MayorsManor podcast - The Lockout is Over - by Mayors Manor

Hey, not sure if you've heard yet, but hockey is back!

Fresh on the heels of the NHL and NHLPA announcing they've reached a tentative agreement to get back on the ice, we bring you two of the voices Kings fans have been longing to hear over the past few months - Bob Miller and Daryl Evans. Joined by co-host Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, we'll chat with both broadcasters about what they did during the lockout, how they're preparing for the return of NHL action and what the Kings need to be thinking about as they begin defense of their Stanley Cup Championship. Additionally, Miller shares a few stories about visiting in old arenas around the league, announces details for a new book he has coming out and explains why he thinks the San Jose Sharks would be the perfect opening night opponent for the Kings. If that's not enough, we'll pass along a few predictions for which teams should dominate the Eastern and Western Conferences during the upcoming 48-game season - and a few clubs that might surprise people by snatching a playoff spot. Thanks for listening... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

MayorsManor podcast - Tribute to David Courtney - by Mayors Manor

Sometimes, things change forever. For many Kings fans, David Courtney was the only voice they'd ever heard announce a goal or a penalty. He had been with the organization for nearly 35 years, starting out doing odd jobs at the age of 14. Yet, for the better part of 25 years he'd been the PA Announcer - first at the Forum and eventually at Staples Center. Last Thursday was a rough day. Courtney passed away at the young age of 56, leaving behind the woman of his dreams - who he had only recently married - and a legion of fans that stretched across several professional sports franchises in Los Angeles. We did a full article on his passing here. Be sure to check out if you haven't already, as it includes several videos, his favorite quotes and much more. On Friday, we also did a special edition of the MayorsManor show - an entire episode dedicated to the memory of David Courtney. Joining us for the show were two people who knew him extremely well - Bob Miller (who shared many old stories from decades ago) and Dave Joseph of ESPN 710 (they worked together since 2001 and he was a mentor to Joseph, who would fill in for Courtney at various events when needed). Courtney will certainly be missed and Kings games will never be the same without him. Still, we hope you're able to enjoy this free replay of the show, as we look back at a great man... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

MayorsManor podcast with Drew Doughty LA Kings - by Mayors Manor

Today's show goes in so many different directions, it's hard to even know where to start.

The 2011-12 LA Kings were a tight-knit group of guys, no doubt. However, they were also an eclectic mix of personalities. You had the grizzled vet in Willie Mitchell, the new guy in Mike Richards, the ultra-reserved goalie in Jonathan Quick and so on. There was also Drew Doughty. He's given us so many great quotes over the last few seasons it would be hard to narrow things down to a best-of type list - although declaring his hatred for the Canucks as 'definitely a 10' and saying 'We hate every single guy on that team!' was certainly some good stuff. Today, he's back. Doughty joins on the MayorsManor show for an absolutely incredible journey. He sells out several of his teammates, reveals something GM Dean Lombardi talked to him about at draft time in 2008, professes his love for all things London...and, of course, weighs in on the recent Toronto Blue Jays managerial change. Here's a few other topics we'll touch on... - Criticism of his off-season conditioning - Training with the OHL's London Knights - Wayne Simmonds - Is he thinking about signing a deal to play in Europe if the lockout continues? - Trading in Trevor Lewis for a new best friend - Cowboy hats - When he might be coming back to LA - Brad Doty - Seeing his name on the Stanley Cup - What he wants to do to Matt Greene and why - Which Kings player isn't isn't as smart as he thinks he is - Why Kings fans love Bobby Ryan - LA Kings trivia - His current hatred level for the Canucks...and the Coyotes - Twitter questions from fans (his fear of birds, fighting Joe Thornton and more) - He answers Colin Fraser's question about spooning with Lewis - And if that's not enough, Quick interrupts the show with a question of his own for Doughty! As always, the Kings 2008 first round draft pick really brought his A-game today. You probably want to listen a few times... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

MayorsManor podcast with Jeff Carter LA Kings - by Mayors Manor

Years from now there just might be a movie made about LA Kings right wing Jeff Carter. This is Hollywood after all.

