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The Los Angeles Kings will celebrate their 40th anniversary next season but it's hard to say what exactly there will be to recognize other than longevity.
Plenty of talented players -- Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, Luc Robitaille, among others -- have worn the Kings colours over the years but just once has the team participated in the Stanley Cup final, when it lost to the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
When the topic of discussion turns to possible NHL franchises on the move, the Kings usually are not mentioned. They had a 99.7% capacity rate last season at the Staples Center, and they actually made money. Also, 89% of season-ticket holders renewed their ducats for this season.
But despite its roots in California, the team realizes it has a lot of ground to cover to become a central sports entity in Los Angeles, if it ever does.
With that in mind, the Kings hired more staff in fan development and began a grassroots marketing program to get kids hooked on the game, the Los Angeles Daily News reported this week. Dollars that once were earmarked for advertising now will go toward hockey clinics and equipment donation.
"The investments we're making today will have some immediate impact, but it's really about long-term growth," Shawn Hunter, the Kings' president of business operations, told the newspaper. "Some teams create a fan-development program but they simply dip their toe in, and don't invest enough to make it work. What we're trying to do, in terms of marketing, is shoot with a laser. It's a more measured return. You get more out of your marketing dollars if you reach out directly to people."
Further proof the Kings have to become more of a brand hit home on Thursday night.
An announced crowd of 14,167 at the Staples Center saw the Kings lose 4-1 to the Dallas Stars. That's the smallest gathering to watch a Kings regular-season home game since Feb. 1, 2001. Only 200 more were on hand on Tuesday evening to witness a victory against the New York Islanders.
MALKIN ON THE CUSP?
The odds-on favourite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year could make his debut next week.
Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins took part in a contact practice yesterday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, and the club is targeting its home game against the New Jersey Devils as a possibility for Malkin. The 20-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder on Sept. 20.
"He is making some great progress," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "Evgeni's working really hard to get back into the lineup as soon as possible. We're excited about the way he's come along with that injury. He's close.
"I hope (he'll play in) less than a week. We'll see."
No first-year NHL players have been running away from the pack with Malkin out. The Kings' Anze Kopitar led freshmen scorers with six points through Thursday's games, but only one other rookie -- San Jose Sharks defenceman Matthew Carle - had at least three points, and only four had two.
BREAKS FROM THE MUNDANE
Whether it's trying to forget about hockey completely for an hour or two or attempting to get to know each other better, a number of teams recently have shaken up the usual routine.
The San Jose Sharks went curling in Banff during an off-day in Alberta this week.
"The curling was an eye-opener for a lot of guys," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. "Nabby (goalie Evgeni Nabokov) had trouble keeping straight when he was sliding and throwing the rocks. It was fun and nobody got hurt."
After a pair of blowout losses on the road, Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky took his team bowling south of Nashville instead of holding practice on Thursday. Gretzky didn't tell his team, which visits the Predators tonight, what he had in mind. Rather, the players got on the bus thinking they were headed to work out.
"We thought maybe the best thing to do was to catch them off guard and give them a day where they can enjoy themselves and enjoy each other's company," Gretzky said. "It was more a day just for them to clear their minds."
And Tampa Bay Lightning captain Tim Taylor said he has gone out of his way to have more team functions. Already, the Lightning players have had two team dinners, a day at the beach with their families and have golfed together. Also, the wives' room at the St. Pete Times Forum has been turned into a family room.
Taylor took the initiative after a chat with teammate Rob DiMaio.
"He said (the long-time Lightning players) didn't understand what it's like coming here because the guys are so close," Taylor said. "We've had guys together so long, we just thought it was natural. He said it was hard to get in that group. It was hard to feel welcome."
AROUND THE LEAGUE
The parents of the late Dan Snyder have started a tour of all 30 NHL cities, giving speeches about the power of forgiveness and teamwork and trying to raise money for the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation. Graham and LuAnn Snyder are trying to raise money to build an arena in their home town of Elmira, Ont. The tour stops in Minnesota tonight, but the date for the Snyders' visit to Toronto has not been set ... Rick Tocchet, who is on an unpaid leave of absence from the Coyotes after a gambling ring became public earlier this year, is not listed in the Coyotes 2006-07 media guide ... Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Bryan Berard will meet with doctors in Los Angeles next week to explore the idea of having back surgery. Berard missed the final 31 games last season and has not played this year because of the injury.