The Los Angeles Kings and head coach Andrew Lord concluded the 2025 Golden State Rookie Faceoff this past Sunday over the weekend against the Anaheim Ducks at FivePoint Arena at Great Park Ice in Irvine, CA.
LA capped off the rookie faceoff with a convincing 4-1 win over the Ducks, largely thanks to a hat trick from forward Kenny Connors, on Sep. 14. The roller coaster ride of weekend for the Kings in the rookie faceoff saw the team finish with an overall record of 1-1-0.
Los Angeles Kings prospects show a bright future for the organization at the Golden State Rookie Faceoff last weekend
The rookie faceoff started with a 8-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks at FivePoint Arena on Saturday afternoon (Sep. 13). But the Kings responded with a solid and complete-team effort in a three-goal win over Anaheim yesterday afternoon.
This past weekend was a good glimpse into the top prospects and some of the rookies in the Kings system in rookie camp this fall. A handful of Kings' prospects shined in the rookie faceoff over the weekend and showed what they can do in the spotlight in Irvine.
Carter George, G
Kings' goalie prospect Carter George was one of the stars of the game for LA in the convincing 4-1 win over the Ducks on Sep. 14. George stopped 37 of 38 shots the Ducks put on the net yesterday, including some highlight-reel saves with the glove and the left pad against Anaheim.
ISNT IT GLOVELY?! https://t.co/6NmSuyuaRg pic.twitter.com/5D62YThGL7
— LA Kings (@LAKings) September 14, 2025
George kept the Ducks off the board in the game's first two periods. It took the Ducks until the third period to finally break the ice on the scoreboard against George and the Kings.
Getting to start the entire game really showed how calm and collected George was in goal for the Kings yesterday. He easily had the most impressive goaltending performance of any of the three Kings goalies who got time in the net over the weekend in the rookie faceoff.
George showed why he is considered to have such a bright future in net in the Kings' system in the NHL.
Kenny Connors, C
No other Kings' forward stood out more for Lord and LA yesterday in the win over the Ducks in the rookie faceoff than center Kenny Connors. The former UMass product scored a hat trick for the Kings, including the eventual game-winning and insurance goals against Anaheim in the win.
One of Connors' three goals came in a pretty unusual manner. Ducks' goalie Tomas Suchanek scored an own-goal, giving Connors his second of three goals yesterday afternoon. The insurance tally that sealed the win for the Kings vs. the Ducks was an empty-netter that gave Connors the hat trick.
Connors said he wanted his two-way effort and versatility to do the talking for his game in the rookie faceoff last weekend.
"I like to take pride in playing a full 200-foot game, I think I’ve done it my whole career of playing. I really like having the ability to shut down another line, take them out of the game. So that’s something that I take pride in on the ice and the Kings have a big emphasis on that as well. That’s something that I’m looking to do this weekend."Kenny Connors
Connors centered the top line for the Kings in the rookie faceoff, playing alongside wingers Liam Greentree and Koehn Ziemmer. His line was responsible for over five of the goals the Kings scored in the rookie faceoff this past weekend.
Henry Brzustewicz, D
One of the best two-way defensemen and impressive skaters for the Kings in the open ice in the rookie faceoff last weekend was Henry Brzustewicz. The Kings' first round pick (31st overall) from earlier this offseason in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft showed nice vision and awareness in multiple different situation for LA on the blue line, including on special teams and the power play.
Brzustewicz ran the power play, showed a physical side by getting involved in a fight to jump to his teammates' defense after a controversial hit against the Sharks, and defended the blue line well for the Kings in the rookie faceoff.
Outside of maybe getting a few tallies on the board, there wasn't much more that I was looking for out of Brzustewicz over the weekend in the rookie faceoff. He'll be a huge part of the London Knights success and the top blue line group for the defensive core in the OHL in the upcoming 2025-26 season.