Like the tale of his best friend and teammate, Mike Richards, the simple story has been told too many times already - successful career in junior hockey, AHL Championship his first year there, an NHL first round draft pick, given a long-term deal with the Flyers, eventually exiled to Columbus. Yet, that's really where the good part starts. In a blockbuster trade last February, the Kings sent defenseman Jack Johnson to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Carter. Bound for LA was a player capable of scoring 40+ goals, a big contract and lingering questions about his character (largely driven from a media pool that always seemed quick to want to bury him). Despite all that had been written about him, days before the deal happened, we suggested the Kings should trade for Carter over Rick Nash. Having never met him or spent anytime getting to know Carter as a person, it still seemed to be the much smarter 'hockey deal' as we explained in that article. Months later, we'll now add this tidbit - while we weren't in Philly or Columbus to cover either of those stages of his career, he's been nothing but a gentleman since arriving in LA. From his very first interview, he's been engaging, interested and forthcoming about the past, present and any ideas about the future. Carter has never declined comment on any question we've asked him, nor as he tried to rush things along and end an interview prematurely. When you spend time talking with players at practices, after games and even away from the rink, you quickly realize who gives a good interview and who doesn't. Carter is more than welcome on MayorsManor anytime and that's why we asked him to join us today. In one of those rare statistical anomalies, he's actually been in more more playoff games for the Kings than regular season contests - 20 in the post-season, compared to just 16 at the end of the 2011-12 regular season. Of course, it was capped off with a Stanley Cup Championship and that has Carter in high spirits heading into this coming season - if the NHL and NHLPA can ever come to an agreement. Here are just a few of the topics we'll cover with him on today's show... - Plans for an extended lockout, any interest in playing over in Europe? - Hanging out with his Kings teammates this summer (pic one, pic two) - His 'Day with the Cup' - What will be the biggest challenge in defending the Cup? - Relocating to LA, what has enjoyed about it away from the rink? - Life with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL - Winning a cup with Richards - His musical tastes - Impressions of Anze Kopitar, as an opponent and as a teammate - Personal expectations for next season - Turing the page on his time with the Flyers - The change to right wing, does he like it? - In-N-Out vs. Five Guys - Any plans to join twitter? - Plus comments about Drew Doughty, Trevor Lewis, Jarret Stoll and coach Darryl Sutter Enjoy the ride, here we go... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

MayorsManor podcast with Davis Payne LA Kings asst coach - by Mayors Manor

After resigning his three unrestricted free agents earlier this summer - Colin Fraser, Dustin Penner and Jarret Stoll - Kings GM Dean Lombardi had his roster all but set. However, the team was still set to make one more addition in late July. Following an interview process that included putting guys to work at his ranch in Alberta, head coach Darryl Sutter was ready to name his replacement for outgoing assistant coach Jamie Kompon. Enter Davis Payne, who just turned 42 years old yesterday. His resume includes playing and coaching stops in the ECHL, AHL and NHL - including a 4-3 win by St. Louis over the Kings in Los Angeles, his first-ever as an NHL head coach. After just 137 games behind the Blues' bench though, he was replaced by Ken Hitchcock. Now, eager to return to the NHL, he joins us on the MayorsManor show today for a look back at his career on and off the ice. Some of the topics we'll touch on include: - His relationship with Bill Ranford, Kings goaltending coach - Being a member of the Phoenix Roadrunners, LA's IHL affiliate in the '90s - Facing off with one of the Buffalo Sabres in his first NHL game - Playing at the old Forum in Inglewood - Penner looking to blackmail him - Coaching Scott Gomez during the NHL Lockout - The New Jersey Rockin' Rollers - Memories of former teammate Mark Bavis - His tweets, moving to LA and much more Give it a listen... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes

MayorsManor podcast with Colin Hanks - by Mayors Manor

Through the years we've had a variety of guests on the MayorsManor show - including prospects, current players and several NHL legends. Today is no different, although we're going in a slightly different direction. Instead of talking to one of the guys on the ice we'll be joined by somebody who watches from the stands. Colin Hanks is best known as an actor, however he's also a huge sports fan. Specifically, he's been following the LA Kings for about 25 years now. So, we'll go back in time and see what some of his earliest hockey memories are. As you'll quickly find out, he's not a casual fan. Some might say he's actually obsessed with hockey because his knowledge runs deep. We'll talk about his favorite players, teams he doesn't like (hint: he has strong opinions about the Ducks and Coyotes), the Kings playoff run in 1993 vs the Maple Leafs, their Stanley cup victory this year, watching games at Madison Square Garden, several problems he's had with the NHL over the last two decades and much more. Hanks also often tweets about his love for the San Francisco Giants. Don't worry, we'll hit that topic as well. On the acting front, we'll dig into a few of his movie roles and see if he knows about Barry Melrose's obsession with the hit show Dexter. Plus, Hanks waxes on about Big Lebowski quotes and even tells us about a pet project he's been working on the last few years, a documentary about Tower Records. If that's not enough for you, the NoCal native also promises to tweet out a photo once the lockout ends. What's the photo of, you ask? Listen and find out! Here we go with one of our best shows ever... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes

