Red Wings' Mike Babcock explains Doughty's scoring woes

Greetings from Detroit, where snowflakes are swirling but not much snow is sticking on the ground.

The Red Wings held an optional morning skate at Joe Louis Arena before Saturday’s game against the Kings and only a few players took advantage of the ice time. Afterward, Detroit Coach Mike Babcock, who coached Kings defenseman Drew Doughty on the triumphant Canadian Olympic team at Vancouver, had an interesting take on Doughty’s low production this season.

Babcock admires Doughty and once said the young defenseman was “touched by God.” But Babcock said he’s not surprised that Doughty has only two goals and nine points in 26 games this season.

“Well, if I didn’t know he wasn’t at training camp — wasn’t he not at training camp — that would surprise me. But this league’s too good not to be ready to go when everybody else is ready to go,” Babcock said, referring to Doughty having missed most of the preseason while negotiating a new contract.

“Whether you’re a player here that got hurt and didn’t play in training camp, and you wonder why 15 games in you got no stats, all you’ve got to do is look around the league. It’s not by accident. Players are too good. They’re too ready. They come in early. It’s a short training camp but they’re there two weeks in advance skating 10 times just to be ready to start training camp and you can do that on your own, but you’re not as good by yourself. That’s the facts.”

After long wait, Teemu Selanne returns to Winnipeg

More than 15 years after he left Winnipeg in a trade that shocked him, Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne will get a chance to thank fans in the city he thrilled as a high-scoring rookie.

Selanne became an immediate fan favorite in Winnipeg when he scored 76 goals and 132 points as a first-year player in 1992-93, rookie records that still stand. But the Jets, facing a financial crunch, couldn’t afford to keep him and dealt him to the then-Mighty Ducks on Feb. 7, 1996. His last game in Winnipeg was on Feb. 4, 1996.

The Jets left Winnipeg after that season for Phoenix, where they became known as the Coyotes, and Selanne built Hall of Fame credentials in a standout career that has continued past age 41. The NHL returned to Winnipeg this season after the Atlanta Thrashers were sold and moved north of the border, taking on the old Jets name and providing Selanne a much-welcomed chance to visit again Saturday.

“When I got traded, I didn’t really have a chance to say goodbye to the people and the city. It was the next day I am gone,” he said. “It’s pretty tough when you get traded. Everything is rushing and you have to be gone the next day. That’s why I’m really looking forward to going back there.”

He said he looked for the date as soon as he got this season’s schedule, even before he was sure he’d be physically able to play.

“That was my first NHL team and starting there, I always said hockey is so big thing and the whole city makes the players feel so special and everything,” he said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

“It was a dream come true to start my career in Canada and all the memories that I have there are so awesome.”

'Jolly Rancher' Darryl Sutter praised by former players

The Kings’ dismissal of Terry Murray has been big news around the NHL but has stirred quite a fuss in Calgary, home of Murray’s expected successor, Darryl Sutter.

Flames players had some interesting comments about Sutter, their former coach and general manager, in the Calgary Herald and the Calgary Sun. The consensus: the man doesn’t sugar-coat anything and drove them hard but players appreciated his honesty.

He can't arrive soon enough for the Kings, who on Tuesday lost their fifth straight game, a 3-0 defeat at Boston. They've scored only six goals in those five losses and have been shut out three times this season.

Sutter remains the Kings’ only candidate for the coaching job but some minor details are delaying the final details of his hiring. The Kings had to get permission from the Flames to talk to him and that was granted without complication.

It’s not clear if the deal with Sutter will be final in time for him to coach the Kings in their next game, Thursday at Columbus. Assistant coach John Stevens was put in charge on an interim basis for Tuesday’s loss at Boston, in which the performance and outcome were the same as they were under Murray's guidance. The trip continues Saturday at Detroit and Monday at Toronto.

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Photo: Darryl Sutter. Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Kings fire Coach Terry Murray

The Kings on Monday fired Coach Terry Murray, hoping to jolt the team out of a four-game losing streak and season-long scoring drought and back into playoff position.

General Manager Dean Lombardi flew to Boston on Monday to tell Murray in person. Murray, one win away from 500 in his career, conducted the team’s practice Monday morning at the TD Garden. His Kings record was 139-106-30 and he ranks third all time in wins among the franchise's coaches.

