Initiates!
Happy Thursday. A couple of slow days as far as the news cycle goes here, but some housekeeping articles of interest.
In Thin Jar
First, sharing this interview with Kings alumnus Jarrett Stoll, currently with Kings Player Development.
Stoll has worked with the organization’s prospects for the past several seasons and took a lead role in that area, along with Mike Donnelly, during Development Camp 2022. An interview that conveys Stoll’s passion for working with the young, emerging talents of the organization and which provides a bit of additional information on the player development process as well as the most recent field of development. It’s well worth listening to as we wrap up our leftover content from dev camp earlier this month.
Continue if development camp is more about players learning about the organization, or if the organization learns about the players.
I think it’s a bit of both. You know, there are a lot of people, a lot of the staff that are watching these kids and sometimes analyzing every little movement. But for us, we don’t know much about these children. So sometimes we know that scouts do it and the scouts who recruited these kids do it for sure. But for us in player development, we care more about the kids who are already in the organization, going to Ontario Reign games, youth games in Canada, or NCAA games, wherever our kids are. So that’s our focus. Now our focus also shifts to some of these other children. So it’s a bit of both.
Stoll on “veteran players” attending development camp
We just felt that it was very important for these guys to be in this camp not only for developmental reasons, but also for leadership reasons. To take these younger kids that were just recruited under their wings, so to speak, be first in line during all the drills, pay attention, do all the reps correctly because these kids that were just recruited, they’re looking . They’re looking at Quinton Byfield, they’re looking at Jordan Spence, Toby Bjornfot, Arthur Kaliyev. They’re looking at guys who have played in the NHL and they have to do well for those kids. That’s the leadership we want and I thought those guys did a great job of providing it.
Just a couple of excerpts, with much more in the interview!
Photo by Kelly Smiley/NHLI via Getty Images
Wham, bam, thanks Cam
Second, the Ontario Reign announced an AHL-level signing, with the return of veteran defenseman Cameron Gaunce.
Gaunce, 32, has spent each of the last two seasons playing for the Reign. He put up 13 points (3-10-13) from 24 games played during the abbreviated 2020-21 season and most recently appeared in 61 regular-season games during the full 2021-22 campaign, scoring 27 points on seven goals and 20 assists. and a rating of +12. He also dressed for all five of Ontario’s 2022 Calder Cup playoff contests.
Gaunt was a veteran leader on a young Ontario team as one of the older players in the group, fitting in well with the leadership group at the Reign last season. With over 731 AHL games to his name, he was the oldest statesman on the blue line for a young Reign backend, along with younger teammates like Jordan Spence, Helge Grans, Jacob Moverare and Sean Durzi. Gaunt is a Calder Cup champion and two-time AHL All-Star, with 37 NHL games to his name as well.
Off the ice, Gaunce was named the Ontario recipient of the 2021-22 IOA/American Specialty AHL Person of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the community. It was the second time he has been recognized with the award in his career, having previously won the honor with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 2016-17 season. Gaunt also participated in the community service portion of the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic, held in Ontario, volunteering his time during his two days in the Inland Empire.
Cameron Gaunce scores his second goal from #GRvsONT in overtime for the @OntarioReign. pic.twitter.com/W2Jt83egsm
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) March 28, 2022
Kings in the community
Third, although the team is firmly in offseason mode, their appearances in the local community have continued over the course of the summer.
The organization’s Storytime program continues over the next month, with five library visits scheduled over the course of August. A full schedule is available here.
Over the weekend, the Kings joined the other members of The Alliance: Los Angeles in a unity march against racism with nearly 1,000 participants. The event featured several speakers from Los Angeles sports franchises, including the Kings’ Blake Bolden.
“Creating a forum where youth and law enforcement officials can safely and peacefully engage in constructive conversation is invaluable. Through the collective power of THE ALLIANCE, we continue to demonstrate how sports can be a driving force for change.”
The “We Are All Kings” platform signals the LA Kings’ commitment to creating a culture where every individual feels welcome in the Kings family. As such, the eponymous programming will reflect two values that the LA Kings have at their core, inclusion and fairness. Through “We Are All Kings,” the LA Kings are committed to investing resources to ensure that all players and fans are accepted into the sport of hockey locally.
On the We Are All Kings train, the Kings held their second “We Are All Kings” camp this week at the Toyota Sports Performance Center. The camp is part of the We Are All Kings umbrella, which emphasizes diversity and inclusion in the sport of hockey both on and off the ice. Offered as a free five-day youth camp at the Toyota Sports Performance Center, Bolden served as head coach, providing instruction to players of all levels. Each participant received equipment to prepare them to start playing hockey or take their skills to the next level. An interview with Bolden about last fall’s inaugural camp is linked HERE.
The Kings are also gearing up to host their annual LA Kings Camp, which kicks off on Monday, August 1 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center. Hosted by Daryl Evans, Derek Armstrong and the LA Kings hockey development team, Kings Camp is an opportunity for young players ages 5-15 to participate in a five-day camp at the Kings practice home.
More information about Kings Camp is available here.
Tomorrow morning, Insiders, we’ll be holding a Q&A here on the site, starting in the morning when you arrive at the office! Bring your questions in the comments and I’ll delete them.