Ken Baker

@sweetannieod @ZachCav I should have kept scrolling lol

@ZachCav Wait Five I miscounted lol

There are only SIX available ice sheets in all of San Diego County. Not facilities, sheets. At the 4 Orange County Rinks facilities alone, there are 9 ice sheets. Not to mention other non-Rinks facilities in OC or Rinks Lakewood. Continued investment in the game. #FlyTogether

@ZachCav I saw that, but it’s actually only five sheets: Kroc, UTC, SDIA, Poway, and Carlsbad.

@bob_digital0014 @gregbeacham Not the plan; it will be down the road at Kit Carson. They did try to make something work, but just wasn’t feasible.

@gregbeacham Wonder if they would take over the old Iceoplex building in Escondido. Great little facility. Would need to add one more sheet. Or just rebuild on that land completely.

Ducks and SD Gulls owner Henry Samueli’s nonprofit Rinks Foundation says it wants to build a public 3-sheet ice complex in Escondido that would also serve as the Gulls’ practice facility. Smaller but similar project to Irvine’s Great Park Ice, which is a big success.

@AnaheimDucks @The_Rinks This is amazing. San Diego is hurting badly for ice. The facility in Irvine is top notch and anything like it would be fantastic for the region. Bravo to the Samueli family if this goes forward.

Exciting times for hockey in Southern California. There are plans for a three-sheet public skating facility in Escondido at Kit Carson Park. The complex would be fully funded and constructed entirely by @The_Rinks. Details ⬇️ nhl.com/ducks/news/pla…

@jonnyrosen Whoops, seems like your source missed on this one if Friedman is correct that LA was not given permission.

I've been informed Cassidy interviewed with the Kings this past Friday.

@KevinMcCurdy I agree with your take, all of it. Per the NHL, it’s not whether it crossed the line, it’s whether it conclusively (via real time evidence) crossed the line. I think it crossed, and I’m glad it counted, but the NHL is not being consistent with the application of its own rules.

I haven't commented on this until now. "Logic" all of a sudden enters the equation as a valid means for calling goals "good", despite overwhelming history to the contrary. Some simple facts from this goal: - No official was in position to make this call on the ice, it should have been ruled no goal on the ice. That's just the facts. No ref was below the hash marks or anywhere close enough to conclusively call it in. No signal was made to this effect. Positioning failure should not result in one team being effectively penalized for that. - When such cases are ruled no goal on the ice, you need overwhelming conclusive evidence the puck completely crossed the line. Last I checked AI removals of objects and drawing circles around the puck aren't part of the situation rooms process. - If the league has a additional view that was used in this decision, that should be publicized. - It is my opinion that this puck completely crossed the line, but based on how these calls have historically gone, the process that has been used until now was tossed in the trashcan. So while the calls result is ultimately what we want from the on-ice product, the process that has been used up until now was completely thrown out the window. The league has a bit of soul-searching to do here and I believe this is a reasonable point to be perturbed with from the Oilers perspective. You can get the call right, and the process wrong, which means they need to change the process. Changing it on game 86 of the season is not the time.

@LAKings64768054 @KingsMenPodcast Ceci has been rough for sure. But this year, Edmonson has been the guy we all thought we were getting last year. Not sure Henry is the answer, he will need to learn how to be a pro first. Not a generational-type guy enough to bypass that.

@KingsMenPodcast Bruztewic should play on the Kings, also helps the Ceci buyout, having his replacement on elc for 3 years.

With Brzusetwics signing his ELC and the Slukynsky brothers and some other collegiate and CHL guys aging out I'm looking at next years rosters for Kings/Reign and um... there's some hard decisions for the summer. On top of the normal hard decisions this season has created.

@Miggysbat Stay strong, you’re right about this. ABS is great. Some people don’t like change, even if it’s good (pitch clock, runner on 2nd in extras, etc.). Get the calls right and it won’t be needed. I do not accept abject human failure is a good part of the game.

Man, I absolutely love the ABS challenge system. MLB should’ve implemented this years ago.

@calstanvard That is, if the Kings re-sign Laughton.

Kings down the middle are: Kopitar (retiring) Byfield Laughton Helenius/Turcotte 2026/27: Byfield Laughton Turcotte Helenius Oh man. Oh shit. See the difference?

@prblslvr50 @Buccigross Right or wrong, I’m pretty sure most LA fans would be unwilling to move Clarke straight up for Matthews. All markets overvalue their players (including Toronto though).

