Regehr to Retire, Sutter Did Not Get Locked out, and Other Notes (Staples Center)

Staples Center

Regehr to Retire, Sutter Did Not Get Locked out, and Other Notes

By Jason Lewis

Apr 11, 2015 • 11:33 pm

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The Kings finished off the season today in SOME form of style. That style was beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 in front of a sellout crowd at Staples Center.

The Kings put on a fairly good show today, although the game definitely lacked an urgency and intensity to it. Goals were not celebrated, overall celebrations were muted, and the general attitude was somber.

However, there was definitely some interesting happenings around the team both before and after the game.

First off, as of yesterday, April 10, the Kings were recalling center Jordan Weal from Manchester. With nothing to play for, the Kings were obviously going to try and get Weal into a game this season. Earlier in the year, Weal was recalled only to have the moved blocked due to cap issues. With Weal being one of the best players for Manchester the last two seasons, it was a nice little atta boy cup of coffee with the big club.

Hold the phone. Weal was a healthy scratch.

Then when Darryl Sutter was asked about it vaguely on the bench during the game by Jim Fox, the remark was something along the lines of there being plenty of time for first games later. It was in classic Sutter speak so it is hard to decipher exactly what the L.A. Bench boss meant.

Reasons, to this point, are still unknown as to just why the Kings would recall Weal, make him fly 3,000 some odd miles, only to scratch him. Not to mention the Monarchs are getting ready for the AHL playoffs and he will have to immediately fly back. Plus the recall happened yesterday so it is not as if Weal was benefitting from practicing with the big club. He likely only got in a morning skate and warm-ups with the team.

There was talk that it may have had something to do with not having a jersey ready for him, considering the Kings were playing in their Stadium Series sweaters.

However, photographs from friend of the blog and JFTC contributor, Robyn AKA Jollywhiskey, show Weal in a pretty legit looking jersey.

But slowly but surely it just boiled down to Sutter potentially being....Sutter. A notoriously difficult coach for young players to get used to, with a very strong loyalty to his veteran players.

Nevertheless, it does seem a curious and somewhat gutting move to a young player in Weal's situation. Twice he was called up to the Kings this season, only to be shipped back across country without ever playing a single game.

I would not read into this one too much in terms of "OH NO Sutter and Lombardi are at odds!" or anything like that. Maybe it was equipment, maybe it was simply Sutter saying no. Either way, it was strange.

Speaking of Sutter, if you thought he was going to be done and retire, think again.

With one of his best Sutterisms of the year:

So Sutter will be back. Potentially.

But if it were according to the New York Post and the ever accurate and credible writer Larry Brooks, Sutter is embattled with the LA Kings players. Yes, the same Larry Brooks who had this noted run in (among others) with then coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning John Tortorella. (WARNING: Video link contains NSFW language)

The article in question is not even worth linking for the traffic. Let's just say that according to Brooks "Sources" the LA Kings players locked Sutter out of the locker room in some form of protest on the team's final road trip through Canada.

The report has made some noise, but has been vehemently shot down by multiple sources since. That includes the Kings players themselves.

Daren Millard of Roger's SportsNet

Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, and a regular amongst Kings games.

While it is a nice juicy story for Brooks either way, it is simply stirring up falsified junk in a situation where the opportunity was ripe for it. The Kings should have been in the playoffs, but they were not. Ergo, the coach and the players were at odds. Sutter may be retiring, maybe there is a REASON he would retire! In reality it was probably a closed door meeting that got blown out of proportion via game of telephone from said sources.

All respect to Larry Brooks and the New York Post, but before anyone takes that story too seriously they should realize....it is Larry Brooks and the New York Post.

There is one face on the Kings that will be retiring though, and that is Robyn Regehr.

After a career that spanned 1,089 games with three teams, the 34 year old Regehr will call it quits. He has his ring, he has his name engraved. Good on you Robyn. While we may have been critical of Regehr on the blog, any player who logs as much hard working time in the NHL as he did deserves an ovation.

Some other players though, well, the future remains hazy.

Between the semi-drama with Weal, the Kings players building a pillow fort in order to prevent Sutter from entering Chateau de Carter, and the post-game uncertainty of some core pieces, it was a fairly interesting last game.

Oh, and they won the game in pretty convincing fashion as well.

A somewhat strange and muted end to the LA Kings season.

Do take a moment to check out Jon Rosen's post game notes where he included the team's award winners. That included your 2014-15 Kings voted MVP Drew Doughty.

More to come in the next few days on making sense of the LA Kings being out of the playoffs.

Remember everyone, "Sources" are not sources. Now if you would excuse me, I have two sources telling me to watch the Dodger's game (My yorkshire terrier, Murphy, and my cold cup of black tea.)

Follow me on twitter for news and notes about the Kings and the NHL

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