Dean Lombardi’s new plan: bring Kings players, Stanley Cup to Ottawa
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi raises the Stanley Cup after the team beat the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Final last week.
The conversation in Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi’s office on Friday morning covered many topics: the start of free agency on July 1, the league’s entry draft next week, off-season plans ... his dog.
But Lombardi’s mind is always working several steps ahead. He was asked about what would be the team’s second visit to the White House. The Kings and soccer’s Galaxy visited the White House and President Obama in March 2013 after winning championships.
(Kings Coach Darryl Sutter had said back then he was going to ask Obama about the proposed Keystone pipeline project but opted not to do so.)
Now Lombardi said he wanted to take the team and the Stanley Cup to visit the prime minister of Canada in Ottawa.
“Why not?” Lombardi said, pointing out that many Kings players were born in Canada.
The trip to Ottawa works on many levels.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is more than an avid hockey fan, having written a book, “A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs & The Rise of Professional Hockey.”
On top of that, two proud Canadians, Kings center Jeff Carter and defenseman Drew Doughty, can bring along their Olympic gold medals from Sochi.
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