Martin Jones – Photo: Scott Slingsby
By Paul Armbruster | KingsNewsDaily.com
With an NHL work stoppage looming, LA hockey fans may be forced to delay the excitement of an attempted Kings repeat for who knows how long. If there is lockout, what’s the silver lining you might ask? At the very least we will have ‘Kings’ hockey in New Hampshire to look forward to. With the AHL’s release of their season schedule (and no threat of a work stoppage), the Kings’ AHL club, The Manchester Monarchs, are readying themselves for a full season of hockey led by eager Kings prospects looking to prove themselves.
What makes this AHL season potentially more important than others is the idea that with no NHL to watch, more casual fans will turn their attention toward their respective minor league clubs instead. After winning the Stanley Cup, Kings fans arguably might be more excited than most fans to see some hockey, any hockey, come October. This puts the Monarchs in a unique position to capitalize on the NHL situation by increasing their fan base considerably. The reality is most fans of NHL teams know very little about the lesser hockey teams that groom the stars of tomorrow, especially when those fans are 3,000 miles away, as is the case with LA hockey fans.
If there is a lockout, I expect there may be many Kings fans who will get to know their sub-club much better, giving players such as Thomas Hickey and Tyler Toffoli an opportunity to shine on a stage rarely this bright in the AHL.
Manchester Monarchs 2012-13 Schedule
| Date: | Time:– | Visiting Team: | Home Team: | ||
| Fri, Oct 12, 2012 | 7:05 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Providence | 7:05 pm EDT |
| Sat, Oct 13, 2012 | 5:05 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Albany | 5:05 pm EDT |
| Fri, Oct 19, 2012 | 7:00 pm EDT | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Oct 20, 2012 | 7:00 pm EDT | Portland | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Oct 27, 2012 | 7:00 pm EDT | Worcester | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Oct 28, 2012 | 3:00 pm EDT | Binghamton | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Nov 2, 2012 | 7:00 pm EDT | W-B/Scranton | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Nov 4, 2012 | 3:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Worcester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Wed, Nov 7, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | St. John’s | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Nov 9, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Bridgeport | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Nov 10, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Wed, Nov 14, 2012 | 10:00 am EST | Adirondack | at | Manchester | 10:00 am EST |
| Fri, Nov 16, 2012 | 7:05 pm EST | Manchester | at | Providence | 7:05 pm EST |
| Sat, Nov 17, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Bridgeport | 7:00 pm EST |
| Tue, Nov 20, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Portland | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Nov 23, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Worcester | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Nov 24, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Springfield | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Nov 25, 2012 | 3:00 pm EST | Portland | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Nov 30, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Springfield | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Dec 1, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Springfield | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Dec 2, 2012 | 3:00 pm EST | Portland | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Dec 7, 2012 | 7:05 pm EST | Manchester | at | Providence | 7:05 pm EST |
| Sat, Dec 8, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Connecticut | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Dec 9, 2012 | 3:00 pm EST | Worcester | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Dec 14, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Portland | 7:00 pm EST * |
| Sat, Dec 15, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Adirondack | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Dec 16, 2012 | 3:00 pm EST | Springfield | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Dec 21, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Connecticut | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Dec 22, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Portland | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Wed, Dec 26, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Worcester | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Dec 28, 2012 | 7:30 pm EST | Manchester | at | Worcester | 7:30 pm EST |
| Sat, Dec 29, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Bridgeport | 7:00 pm EST |
| Mon, Dec 31, 2012 | 7:00 pm EST | Worcester | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Jan 4, 2013 | 7:30 pm NST | Manchester | at | St. John’s | 7:30 pm NST |
| Sat, Jan 5, 2013 | 7:30 pm NST | Manchester | at | St. John’s | 7:30 pm NST |
| Fri, Jan 11, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Albany | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Jan 13, 2013 | 3:05 pm EST | Manchester | at | Providence | 3:05 pm EST |
| Tue, Jan 15, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Springfield | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Jan 18, 2013 | 7:30 pm EST | Manchester | at | Worcester | 7:30 pm EST |
| Sat, Jan 19, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Jan 20, 2013 | 3:00 pm EST | Portland | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EST |
| Wed, Jan 23, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Jan 25, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Connecticut | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Jan 26, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Portland | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Feb 1, 2013 | 7:05 pm EST | Manchester | at | W-B/Scranton | 7:05 pm EST |
| Sat, Feb 2, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Hershey | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Feb 9, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Feb 10, 2013 | 3:05 pm EST | Manchester | at | Providence | 3:05 pm EST |
| Fri, Feb 15, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | St. John’s | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sat, Feb 16, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | St. John’s | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Feb 17, 2013 | 3:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Connecticut | 3:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Feb 22, 2013 | 7:30 pm EST | Manchester | at | Worcester | 7:30 pm EST |
| Sat, Feb 23, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Bridgeport | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Feb 24, 2013 | 4:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Portland | 4:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Mar 1, 2013 | 7:30 pm NST | Manchester | at | St. John’s | 7:30 pm NST |
| Sat, Mar 2, 2013 | 7:30 pm NST | Manchester | at | St. John’s | 7:30 pm NST |
| Wed, Mar 6, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Bridgeport | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EST |
| Fri, Mar 8, 2013 | 7:00 pm EST | Manchester | at | Portland | 7:00 pm EST |
| Sun, Mar 10, 2013 | 5:00 pm EDT | W-B/Scranton | at | Manchester | 5:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Mar 15, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Bridgeport | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Mar 16, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Connecticut | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Mar 17, 2013 | 3:05 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Providence | 3:05 pm EDT |
| Wed, Mar 20, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Springfield | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Mar 23, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Hershey | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Mar 24, 2013 | 3:00 pm EDT | St. John’s | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EDT |
| Wed, Mar 27, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Worcester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Mar 29, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Portland | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Apr 5, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Portland | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Apr 6, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Providence | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Apr 7, 2013 | 3:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Worcester | 3:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Apr 12, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Connecticut | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sat, Apr 13, 2013 | 7:00 pm EDT | Hershey | at | Manchester | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Sun, Apr 14, 2013 | 3:00 pm EDT | Worcester | at | Manchester | 3:00 pm EDT |
| Fri, Apr 19, 2013 | 7:05 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Binghamton | 7:05 pm EDT |
| Sat, Apr 20, 2013 | 7:05 pm EDT | Manchester | at | W-B/Scranton | 7:05 pm EDT |
| Sun, Apr 21, 2013 | 5:00 pm EDT | Manchester | at | Hershey | 5:00 pm EDT |
If anything this may give a bigger boost to the Ontario Reign.