Los Angeles Kings punish Kevin Fiala for missing team meeting
The Los Angeles Kings have made Kevin Fiala a healthy scratch as punishment for missing his team's meeting.
The Los Angeles Kings are off to an amazing start for the 2024-25 NHL season, having set very high expectations for players both on and off the ice. The Kings want to keep their competitive advantage in big ways by looking at commitment to discipline and accountability. This focus on responsibility seemed to be highlighted recently in their decision to scratch forward Kevin Fiala from the lineup in an important game against the San Jose Sharks.
Kevin Fiala, an undisputed fixture in the top-six forward group, didn't show up to a team meeting ahead of the Sharks game. The Kings, in response, did the unusual and sat him out. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news, citing sources that Fiala's scratch was disciplinary and not because of an injury or due to his performance. That move shows just how seriously the Kings take their team culture, as scratching one of your best players is something you usually don't see in the NHL.
Fiala's absence was all the more notable given his hot start to the season. Through the first nine games, he has collected four goals and two assists, making him one of the scoring leaders for the team. With speed and the ability to drive plays, Fiala has been at the center of whatever early success the Kings have enjoyed. That said, given how important he is to their lineup, a benching at all represents a statement that accountability will be valued just as much as on-ice performance within the organization.
Filling in that spot was 24-year-old Akil Thomas, and he wasted little time in his season debut against the Sharks, scoring his first of the season. That was big for Thomas, who has been chomping at the bit waiting for a chance to crack the lineup. It was evidence of the Kings' depth and how prepared they are to give opportunities to players who are ready and hungry for them when the time calls.
Considering this is Kevin Fiala's third year with the Kings, it's likely that this disciplinary scratch will be an isolated incident. There's plenty of value he has established, putting up 434 career points in 579 games and being selected to the NHL All-Star Game his first year with the Kings in 2022-23. Given his body of work and devotion to the team, Fiala will likely take this as a lesson in what is expected from him within the organization and consider himself all the more a leader on a disciplined, driven Kings roster.
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