Lombardi was expected to comment during a conference call later Monday.

Assistant coach John Stevens was appointed interim coach. The Kings open a four-game trip Tuesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

Murray took over as coach in 2008 and was charged with giving a foundering team a strong defensive foundation. He did that very well, but he was unable to coax consistent scoring out of a team that this season elevated its talent level by trading for Mike Richards and signing winger Simon Gagne as a free agent.

After scoring only six goals in losing their last four games, the Kings rank last in the NHL in goals per game, at 2.24, a disappointing showing given their decision this summer to spend nearly to the salary-cap limit and make a concerted charge at the Stanley Cup.

Stevens might be a candidate for the job on a permanent basis, but his philosophies are similar to Murray’s and so he might not bring about enough change. Lombardi has previously worked with Darryl Sutter, who was let go by the Calgary Flames a year ago, and Sutter is a potential candidate. Sources said the Kings have not requested permission from the Penguins to talk to assistant coach Tony Granato, a popular former King who coached in Colorado but struggled there.

More coverage later at www.latimes.com/sports

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Kings update: Mike Richards progressing; Ethan Moreau waived

There was a small measure of progress regarding Kings center Mike Richards, who has been out with a head injury since Dec. 1. He skated after the team’s practice on Friday for about eight minutes.

Richards met with a team doctor Thursday, and was permitted to move forward with his recovery program, according to Kings Coach Terry Murray. He is out with a suspected concussion even though the Kings have not used that terminology.  

 “The only thing I can say about him is that he's been given the green light to do more,” Murray said, following practice in El Segundo. “He’s on the ice today. He rode the bike harder today ... the off-ice workouts.

 “Once you get through that part, the positive was seeing him going out on the ice. That’s a positive to me. Clearly, now the indication is that everything was good on the off-ice workout. So that’s the next step.”

Teammate and defenseman Willie Mitchell is all too familiar with the issues Richards has been facing, having been sidelined for a significant period because of post-concussion symptoms when he was with the Canucks. Richards has missed three games.

“I don’t talk to him [Richards] too much about it,” Mitchell said. “If everyone is asking him, ‘How are you doing? How are you doing? How are you doing?’ He’s going to be in a stressful state. He’s not going to get healthy.

“I kind of leave him be. I talked to him once about my experience and just said, ‘Be smart. Take your time. Don’t sit there and push it, right?’ Because you are seeing it with guys all around the league, guys that push it, there are recurrences to it.

“And first and foremost is his health. If he doesn’t have his health, he’s not going to be good to me, as a teammate or to the L.A. Kings. I don’t want to see any of my peers going through what he’s doing. I don’t wish that upon anyone. I’ve been there; it’s not fun. You worry about your life, your quality of life going on forward.”

With Mitchell coming off injured reserve, the Kings waived forward Ethan Moreau. Moreau, who was signed as a free agent in August, had four points in 28 games.

 “We have to create an opening for [Mitchell] and had to make a hard decision,” Murray said.

“I needed a little bit more from him. He’s a great veteran guy. Look, he’s been a captain. ... He’s a high character guy. I think his leadership in the locker room, in a quiet way, was very effective. And he gave us everything he could.”

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Photo: Kings center Mike Richards takes a shot against against Florida last week. Credit: Jeff Gross / Getty Images

Duck update: Revamped ticket pricing system

The Ducks announced a handful of changes to their pricing procedures in relation to individual-game tickets. Many other NHL teams are rolling out similar initiatives. 

"Launching a dynamic pricing system will allow us to mirror current market conditions," said Ducks Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Ryan in a statement Thursday. "With our 'Dynamic Deal' each week and our 'No Surprise Fees' ticket policy, fans will find great offers and flexible prices for games that work best for them."

For instance, the initial "Dynamic Deal' is in effect starting today for next week's Duck-Coyote game at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Honda Center, impacting Plaza Goal Upper East tickets and Terrace Value East tickets.  Savings will range from $9 to $15 per ticket.

For additional information, go to www.anaheimducks.com/dynamic. That site will also let fans register to receive emails about future "Dynamic Deals," and other ticket offers on a weekly basis.

