Four Shores trying to make their mark
HOCKEY FAMILY: Nick, who played bantam in Vancouver, finding way as rookie centre with the L.A. Kings
Nick Shore looked a little puzzled when asked about his Vancouver connections following the Los Angeles Kings’ morning skate on Monday.
The Kings’ rookie centre played spring hockey in Vancouver as a bantam for well-known local coach Billy Coupland.
His older brother, Drew, billeted locally while playing two seasons for North Shore Winter Club at about the same age.
But that’s just part of the journey when you are a member of the Denver-based Shore family. They’re not quite the Sutters or the Staals, but they’re getting there.
Drew, 24, is a recent minor league call-up by the Flames, while Nick, 22, got his first taste of the NHL in midJanuary. Younger brother Quentin — a sixth-round pick of the Senators in 2013 — played his junior year at University of Denver this season.
Younger brother Baker, 15, is a highly regarded minor hockey player who was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds last year in the WHL Bantam draft.
“I haven’t been back in Vancouver (for a visit) a while, but it’s always good coming here,” said Nick Shore, before the Kings faced off against the Canucks.
Growing up with less than four years separating the three older brothers, the hockey madness must have reigned supreme. His parents, David and Sarah, are both lawyers and each played a university sport — lacrosse and tennis, respectively. Their first date was going to a University of Denver hockey game.
“It was great,” said Shore. “The three of us are really close as far as age so we did a lot of things together. I was able to play with both older and younger brothers at school.”
That would be at University of Denver, where all three played, Nick with Drew and Quentin, though in different seasons.
Nick doesn’t want to look past the key game against the Canucks, but he’ll get a chance to play against Drew for the first time on Thursday when the Kings visit the Flames. The Kings have played the Flames twice since Nick was called up in mid-January, but the first time (Jan. 19) Drew was a healthy scratch and the second he was in the minors.
“We haven’t had that chance yet,” said the 6-foot, 195-pounder. “But it’s tough to think about that now with what’s going on here.”
Shore got the call-up in January, when the Kings decided that veteran centre Mike Richards couldn’t cut it even as a fourth-liner. The Kings — who clearly thought so highly of Shore that they were willing to part ways with Linden Vey for a secondrounder last summer — wanted to get younger and bigger.
Richards, 30, had just five goals and 15 points in 47 games along with a minus-7 and a mediocre 48-per-cent faceoff percentage with the Kings when he was sent down. Since his recall, two weeks ago, he has no points in five games and was a healthy scratch for the third straight game on Monday. Richards is halfway through a 12-year, $69-millionUS contract that has a $5.75 million cap hit.
Shore has had a scoring touch throughout his hockey career, including his first two seasons in the AHL. It hasn’t translated so far in the NHL — he has just one goal and seven points in 32 games — but the fourth-line role isn’t a small adjustment.
“It’s a different role than I’m used to but you still try and play your same game,” said Shore. “Everyone plays a little bit differently here and you just try to do what you do best. Whether it’s playing eight minutes, you’ve got to use the opportunities that you’re given and try to make the most of them.”
Shore has averaged 10:57 of ice time per game and he leads the Kings in faceoff winning percentage, at 53.9, impressive for a rookie.
“I’ve always been a centre and done well in the dot, but it’s definitely a transition here, as opposed to Manchester (AHL),” said Shore. “Everyone here has been a huge help to me. Especially now there is such a huge emphasis on (faceoffs). You work on it as much as you can. It’s an effort from everybody on the ice, not just the centre.”