Kings GM Dean Lombardi says he's sorry for slamming Oilers

Either hell has frozen over or Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi was afraid for his safety during the team's upcoming trip to Edmonton, but he offered an apology Thursday for the incendiary comments he made after he acquired an injured Colin Fraser for Ryan Smyth in a trade with the Oilers.

Trying to grant Smyth's trade request, Lombardi initially agreed to take Gilbert Brule for Smyth but backed off because of concerns over Brule's fitness. He then agreed to take Fraser, who eventually needed foot surgery and didn't make his Kings debut until Nov. 10.

The Kings filed a grievance with the NHL contending that the Oilers had misrepresented the extent of Fraser's injury and Lombardi let his temper flare.

“The bottom line for me, I would have rather invested my money with Bernie Madoff than invest in Edmonton’s word,” Lombardi told The Times.

The grievance was settled before a hearing and the Oilers paid an unspecified amount of money toward Fraser’s medical costs. Oiler and NHL executives were unhappy with Lombardi’s outspokenness, and Lombardi told Edmonton Team 1260 radio host Mark Spector on Thursday that frustration over Smyth’s trade request led him to speak without thinking.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick takes All-Star honor in stride

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, named to the NHL All-Star team Thursday, had a typically low-key reaction to his first All-Star honor, the first for a Kings goalie since Mario Lessard in 1981.

"It's a great accomplishment. It's something I'm looking forward to do at the end of the month," he said, talking about the Jan. 29 game after the Kings skated in El Segundo in advance of Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars at Staples Center.

"But right now we've got a lot of things going on here. We've got a big game tonight against Dallas. That's ultimately what we're all focused on."

The only other Kings goalies to make an All-Star team were Terry Sawchuk in 1968, Rogie Vachon in 1973, 1975 and 1978, and Lessard. Quick enters Thursday's game with the fourth-best goals-against average (1.93), fifth-best save percentage (.934), a league-leading six shutouts and eighth-best number of wins (18).

Quick said he didn't know any of the other all-stars and that he found out he would be taking part in the game in Ottawa when Coach Darryl Sutter gave him the news on the ice at the end of the morning skate. He joked that his teammates didn’t treat him like an all-star.

Former coach Terry Murray: Kings could be team to reckon with

Former Kings Coach Terry Murray, who was dismissed and replaced by Darryl Sutter last month, granted his first post-firing interview Wednesday.

He didn’t say anything inflammatory or even remotely controversial but acknowledged his disappointment over being let go. He also acknowledged that the power play’s struggles cost the team some games — and perhaps cost him his job. Here’s a link to a transcript that appears on the Kings’ website.

Murray did an excellent job installing a defensive foundation that remains the Kings’ best asset, but he took them as far as he could take them — and that wasn’t as far as General Manager Dean Lombardi thought they could go.

The team was stale offensively and had stalled. And though it isn’t always fair, sometimes players need to hear a new voice and be challenged in different ways. Sutter is allowing players to be more aggressive and pushing a more up-tempo game, and they seem to have responded.

They’re not scoring in great bunches — and might never do that, even if Lombardi makes a big move before the Feb. 27 trade deadline — but they did earn points in each of Sutter’s first eight games behind the bench and are 6-1-3 during his tenure.

One more note on Murray, with thanks to colleague Lisa Dillman: Murray has moved out of his South Bay home but it isn't standing empty. He made it available for rent and Sutter moved in this week.

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— Helene Elliott

Photo: Former Kings coach Terry Murray, center, instructs his players during a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Kings' Jack Johnson pays tribute to Tim Tebow after goal [Video]

If Kings defenseman Jack Johnson really wanted to honor Tim Tebow on Monday night, he would have scored 15 seconds earlier ... with 3:16 showing on the clock.

Tebow, the devout Christian quarterback of the Denver Broncos, freaked everyone out Sunday both with his dominating performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers and by passing for 316 yards and a 31.6 average, bringing to mind perhaps the most famous Bible verse of all, John 3:16.

Alas, Johnson wasn't quite able to pull that off, instead scoring with 3:01 remaining in the second period of the Kings' 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals at Staples Center. So he did the next best thing: he Tebowed, dropping to one knee right there on the ice.

Times writer Lisa Dillman described the origin of the tribute in Tuesday's paper:

"The background behind it was that I've got some buddies that flew in from Michigan," Johnson said.

"And we were watching the [football] game last night and after the game they said, 'If you score, would you Tebow for us?' I said, 'Sure deal.' Then I ended up scoring and I thought, 'I've got to pay up.'"

After Denver quarterback Tim Tebow's stirring overtime victory over the Steelers on Sunday, Johnson excitedly tweeted: "love it, so happy for him. Awesome!!! Show the world."

Apparently Johnson decided to do the same thing.

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Kings look ahead: Darryl Sutter's return to Alberta

At least Kings Coach Darryl Sutter is getting this homecoming stuff out of the way.

San Jose? Done.

Chicago? Done.

Calgary? On deck.

