PR - Wheat Kings

GO FIGURE

After dumping most of their talented veteran players the Wheat Kings played
solid .600 hockey and climbed into the playoffs.  If the Kings management was to
be honest they would likely admit that this winning spree is somewhat contrary
to their desired 'all-out rebuilding', but no one is complaining.  In the end
the deals offered a very important lesson: having a lot of talent isn't as
important as having the right chemistry and the right guys getting the puck.

Josh Hennessy, Stever Bernier, and perhaps most significantly, Dimitri Kazionov
have all relished in their new found roles as 'go-to guys'.  Kazionov is a
tiger on the ice and has already won a couple games single-handedly; this after not
making any impact with one of the best set-up men in the league, Peter
Forsberg.  Hennessy who flourished on the third line early in the season, is now the
team's #1 center and has nicely developed into a wonderful two-way pivot like
Doug Gilmour or Mark Messier.  Stever Bernier has found chemistry with Craig
Conroy, the lone veteran who survived the purge, with secondary sniper Eric Fehr
riding shot-gun.

In retrospect the series of 'selling' deals the Kings did a couple weeks ago
have worked for everyone all around.  Twenty-two players and two draft picks
changed teams during the spree. Both the Bobcats and the Misconduct have been an a
tear since the Kings gave up such players as Forsberg, Daymond Langkow, Thomas
Vokoun, Roberto Luongo, Matt Jones and Masi Marjamaki.  In turn the Kings have
also flourished: perhaps the most spectacular addition has been Duncan Keith,
who is averaging .88ppg in a Kings jersey - Sergei Gonchar numbers - while also
averaging 3.4 hits per game (when the Kings dealt Jones he had 10 hits total
for the season).  Although no one is holding their breath yet, Keith may be the
premier #1 d-man which Wheatwatchers have long dreamed about seeing in a Wheat
Kings jersey since the far-off days of the old TFHL when Rob Blake wore the red
and gold.  Surprise additions have been Mark Bell and Nik Tselios - both were
acquired ostensibly as depth players: but
Bell has found an ability to score and right now pilots the third line with
aplomb and Tselios cannot be underestimated, his ability to injure opposing
players has thrown many a team's lines into total disarray allowing the Wheaties to
eek out a victory.

Overall the Kings are still looking to deal - there have been some reports that
GM Young is looking to a big-impact deal - but in general the mood in 'toon
town is that the core is for sure, and as they continue to develop they will be
able to lead the Kings into the pantheon of the TFHL elite.