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Photo: Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) celebrates a goal with winger Corey Perry during a game against the Minnesota Wild last week at the Honda Center. Credit: Harry How / Getty Images

Ducks make personnel moves, praise realignment plan

Some news and notes from the Ducks’ morning skate in preparation for Tuesday’s game against the Kings at Honda Center:

--The Ducks made a few personnel moves, activating goaltender Dan Ellis (groin) and winger George Parros (eye surgery) and sending goalie Jeff Deslauriers back to Syracuse of the American Hockey League. In addition, they called up center Nick Bonino from Syracuse and lost forward Ben Maxwell on waivers to Winnipeg.

Coach Bruce Boudreau, still seeking his first win since replacing Randy Carlyle last Thursday, said Parros would be a game-time decision. He also said Bonino wouldn’t play against the Kings, who won the teams’ first two meetings this season.

--Boudreau said he’s still getting up to speed and learning about his players. He held a long meeting after the skate Tuesday but said it was game-specific and geared toward the Kings.

“We are still catching up. [Monday] was sort of catching up and learning what we’re trying to get done here,” he said. “Today is all about L.A. and how to try to beat them.”

--Among the players Boudreau said he was learning about is winger Matt Beleskey, who’s expected to play on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

“When you’re in the East you don’t hear about Matt Beleskey and you don’t hear too much about Andrew Cogliano, even though he’s a Toronto boy and played in Edmonton, where you pretty well hear hockey 24/7,” said Boudreau, who previously coached the Washington Capitals.

“But you don’t hear about those guys and [Maxime] Macenauer, I didn’t know at all who he was until I got here. It’s intriguing to see what they can and can’t do, and that takes a little bit of time.”

--Winger Bobby Ryan said he liked the realignment plan that was approved Monday by the NHL's Board of Governors, a reconfiguration that will divide teams among four conferences — two with eight teams and two with seven teams — and will change the playoff format. He said the new alignment should reduce the travel for many teams, a problem in the West.

“We’re obviously a team that has some tough, challenging road trips. I’m all for it,” he said. “It should be interesting. Maybe a shakeup is just what we need.

“I do like the fact that you get to play every team in a home-and-home series. I think that’s important to establish rivalries and to keep those things fresh in people’s minds. Sometimes games go forgotten when it’s been so long between two teams playing.”

Boudreau also said he likes the new setup.

“I think it will create great rivalries and it makes it an awful lot easier for the teams in the West to play in the same time zone,” he said.

"Same thing with the Central and the Eastern teams. It’s going to be really tough to make the playoffs, but it’s not a walk in the park. This is what sports is all about. I think they did a great job.”

Check back later for coverage of the Kings-Ducks game at www.latimes.com/sports

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NHL Governors approve realignment to four conferences

The NHL’s Board of Governors on Monday approved a major realignment that will divide the 30 teams into four conferences and ensure every team will play each other at least twice a season.

Under the current division-driven setup teams in the West and East often went years between visits, preventing fans from seeing favorites and hindering the league’s promotional efforts. Commissioner Gary Bettman used his considerable influence to persuade some reluctant governors of Eastern Conference teams to agree to extra travel for the greater benefit of the league.

The NHL Players’ Assn. must offer its input into the plan before it can go into effect. That's expected to happen before next season, though it might be delayed until 2013-14.

As recommended, the top four teams from each of the four still-unnamed conferences will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds of the playoffs will be contested within each conference, with the No. 1 team playing the No. 4 team and the winners then facing each other. The four conference champions would then play each other and the winners would advance to the Stanley Cup final.

“We like the fact that every team on the East Coast will come to L.A.,” said Luc Robitaille, the Kings’ president of business operations and their representative at the governors' meetings in Pebble Beach.

“We think it’s a great thing for our fans and a great thing for us.”

A spokesman for the Ducks said they also voted in favor of the plan.

The realignment, the first major change for the league since it went to six divisions for the 1998-99 season, will abolish those divisions in favor of four conferences. The proposed new conferences are:

• Kings, Ducks, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado and Phoenix.

• Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Minnesota, Nashville, Columbus, Winnipeg and Dallas.

• Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay.