Naturally, his return to Alberta will be getting the most attention, and rightly so. The famous Sutter family is from Viking, Alberta. His long association with the Flames ended a little more than a year ago when he stepped down as their general manager. Brent Sutter is still behind the bench as the Flames head coach.

So when the Kings play at Calgary on Saturday night, it will be brother vs. brother. Again.

The subject came up after Kings practice on Sunday during a wide-ranging talk between Sutter and myself, mostly about his homecoming week, Calgary experience and family ties.

Darryl satisfied one line of questioning about Brent, fairly quickly, about the current state of their relationship.

"I left a message for him this morning," Sutter said. "They  got their [butts] kicked in Boston and then to bounce back yesterday. That's got a lot to do with coaching. That's a good mark for him." 

Darryl has been down the brother-brother road many times. He has coached four of his siblings in the NHL, coached against brother Brian when Darryl was in Chicago and Brian was in St. Louis. 

"You just separated it," Darryl said. "It was very simple. When we were at the rink: coach, player. If there was anything in the family, you could separate it. It's easy to do. When Brent was hired in Calgary, everybody talked about it ... it wasn't like we were ... it's easy to separate it. And it's nobody's business."

That last remark was made without rancor, more matter of fact than anything else.

"We're used to it. Even when we were playing against each other, everybody always asked us about that," Sutter said of competing against his brothers. "We were so close in age, us boys, we played against each other our whole lives. It wasn't like somebody was better.

"So you did it your whole life. It was just on a different stage. That's all it was."

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-- Lisa Dillman

Photo: Kings Coach Darryl Sutter looks on from behind the bench. Credit: Gus Ruelas / Associated Press

Kings' offense fizzles again in 1-0 loss to Columbus

Until now, Darryl Sutter has been a kindly, encouraging figure behind the Kings’ bench, surprising observers who anticipated he would blister his new team at every opportunity. He might be ready to show them his angry side any moment.

Lifeless on the power play and still unable  to generate much offensively, the Kings opened the second half of their season Saturday with a 1-0 loss to the 30th-ranked Columbus Blue Jackets at Staples Center. The loss represented the first time in Sutter’s nine games as coach that the Kings did not earn a point and the first time in 10 games overall that they didn’t gain a point in the standings.

The Kings took 28 shots against Columbus goaltender Curtis Sanford but he gave them few rebounds and was in command throughout the game. They have scored two goals or fewer in regulation time in 19 of their last 21 games, a failing that continues to cost them as they jockey for playoff position.

The Kings were unable to capitalize on eight power plays that covered 13 minutes 36 seconds’ worth of power-play time, including a five-on-three edge early in the third period and a six-on-four advantage they created after Columbus was penalized for delay of game and the Kings replaced goalie Jonathan Quick with an extra skater. Columbus began the game ranked 29th in the NHL in penalty killing.

Columbus scored the only goal at 11:25 of the second period, a few seconds after the Kings had killed a penalty. David Savard, at the point, passed to Derick Brassard, whose cross-ice pass found Grant Clitsome venturing in from the point. Quick couldn’t move quickly enough to his right to stop Clitsome’s rising shot.

Check  back later for more coverage at www.latimes.com/sports.

--Helene Elliott

Photo: Kings defenseman Jack Johnson (3) tries to keep Blue Jackets left wing R.J. Umberger from the rebound after goaltender Jonathan Quick made a save in the first period Saturday afternoon at Staples Center. Credit: Harry How / Getty Images

Kings update: Darryl Sutter's hiring official. First game vs. Ducks

The Darryl Sutter Era officially opened for business.

Sutter will conduct his first practice as the Kings’ head coach Wednesday morning, followed by a news conference in the afternoon in El Segundo, according to the team, in making his appointment official on Tuesday.

Other dates to circle: His first game behind the King bench will be Thursday at Staples Center against the Ducks. Sutter, 53, coached three NHL teams, the Sharks, the Flames and the Blackhawks; and was general manager of Calgary until Dec. 28, 2010.The Kings play at San Jose on Friday and at Calgary on Jan. 14.

Sutter’s head coaching record is 409-320-131 in 860 regular-season games. The Flames lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, and Sutter was the coach when the Blackhawks reached the Western Conference Finals in 1995.

John Stevens Era near end, Mike Richards nearing return for Kings

Greetings from The Center of the Hockey Universe, also known as Toronto.

As always in Canadian cities, there was a huge media crowd at the Kings’ game-day skate at the Air Canada Centre on Monday, and the assembled throng got to witness John Stevens’ final morning skate as the Kings’ interim coach.

The timetable for Darryl Sutter’s succession now figures to be an announcement of his hiring on Tuesday, his first practice on Wednesday morning followed by a news conference, and his first game behind the bench on Thursday against the Ducks at Staples Center.

Stevens is 1-2 since temporarily taking over for Terry Murray, unable to halt a skid that has reached six losses in seven games. In addition, the Kings have been held to two goals or fewer in 11 straight games and are the league’s lowest-scoring team on a per-game average. Their power play is scoreless in 18 chances over the last six games.

