A lot of people don’t seem to get why a preseason hockey game in Las Vegas would be so popular. They say it’s expensive and if you really are traveling to Vegas just for the hockey game, they’d be right. If you don’t like Vegas and wouldn’t go there for a weekend every once in a while Frozen Fury is definitely not for you. However, if you have fun in Vegas (gambling, shows, clubs, food, etc.), Frozen Fury is the perfect excuse to spend a weekend in Vegas and have fun while also being able to see a game with their favorite hockey team (Kings or Avalanche). The setting is perfect for fans, since they can just party and have fun while watching their team play. Most fans stay within walking or cab ride distance of the MGM Grand, so they can party with friends (or with the early game this year, even see a show) after the game and then head back to their rooms in the early morning.

I like Vegas and would go there a couple times a year without Frozen Fury, so I always thought Las Vegas was the perfect atmosphere for preseason hockey. The games don’t matter and there’s always a lot of fighting in preseason hockey because of players trying to prove they can be useful. That’s the perfect kind of game for the laid back ambiance in Las Vegas.

The players know the fans love Frozen Fury and they get to have a little fun, too. Unfortunately, (especially for players like Rob Scuderi, who had never been to Las Vegas before this trip) the players don’t get much time to have fun and enjoy Vegas. However, they love the energy of the fans and seem to have fun playing poker with the fans in the Luc Robitaille Celebrity Poker Tournament, which raises money for Echoes of Hope (founded by Luc and Stacia). They may not all be good players, but the Kings seemed happy that the first player knocked out this year was a member of the Avalanche.

This year’s Frozen Fury game had a lower attendance (11,263 announced) than I can remember and a lot more empty seats, but I’m sure that’s due to the economy. Tickets for the game have never been inexpensive and if you live in LA or Denver, travel costs are definitely a factor. Casinos in Las Vegas have all been suffering from fewer guests willing to travel and pay high prices for hotels and shows. It’s not surprising that this affected the preseason game’s attendance. Players who have played in a few Frozen Fury games didn’t notice a difference in the crowd. The MGM Grand Garden Arena is always loud for Frozen Fury and this year was no exception. The fans are dedicated to their teams and make their support known throughout the game.

Fans are also a lot more intermixed than at a normal hockey game, where season ticket holders rarely sell their seats to opposing fans. With fans for the other team all around, fans for both teams seem more willing to loudly support their team, which adds to the different feel of Frozen Fury versus the other preseason games. Frozen Fury is also a good way to get ready for the regular season, which starts Thursday for the NHL, Saturday for the Kings (one of the days this season where all 30 teams play).

The Kings won this year’s Frozen Fury in a fairly dramatic fashion with Kopitar getting the Kings’ first lead at 13:25 of the 3rd period when a penalty shot was called because of the Avs covering the puck in the crease. I was glad to see that penalty called, since it seems to be overlooked fairly frequently. Kopi made the most of the penalty shot and put the Kings in the lead with his second goal of the game. Simmonds made it official with an empty net goal that just beat the buzzer. Frolov & Doughty also scored for the Kings. The Avalanche’s three goals came from Tucker (2) & Wolski.

Los Angeles had three out of town “home” preseason games this year. The others were in Ontario, California (where their ECHL team, the Reign play) and Kansas City where AEG owns another arena.

Fans that enjoy trips to Las Vegas definitely have fun at Frozen Fury and that affects the players on both teams, the energy of the game, and the atmosphere in the arena. Those who don’t like Vegas or have never been to Frozen Fury might not get it, but the fans who do attend love it and are probably happy they have fewer fans competing for tickets (which are already expensive on eBay and Stub Hub from what fans told me).

Since the Kings have their first preseason game after only two days of training camp, the beginning of training camp meant very long days for the coaching staff of the Kings. Eight hours on skates without a lot of time between sessions for the three groups of players – that’s a long day. Terry Murray said they restructured training camp because of the early preseason game and got rid of the Rogie Cup (the competition between training camp teams in their scrimmages at the beginning of training camp), since there wouldn’t be time to play enough games to determine a winner. With the first game so early, the Kings need the practice time to get into game form.

One of the nicest things for Kings fans this year is probably that they have a clear number one goalie (Jonathan Quick) who has proven the ability to stop the puck and give the Kings a chance to win every game he plays. When it became clear that Jason LaBarbera (last year’s number one goalie at this point of the season) wasn’t working out for the Kings and Jonathan Quick was brought up to the NHL, coach Terry Murray refused to name a number one goalie. Murray had to do this on a regular basis, since some members of the media seemed determined to have him name a number one. Clearly, Quick did a lot to prove himself to Murray and the fans last season and he is the clear number one. As Murray said at the end of the first day of training camp, “Our number one goaltender is Quick. He’s the guy.” He continued by saying that “There’s no gray area in that for me. Right at the start of training camp – it’s his to lose; it’s his to keep.” Murray made it clear that Quick is the guy in goal this year for the Kings as far as he’s concerned.

