July now hockey season

Open message to all Dean Lombardi haters:

Let the man do his job. Sure he has made mistakes (see Dan Cloutier), but the difference between him and his predecessors is that he admits it.

Give the man the three years he asked for, then come back and sound off.

What everyone seems to forget is that the Allison, Deadmarsh & Palffy combo was L.A.’s time to shine and when they all got hurt the Kings had to start over, Dave Taylor tried the “Band-Aid” technique, which we all know never works, so now Dean’s trying to build a team that will be at or near the top for years to come and he’s doing it the right way.

DENNIS MOURADIAN

Cypress

*

I am absolutely furious with the Kings’ lack of any real participation in the free-agent market. There were some great players available and they could have made some real strides in improving the team. Instead, management and the owner sit in Denver, counting over the money they will spend for soccer players and new development opportunities in our backyard.

It is time for us in L.A. to take back our team.

KIRK JON WALSKE

Los Angeles

*

The Ducks go out and get Mathieu Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi, and we get guys that will average a combined 60 games each a year in the NHL, depending on injury or ineptness. The Ducks go out and ensure that they are set to compete for the Cup, and the Kings ensure that they are back in the lotto.

Dean, is this the way Leiweke and Anschutz told you it was going to be? And if they did, why did you bother coming? How can we build for the future, when you guys pick the 25th-ranked player in the draft in the No. 4 slot? Are we supposed to wait for Manchester to develop Jeff Giuliano? Man, what a bunch of idiots.

THOMAS PONCE

Victorville

*

Why would any quality NHL free agent with a brain choose to sign with the Kings, whose owners have a proven track record of being more interested in developing the area surrounding Staples Center than a Stanley Cup-contending team in Staples Center?

HOWARD COHEN

North Hills

*

Many people define insanity as doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different result. This would seem to fit a lot of NHL general managers this past week, who have been doling out long-term contracts to good players, but hardly any who could be considered “great” players. As an example, Brian Rafalski of the New Jersey Devils is now earning Niedermayer/Pronger money?

Give me a break.

Have they learned nothing, after shutting down the entire league for a year, and claiming their costs were out of line? Why do they continually ignore the research on long-term contracts, which concludes they are, in all probability, bad deals for ownership?

And this, from a league too cheap to stay on the premier sports network, only to move to Versus.

On a local bent, as a Ducks season-seat holder, I will not and cannot support Todd Bertuzzi, and you can pretty much assure yourself the Ducks will not win a Cup with him on the roster. The Hockey Gods will not let it happen.

The man intentionally injured another player, ruined his career, and has hardly paid a penalty. That is thanks to the wonderful leadership of the NHL. I’m sorry, Mr. Burke, but there is such a thing as bad karma, and you’ve just acquired it.

BOB KARGENIAN

Yorba Linda

*

As a huge Ducks fan who is pleased with their Stanley Cup victory, I am equally pleased that Brian Burke is still trying to improve the team and if he performs well, I’m sure I’ll be cheering on Todd Bertuzzi just as I would any other player.

Still, as I also believe in second chances, I can’t help but wonder how Steve Moore, the player whose career Bertuzzi ended, will get his second chance.

RON REEVE

Glendora