@Buccigross To Tor: Clarke- Byfield - 2026 1st - 2026 1st To LA : Auston Matthews

For Auston Matthews? Start with Byfield, Hampton Slukynski, Vojtech Cihar, Henry Brzustewicz, a 1, 2, 3, 4 (one each year) and take a contract Toronto doesn't want.

@LiveLaughLeafs2 @ScuderiLAK @Buccigross It is too much, but needs context. Mathews should be costly and it is certain no player heading the other way would be as good as Auston. But the “too much” part is the impact it would have on LA. They would be left both virtually no future.

@ScuderiLAK @Buccigross Wait you think that’s too much???? Talk about delusional

@LAKingsSteve Kinda like when the Kings were stocked against Vegas?

Can’t really even be upset with that #GoKingsGo loss. Playing the best team in the NHL, missing a boatload players. Kids came in and player hard, played well. 22 games left, time slipping away. Every game is critical.

@N_A_Waller @calstanvard Agree on Luc and Yanneti, but elevating Ken makes me nervous. Aside from being given a mandate, there simply is no defending some of the offseason moves. More of that frightens me.

Jim Hiller needed to go. He should've never been made the permanent head coach. Hiller is just $7M richer now and the team still has not addressed the elephant in the room. Luc Robitaille is the person who needs to be fired. He's what's called the root cause. Luc must get next.

@MarcelAndRogie @TheBannermenPod Word

Hiller being the coach in the first place is on Luc. They tried to get by on the cheap when they fired Todd. The entire hockey world thought they should've fired Hiller after the playoffs. Hiller has another yr left on his deal. Why are you giving a rookie coach that big of a deal?

Holland’s LA Kings experience so far: - Luc confirms Hiller is his coach before he gets hired - Finds out two D want out on day 1 because of said coach - Still throws everything at Gavrikov until the 11th hour - Tries to get Rasmus Andersson, told he won’t sign (1/3)

@MarcelAndRogie @TheBannermenPod It is on Luc. By Hiller also failed. Repeatedly. I’m not sure I fully realized the impact of Hiller had on those players staying away/wanting out. Makes sense though.

@TheBannermenPod Yeah, ALL THIS. This is on Luc and nobody else.

@kurri_jari I was with you until the banner part. Luc remains a legendary player. But a stronger personality with a better plan is needed.

Apparently Jim Hiller is gonna hold a pre game press conference. At this point, what's left to ask? He's a Lame Duck coach in an organization with deep problems - stemming from the Robitaille boy. I anticipate the Kings missing the playoffs. Which, unfortunately, would be the best thing for the organization. Artemi Panarin is lip stick on a pig. Torch the front office. Pull #20 down from rafters and burn it - and let the English see you do it. Strength and Honor.

@LaKingsNick Those are some damning numbers. The nepotism is killing the team. Except Matt Greene. He rules.

Luc Robitaille was named President of the Los Angeles Kings on April 10th 2017. Some fun facts during that time. 5 head coaches. 2 General Manager. 0 playoff series wins. #GoKingsGo

@AndrewKnollNHL So far, this tracks.

@AndrewKnollNHL So here is my prediction. Hiller is sacked and Smith is promoted as interim. It goes as we all expect. Kings demote Robitaille back to business role and hire Shanahan for hockey ops. Holland cleans coaching house and we “retool”.

Hiller was asked if he felt that his messaging was falling on some deaf ears. "No, I don't feel that way at all. No. No."

@LAKings874 This is crazy.

I’m actually not against bringing Darryl Sutter back, he’s the only winning coach in Kings history and everybody from that 2017 team is either gone already or leaving (Kopitar).

@jonnyrosen @YourMom47380792 I don’t know, Jon. I trust your word, and have since LAKI. You’re pragmatic and connected. Something is afoul and if it isn’t Dan or Luc, and certainly not Ken’s fault - where is the cancer?

@YourMom47380792 I don't know. Can only speculate. There is no easy fix, so fixes won't come quickly. Luc is earthen foundation in Kings lore and president, so the turning-an-aircraft-carrier analogy applies. Concerned. Don't want more people that had nothing to do with this mess to get fired.

Here's the thing. Dan Beckerman is a smart, pragmatic person. My interactions have been limited, but positive, and colleagues at LAK I keep in touch with all have good things to say about his investment as both emotionally as an LA sports fan, and financially as AEG stakeholder.