Written by Chris Wassel | 24 June 2008

A man in uniform...time to talk some hockey....


Good evening (afternoon on the left coast) everyone and welcome to another special interview...this one is with Kings webmaster Thomas LaRocca....hockey player...blogger and so much more. So without further fanfare...time to jump right into this one!

Okay the first and the obvious....what brought you to the blogging world and lakings.com?
Here is a very long story to answer your question: My mom always says she knew what her two sons were going to grow up to be from an early age…My younger brother and I shared a room for a while as a Kid. We used to fight a lot so one day my mom put the bunk beds in the middle dividing the room into two. On my side of the room was baseball cards, soccer balls, cleats, basketballs, Frisbees and of course The Bo Jackson poster where he has the bat over his shoulders and is wearing his football pads. On my brother’s side was nothing but Legos and erector sets…well fast forward 20 years and he works in construction and I work in sports…to sum it all up, I have always wanted to work in sports.

In college, I started writing and doing internships in the area (Los Angels Sparks and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim), before getting my first job in the NHL, working in PR with the Columbus Blue Jackets. As fate would have it, I broke my ankle playing football and was on crutches for a few months and was unable to really fulfill my duties in PR…so my boss moved me over to the Website. Fast forward a season and a job opened up here with the Kings and I was able to return home to sunny Southern California…and I couldn’t be happier.

Now how was Ottawa and the NHL Draft? Was there anything that really surprised you?
It was my first time going to Ottawa, I really enjoyed the atmosphere there, they love hockey. It is weird, growing up in the States, I am used to getting 3-5 minutes with Barry Melrose at the end of SportsCenter to get my hockey fix…different ball game north of the border. The lead story up there is Toronto Maple Leafs practice, Canucks practice, Flames practice etc., then maybe the next story would be the Super Bowl or the World series…just a different world. So that was my favorite part, just the atmosphere and everyone talking hockey.

(http://kings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=21525) Kings Draft Central.

There were some problems, however, as the internet crashed at the Scotiabank Place, so that makes life a little difficult for guys like my running Web sites. Also, the hotel was a little farther from the arena than I had hoped but all in all was really cool.

I think the Kings did a great job at the Draft, really loading up on the Blue Line. Drew Doughty is a huge fan of the Kings, I mean he used to have a Kings pillow case and a Kings phone… I didn’t even know there was a Kings phone…so it is really cool to see such a huge fan join the team. I would have to say I was surprised in the amount of wheeling and dealing that Dean did, he was flipping picks left and right, I couldn’t even keep up. I was also surprised when we traded down from 12 to 13 with Buffalo. I thought for sure we were going to get “Z2” AKA Tyler Myers, the 6-7 blueliner….but from what I have read on Colten Teubert, who himself is 6-4, you have to like that pick. His GM in Regina (http://kings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=19327&catid=334) called him an “Mean Ornery Cus” and he is very confident (http://kings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=19326&catid=334).

I think both of the players are going to a part of our defensive corps. For a long time to come…Throw those two in with Jack Johnson and Thomas Hickey and you have four really young, talented blue liners to really strengthen the Kings back end.

What kind of splash will the Kings make in the Free Agent Frenzy? What is their most important need?
Honestly, I do not expect the Kings to make too much of a splash at Free Agency this year…a lot of our younger kids the Teddy Purcells, Matt Moulsons and Brian Boyles have pretty much earned the right to challenge for a roster spot this season and it really appears that the Kings are going to be fully committed to grooming their young players and giving them time.

I think we might need to add a defenseman, however, to create some depth and hopefully Rob Blake resigns with the team soon to continue mentoring some of these young defenseman and provide leadership on this young team. Blake is an absolute pro, is great in the locker room and is still a very talented player in this league. I hope he retires a King.

Do you think the ownership group has the Kings headed in the right direction? Why or why not?
I fully believe in the direction that Dean Lombardi has this team going in and he has the full support of the Kings ownership group, AEG. He is really doing a great job of drafting and stock piling picks. We had 15 picks this past Draft and have 13 for next season and if you watch him closely, he just uses the picks almost as ammunition to pull off the big deal.

This was one of my favorite deals of the Draft: Lombardi and the Kings dealt Pick No. 185 to St. Louis for the Blues’ seventh round pick in 2009. The Kings received that pick from Anaheim when they dealt J.S. Aubin to the Ducks at the trade deadline this past year. The Ducks got that pick from St. Louis in the Andy McDonald deal. So basically Dean gave St. Louis’ pick back to them for one next season! With draft dealings like that, you have to like the analytical mind of Lombardi.

I think with the talented group of young forwards that the Kings boast, and now the depth of talent on the blueline and don’t forget the three stud prospects in net in Jonathan Bernier, Jeff Zatcoff and Jon Quick and the Kings have the makings for a very talented team down the road here.

