LA Kings sign Dustin Brown through 2021-2022; name Blake assistant GM

Days after losing Ron Hextall from their front office, The Los Angeles Kings reacted by making two moves to stabilize the franchise for the years ahead. First, the club announced the signing of team captain Dustin Brown to an eight year contract extension that will keep him in a Kings uniform through the 2021-22 season.

Second, former Kings standout defenseman Rob Blake was named as the club’s Assistant General Manager, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

Blake – the Kings’ all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points by a defenseman – replaces Hextall who left the Kings to for a position with the Philadelphia Flyers.

In his new role, Blake will assist Lombardi in all facets of the Kings Hockey Operations department, including contract negotiations, player personnel, and the supervision of the organization’s top prospects.  In addition, Blake now oversees the Manchester Monarchs’ hockey operations department while serving as General Manager of the Kings’ primary affiliate (American Hockey League).

Meanwhile, Brown, has played his entire nine-year NHL career with the Kings and became the first player in team history to hoist the Stanley Cup when the Kings eliminated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final in June 2012. (15th team captain in team history, only American-born team captain and youngest to ever wear the “C” in team history).

During his tenure with the Kings, Brown, 28, has accumulated 388 points (181-207=388) and 452 penalty minutes in 641 regular season games. He’s been the club’s team captain since Oct. 8, 2008. Among the franchise all-time leaders he ranks eighth in games played, 10th in goals, 17th in assists, 12th in points, seventh in power play goals (69) and tied for seventh in game-winning goals (25).

The 6-0, 212-pound native of Ithaca, N.Y. has also appeared in 50 postseason games with the Kings, recording 31 points (13-18=31), 54 penalty minutes, and a plus-8 rating.

Brown, who was an NHL All-Star in 2009, was drafted by the Kings in the first round (13th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The length of his deal means the Kings will have the following nucleus under contract for the next several years:

Brown – signed through 2021-22
Jeff Carter – signed through 2021-22
Drew Doughty – signed through 2018-19
Anze Kopitar – signed through 2015-16
Jonathan Quick – signed through 2022-23
Robyn Regehr – signed through 2014-15
Mike Richards – signed through 2019-20
Jarret Stoll – signed through 2014-15
Slava Voynov – signed through 2018-19
Justin Williams – signed through 2014-15

By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald and news services