Kings GM on players locking out coach I dont have a problem

Posted by seestyle on August 3rd, 2022

Sometimes, in the midst of a long season, players just need to hear a new voice. Or, none at all.

The Kings went to extreme measures to achieve that end earlier this season, locking coach Darryl Sutter out of the locker room after a game and barricading the entryway with trash receptacles to greet him after he got someone to open the door for him.

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The curious tale, first reported in Sunday's , was mostly confirmed later in the day by Kings general manager Dean Lombardi. There were a few adjustments to the story the Post reported the incident occurred after a road lo s "within the last two weeks" and Lombardi said it happened in February in Tampa but the gist was the same.

And Lombardi even attempted to spin it as a positive for a team that mi sed out on the playoffs Taylor Stallworth Jerseys this season after winning two of the last three Stanley Cup titles.

"In terms of what actually happened, maybe (players) dont have to go to that extreme, but theoretically I dont have a problem with it," Lombardi said, . " If you look at what a coachs number-one role is, its to give his team structure and Will Fries Jerseys detail. The emotion, in terms of getting that emotion to where it needs to be, if were going to be a top team it has to come from within the room. With it, at times, the coach obviously still has to have some ability (to talk). So were, at times, Peyton Manning T Shirts a part of raising the emotion. Obviously one of the problems this year was just that, that for whatever reason, we werent where we needed to be mentally.

''That said, I dont know if I like the way it happened, but if you look at great teams, the perfect example is Derek Jeter. When Joe Torre was ready to blow or something, Jeter would walk in the room and go, `Whoa, whoa, whoa, I got this one. Stay out, and dont be losing it. You see this with top players all the time. The players, e sentially, you want (to be) in charge of your room. Maybe you dont have to go to that Rodrigo Blankenship Jerseys extreme. But the point is, what happened there, thats what needs to happen. The players need to take over the room emotionally, and if they want to go in there and say, `Coach, stay out, Ive got this one. We know how to win, Ive got no problem with that."

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Sure enough, it seemed to work at least temporarily. Heading into that Feb. 7 game in Tampa, the Kings had lost seven of eight. NFL Indianapolis Colts Jerseys But they beat the Lightning that night to kick off an eight-game winning streak, their best run of the entire season.