Kings Article: Lombardi about Richards and other stuff

[cyclones22]

DL is a builder. There are a lot of franchises out there in need of that. Just because he ran his course here doesn't mean he can't be a good GM elsewhere. Look it up, just about every great GM in every sport has been fired from the team they had the most success with. Like coaches, they're hired to be fired. I was at both Cup rallies and I always thought that DL deserved louder cheers than what he received. I cheered like a motherf***er for him both times.

Look, a lot of us got bitter over the last few seasons and not for nothing. But for good reasons. But without DL coming to the Kings, you know what we'd be? We'd be bitter just the same. At least we're bitter with 2 Stanley Cup parades in our back pockets. I'll take it.

 

[Bandit]

DL is a builder. There are a lot of franchises out there in need of that. Just because he ran his course here doesn't mean he can't be a good GM elsewhere. Look it up, just about every great GM in every sport has been fired from the team they had the most success with. Like coaches, they're hired to be fired. I was at both Cup rallies and I always thought that DL deserved louder cheers than what he received. I cheered like a mother****er for him both times.

Look, a lot of us got bitter over the last few seasons and not for nothing. But for good reasons. But without DL coming to the Kings, you know what we'd be? We'd be bitter just the same. At least we're bitter with 2 Stanley Cup parades in our back pockets. I'll take it.

You're god damn right.

 

[Stimpythecat]

 

[kingsfan28]

I n a bunch of interviews, he said getting to the top isn't easy, but staying there is even harder. He even went as far as talking to other sports gm's who have won consistently about how to stay there. To me, he was trying so hard to get that 3rd cup he lost sight of what got him his first two and the thought of the team having to evolve with the rest of the league never crossed his mind. The arrogance in his voice when he said the speed thing was just a fad after the Pens won the cup, and that they could still win with their grind it out style was a giant red flag.

 

[kilowatt]

I think Lombardi did a lot for the Kings off the ice that we’ll never know about. We heard about big things - personnel changes, facility upgrades - but Lombardi’s attention to detail likely set roots in all aspects of the organization. If nothing else, believing in the leadership at your workplace can make a huge difference in everyone’s performance.

On the flipside, I wonder what the team’s reaction was to Richards not being bought out? Were they afraid that Lombardi was too loyal to a fault, or were they hopeful that they would get similar treatment?

 

[Stimpythecat]

that's a good question.

I've always thought that loyalty was a 2 way street. we can't expect a player to show loyalty to an organization if that organization doesn't return that loyalty. I figured not buying out Richards was an effort to show loyalty to the players. And from what he mentioned about the players coming over for beers in his driveway after he was canned, I think at least a good number of players recognize that.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Speaking of loyalty, remember when Visnovsky and Norstrom were dealt? Or how they handled the dismissal of Pete Demers?

I’m just adding to the point above being made about loyalty being a two-way street. If anyone should know a thing about that, it’s Dean Lombardi.

And the Flyers don’t have the greatest history of displaying loyalty to players who gave it their all for the team. Their handling of Lindros was appalling. Not to mention what Bobby Clarke said about Roger Neilson.

Sorry for calling it as it is, but Dean is mistaken if he thinks the Flyers are a shining example of “culture.” That’s a load of crap, but I get that he is grateful that Hextall and others in upper management had his back in getting him another gig with the team.

 

[The Tikkanen]

If you read the bath tub story with Lindros it's pretty clear Clarke didn't care about player health. He also came from the generation where if you had a headache or what's now known as a concussion you took an aspirin or drank a beer or 10.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Lots of respect for Lombardi and everything he did for the Kings organization. We wouldn’t have the 2 Stanley Cups without him here. He has built a great foundation here and a great team. Unfortunately, his time ended the way it did. As for Richards, its a shame that all of that happened, and his play diminished tremendously. He was a force when he first came to the team and was a great leader. All in all, both Lombardi and Richards contributed a lot to get the Kings those 2 cups. Wish them both the best going forward!

