It might have been more than 100 degrees Friday in parts of Southern California, but some of the Kings were back on the ice competing for the first time in months as their development camp concluded with a scrimmage between many of the organization’s top prospects.
The Kings will also host an event Saturday at 1:45 p.m. at Staples Center, which will feature many prospects and some younger roster players like forward Gabriel Vilardi and defenseman Mikey Anderson. On Friday, the aspiring Kings were divided into a white squad and a black one. The white team won, 6-4.
“Camp was a lot of fun and I really noticed how great the group of guys was this year,” defenseman Ben Meehan said. “The scrimmage was great as well, I thought it was pretty high-paced and everyone was working hard.”
Wingers Samuel Fagemo, Sahil Panwar and Martin Chromiak spearheaded the victory with two goals apiece. Panwar scored the game-winner, leading a three-on-one rush and electing to keep the puck and fire it high into the net.
Goalie Jacob Ingham denied forward Johan Sodergran’s penalty shot to calm a game that had a flurry of second-half scoring with three goals in a short span, only to see a similar swing when Sodergran scored a goal between Anwar’s pair in the final five minutes.
It was a week of acclimation, instruction and opportunity for a group that was missing the Kings’ two most prominent prospects: centers Alex Turcotte (appendectomy) and Quinton Byfield (lower-body injury). The Kings’ top two picks in 2021, defenseman Brandt Clarke and forward Francesco Pinelli, both participated.
“Flying in, meeting all of the staff and the players, and then (touring) the facilities, they’re all unbelievable,” Pinelli said earlier in the week. “Everything around me is top notch and professional.”
Pinelli scored the black team’s first goal of the game early in the second half. He recovered the puck after an errant pass foiled a potential goal, then roofed a shot from the right point to halve his team’s deficit. Soon after, Pinelli set up the equalizer by center Rasmus Kupari, who was active around the net throughout the scrimmage. Fagemo scored a second goal to reclaim the lead for the white team before center Tyler Madden held his ground near the net to notch a nifty goal in tight to knot the score, 3-3.
“Everyone looked good; we had a great week with all the guys,” said Kupari, pointing to his teammate Madden’s goal as an example of chemistry fostered on the fly. “From the opposition, Fagemo and Chromiak were really good today.”
Fagemo had scored the scrimmage’s first goal, flashing his quick release and powerful shot as he seared a partial slapper to open the scoring. Late in the first half of the game, the white team went ahead by two goals when Chromiak tallied his first goal. He also scored into an empty net in the waning moments of the scrimmage.
While players such as Clarke and Pinelli were attending their first camp, Kupari had become something of a veteran in this setting since being drafted in the first round in 2018. He said he was working on playing a more direct game, getting to the high-danger areas of the ice and remaining adaptable between the center and wing.
Kupari, Fagemo, Byfield and Turcotte are among the young Kings who could cement a roster spot for themselves this season. Though the chants of “Play the kids!” remain unabated from the fan base, the experienced core of the Kings and management sought roster balance as they pursued three seasoned players – winger Viktor Arvidsson, center Phillip Danault and defenseman Dan Hamhuis – this offseason.
“We have lots of young guys, but they added a couple of older guys as well,” Kupari said. “I look forward to (training) camp and being ready to battle for a spot on the starting roster.”
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