Walter McLaughlin
Walter McLaughlin is a Los Angeles Kings correspondent for The Hockey Writers. He is an avid sports fan, having followed the Kings since living in L.A. in the mid-1970's, as well as suffering through Seattle sports teams' general futility. He has a Bachelor's degree in Finance and has worked in community banking for over 25 years, specializing in SBA loans. He is married and has two daughters.
Author's Posts
10 Potential Names for a New Seattle NHL Franchise
August 7th, 2018 Today we look at some options for new Seattle NHL team names, a more difficult task than days gone by. Sports back in Grandpa's heyday were so much easier than they are today. Case in point: team monikers. Back then, franchise names were so simple, so logical that they rolled right off the tongue. The NFL started with foundational...
What's Wrong With the Kings?
January 23rd, 2017 It's an evolution. The same team doesn't always dominate, and it goes in cycles — Victoria Pendleton The irony of a cyclist making the above comment notwithstanding, the fact remains that in today's NHL, nobody remains in the upper strata of the league forever. At least for now, the end of the Kings' extended stay looks to be at...
Could Iginla Retire a King?
January 9th, 2017 At 20-16-4, the Los Angeles Kings are essentially treading water through 40 games, performing at a level slightly above one might expect with Jonathan Quick out indefinitely with a groin injury. Inconsistency remains a problem, but the loss of Quick isn't the reason why the team has struggled to catch fire this season. It's a much...
Martinez Quietly Having Teriffic Season
December 23rd, 2016 On a team already solid defensively thanks in large part to the work of reigning Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty and two-time 40-point scorer Jake Muzzin, it's easy to overlook a 29-year old defenseman out of Rochester Hills, Michigan, who is quietly having a fantastic season for the Kings. How good has he been? Read on. Martinez...
Kings' Wish List for Long Road Trip
December 13th, 2016 Beginning with tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Los Angeles Kings will embark on a season-long nine-game road trip, starting in the east and working their way westward. It could be a make-or-break swing, as at 14-11-2 as of this writing, the Kings are fifth in the Pacific Division and in a dogfight for a wild card spot. A...
Nic Dowd's Journey
December 5th, 2016 Let your joy be in your journey, not in some distant goal — Tim Cook After being drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Draft, it would only have been natural for Nic Dowd to have tempered his excitement with a healthy dollop of realism. After all, he was taken 198th overall, with just 13 players selected behind him....