Though everyone knows it’s easier to come into a position when no one is expecting much and your team is already so close to the bottom of the standings, Jonathan Quick did play very well for the Kings last year. It’s clear that the players and coaches have confidence in Quick to give the Kings a chance to win every game he plays, which is really all a team can ask of their goaltender. Many players have talked about how being able to trust your goalie can help a team play better. That’s why most of the best teams have great goaltenders. Kings fans are definitely hoping that Quick will be able to be the goalie to lead their team into the playoffs for the first time in years.

The focus of the players this year is clearly on getting to the playoffs. Those really paying attention at training camp probably noticed the shirts some of the players were wearing under their practice jerseys. They say “Only Reason We’re Here” on the back. Though the meaning of this seems pretty clear, a couple of the players were asked about the shirts and said that what we suspected is definitely the reason they’re here. The Kings want to be in the playoffs this year. They’re tired of having long summer breaks and going home in the beginning of April. They want to be in the playoffs, not watch them. When I asked goaltender Erik Ersberg if he’d watched any of the playoffs, he said he didn’t and “I want to watch it from the ice.” Clearly, that’s how every player wants to see the playoffs and it’s a good attitude for the Kings to have. They’re ready to move forward and believe they will be playing in the postseason this time.

Rob Scuderi, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, is one of the new Kings at training camp. When asked about the mood at the Kings camp, he said, “It’s a real nice attitude. It’s really not that different from where I came from. Maybe we have a little more experience in Pittsburgh, but it’s the same type of feel. The guys are hungry to do more, they’re hungry to win.” Scuderi went on to say that it’s a good feeling and that it’s clear that the team wants to win and they want to win now. They’re sick of waiting. So are their fans. The Kings are ready to play postseason hockey. Their fans are more than ready to start watching playoff hockey live again from their seats in Staples Center. They haven’t been able to do that since 2002 and 7 years without a playoff run is a long time for fans who continue to go to support their team in spite of the outcome.

Will the Kings be in the playoffs in 2010? Only time will tell, but the players and coaches clearly believe they can make it and most of the members of the media seem to agree. The main disagreement seems to be on where they’ll finish (6th? 8th?) and how far they’ll get in the playoffs. Some seem to believe the Kings will get out of the first round. Personally, I think it’ll go more like the Penguins’ first run in the playoffs with most of their current group (out in 5 games), but even that will be a huge step up and a much needed playoff experience for the young Kings team.

———-

As a side note, I’m sure many of you were as curious as I about why Rob Scuderi was absent with the Penguins visited the White House last week. Scuderi explained that his daughter Kate’s 2nd birthday had to come first. He said, “Disneyland did take precedent over the President for probably the first time in history.” I’m sure President Obama would understand. Not surprisingly, Rob also said, “I would have liked to have gone, but it was an awful lot of flying for one day and I wasn’t going to miss my daughter’s birthday.” It sounds like he’s one father who has his priorities in order where his family and his team are concerned (anyone who watched the playoffs last year noticed how Scuderi is willing to sacrifice himself to block shots to make sure his team succeeds).

Preseason games often have a lot of fighting. This is true even more in rookie games, since everyone seems to be trying to get noticed. (This is common knowledge, a friend of mine who barely watches hockey even asked me if I thought a game might break out at the fight tonight – I said I wasn’t expecting it.) Fighting is always a big crowd pleaser, but when there seems to be as much fighting as 5 on 5 hockey without it, serious hockey fans can get a little frustrated… a possible problem when the only fans who will attend a preseason rookie game are the most loyal fans.

Tonight, the Toyota Sports Center was packed with fans who watched their team’s rookies lose to the Coyotes’ rookies (who rode out to LA on a bus) 6-1. The Kings scored the middle goal of the game and the crowd went wild. Of course, the fans also cheered for the fights, but their team had a lot more fights than goals and the fans need to find entertainment value in the game.

However, I still think the best way to enjoy a preseason game of any kind is to sit with good friends who also really know the game. That way, you can discuss the players fighting, potential pronunciations (though most of us figure we’ll learn the names of the guys who actually make it – most of the guys in the rookie tournament won’t be in the NHL this coming season and many won’t be on the Kings when they do), the give-aways, the hits that take players out of position, the break-out player moments, and (in tonight’s case) maybe even how the other team is outplaying your team.

I personally enjoyed the second period of tonight’s game the most and it had nothing to do with the Kings scoring their only goal a little more than half-way through the period, though as a Kings fan that was a definite plus. No offense to those I watched the 1st & 3rd periods of the game with, since we had a lot of fun talking; however, Bob Miller sat next to me for the 2nd period and hearing his stories more than made up for the quality of the game and the fact that the Kings’ rookies weren’t doing too well against the Coyotes’ rookies. Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty & HockeyTalk.biz kept telling Bob he needs to write a second book (an idea I fully support), since he has so many great stories that didn’t make the cut for the first book. Those who were lucky enough to catch Bob Miller’s One Man Show at Hockey Fest at the end of last month got to hear a few of the anecdotes that didn’t make the cut for Bob Miller’s Tales from the Los Angeles Kings. I’m sure many of the Kings fans would join us in pre-ordering Bob’s next book if/when we’re given that chance.