• Philadelphia, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey, Washington and Carolina.

In the seven-team conferences, teams would play each other six times, three home and three away. In the eight-team conferences, teams would play each other five or six times a season on a rotating basis.

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Photo: In the new conference alignments, Teemu Selanne (left) and the Ducks will still be a primary rival of Brad Richardson and the Kings. Credit: Jake Roth / US Presswire

Ex-Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle: Experience was positive, firing wasn't

Randy Carlyle, who coached the Ducks to the Stanley Cup in 2007 but was fired Wednesday because of the team's prolonged struggles, said Saturday he has been traveling "an emotional road" since his dismissal and will take a brief fishing trip to Northern California before considering his hockey future.

"We'll see," he said when asked if he expects to coach in the NHL again. "I'm working on putting one foot in front of another for the next couple of days."

Carlyle's last game was a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, which ended the Ducks' seven-game losing streak. However, General Manager Bob Murray had decided that no matter the outcome, he would dismiss Carlyle and replace him with Bruce Boudreau, the former Washington Capitals coach.

Boudreau lost his Ducks debut when the team squandered a three-goal lead and lost, 4-3, in overtime Friday. It was much like many of the games Carlyle coached this season, in fact, with a team that lacks depth and discipline.

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau ready for more 'firsts'

Newly hired Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau will experience a series of "firsts" while he settles in, and Friday brought the chance to check two more firsts off his list.

Boudreau, who conducted his first Ducks practice on Thursday, led players Friday through their first morning skate with him in charge. He will make his Ducks coaching debut Friday night at Honda Center against the Philadelphia Flyers, alongside new assistants Brad Lauer and Bob Woods.

His players enjoyed a first on Friday too: They were smiling and laughing in the locker room for the first time in a long time.

"Bruce has brought some good energy to the team. He's really an uplifting guy," defenseman Cam Fowler said. "He's positive, and he's made it fun to come to the rink every day."

Enforcer George Parros, who played for Boudreau in the American Hockey League when both were in the Kings' minor-league system, said he remembered Boudreau's positive attitude and honesty.

"What you see is what you get with him. We all watched him on the 24/7 shows," Parros said, referring to the HBO series last winter that featured an unfiltered Boudreau preparing the Washington Capitals to play in the Winter Classic. "We all got a good look at him. He's that person. There's no hiding how he is emotionally. He's a positive, upbeat guy, and he coaches to win. He's a good coach.”

Boudreau was often heard yelling “Move it!” during drills to remind players to maintain a fast pace.

"Look at all the good teams. They play an up-tempo game," he said. "You've got to be able to move the puck. Not just necessarily your legs but moving the puck quick can make slow teams look fast, and if we can get that in our repertoire, I think we’ll be better."

Ducks update: Coaching change puts trade talk on hold


There may not have been a reprieve for Anaheim Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle, who was dismissed late Wednesday night, but his firing meant at least a temporary halt to trade talk.

The larger meaning: Forward Bobby Ryan can resume exhaling and playing hockey and stop worrying about a possible relocation. He called the recent trade speculation "a nightmare."

Ryan said his girlfriend was the one who told him about the coaching change, calling him in his car when he was driving home from Wednesday's game.

"To be honest, right off the bat, I was thinking it might be a yard sale or a fire sale, a lot of things might be changing," Ryan said on Thursday after the first practice under new coach Bruce Boudreau. "I immediately kind of looked around to see if I had any other texts or missed calls.

"It's almost like there's a little relief on my part. Hopefully, this isn't meaning that I'm going to be moved too in the future. You almost feel like you let Coach down, you let all three coaches down."

Ryan said Ducks General Manager Bob Murray let him know that the organization would let things settle down after the coaching change.

"A lot of times players are left in the dark and it is tough," Ryan said. "I appreciate Murph being honest with me and letting me know ahead of time, so I could focus on one thing and that's wins for the Ducks."

Ryan had one of the better lines about the transition from Carlyle to Boudreau.

"There's a little nervousness, what kind of impression you are going to make on your first day," he said. "It's almost like a first date. But I think it went well."

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Photo: Bobby Ryan shoots past New York Rangers' Michael Del Zotto on Nov. 3. Credit: Frank Franklin II / Associated Press