As if there was ever any doubt, on Friday morning the NHL and NHLPA confirmed they will be participating in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. With that in mind, the league will shut down for nearly three weeks, February 9-26.
“The National Hockey League features the most international player population in professional sports, and our outstanding athletes take tremendous pride in representing their homelands on the global stage,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The decision to participate in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was in many ways a difficult one, but one that we know will be well received by our Players and, most importantly, by the vast majority of our fans and sports fans everywhere.”
NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr added, “The players are very pleased that an agreement has been reached that will allow the world’s best hockey players to compete at the Winter Games in February. Having the opportunity to wear their nation’s sweater in Sochi is something the players look forward to.”
Team USA had previously announced Penguins coach Dan Bylsma will serve as their bench boss, while Kings GM Dean Lombardi is part of an advisory board that will help select the final roster. They will also hold an evaluation camp in Washington DC on Aug. 26-27. Kings captain Dustin Brown and goaltender Jonathan Quick are expected to be among the roughly 40 NHL players who will be invited.
Other Kings players who could represent their countries at the Olympics include Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Slava Voynov.
Kopitar, who’s native Slovenia qualified for the Olympics for the first time, talked with MayorsManor about his Olympic dreams here.
Slovenia is in Pool A, so they’ll play Russia, Slovakia and the U.S. in the first round.
Now on to the NHL schedule…
With the NHL realignment kicking in for the coming season, the Kings will now play in a revamped seven-team Pacific Division along with the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. The top four teams from that group will make the playoffs and face each other in the first two rounds of the post-season.
Every NHL team will play the other 29 clubs at least once at home and once on the road.
Here’s the Kings 2013-14 schedule:
Thu Oct 3, 2013 – Kings at Wild 5:00 PM
Fri Oct 4, 2013 – Kings at Jets 5:00 PM
Mon Oct 7, 2013 – Rangers at Kings 7:30 PM
Wed Oct 9, 2013 – Senators at Kings 7:30 PM
Fri Oct 11, 2013 – Kings at Hurricanes 4:00 PM
Sun Oct 13, 2013 – Kings at Panthers 12:00 PM
Tue Oct 15, 2013 – Kings at Lightning 4:30 PM
Thu Oct 17, 2013 – Kings at Predators 5:00 PM
Sat Oct 19, 2013 – Stars at Kings 7:30 PM
Mon Oct 21, 2013 – Flames at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Oct 24, 2013 – Coyotes at Kings 7:30 PM
Sun Oct 27, 2013 – Oilers at Kings 6:00 PM
Tue Oct 29, 2013 – Kings at Coyotes 7:00 PM
Wed Oct 30, 2013 – Sharks at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Nov 2, 2013 – Predators at Kings 1:00 PM [Rich Clune Appreciation Night]
Thu Nov 7, 2013 – Sabres at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Nov 9, 2013 – Canucks at Kings 7:00 PM
Tue Nov 12, 2013 – Kings at Sabres 4:00 PM
Thu Nov 14, 2013 – Kings at Islanders 4:00 PM
Fri Nov 15, 2013 – Kings at Devils 4:00 PM
Sun Nov 17, 2013 – Kings at Rangers 4:00 PM
Tue Nov 19, 2013 – Lightning at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Nov 21, 2013 – Devils at Kings 7:30 PM [Andrei Loktionov Appreciation Night]
Sat Nov 23, 2013 – Avalanche at Kings 7:30 PM
