankrupt minor-league hockey team. The cash-strapped Anchorage Aces of the Western Hockey League drew a high bid of $2.3 million Thursday in an auction on Ebay, making them what is believed to be the first sports team that would ever be sold on the site.

Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall said Thursday that his hockey club would unequivocally support the relocation of a National Hockey League franchise to Orange County and that team executives are helping a local partnership in its attempt to secure a team for the new Anaheim arena.

For the first time in the four-year history of the Great Western Freeze Out, the NCAA's No. 1- and No. 3-ranked hockey teams, Maine and Lake Superior State are in the field. Two other U.S. teams, Western Michigan and Princeton complete today's bracket at the Forum. Previously, the tournament included two teams from Canada and two from the United States.

When David Courtney returned to the Kings for a second tour of duty in 1985 their staff was small enough to meet in a closet, which was no problem because that's where his office was located. Luc Robitaille, a scared rookie in 1986, vividly remembers his first encounter with the man whose warm, booming voice was a true reflection of the man himself. "He was our PR guy. He did video. He did a lot of things," said Robitaille, now Kings' president of business operations and one of many employees.

The NHL's New York Islanders, unable to work out a deal to renovate or replace the Nassau Coliseum, announced Wednesday they will join the NBA's Nets in moving to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Islanders announced a 25-year agreement to play in the new arena, which will seat only about 14,500 people for hockey. The move will take effect for the 2015-16 season. Cue the jokes about whether the NHL, which locked players out on Sept. 15 and on Tuesday declined an invitation from the players' union to restart negotiations, will have resumed play by the time the Islanders' move becomes official.

Although the NHL lockout will keep the Kings and Ducks off the ice at least through Oct. 24 there are still a number of hockey alternatives in Southern California. From the Ontario Reign — the Kings' ECHL affiliate — through college, high school, junior and youth leagues, teams are hoping to grab some of the spotlight usually dominated by the NHL teams. "We're definitely not taking advantage of anybody's misfortune," said Justin Kemp, president of the Reign. "But we are going to at least take advantage of the opportunity to promote ourselves and hopefully keep hockey in the front of people's minds in a positive way while the lockout is being resolved.

Kings center Anze Kopitar's agreement to play for the second-tier Swedish team Mora Ishockeyclubb for the duration of the NHL lockout was finalized on Tuesday and he could play for the team as soon as this weekend, according to his agent, Pat Brisson. Kopitar was eager to join his younger brother Gasper with Mora, which is a member of the Hockey Allsvenskan league. Kopitar will be able to return to the Kings at the end of the NHL lockout. The Elitserien, the top Swedish league, has said it won't allow NHL players to play there on short-term contracts, a ruling that might be challenged.

The sobering and straightforward account of a task force assigned to examine the culture and climate of the Boston University's men's hockey program was revealed in a letter and report on Wednesday on the website of BU President Robert Brown. "The Task Force concluded that the unique culture of men's ice hockey, played at the highest collegiate level, and the preeminent status of our team on campus contribute to a celebrity culture and an isolation of these athletes from the majority of our student body,” Brown said in the letter.

In a town better known for beaches and basketball courts than ice rinks, suddenly a hockey team has captivated all. Four and a half decades after arriving in Los Angeles as an expansion team and having to scramble to find a puck for their first practice, the Kings have won the National Hockey League championship and adorned the land of golden Oscar statuettes with a silver trophy -- the Stanley Cup. The city and its sports franchises have gone...

The Soviets are back. In what promises to become an annual event, the top 2 finishers in the Soviet Elite Hockey League, Central Red Army and Dynamo Riga, this week begin a North American tour in which each will play 7 National Hockey League teams. Central Red Army will open tonight in Quebec, and Dynamo Riga Tuesday in Calgary.

Hitting the right emotional pitch today will be as important for the U.S. hockey team as hitting the open man on the power play or hitting the upper corner of the net. Admittedly tense in their first two Olympic appearances, the U.S. players showed little offensive creativity and had to scramble for a 4-4 tie with France and a 3-3 draw with Slovakia.

OKLAHOMA CITY— Derek Fisher had just finished buttoning his dress shirt at his locker when he shot a sideways glance at a reporter from Los Angeles. "Kings win?" the Oklahoma City Thunder guard asked late Wednesday night. Informed they had lost to the New Jersey Devils, the former longtime Laker sighed. "So, Game 5 in L.A.?" Fisher inquired hopefully. "Back to New Jersey," responded a few reporters. It's OK. Things are still looking good, for Fisher and for the Kings.

The Kings and Fox Sports have reached agreement on a new television contract, providing an immediate cash injection that could help the team retain star goaltender Jonathan Quick. The new deal keeps the Kings on Fox Sports West through 2024 and guarantees the team about $250 million, according to a person familiar with the agreement who was not authorized to discuss the terms. The contract ranks among the most lucrative local cable deals for any NHL team. The deal is expected to be announced Monday, before the Kings play the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.