Catching up with Ray Kaunisto, LA Kings Prospect and Social Media Star
We’re going to start making changes here at The 110 Report, developing into a more editorial, online magazine for Los Angeles sports, which includes doing plenty more interviews with players and journalists, including up and coming players whose future in Los Angeles is still evolving. To kick off the new trend of sorts, it was only fitting to sit down with a fan favorite, Los Angeles Kings prospect, and Manchester Monarchs forward, Ray Kaunisto.
Kaunisto, 24-years-old out of Northern Michigan University, was signed back in March 2010 to a two-year entry-level contract, and has played with the Monarchs of the AHL ever since. Despite playing 57 games with the Monarchs in 2010-2011, I first saw the play of Kaunisto in this past July’s Development Camp at the Kings’ practice facility in El Segundo.
Teamed up with Brandon Kozun as he is now in Manchester, Kaunisto had a solid camp both offensively and defensively, maintaining pressure with his linemates and playing a stout game in his own end, as the two-way forward he’s become.
“The summer camps are important because it’s a chance to show the organization that you are improving over the summer,” said Kaunisto when asked how stressed camps with the NHL are. And showing improvement has been the theme so far for the forward, as he’s taken the steps after camp to play at a high level in the AHL.
“The season is going good. I’m chipping in offensively a little more and getting more opportunity from the coaches here in Manch,” said Kaunisto. “I still have a lot to improve on in this league before I make the jump to the NHL level.”
The boost on the offensive end comes as part of being on a scoring line, as he is at the moment. Playing alongside a skilled player like Kozun as he did back in July has allowed Kaunisto to gain a greater offensive responsibility, while still bringing a solid defensive game to such a vital line for the Monarchs, and it’s paying off the score sheet as he is on pace to double his point total from a season ago.
When asked about playing on a wing next to Brandon Kozun and how it affects his play, Kaunisto praised the intense style of the line for his success.
“He’s a very crafty player and he is currently on my line with Dwight King, and I really like playing with those two,” said Kaunisto. “They both can make plays and they battle hard. Kozun is a guy who makes other players better by setting them up for scoring chances, and he always wants the puck.”
While playing with two offensive minded players like Kozun and King, Kaunisto’s prospects are only improving. And despite not being at “the NHL level” quite yet as he mentioned earlier, Kaunisto said he and his teammates are still keeping an eye on the Kings from the across the country, which serves as a testament for how deep the Kings system runs throughout the organization. “They keep us updated pretty well with video and systems and we watch a lot of the Kings games on TV when we get the chance.”
Off the ice, Ray Kaunisto is known for being a man of the people, or a “budding social-media star” as proclaimed by Kings insider, Rich Hammond. I asked Kaunisto about the the affects of staying in touch with the fans, and how it affects his energy as an up-and-coming player in the AHL, and in true Kaunisto fashion, he was humble as can be.
“It’s great when people like to interact with you as a player,” he said. “I think guys need to do that more. It’s motivation for me, because people are watching me and pulling or me. Not only am I a pro hockey player, but I’m a fan too and when I got to interact with pros when I was younger it was very exciting and I know how it feels to get to talk to NHLers and that’s really fun and exciting.”
“We’re more accessible than people think nowadays with Twitter and social media, and I think it helps the organizations and the game itself when fans have a more personal relationship with players other than just paying for a ticket and watching them. Fans can go to a game and say, ‘hey I know that guy’ or ‘I talked to that guy once’. It brings us all together more and brings more passion into the arena and that’s what makes hockey a great sport.”
That attitude is why it’s so evident that everyone throughout the Kings and Monarchs community are pulling for Kaunisto to make the NHL. NHL players are widely noted for their humble and open natures, and Kaunisto is surely not any different.
If you don’t follow him already on Twitter, please do so
, and be sure to
as well.
For up-to-the-minute buzz, follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook Fan Page.