Reign GM Richard Seeley Fully Prepared for a Resilient Season in Ontario
- Updated: October 2, 2019
Photo credit: Rich Tilton/Manchester Monarchs
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over five years now since the Los Angeles Kings won their most recent Stanley Cup. This writer doesn’t mention that to sound discouraging but suggesting that the Kings have been on a rockier road since 2014 is more accurate than many of us wish.
Having missed the playoffs in three of their past five seasons and winning just a single playoff game since winning their most recent Cup, the Kings’ success rate has dropped significantly.
In spite of last season’s playoff miss, though, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for the future of the Los Angeles Kings — and that is no more evident than in the AHL with the Ontario Reign.
Despite missing the playoffs for the first time since relocating from Manchester, New Hampshire, in 2015, the Ontario Reign have plenty to be excited about.
While a return to the playoffs, or even a Calder Cup win, may not directly reflect the success of their parent club, the Reign have plenty of eyes focused their way during the season, and for good reason. Through the organization’s tireless developmental work with their up-and-coming talent, having the right people in place is key.
Photo credit: THOMAS ROY/UNION LEADER FILE PHOTO
One of those people is the Reign’s general manager, Richard Seeley.
A native of Powell River, B.C., Seeley is no stranger to the Kings organization.
Prior to joining the Reign in 2018, Seeley had spent the previous three seasons with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs as both GM and head coach, guiding his club to Kelly Cup playoff berths in each of his three seasons. Seeley also played a combined four seasons with the AHL version of the Monarchs and was even drafted by the Kings in 1997.
The 2019-20 campaign is an important juncture for the Kings organization and Seeley is certainly ready for the challenge.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead,” Seeley told me. “It helps to have some familiarity with the American League with my playing background, but I will also rely on some of the lessons learned through my Masters degree in Sports Management and previous coaching experience.
“The game is ever-changing and as a primary development team for the Kings, we have a big role to play and I couldn’t be more excited about working towards getting our players ready to be future Kings. We have a good AHL and player development staff to help our prospects maximize their potential.”
Carl Grunstrom
Photo credit: LA Kings
While they have struggled in recent years, the Kings have plenty of reason to be optimistic as they are near the very top of the NHL in farm system rankings. Their specific standing may depend on who you ask (No. 4 overall according to The Athletic; No. 2 according to The Sporting News) but the silver-and-black nonetheless have a healthy future in front of them. This is especially the case with Top 50 prospects Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari and Carl Grundstrom all in the fold.
“I’m optimistic about the young talent we have coming in,” Seeley emphasized. “We’re starting to see more and more of our draft picks that the Kings scouting staff has worked hard to acquire and now they’re just starting to turn pro. So, for us, it’s exciting.”
As far as what to expect for the NHL, the Reign GM and his staff are committed to helping these young players navigate through the obstacles of getting to the next level, stressing the importance of preparation.
“Our goal is to get [the Reign players] ready as quick as possible,” stated Seeley. “So, our guys can go up and contribute with the Kings, we want to make sure that they understand what’s going to be asked and what’s going to be expected of them when they put on a Los Angeles Kings jersey. However, it’s a process and we want to make sure they are ready. A lot of our guys are first-year pros, so we want to make sure we get those guys up to speed on the culture of the organization so when they do get an opportunity in Los Angeles, they understand was is expected of them as an individual within the team systems and structure. So, that’s one goal.”
Photo credit: Rich Tilton/Manchester Monarchs
While there are plenty of players who want to get their feet wet in the professional ranks, the newer prospects joining the Reign can take solace in knowing that their new team is led by some key veterans from Brett Sutter to Matt Luff.
“I think we have a good group of leadership to surround [the new players] with,” Seeley continued. “Obviously at [the AHL] level, things can change quickly with player assignments and recalls.”
As crucial as proper development is, though, Seeley would be remiss if he didn’t stress the importance of winning a few games along the way.
“We are all competitive, want to win as many hockey games as we can while developing these players, so that’s the challenge,” concluded the 40-year-old. We want our guys to be playing meaningful games throughout the whole year and into June, those experiences can only help development.
So, with the challenges ahead accepted, how does Richard Seeley feel when he takes a step back and thinks about his years of duty with the Kings organization?
Richard Seeley
Photo credit: manchestermonarchs.com
“Very fortunate,” the former blueliner responded. “A first-class organization through and through. Whether it was at any of the many different levels: the NHL, the AHL and also with their ECHL affiliate [in Manchester], I’ve been very fortunate to be involved [with the Kings organization] off and on. We get treated well; we have all the tools to be successful, which is all you can really ask when you go to work, and there are some great people to work with. I’ve had a few opportunities to get familiar with a couple of different organization and for me, my personal belief, I’m well aware of how fortunate I am to work for the Kings organization. From my standpoint, it’s great.”
While a return to the Calder Cup playoffs would certainly be great, the Ontario Reign continue to focus on preparing their talent for the next level. Who we see in a Reign uniform today may end up in a Kings uniform tomorrow, but it’s up to Seeley and his coaching and developmental teams to make sure those prospects are fully prepared when donning the Kings jersey.
Plus, as an added incentive, since Ontario will be hosting this season’s All-Star Classic, it gives the club more determination to put their talent on full display for the rest of the AHL, and the NHL, to see.
There is plenty of hard work ahead for Richard Seeley, and given his high levels of determination, preparation and excitement, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
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