LA Kings: Andreas Athanasiou on why he decided to join rebuilding Kings

Newest LA Kings forward Andreas Athanasiou spoke with the media on Wednesday, explaining why he signed with Los Angeles.

Skating with the LA Kings for the first time on Wednesday, Andreas Athanasiou spoke with the media about why he signed with LA, playing with Jeff Carter and Blake Lizotte, his elite skating abilities, Martin Frk, and more.

On the motivation to sign with the LA Kings

It’s just, you know, the guys we got here. And, you know, obviously, you can see, they finished off real strong last year. And I think the goal here is to just pick up where they left off. And I think my job coming in is just, you know, try to blend in as much as I can and do the best I can to, you know, help provide for the team.

On lining up with Blake Lizotte and Jeff Carter

You know when I saw Carts (Jeff Carter) the first day, he kind of said, we might be playing together. So it’s obviously exciting. I think everyone knows how good he is, and all the things he’s done. So, you know, I’ve watched him a ton, you know, a little bit of research on Lizotte, and I’ve been watching his goals and stuff. So it’s, you know, just building chemistry as quick as possible. And, you know, there’s a lot of good, good pieces on that line. And, you know, I think it’s, you know, we had some good chemistry right off the bat today, and I think it’s only gonna get better.

On his first day with the team

I mean, it feels good to get those legs underneath you and just get back on the flow of things. You know, I felt pretty, pretty decent out there. Actually, it’s, you know, like you said, I’ve been off the ice for, you know, however long it’s been so it’s, it’s been a little bit at least eight days, probably around ten? Maybe. But, uh, you know, I’ll get out there and, you know, as good as you could feel.

On what the hardest part of his game will be to get back after the long layoff

Just getting back in the flow of things. I mean, you know, we’ve all played this game our whole life. And, you know, it’s second nature to us, though. It’s just like riding a bike, you get back on the ice, and you get back into the flow of things as quick as possible. Obviously, those you know, that first game is going to be a little bit tough, but uh, you know, I thought it was pretty good out there. And I think it’s just gonna get better.

On his offseason and what led him to sign with the LA Kings

Obviously, there was a little bit of talk, throughout the offseason, and I was just looking at my options. And, you know, this organization’s pretty top-notch and, you know, the direction of these guys are all heading it’s something I wanted to be a part of, and, you know, as your offseason, you know, everyone’s in these crazy times right now and to deal with in their own way.

On whether Todd (McLellan’s) system fits his style of play

You have someone like him run the team, it’s gonna be top-notch — he’s gonna get the most out of the guys. So it’s, he seems unbelievable right now. I’m super excited. He’s helping me a ton already. We got a good video session this morning. And now we’re taking it step by step. The level of hockey here is going to be at a high pace. And, you know, it’s something that I think I can, you know, fit right into, and, you know, help provide.

On coming into camp late and what he needs to do to get ready

Yeah, it’s just getting accustomed to everything, you know, obviously got to two new linemates, we had one practice today. So it’s, it’s pretty straightforward. just build that chemistry as quick as possible. And I think we had a really good day today, you know, I didn’t really feel a step behind or anything. So is, it felt good. Just, you know, building every day, it’s, you know, it’s gonna take a little bit of a process, but it’s getting that first skate under you. And, you know, you kind of just go from there. So it’s, it’s pretty straightforward.

On his elite skating

It’s something I’ve always worked on my whole life. You know, I was kind of, you know, as a kid, I was always pretty fast at what I did, whether it was, you know, whatever sport I was playing, so I always knew I had the, you know, that fast-twitch. So it was something that I know, if I, you know, worked really hard, and really took the time and, you know, care and really work on that stuff. It’s something that, you know, I knew could help me in the long run. And, you know, it’s always been a strong asset of mine is, you know, trying to be one of the best skaters out there.

And, you know, I just continue to try to do the, you know, I got a good group that’s helping me, you know, work back home, and great mobility guy, great strength guy, you know, everyone has a, you know, a good program these days. So, it’s just a matter of how much work you put in. And, you know, if you put the work in it, the rest is going to take care of itself. So it’s, you know, you can’t fake that and, you know, we’ll see if I, if I’m skating, well, we’re gonna know and that’s it.

On his relationship with Martin Frk

We’re really good buddies. Actually. We got drafted the same year. So we went to a camp together and kind of went into the league together and played in the minors together. So you know, we’re pretty close. He’s awesome, dude, he’s got unbelievable skill. I mean, as you guys know, he’s got the hardest shot ever. So it’s, you know, we work on it together I tried to ask him to help me learn to shoot like that and know, you know ever since the get-go we’ve always been kind of good buddies and always helped each other out and even when we played together we were real good. So it’s, you know it’s a really good face to see coming here, right when I knew I was coming here as the first person I called. He was excited and you know, I was too.