Mon Nov 25, 2013 – Kings at Canucks 7:00 PM
Wed Nov 27, 2013 – Kings at Sharks 7:30 PM
Sat Nov 30, 2013 – Flames at Kings 7:00 PM
Tue Dec 3, 2013 – Kings at Ducks 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 7, 2013 – Islanders at Kings 7:30 PM [Thomas Hickey / Matt Moulson Appreciation Night]
Tue Dec 10, 2013 – Kings at Canadiens 4:00 PM
Wed Dec 11, 2013 – Kings at Maple Leafs 4:30 PM
Sat Dec 14, 2013 – Kings at Senators 11:00 AM
Sun Dec 15, 2013 – Kings at Blackhawks 4:00 PM
Tue Dec 17, 2013 – Oilers at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Dec 19, 2013 – Sharks at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Dec 21, 2013 – Avalanche at Kings 1:00 PM
Mon Dec 23, 2013 – Stars at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Dec 28, 2013 – Kings at Predators 5:00 PM
Mon Dec 30, 2013 – Kings at Blackhawks 5:00 PM
Tue Dec 31, 2013 – Kings at Stars 5:00 PM
Thu Jan 2, 2014 – Kings at Blues 5:00 PM
Sat Jan 4, 2014 – Canucks at Kings 7:00 PM
Tue Jan 7, 2014 – Wild at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Jan 9, 2014 – Bruins at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Jan 11, 2014 – Red Wings at Kings 7:30 PM
Mon Jan 13, 2014 – Canucks at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Jan 16, 2014 – Kings at Blues 5:00 PM
Sat Jan 18, 2014 – Kings at Red Wings 4:00 PM
Mon Jan 20, 2014 – Kings at Bruins 10:00 AM
Tue Jan 21, 2014 – Kings at Blue Jackets 4:00 PM
Thu Jan 23, 2014 – Kings at Ducks 7:00 PM
Sat Jan 25, 2014 – Ducks at Kings 6:30 PM [at Dodger Stadium]
Mon Jan 27, 2014 – Kings at Sharks 7:00 PM
Tue Jan 28, 2014 – Kings at Coyotes 6:00 PM
Thu Jan 30, 2014 – Penguins at Kings 7:30 PM [Rob Scuderi Appreciation Night]
Sat Feb 1, 2014 – Flyers at Kings 1:00 PM [Simon Gagne Appreciation Night]
Mon Feb 3, 2014 – Blackhawks at Kings 7:30 PM [Michal Handzus Appreciation Night]
Thu Feb 6, 2014 – Blue Jackets at Kings 7:30 PM [Jack Johnson Appreciation Night]
Wed Feb 26, 2014 – Kings at Avalanche 7:00 PM
Thu Feb 27, 2014 – Kings at Flames 6:30 PM
Sat Mar 1, 2014 – Hurricanes at Kings 1:00 PM [Kevin Westgarth Appreciation Night]
Mon Mar 3, 2014 – Canadiens at Kings 7:30 PM [Davis Drewiske Appreciation Night]
Thu Mar 6, 2014 – Kings at Jets 4:00 PM
Sun Mar 9, 2014 – Kings at Oilers 5:00 PM
Mon Mar 10, 2014 – Kings at Flames 6:00 PM
Thu Mar 13, 2014 – Maple Leafs at Kings 7:30 PM [Jonathan Bernier Appreciation Night]
Sat Mar 15, 2014 – Ducks at Kings 7:30 PM
Mon Mar 17, 2014 – Coyotes at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Mar 20, 2014 – Capitals at Kings 7:30 PM
Sat Mar 22, 2014 – Panthers at Kings 1:00 PM
Mon Mar 24, 2014 – Kings at Flyers 4:00 PM
Tue Mar 25, 2014 – Kings at Capitals 4:00 PM
Thu Mar 27, 2014 – Kings at Penguins 4:00 PM
Sat Mar 29, 2014 – Jets at Kings 7:00 PM
Mon Mar 31, 2014 – Wild at Kings 7:00 PM
Wed Apr 2, 2014 – Coyotes at Kings 7:30 PM
Thu Apr 3, 2014 – Kings at Sharks 7:30 PM
Sat Apr 5, 2014 – Kings at Canucks 7:00 PM
Wed Apr 9, 2014 – Kings at Flames 7:00 PM
Thu Apr 10, 2014 – Kings at Oilers 6:30 PM
Sat Apr 12, 2014 – Ducks at Kings 7:30 PM [Dustin Penner Appreciation Night]
note: all Appreciation Nights are unofficial and for your amusement only.
Over the last 48 hours there’s been plenty of other LA Kings news – surrounding Lombardi, Rob Blake, Dustin Brown, Dan Carcillo, etc. Just in case you missed any of the earlier quotes and stories posted on MayorsManor, we’ve linked several articles down below.
Follow @mayorNHL
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