 

[damacles1156]

Two Cups, Thanks Lombardi.

 

[Sol]

Speaking of loyalty, remember when Visnovsky and Norstrom were dealt? Or how they handled the dismissal of Pete Demers?

I’m just adding to the point above being made about loyalty being a two-way street. If anyone should know a thing about that, it’s Dean Lombardi.

And the Flyers don’t have the greatest history of displaying loyalty to players who gave it their all for the team. Their handling of Lindros was appalling. Not to mention what Bobby Clarke said about Roger Neilson.

Sorry for calling it as it is, but Dean is mistaken if he thinks the Flyers are a shining example of “culture.” That’s a load of crap, but I get that he is grateful that Hextall and others in upper management had his back in getting him another gig with the team.

Wait, what happened with the dismissal of Pete Demers? Never heard anything about that.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Wait, what happened with the dismissal of Pete Demers? Never heard anything about that.

More on Luc

How classy is Luc? He invited longtime team staff members Pete Demers and Peter Millar — who were coldly dismissed by the team after last season — to the ceremony. How many players would take the time to remember a couple guys whose hard work is usually taken for granted by the players?

LA Kings Retired Athletic Trainer Pete Demers Looks Back At Controversy Surrounding His 2006 Departure

“When the season ended, I talked to Tim, who was handling all my stuff. He gave me a three-year contract. I would be a stay-at-home guy, and have long-term involvement with the organization. After the three-year contract was up, they would figure out some kind of compensation that would make sense for both sides. They wanted to do that.”
But everything changed when Lombardi took over as general manager.

“Tim said to make [my] own blue print, how you want to have it,” Demers noted. “So I said, it would be nice not to travel, but I want to be around. So that’s the way he set it up, but that Dean would make the decision.”

Lombardi’s decision hit Demers harder than former Kings defenseman Rob Blake’s hit on former Edmonton Oilers winger Andrei Kovalenko in Edmonton on October 11, 1998, a devastating open-ice hit that knocked Kovalenko into the next province.

“What happened was that Dean felt that I had been there for so long, it would be better if I stepped aside completely,” Demers explained. “It was written in my letter that Dean would decide what my role would be [because Tim] had just hired Dean by that time. Afterwards, Dean brought me in and said that with our new staff, it’s better that you step aside now, so that’s what I did. My pay still came. I didn’t go to work or anything.”

Demers was hurt by the move.

“I was disappointed, sure,” said Demers. “I’m a King. It’s in my blood. You don’t do it for forty years and walk away from it.”

Double sided talk from a lawyer about "loyalty" is nothing new.

 

[Herby]

Ehhh, Demers still got paid to basically do nothing. I don't feel to bad, plus for whatever reason the Kings had just been through like a 3-4 year run of significant injury.

What happened to Visnovsky was way worse.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Demers was certainly past his time and out of his element, he did need to step aside, but after that spiel about loyalty and the way he handled certain situations has me thinking that Lombardi is loyal to "his people."

 

[BigKing]

Demers was certainly past his time and out of his element, he did need to step aside, but after that spiel about loyalty and the way he handled certain situations has me thinking that Lombardi is loyal to "his people."

Totally. He came in to create a culture and change what this organization had been for 40 years.

He didn't have to be loyal to Demers, although he still got paid so it isn't like he just shit canned him.

Loved Visnovsky, but he was within his rights to trade him and it helped lead to two Cups. Johnson negotiated his own deal with Lombardi and took what looked to be a discount and he shipped him out too. Are we upset about that?

 

[kingsfan28]

Demers was certainly past his time and out of his element, he did need to step aside, but after that spiel about loyalty and the way he handled certain situations has me thinking that Lombardi is loyal to "his people."

He really was. They needed a complete overhall of their training system, including the head trainer. Basically DL came in an removed the "old boys club" that had been around since the 70's.