MayorsManor podcast with Fred Coury of Cinderella - Mayors Manor

It's an old cliche, but it's true. Rock stars want to be athletes and sports stars want to be musicians. In the case of Fred Coury, he's sort of found a way to do both. Best known as the man behind the drum kit for Cinderella, the New York native has also turned his love affair with hockey into a part-time job. When Coury's not out on the road or in the studio working on music, he's thinking up new ways to enhance the LA Kings in-arena experience. From participating in an advisory board run by Luc Robitaille to creating the 'Go Kings Go' song you hear inside Staples Center, Coury is as in tune with LA hockey as he his with the bandmates he's shared the stage with all across the world. When he returned to town recently for a big show in Orange Country, MayorManor was on hand for sound check and spent some time with Fred before the show. We talked about his brand new LA Kings drum kit, the best live crowds, life on the road, meeting Wayne Gretzky, his role with the team...and of course, the 'LA Kings super group' idea we've been pitching the last few months. Take a listen... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes

MayorsManor podcast - Stanley Cup Final Preview by Mayors Manor

Iconic rock band KISS opens their shows with the p.a. announcer stating 'You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world...' We'll, if you'll allow us to riff on that, we're throwing out this today - 'You wanted the best, you got the best! The greatest guest list ever assembled to talk Kings and Devils...' How great you ask? We have not just one, but two members of the Hockey Hall of Fame - and another guy who will be inducted into the Hall on the first ballot in just a few years. We also have BOTH the long-time voice of the LA Kings and his trusty sidekick for more than 20 years. Need more? How about three members of the Kings' 1993 Stanley Cup Finals team? Plus - that's right, PLUS - we have the current captain of the LA Kings! So, without any further hype and build-up, here's the rundown for this week's show... - Dustin Brown will help us close the book on the Conference Finals vs. Phoenix. He'll give the inside scoop he hasn't shared with anybody else regarding some of the stuff that was said in the handshake line and offer his personal thoughts on the situation. - Luc Robitaille is going to give us his highs and lows from the last 19 years and he's going to identify his pick for a surprise goal in the Finals. Remember, he correctly called out Jordan Nolan before the second round. So, let's see who he has in mind this time around. - Former Kings owner Bruce McNall makes another visit to MayorsManor. We'll talk all about 1993, his relationship with Tim Leiweke, what Wayne Gretzky recently told him and get his pick for this year's Finals vs. New Jersey. - The incomparable Bob Miller will join us to share many stories and just wow us with his brilliance. Like many of our other guests today, he may just give us a prediction also. - Mike Modano, the only non-Kings oriented guest on today's show may seem like an odd inclusion. However, after we get done chatting with him you'll understand why we invited him on. And for good fun, we'll also see if he can help us determine who is the best American-born hockey player - him or Jeremy Roenick. - Let's see, 1993 Stanley Cup Finals...who was a central figure in that story? That's right, none other than Marty McSorley will be joining us to give his perspective on what happened in '93 and how he's still dealing with it today. - We're not sure if he'll be wearing a blue bandanna while calling in, but Kelly Hrudey will check in to offer his take on both the '93 Kings team and the current squad. - Jim Fox, our unofficial playoff correspondent the last few seasons, makes a return trip in today. We'll hit him up for some memories and some analysis. And of course, joining me as co-host again this week will be Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period magazine. He and I will debate the finer points brought up by today's guests and we'll offer some predictions on the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals set to kick off tomorrow between the LA Kings and New Jersey Devils. It's going to be more Kings vs Devils talk than you'll find anywhere else! MayorsManor proudly presents our Stanley Cup Finals preview show for your listening enjoyment... NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes