Kings Kevin Fiala on meshing with Kopitar and playing on a ‘dangerous line

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• News post

• Eric Stephens

In his first time wearing the threads of his new team, Kevin Fiala gave the Kings everything they are counting on from him and more.

• Kevin Fiala
• Adrian Kempe

# Adrian Kempe

He’s the type of player we needed. He has that super skill. Works hard. He’s got pretty much everything. Good shot. You could see last year in terms of the goals he scored and how many points he had. He adds that little extra that we kind of needed for not just five-on-five but power play and stuff like that. I think he’s going to fit in great. He’s very excited to be here and play as well and he’s been fitting in real well with the group so far too. It was nice to get a game out of the way. I think it’s just going to go up from here.

It was an OK game, I think. First game. Also, with all the travel and not used to be active at night again or in the evening (because) you’re training in the morning, it was a lot of different stuff again. Just getting used to the game days again. It was a good game, an OK game. But I feel like we’re going to be a lot better. First game. New system. New teammates. Everything new for me. It’s just getting back to the routines. That’s why the preseason is here.

I think all of us three are very smart players. Want the puck and want to create offense. All of us can play defense. Be reliable defensively. Have good sticks. Hunting pucks. The ability to find each other, I think we already kind of have a great chemistry together. We’re going to for sure build on that.

No, no, no. [Anze Kopitar] doesn’t have to do that. Just having a linemate like that for me means a lot. He’s been through it. He won some Stanley Cups. He’s the No. 1. I look up to him and it’s a pleasure playing with him.

Like that good? No. No. Not at all.

Of course, of course. I think it could be a great season ahead of us. Like you said, we’re three pretty good players and we’re going to work on the chemistry even more. If we find each other, if we click, I think we can be a very dangerous line. I’m looking forward to that for sure. But like I said so many times before, it’s still camp. Preseason. We just have one game under the belt with each other. We have no rush. We have time.

I don’t even know. It was a pretty fast time. The trade and signing, everything was kind of together.

Just looking at the team, looking at the future of the young guys and just looking at the last year as well. They were climbing – or we are climbing. They had a great season last year. Regular season and the playoffs. Lost in Game 7. It could have gone either way. They took a couple big steps for sure. So, I felt it was a great fit to come here and help the team out to get to another step. That’s why I think it’s a great fit here.

Well, right now it’s still everything new for me. Of course, I have expectations – high ones. I’ve learned if I have too high – I can have high expectations of course but I can’t squeeze the stick too much and stuff like that. Just enjoy right now. Enjoy the teammates, be happy and take it as it comes day by day.

Nothing to compare to those two places for sure. There’s the weather that’s always here. You can go to the ocean. You’re more active here. You’re always doing something. Even if it’s just a bike ride to the beach. Taking walks, because you can here. In Minneapolis, you were not able to because it was so cold. You were always inside. Here, you’re moving all the time and you’re active. You’re happy also. Your mood is very much from the weather. It helps you out for sure to be happy all the time.

Nowhere right now. I’m at the hotel next to the arena. It’s fine. We’re looking at a house right now. We’ll see what’s going to happen.

Oh yeah. I love it. Every day, I’m trying to find a new restaurant. It depends on the mood. I like Italian food. I like sushi. Steak. Actually like everything. For lunch, I like Mexican a lot. Here it’s very good Mexican food. It’s been great so far.

Of course, it means a lot. Coming from a small country like Switzerland, you want to show to the young guys coming up that they can also do it. When we were growing up, there was nobody. I think Mark Streit was the only one and he was a defenseman. For me, as a forward, there was no one. You were always dreaming about the NHL but your buddies, they were also talking about the NLA – the highest league in Switzerland. Nobody was talking about the NHL. I think now the goal more and more is NHL. It means a lot to be an impact player from a such small country and show the kids that they can do it too.

My family. My parents have the house that I grew up in still. So, I go back there and visit them for sure in the summers. I live in Zurich otherwise. It’s like 30 minutes away. Pretty close.