Does the success of the other Southern Californian team make you long for the old days?
Well, I must say, I am jealous of the success of the “other Southern California team” and this last season was not much fun for Kings fans, so how can you not long for the days of Gretzky and McSorley, Hrudey and Kurri and all of those guys…that was a great time to be a Kings fan. But, I think those days will return soon.

But whenever I need to be reminded of the past, I just watch this youtube clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1m69S1dfrak: It is real big up in Canada, country singer Kathleen Edwards and Marty makes a great cameo…my favorite line: “You’re the Great One, I am Mary McSorley.” Later in the video she blows him kisses, this is a must see!

Will Jonathan Bernier start at some point next season? If not, then is Ersberg the answer for now?
I think Bernier will start the season in Manchester, Dean really did not want to have Bernier start for the Kings last season, but you know what, he just played so well in camp he deserved a shot. You have to remember the Kid is only about 20 years old…I think the plan is to let him develop in Manchester this season.

Ersberg played very well down the stretch (6-5-3, 2.48 GAA/.927 SV%, two shutouts) and will have a chance to play this season. Jason LaBarbera also will be back. LaBarbera had a good season for the most part (17-233, 3.00 GAA/.910 SV%), he started out a little slow losing his first two starts and giving up nine goals on his first 52 shots of the season. and then got hot (was even named the NHL’s first star of the week ending Oct. 28 (http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=341548&page=NewsPage&service=page) and then got hurt in early December (remember the Ryan Smyth collision vs. Colorado?) and never really could quite stay healthy after that. I expect the two of them will provide the Kings with good goaltending and keep them in games next season.

The Gretzky Impact on hockey in Southern California is well documented. Jonathan Blum went to the Nashville Predators with the 23rd pick of the 2007 Draft. With all the leagues and youth camps in the area...how bright will the future of hockey be in the area?
Blum last year and don’t forget Mitch Wahl, Max Nicastro and Colin Long this season. Wahl and Nicastro were former Junior Kings, while Long played for the California Wave. http://kings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=366793

The growth of Hockey in Southern California is unbelievable. I know the Kings have made a very strong effort to promote hockey in the area, hosting numerous camps and clinics and teaching people about the game…I, myself, am just learning how to play hockey. I played a little roller hockey as a did, but nothing on ice. I signed up for one of the Beginner’s Hockey clinics that Daryl hosts and I had a blast. I am hooked. I now skate three times a week and am hoping to join a league when I get more confident.

Will Rogie Vachon ever make the Hockey Hall of Fame?
I think this is a perfect example of the East coast bias. Look at his numbers, He is the Kings' all-time leader in games played (389), wins (171) and shutouts (32). He ended up with 355 wins…the problem is that most of it was in Los Angeles and nobody saw it. He is definitely a good candidate, it definitely will not happen next year, have you looked at the Class of ’09? Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Dave Andreychuk all eligible for induction! Can’t see Rogie sneaking in on that one.

What has Daryl Evans taught you about hockey that you may not have known?
Daryl is great, not only has he taught me how to play the game and worked with me (though he refuses to teach me a slap shot for some reason), he also is very good at breaking things down on the ice…Jim Fox is really good at this too, they are just hockey people, they love to talk hockey, and whether you are an expert at hockey or a novice, it makes no difference to them, they can break things down so that even I understand.

Bob Miller's list of the top 10 Kings playoff goals of all time was impressive. If you had to go with just a top three...what would they be?
3) Belanger’s goal vs. the Red Wings known as the Frenzy on Figueroa. It was an amazing comeback http://kings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=18788&catid=335

The Kings trailed 3-0 in the third and the Kings scored three times in 5:14 to tie the game with Belanger winning it in OT.

2) I would have to say Deadmarsh’s goal to eliminate the Red Wings would be on that list, I mean anytime you get a “walk off goal” a series ender, that is really something. The celebration after the was really something else and a goal I will not soon forget.
http://kings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=18783&catid=335

1) I think Daryl Evan’s “Miracle on Manchester goal was amazing as well, and I get goose bumps every time I see it. That has to be No. 1. The Kings erased a 5-0 deficit in the third period to win that game…I just enjoyed watching Daryl slide across the ice…in celebration… Great goal!
http://kings.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=18789&catid=335

What would you say to someone trying to make their way upward in the NHL Media world?
Keep plugging away, don’t take no for an answer and try and make as many friends as possible. Like anything, it is not what you know but who you know.

Finally, what are the things you would do if the Los Angeles Kings ever won the Stanley Cup?
I am not really sure what all I would do when that finally happens…I know the first thing I would do is call the Ducks website manager Adam Brady…For the last year, every time I have called him he has purposely answered the phone “Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, this is Adam, how may I help you?” so a little vengeance would be nice.

Thank you Thomas so much for the interview...and good luck to the Kings in the Free Agent Frenzy.

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