Los Angeles Kings ties to the Olympic Hockey Tournament

There are no NHL players in the Olympics this time around. However, Los Angeles Kings fans may recognize some players with ties to the organization.

The 2018 Winter Olympics have begun in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Hockey fans all over the world when the NHL declined to participate. There is a mixed bag of former draft picks and veterans that Los Angeles Kings fans may recognize.

Ben Scrivens – Canada
Ben Scrivens came to Los Angeles from Toronto in the summer of 2014 to replace Jonathan Bernier (a restricted free agent) as Jonathan Quick’s backup. He played very well for the Kings posting a 7-5-4 record with a 1.97 GAA, and .931 Save percentage.

After the great start to his LAK career, it came as a big surprise when he was dealt to Edmonton for a third-round pick only four months into the season. He was never able to recapture the magic he had with the Kings. Scrivens now plays for Salavat Yulayev UFA of the KHL.

Ladislav Nagy – Slovakia
38-year-old Ladislav Nagy is a current member of HC Kosice in the Slovak league. He played parts of 10 seasons in the National Hockey League, consisting of 435 games. The final 38 games were spent with the Kings where he put up 26 points (9G, 17A).

Nikolai Prokhorkin – Russia
North American hockey didn’t agree with the Los Angeles Kings 2012 fourth-round draft pick. Nikolai Prokhorkin was sent to the minors during the subsequent training camp. His stint in the Kings system lasted all of eight games before he went back home. Prokhorkin has also had a chaotic KHL career.

Linden Vey – Canada
The Kings expected of Linden Vey after he put up 67 points in 74 games with the Manchester of the AHL in 2012-13. He was sent to Vancouver after an 18 game audition in 2014.

Slava Voynov – Russia
When thinking about Slava Voynov one can’t help but wonder how much of an asset he would have been to the Kings if he only controlled his temper. His stats speak for themselves, he played 190 games in a Los Angeles uniform scoring 81 points (18G, 63A), 23 of those on the power play and was a career +23 +/-. Voynov’s undoing came in 2014 when he was involved in a domestic violence incident. He was subsequently indefinitely suspended by the league and deported from the USA.

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Jhonas Enroth – Sweden
The Buffalo Sabres selected goalie Jhonas Enroth with the 46th overall pick in 2006. He was always a goalie with great potential but could never reach the top tier. Enroth had a 7-5-1 record in 2015-16 with 2.17 GAA and .922 Save%. He thrived in a limited role as another one of Jonathan Quick’s revolving door of backups His contract was not renewed and he signed with Toronto as a free agent.

Brian O’Neill – USA

The Kings signed Brian O’Neill as an undrafted free agent. He spent three years in the Kings system before playing 22 games for New Jersey in 2015-16. O’Neill now plays for Jokeirt in the KHL.

Christian Ehrhoff – Germany
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi happily signed veteran defenseman Christian Ehrhoff to a one-year, $1.5M contract in August of 2014. All was good until Ehrhoff actually took the ice. He was waived by LA after only 40 games played. His NHL career spanned 11 seasons and 789 regular season games before heading back to play in his native Germany for Kohlner Haie of the DHL.

Patrik Hersley – Sweden
Patrik Hersley struggled to make it in the AHL after the Kings selected him in the fifth-round of the 2005 draft. He now plays for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL

Oscar Moller – Sweden
Oscar Moller played parts of three seasons with Los Angeles. A former second-round draft pick in 2007, he has found more success in Europe. Moeller currently is a member of Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League.

Next: The Kings continue a postseason push

Brandon Kozun – Canada
Brandon Kozun is a Los Angeles born Canadian. He was the Los Angeles Kings sixth-round of the 2009 draft. His 20 NHL appearances came in 2014-15 with Toronto. Kozun now plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

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