Sights and sounds from Day 1 of LA Kings training camp

From what we know coming out of the first day of training camp and on-ice skating for the Los Angeles Kings at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, CA, on Sep. 18, it sounds like the squad did well to avoid many injuries and get practice started.

The Los Angeles Kings get back to work on the first day of training camp at the Toyota Sports Performance Center on Sep. 18

The Kings and head coach Jim Hiller got started with three separate practice groups on Day 1 of training camp yesterday in El Segundo. LA also held a scrimmage between two of the groups amid the practice sessions yesterday at the Toyota Sports Performance Center.

On Friday afternoon, the Kings will take part in the second day of the group practices and a scrimmage today a couple of days before the preseason opener on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks in the Empire Classic in Ontario (Sep. 21).

The only player for the Kings and Hiller who isn't active on the ice for the team skates and practice in training camp and the preseason this fall is veteran winger Corey Perry. A couple of weeks ago in an on-ice incident in a team skating session in early September, Perry suffered a knee injury that will cause him to miss all of training camp and the preseason.

Between the photos and social media videos released by the team on X and Instagram on Thursday afternoon amid the first day of training camp, and from the media today, we got a few glimpses at the intensity and what the players are looking like on the ice this fall.

It sounds like Warren Foegele was sparking the energy with physicality and effort in the first scrimmage of training camp yesterday for the Kings. He reportedly had a hard hit on the boards in the first scrimmage yesterday against Kings' defenseman Brandt Clark in camp.

We also got a look at the first videos and photos on social media of Kings' captain Anze Kopitar in training camp this fall. Kopitar took to the ice with the Kings' first group for the on-ice practice at training camp yesterday.

This comes as Kopitar announced yesterday his retirement from the league at the end of the upcoming 2025-26 season for the Kings. Multiple tenured Kings' players and multi-year teammates of Kopitar in LA reacted to the announcement of his retirement following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season yesterday in training camp, including defensemen Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty.

The Kings and Hiller have a couple of days of training camp remaining before the opening matchup of the preseason this upcoming weekend on Sunday evening against the Ducks (Sep. 21 at 5 p.m. PT).