Episode Details

Kings president and Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille joins Neil Smith and Vic Morren for comprehensive discussion on devastating Pacific Palisades wildfires with evacuation zone couple blocks from home, Echoes of Hope charity with wife Stacia focusing on helping people two-three weeks from now when donations drop off, president role overseeing everything from ticket sales to seven hockey rinks but performance on ice always number one, Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty creating defensive 200-foot identity that shapes entire team culture making it easy teach Quentin Byfield, Jim Hiller's coaching quality understanding how players feel behind bench like Scotty Bowman and Mike Keenan, balance between veterans (Kopitar, Kempe, Danault) and youth (Byfield, Turcotte, Clarke) with most young players in three years of rebuild, power play mystery performing well at home but horrendous on road with same units, lack of Drew Doughty veteran presence to settle things down, goaltending philosophy from Kenny Holland just don't lose game for us, and Neil Smith Starbucks conversation during Rangers days treating him like human being never forgot. Plus 9th round 1984 draft pick (100 picks after Tom Glavine) to 668 goals retiring as highest-scoring left wing in NHL history, 19 seasons, Stanley Cup 2002 Detroit, Calder Trophy 1987 only King ever, number 20 retired 2007, Hall of Fame 2009, named president 2017.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Welcome: extreme pleasure Luc Robitaille

[01:00] - Played for Rangers: couple years Neil at helm

[02:00] - Best known: tremendous play LA Kings many years

[03:00] - Stanley Cup Detroit 2002: wonderful guy, great friend

[04:00] - Personal funny story: asked sign picture, sent wrong photo

[05:00] - Wildfires LA: devastating people, Brian Turner, Barry Josephson

[06:00] - How's organization: you and Stacia, kids, everybody LA?

[07:00] - We're okay: considering how bad it's been

[08:00] - Over years: numerous fires California, always far away

[09:00] - Valley or past Malibu: people call, watched news

[10:00] - This time Pacific Palisades: literally couple blocks from where live

[11:00] - Evacuating people: got bags packed ready to go

[12:00] - Different feeling: past week, understanding severity how big

[13:00] - Few friends lost homes: probably couple dozen people know

[14:00] - Few people at work: parents lost home Altadena

[15:00] - Been rough: woke up this morning, first day back work

[16:00] - Looking sky: first thing do, no smoke nothing

[17:00] - Turn corner: military blocking streets, everything blocked

[18:00] - Still going on: gonna be tough one next few years LA

[19:00] - Season ticket holders: tons Kings fans impacted

[20:00] - Echoes of Hope: extending to those impacted

[21:00] - Foundation wife and I: emancipated foster youth over years

[22:00] - Kids like get in weed: work hard, working donation centers

[23:00] - Speak inside community: told Stacia next few days

[24:00] - Everybody jump on board: thousands given and so forth

[25:00] - Really focused: two-three weeks from now, month from now

[26:00] - How scary: lot people still not have homes, gonna be years

[27:00] - Get ready load up: two weeks then moving forward

[28:00] - Picking stuff up: keep everything, start helping people

[29:00] - Everybody getting toilet paper: diapers today, two-three weeks running short

[30:00] - Where they gonna go: our pocket, try to help, really focused on

[31:00] - You and Stacia: always that way doing charitable stuff

[32:00] - President LA Kings: describe what you do?

[33:00] - Since named 2017-18: overseeing everything

[34:00] - Lot time Rob Blake: GM, all our guys Nelson Emerson, Glen Murray

[35:00] - Mark Berg: during day oversee everything

[36:00] - Ticket sale: promotion, market