NHL CAMPS : KINGS : Atmosphere Has Changed Along With the Faces

Training camp resembled a joyous family reunion last season for the Kings, surrounded by a happy glow befitting a Stanley Cup finalist.

Naturally, the opposite has happened now after the Kings went on to miss the playoffs by a 16-point margin, finishing their season on April 14. The group has splintered with the departures of team president Roy Mlakar, general manager Nick Beverley, director of player personnel Bob Owen and Luc Robitaille, one of the team’s most popular players, who was traded to Pittsburgh for Rick Tocchet in July.

Other lesser players have been traded or released: defensemen Doug Houda, Brent Thompson, Mark Hardy and Jim Paek and forwards Phil Crowe and Rob Murphy. Dave Taylor retired after a distinguished 17-year NHL career with the Kings and was named an assistant to the general manager.

Among the new faces is general manager Sam McMaster, whose initiation has been hectic because of a rush of trades, contracts and a lengthy round of negotiations with restricted free agent defenseman Rob Blake. On Sunday, Blake reached a tentative agreement on a four-year deal, which is subject to league approval over contract language. Blake’s agent, Ron Salcer, said the defenseman probably would not start practicing until the deal is cleared. The team’s first training camp practice at Iceoplex in North Hills is today.

In addition to Tocchet, among the other newcomers at camp will be forwards Rob Brown, Dan Quinn, Matt Johnson and Yanic Perreault and defensemen Sean O’Donnell and Michel Petit. Perhaps the most intriguing addition is 18-year-old goaltender Jamie Storr, the Kings’ first-round draft pick (seventh overall) in June. Storr has a chance to make the team.

“He’s the best junior goalie I’ve seen at that level and that includes pretty good goalies,” McMaster said. “Don Beaupre played with Minnesota as an underage junior, and I think he (Storr) is more prepared than Don was at that time and more prepared than (Tom) Barrasso.”

The other significant new player in camp is Tocchet, whose production dwindled to 14 goals and 40 points last season in 51 games due to an ailing back, and he had off-season surgery. Coach Barry Melrose said Tocchet has been skating and laughed when reporters looked surprised.

“Hey, he’s not coming here in a wheelchair,” Melrose said.