Newest King McEachern Shows His Speed in Practice

Shawn McEachern had spent an enjoyable day on his boat in the Atlantic Ocean and returned to his home in suburban Boston.

Naturally, the first order of business was to find news about his beloved New England Patriots. He turned on the television.

Moments later, McEachern was the news.

“I sat down and found out I was traded to the Kings,” he said. “Nobody could get ahold of me because we were moving from place to place. I was just in shock.”

Marty McSorley, the other player involved in the Penguin-King trade last month, left with torn emotions. McEachern, however, was not visibly bothered by leaving Pittsburgh, where he helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 1992 and had 61 points last season.

For him, there was only one negative aspect. He had just purchased a home in Mount Lebanon, Pa., and spent one night there, surrounded by boxes. Luckily, McEachern sold the house after two days on the market. But he lost about $10,000 in closing costs.

After two days of practice at training camp, McEachern’s name has come up in almost every conversation with the Kings’ coaches and players. Everyone knew he was a fast skater, but his speed has been impressive, nonetheless.

Generally, left wing Mike Donnelly is considered the swiftest of the Kings. “He (McEachern) is in that class,” Coach Barry Melrose said. “He’s really quick. I’d have to say our three fastest guys are Donnelly, McEachern and (Gary) Shuchuk.”

After the trade, Melrose wanted McEachern to center a line of Donnelly and Tony Granato. But the surplus of centers may force him to make adjustments.