Lecavalier glad for chance with Kings

LOS ANGELES - Vinny Lecavalier has spent the last 17 seasons in the NHL, but when he stepped inside the Los Angeles Kings' practice facility for the first time, he felt as if he was starting over.

"I don't know anybody really personally," Lecavalier said Thursday at the Staples Center before the Kings played the Toronto Maple Leafs. "It feels like the first day of school. It's exciting."

Like most trades, the deal that sent Lecavlier and defenseman Brayden Schenn from the Flyers to the Kings brought new faces and different playing styles. But Lecavlier is happily embracing the new and unknown.

The one thing he does know is that this new start will afford him playing time. He jumped right in against the Leafs on Thursday night.

"I'm ready for it and I'm excited for it," Lecavlier said. "I haven't played in a while, but I've been practicing hard and I try to be as ready as possible for that first game. Obviously, short shifts is the key, but I'm ready to go.''

Lecavlier insists he can still contribute and is fine with taking a backseat to centers Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. He's confident that his style of play will fit with the Kings' grinding, defensive system.

"We were here last week. I've watched a few games and I've seen how this team plays, playing together," Lecavlier said. "When you watch the Kings play, it takes 10 seconds to figure out how they play. It's so simple but effective. That's what makes them work. It's not everybody everywhere, it's everybody supporting. That's why they've been so good the last little while."

Lecavlier admits that the last few seasons in Philadelphia haven't been the most enjoyable. But Schenn said you'd never know it.

"He's nothing but a true professional," Schenn said. "In a situation like that it's probably pretty easy to walk around and not feel so good about yourself and probably bring your teammates down. He hasn't shown that at all."

With the Kings leading the Pacific Division, Lecavlier sees this is an opportunity to close out his career with a contender. His time with the Flyers wasn't how he imagined it would be, but he's ready to close out his career on a high note.

"To get a chance to win another Stanley Cup would be great," Lecavlier said. "The best season of my career was when I won [with Tampa Bay] in 2004, so hopefully I can come in here and help out as much as possible and try to help these guys keep going."