At Kings rookie camp, goalie Cal Petersen sees a ‘tremendous opportunity’

Cal Petersen knew he was a long way from South Bend, Ind., when he came to Los Angeles this summer.

Petersen, a well-regarded goalie prospect, signed with the Kings as a free agent in July. A month later, he was on the ice with Jonathan Quick and Darcy Kuemper at the Kings’ practice facility.

“The coolest part was just being able to skate with Quickie and Kuemper and some of the other NHL guys and kind of just getting to learn from those guys and figure it out,” Petersen said Friday at rookie camp.

“Obviously it wasn’t as intense as trying to make the team, but it was good to kind of get my feet wet.”

Kings fans hope that Petersen eventually gets submerged, given the attention he garnered after a four-year saga that ended with his signing a two-year contract on July 1.

Petersen was chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2013 draft but opted not to sign with them while he played at Notre Dame. NHL teams lose their rights to a drafted player after four years, and Petersen chose to explore free agency.

Kings general manager Rob Blake said last month that Petersen received a lot of attention from teams, and for good reason.

He tied for first nationally with six shutouts and was the first goalie in Notre Dame history to be named captain. With Petersen in goal, the Fighting Irish advanced to the Frozen Four semifinals. He was also named to the 2017 World Championship roster for the U.S., along with goalies Jimmy Howard and Connor Hellebuyck.

Petersen said he chose the Kings because of goaltending coaches Bill Ranford and Dusty Imoo. Their pupils include Quick and former Kings goalies Jonathan Bernier and Martin Jones, and their teaching puts an emphasis on skating and athleticism at the position.

“I kind of felt like those guys have developed goalies in the past to be successful in the NHL, and can definitely help me get to that place,” Petersen said. “They’re as respected as anybody around the league. That was a huge part of it that really drew me here.”

Petersen said the Sabres were high on his list and praised the organization for respecting his decision, an unusual move but not unheard of. The Ducks lost highly touted defenseman Justin Schultz when he spurned them to sign with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012.

“I still felt they were a tremendous opportunity,” Petersen said of the Sabres. “It was just that the opportunity that I had presented after my junior year that I could look at other places. Obviously they were disappointed but they understood. I definitely respected how professionally they handled the whole thing.”

Petersen, 22, presumably will begin his professional career with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. The Kings will have rookie games against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday and Wednesday in El Segundo.

Reign coach Mike Stothers said that while he doesn’t expect razor-sharp games from rookies off the bat, a game scenario provides a different showcase.

“You can do drills and guys might look good, but when it comes to the hockey sense and sorting things out, when the puck drops and you’ve got an actual opponent, that’s when you can truly evaluate where these players are and where you’re hoping they’re going to be,” Stothers said.

Petersen’s road is just starting, whether it’s in Ontario or elsewhere.

“I don’t need things guaranteed to me,” he said. “I’m just trying to come here and get better every day.”

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