As quickly as training camp began, it’s already drawing close to an end for several players. While the big-name veterans who are all but assured of making LA’s NHL roster aren’t going anywhere, this week is expected to feature at least two rounds of cuts among the 59 total players in camp.
Following impressive debuts during Sunday’s Empire Classic in Ontario, a trio of Kings prospects are said to be headed back to their respective junior teams later this afternoon. That list includes goaltender Carter George, who stopped all but one shot in yesterday’s Kings victory.
Following his team’s first preseason game, coach Jim Hiller praised the composure of young defensemen Jarred Woolley and Henry Brzustewicz (teammates in the OHL), saying — “It’s hard to believe that they’re a pair in juniors together. They’d be a couple of hard guys to play against when I think about juniors, and when I coached back then. Both are big, both are competitive, both move the puck. When they go back, I’m sure they’re going to get big minutes for a good London team again. They’re developing really nicely.”
We still don’t have confirmation on the status of camp invitee Nate Corbet (WHL) nor a pair of Kings prospects drafted in 2025, forwards Jimmy Lombardi and Jan Chovan. Maybe there’s a chance the latter sticks around a few more days. Maybe. The only way that really makes sense is if he’s going to play a game with the Kings before rejoining his OHL teammates in Sudbury.
Up next, the Kings are scheduled to play a pair of back-to-back road games. Monday is a day off for all involved, following three days of scrimmages and then Sunday’s game. Things pick back up on Tuesday, with a morning skate in LA, a plane ride, then a game against the Golden Knights in Vegas.
Wednesday’s training camp schedule includes practice at TSPC, then a bus ride to Anaheim for another game vs. the Ducks.
Thursday (or perhaps even Friday) should be another purge day from camp. Come Monday, the Ontario Reign are expected to begin training camp, so we’re anticipating most Reign guys getting the weekend off before that gets rolling. However, there would still be four Kings preseason games scheduled at that point:
Sat. 9/27 in Bakersfield, CA
(vs. Anaheim Ducks)
Tue. 9/30 in Boise, ID
(vs. Utah Mammoth)
Thu. 10/2 at Utah Mammoth
Sat. 10/4 at Crypto.com Arena
With most of LA’s veterans expected to play the final two games, and really only needing one additional game to get ready for the regular season… we could see a handful of Reign guys sticking around for the game in Bakersfield. That would give Hiller some extra bodies to work with for that one game before things get serious over the final week of camp — see article linked below for a deeper dive on that topic.
Not only does Reign camp begin next week as a completely separate activity, the Kings will head into crunch time, as they stand to put five or more players on waivers.
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