Jordan Nolan and Dwight King were called up to the NHL together on February 10th.
They both played 20 games in the playoffs last spring and won a Stanley Cup together.
Over the final 27 games of the regular season Nolan scored two goals with the Kings…and King scored in those same games as well.
When they first arrived from Manchester they even started on the same line together – flanking Mike Richards at center.
Prior to that, they were living together when playing in Manchester.
They planned on seeing a lot of each other this fall too. However, things didn’t start out as planned. The NHL locked out their players in September and Nolan re-joined the Monarchs for training camp. Meanwhile, King stayed in Western Canada and was training with a local junior team.
Recently the pair were reunited when King signed an AHL-only contract with Manchester.
“I was happy to see some familiar faces again.” King said upon arriving in New Hampshire.
“And knowing the coaching staff and everybody here is a huge thing for me too.”
He picked up two assists in his return on Friday and was named the game’s number-one star. Prior to making his 2012-13 debut with the Monarchs he joined us on the MayorsManor show, where one of the things we talked about was his link to Nolan.
“With everything that’s happened, it’s natural for that (to happen). We’re pretty similar type players in some sorts. We’re both pretty tall and we use our body in that sense. But, it’s nice. When we’re linked together it’s due to the success that we had as a team in LA. That’s something we’ll both remember forever.”
Nolan has already moved back in with defenseman Jake Muzzin – their other roommate prior to last season’s call-ups. Is King going to join them to reform the trio?
“I think I’ll be here for a little while in the hotel,” he told us. “I don’t think I have any plans to find a place just yet.”
Also know to take up residency at the local hotel are the Monarchs Russian players – Slava Voynov, Andrei Loktionov, etc.
“They keep to themselves,” said King. “They’re pretty close. So, I won’t try to interrupt them as much as I’d like. I’ll let them have their alone time.”
Could he even understand them if he did try to crash one of their parties?
“They’re sneaky. They can communicate pretty well, depending on what kind of question you ask.”
For now, King and Nolan haven’t reconnected on the ice either. Nolan broke his finger in a fight on opening night a few weeks back and continues to practice in a non-contact jersey. There’s no timetable for his return.
To hear the whole interview with King – where he talks about the Stanley Cup, his wife, his contract, Sutterisms and much more – press play, sit back and enjoy…
Many other Kings related guests have joined us recently as well – including Jeff Carter, Dustin Penner, Monarchs coach Mark Morris, prospects Tyler Toffoli, Brandon Kozun and dozens more – click here to see the full list of shows.
Also, be sure to check out Kevin Westgarth’s appearance from last Friday here. He’s the Kings player rep and has been heavily involved in the CBA negotiations. He stopped by to clear up much of the confusion and share his take on what’s really been going on. Very interesting stuff related to the lockout – don’t miss it.