Stevens will be part of Sutter’s staff, though it’s unclear whether Sutter will want to bring in an assistant of his own. He said he enjoyed the experience as interim coach, though it was taxing in many ways.

“I love coaching whether it’s an assistant or head position. Obviously this week has been very difficult with what’s transpired with Terry,” said Stevens, who tried to lighten the mood Sunday by taking the team to Dairy Queen after practice.

Kings collapse in 8-2 loss at Detroit

Throughout their scoring struggles this season, the Kings usually had a strong defensive foundation to fall back on, one that kept them competitive.

Facing the precise, passionate Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the Kings abandoned all the good things about their game and fell apart as completely as they have in a long time in an 8-2 loss at Joe Louis Arena. Darryl Sutter, confirmed Saturday as the Kings' coach-in-waiting by a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly, is facing a bigger job than he might have imagined.

Cory Emmerton had two goals and an assist, and Drew Miller scored twice as the Red Wings recorded their 10th straight home victory and overwhelmed the Kings in every area of the ice. The eight goals were the most given up by the Kings this season. They were held to two goals or fewer for the 11th straight game and have lost six of their last seven games. They are 1-2 under interim coach John Stevens, who replaced Terry Murray on Monday.

Stevens is scheduled to coach the finale of this trip, at Toronto on Monday. The plan is for Sutter's hiring to be announced Tuesday and for him to coach his first game Thursday against the Ducks at Staples Center. He agreed to a multiyear deal this week but had to tend to family matters and wait for immigration issues to be resolved before he could begin work.

It's a done deal: Darryl Sutter to coach Kings

Darryl Sutter has agreed to become the Kings’ next coach and will take over on Tuesday, a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times Saturday.

Sutter signed a contract a few days ago but needed to wrap up some family matters and receive the proper immigration clearance. That’s expected to come through on Monday, and he will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Sutter signed a multi-year deal, though the exact duration is not known.

The Kings fired Terry Murray Monday and played the last two games under John Stevens, who will coach them Saturday against Detroit at Joe Louis Arena. Stevens is expected to remain on the Kings’ staff under Sutter. However, it’s unclear whether Sutter will bring in another assistant and whether current assistant Jamie Kompon will continue with the team.

Sutter and General Manager Dean Lombardi worked together in San Jose, where Lombardi hired Sutter to coach, and they have remained friends. Sutter was Lombardi’s first choice after Lombardi reluctantly dismissed Murray while the Kings were in the throes of a losing streak that reached five games before the team clawed out a 2-1 victory at Columbus on Thursday.

Sutter is blunt and gruff but has also earned tremendous loyalty from those who have played for him. He led the Calgary Flames to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 but had far less success as the team’s general manager. He resigned that job nearly a year ago and has spent most of his time running the family ranch in Alberta, Canada.

He will take over a team that is solid defensively but has had difficulty scoring this season. He is known to push players hard but will forgive mistakes if players are intense and passionate, and he has little time for those who don’t give a full effort. His approach should be different from Murray’s teacher/fatherly demeanor, and it could jar the Kings enough to extract the talent Lombardi thinks they have. If not, and if the Kings continue to struggle offensively, Lombardi could be out of a job after the season.

Sutter will be the fourth coach to work under Lombardi. Marc Crawford coached the Kings for two seasons but had no patience with mistake-prone youngsters and was a poor fit. Murray installed a strong defensive foundation but couldn’t take the team to the next level. Stevens, a Murray disciple, is 1-1 and will coach two more games before handing over the reins, staying behind the bench Saturday in Detroit and Monday in Toronto.

-- Helene Elliott in Detroit

Photo: Darryl Sutter in 2005. Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Kings' Mike Richards taking it slow while recovering from injury

Center Mike Richards, who suffered a head injury on Dec. 1 and hasn’t played since then, skated hard with the Kings’ extra players Saturday at Joe Louis Arena before the team's game against the Red Wings.

Richards hasn’t been cleared for contact but he was cleared to skate and try to maintain his physical condition. The key will be how he feels the rest of the day, which will signal whether he can continue to push himself.

Richards said he feels better, but he knows he must be patient.

“It’s still a process,” he said. “I think you can only go on how you feel. There’s never a timeline, which is the frustrating part of it. Whenever you feel ready to play you can play.”

He said he didn’t feel quite right but wasn’t sure if that was an offshoot of the injury.

“It’s hard to distinguish whether it’s taking two weeks off and going out there and skating or if it’s lingering effects but we’re going to take it slow,” he said. “We’re going to skate a couple times and see how I feel after that. I obviously hope to be back sooner than later…

“It’s really hard taking two weeks off from skating. You could ride the bike as many times as you want but it’s not the same as simulating a game or on-ice skating.

"It went pretty good out there. It felt all right. Just a couple of spots where I was a little bit dazed but that could just be not skating for two weeks too. Or jet lag. Or all of the above.”