With the 29th overall pick, the Los Angeles Kings selected forward Adrian Kempe from MODO of the Swedish Hockey League. Here’s what he had to say at the draft in Philadelphia…
On being drafted by the Kings:
Yeah. It’s exciting to be here and be [drafted] by LA. I saw some games in the playoffs this year. They’re a really good team and a really good organization so I’m really excited.
On what type of player he is:
I think I’m a big strong player, a good skater. I think that’s my biggest strength. I’m a really good skater. That’s what I’m going to bring to the LA Kings
On if he considers himself a two-way player:
Yeah, [I’m] a two-way hockey player. A little bit of a power forward [too].
On his familiarity with the Kings:
I think [they] fit me [well]. They play hard and have very skilled players too, so I think [it’s a good fit].
On Anze Kopitar:
I watch him a lot. He and Dustin Brown, they’re both great two-way players and both skilled.
On if he would accept an assignent to the AHL:
Yeah, for sure I will.
On where he will play next year:
Yeah, I just signed a two year deal with Modo. We’ll see how we play in Modo this year.
On if he would go to the CHL as a 20 year old if the Kings asked him to:
I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.
On who he spoke to with the Kings:
Yeah, I talked to [Christian] Ruuttu in Sweden a couple of times and then the combine too, so I met them a few times. I had a good feeling.
On the Kings Stanley Cup run:
I think they played really [well] this year, and hopefully next year they can be Stanley Cup champions [again]. They have a really good team, so let’s keep going.
MORE: Interview with Kings scout Mark Yannetti on why they took Kempe
