Jonathan Bernier News

In this week's Fantasy Puck Mail, we look at Antero Niittymaki along with the Kings' Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar -- owners want to know if the Kings can be counted on the rest of the way.

On Wednesday, the Manchester Monarchs were the muffin men. Friday night, they put the biscuit in the basket early and often.

With two streaks on the line, one had to give. The Portland Pirates defeated the Manchester Monarchs 2-0 in front of 3,013 fans at Verizon Wireless Arena on Wednesday night.

General managers like to talk about blueprints for building a successful organization like they're talking about blueprints for building a deep space probe, but the most efficient method for turning around an NHL team isn't that complicated.

The public face of the Manchester Monarchs' goaltending situation is a happy one, with second-year netminder Jeff Zatkoff insisting that he gets along great with his rival for time, Jonathan Bernier.

Center Oskar Osala had a goal and an assist as the Hershey Bears ended the Manchester Monarchs undefeated streak on home ice with a 4-1 game at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday night.

Monarchs Press Release: Center Oscar Moller stole the show late in the third period as he buried the puck five-hole on a penalty shot to give the Manchester Monarchs their fifth consecutive win of the season, a 2-1 victory over the Providence Bruins at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night.

Monarchs Insider: Rick Laurendeau again gets the call 4 hours, 10 minutes ago MANCHESTER Rick Laurendeau is getting the call again.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall in the draft, but have other potential NHLers from Quebec been held back? A former NHL player alleges in a new book that he has documented proof there's a bias against French-Canadian players in the NHL.

Ducks center Andrew Ebbett tries to get a shot past Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier.

In four seasons as head coach of the Kings' ECHL affiliate - three in Reading, Pa., and last year in Ontario - Karl Taylor has never had to phone Los Angeles for a goalie.

The Los Angeles Kings have been around for more than four decades, but have had only three goalies who could be considered real stoppers.

Two weeks of training camp and eight exhibition games didn't tell the Kings or Ducks much they didn't know before this whole sweaty exercise began.

Ready or not, here it comes. The Manchester Monarchs open the 2009-10 American Hockey League season tomorrow night at Albany at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on WGIR AM 610.

Brayden Schenn is going to spend another season in the Western Hockey League. The Los Angeles Kings returned the 18-year-old forward to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Monday.

MONDAY was a rough day to be an alumnus of Canada's 2008 gold-medal winning junior hockey team.

There were no major surprises among the Kings' last major roster cuts Monday, with goaltender Jonathan Bernier being assigned -- and unhappily so -- to Manchester of the American Hockey League with defenseman Thomas Hickey and winger Kevin Westgarth, and 2009 first-round draft pick Brayden Schenn being returned to his junior team.

Bobby Ryan had two goals and an assist, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 on Sunday night in the pre-season finale for both teams.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and defenseman Davis Drewiske look for the puck behind their net Saturday during Los Angeles' 5-3 exhibition win over the Colorado Avalanche at the MGM Grand Garden.

The Manchester Monarchs are producing solid hockey players. That's good news and bad news for Monarchs' head coach Mark Morris.