alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Reports out of Michigan are that the Kings have signed Northern Michigan University forward Ray Kaunisto to a entry-level contract, as an undrafted free agent. Kaunisto, a 23-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, recently completed his senior season and had 18 goals, 14 assists and 78 penalty minutes in 40 games. Kaunisto is listed at 6-foot-4, 197 pounds.
Bio
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He previously worked at the Los Angeles Daily News, was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar.
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Excellent.
Always love seeing a possible “diamond in the rough” prospect pick up!
Who is this guys? A scorer? A Goon?
This guy looks to be a huge grinder, he’s never put up points really until this past season at Michigan or in the ushl. Another big body out of college, like Elkins.
Did he ever play with JJ?
@dMan,
Northern Michigan, not Michigan.
A forward or D-man? Forward id imagine based on the goal total..
former teammate of Teddy Purcell… LOL. GREAT!!!!
Manchester & Ontario are shifing, acquiring and loaning players, maybe he’s part of a player stockpile for all 3 teams as playoffs approach.
and backing up Zatkoff tonight:
Matt Lopes
http://www.monarchshockey.com/fullstory.php?id=3654
not even LISTED in hockeydb.com LOL
@Marc Nathan, He was 0-13-2 in college, seriously, if they need someone to sit there, its cool, kick down some coin and I’ll warm the bench.
@DellaNooch,
yea but do you know how bad Umass boston is? haha he was better for gustavus adolphus which is a legit d3 team at least
Here’s what I found…
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/ray_kaunisto
Ray Kaunisto
Profile Contributed By: DJ Powers
History
Kaunisto is the highest ranked draft eligible skater from the NAHL appearing on Central Scouting’s Mid-Term rankings. Kaunisto enjoyed an outstanding rookie season with the Soo Indians that culminated in his selection to the NAHL All-Rookie Team. He finished second on the Indians roster in scoring with 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 55 appearances. His four game-winning goals were tied for second on the time, while his 72 penalty minutes was third.
Talent Analysis
Kaunisto’s main attributes are his fluid skating style, his rugged style of play and his large frame.
Future
Stats
Stats Coming Soon…
Profile Last Updated: April, 21st 2009
@Marc Nathan,
Hey, he set up TP for every goal Purcell ever scored at that school….. wwwooooooowww
How does that work? Signing someone out of college? Who decides if he enters the draft or not? Can any team go poaching the college and minor ranks before the draft? Or was this guy draft ineligable for some reason? Confused..
“I see myself more of a power forward, a physical guy. I like to go to the net hard,” Kaunisto said. “I (also) like to be sound defensively.”
@Schoeny, Players are draft eligible for a certain number of years (from 18 years old till 22 I believe). This guy is 23 so I’m assuming he was available to be drafted in previous years and never was.
@Marc Nathan,
And you thought Ersberg felt passed over…
How do those Ontario goalies feel?
@slovenian fan,
My kind of player!
:)
@Marc Nathan,
That doesn’t mean Lopes is a Kings prospect though right? I’ve never been clear on that.. are all Monarch players basically Kings prospects or what? Does Manchester management have to clear roster changes with the Kings?
Whats Kaustino’s jersey number?
@Schoeny,
Ya. Ottawa, Toronto and some other team just signed guys out of College this week too. Happens every year..
@Schoeny
To be eligible for the draft, a player must turn 18 by September 15 of the draft year (Brayden Schenn was 17 on draft day but turned 18 in August) and cannot be older than 20 at the end of the draft year. All North American players under the age of 20 must be drafted in order to play in the NHL. Europeans (etc.) must be drafted first regardless of age. For North American skaters, if they are undrafted after the age of 20, they become UFAs (and like I said, Europeans never get that undrafted UFA status). Also, if a player is drafted and not not signed within two years, he is eligible to re-enter the draft, unless he’s older than 20; if he’s older than 20, the unsigned player becomes a UFA.
Get the kid to put on about 30 lbs. and at 6-4 he should be a beast.
71.
@Quisp, Do you know how they picked up Martin Jones? I know it was some type of loop hole.
@Sam, Just like Boyle is. lol.
@Marc Nathan,
was davey not available…?
@Hazen,
Well we both know it doesn’t work that way … lil’ Theo Fleury played with more grit and fire than Boyle does. You either have it or you don’t.
@Marc Nathan, Manch will just sign a local beer league guy to ride the bench. I think this is the third time it’s happened this season.
The best is that it’s Lowell, so he’s not even going to be with the team. No room for the back up on the bench there and no tunnel directly to the bench, so he’ll be sitting on a stool diagonally across from the bench, where the guys enter and exit the ice.
Lowell always provides great stories because of that, though. Like the night that Quick sent an assistant equipment guy up to get him a soda and a hot dog. And then proceeded to offer everyone around him bubble gum. Including the people sitting in the stands.
@Tyfighter77, No. Amateur and Professional tryouts do not need to be Kings prospects. Players also can be signed specifically to AHL contracts with the Monarch’s organization. For example, Shawn Bates was signed to a SPC by the Monarchs and subsequently released. However, even while playing with the Monarchs should the Kings want him to play for them, they’d have to sign him in some form.
@PRMan, Both goalies are on Reign contracts not Monarchs or Kings. They’d be flying across the country for a PTO in order to ride the bench. They’d also have to be released immediately following Bernier/Ersberg’s return.
Not to mention that neither of them had particularly impressive seasons.
@PRMan, the ontario goalies have no connection to the Kings or the Monarchs. They know they’re not getting that call. CA to NH is too far to travel as an emergency back up. This guy was probably working at a Starbucks in Hooksett ;)
@Tyfighter77, Lopes has nothing to do with the Kings. He barely has anything to do with the Monarchs, but he’s a footnote in Monarchs history, getting to wear a uniform and open the bench door from time to time.
Hey,
Didnt Deano bash on Michigan Hockey recently?
I thought he was saying they dont teach you anything out there..like JJ.
???Am i thinking of a different school?
@Marc Nathan, Life would be so much better if there was a Starbucks in Hooksett.
@holly,
that’s a pretty cool story, HOLLY…:)
@Cry Baby,
yeah…it needs to be updated…
@Marc Nathan, isnt MAN in NH? Or at least some where on the west coast?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy
You guys need to check this out. Scroll down to “Parody Will Be Made: ads inspire Web sensaton”. Bout half way down the page. It’s the first time since 93 then someone has mentioned Marty McSorley and I got a good laugh out of it. It’s a brief Youtube clip. Must viewing for every Kings fan who remembers the _____ Game 2 of 93 finals.
posted this elsewhere but want to make sure you don’t miss it
@David, Manchester is in New Hampshire, on the east coast. Ontario is in California, on the west coast. Flying someone across the country to sit on a stool (even if we were at home, he wouldn’t get to open the door, he’d be behind the bench) makes zero sense.
@Hazen,
yes, see CBA section 8.9(b)(ii)
@number 6,
when i look back at the first worst hockey moment of all-time in our history, i can’t help but to think about…:
- luc’s reaction when melrose asked him “is it illegal?”…i wish i had that on tape…!
- the fact the jacques demers was completely illiterate…a fact not known to anyone then, but revealed years later…
- bear-rah’s mullet…
@variable,
God var…. I’m going out now so gonna make this brief. At the time I was living in Paris and was So clued into the Kings, that I could wake up at night and (usually) know how they were doing.
Well That night, I woke up to go to the loo, and my feeling was ‘wow, they’re doin well, they’re doin well’.
Then I go back to sleep and when I wake up I have this sick feeling.
It wasn’t till that night that they did a condensed showing on french tv that I understood my two reactions… but even in my wildest dreams I Never would’ve imagined that!
My one recollection was of the look on Dave Taylor’s face leaving the ice after OT. He looked completely and utterly ____ I don’t know even how to describe it.
Yikes!
@number 6,
When I say that night it was effectively almost 15 hrs after the game. Remember – no internet at that time to know what had happened. Also my sleep time back there was obviously right when the game was being played in EST U.S.
@variable,
Hey var…… just reread your post. Sooo, is there then a second worst and third worst in our history? I can’t think of ANYTHING that even comes close to the above mentioned one :-(
@number 6,
i was going to say that the stick incident was the second-worst moment in our history and first-worst on the ice…
if i had to rethink the top three…:
1. the loss of ace bailey and mark bavis during 9/11…
2. marty…
3. gretzky getting traded to the blues – probably in the top five all-time worst trades in all of professional sports history…
great stories about yr experience as a parisian kings fan…it really puts a nice global perspective on it…
…and yes…back during a time when a generation lived through a paradigm shift in technology every once in a while…not every year…ahhhh….memories…:)
anyway…more on topic…
if the k-man can be another late blooming addition to camp next season and contribute on the wing…especially the left side…then it’s great…
another seed for potting soil…:)
@variable,
Thanks for that man. Off I go to my yoga class :-)
Catch ya later…..
…. and yes, the 9/11 incident was indeed something that puts all the rest in perspective.
as for k-man, i hope he works out better than tp (and no, i don’t mean tom petty)
@DellaNooch,
Who is Lopes’ favorite player? The Beachball? If so, that might explain his W-L record.
@Will Hutchison, 6′4″ and under 200 pounds? Sounds like a string bean kind of player.
..I hope this new kid (not realy ,23 already) brings some japanise (KAUNITSOOOOOOOOOO) hunger to kings.
…first japanise goali (forgat the name) was not good for us.Kings need some fresh GOOD blood.
@Hazen,
The 8.9bii loophole allows a team to sign a player who would still be draft eligible the next year, if that player was passed over in the previous draft and is signed to a tryout in training camp.
@Hazen,
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
@KinguyJosh, he is my cousin, your gonna like him. wish he was going to the Wings!!!! great skater puck handler.