Kings reward Sutter, Lombardi with contract extensions

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings will finally begin defense of their Stanley Cup title on Saturday and will do so after rewarding head coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi with contract extensions.

Terms of the multi-year deals were not disclosed. President of business operations Luc Robitaille was also given an extension.

The Kings captured their first Stanley Cup championship last spring, winning a six-game series over the New Jersey Devils in the final.

"We are ecstatic that we have kept our leadership team in place both on the hockey side with Dean and Darryl and on the business side with Luc and remain in a position to continue competing for the Stanley Cup for many more years," said Kings governor Tim Leiweke in a statement Friday. "They have all done a fantastic job in their respective areas and they have put together outstanding leadership teams. They collectively are a huge reason our franchise is enjoying the success we are enjoying. Now the challenge is to stay on top of that mountain."

Sutter will start his first full season, albeit a 48-game campaign because of the lockout, as Kings head coach. He was hired in December 2011 after Terry Murray was fired earlier in the month and guided the club to a 25-13-11 mark in the final 49 games before the Kings made a stirring run from the eighth seed in the Western Conference to the title.

Lombardi joined the Kings as GM on April 21, 2006 and has built the franchise through the draft and trades. The Kings have compiled 294 points over the past three seasons -- a franchise-record for a three-year stretch.

Robitaille, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame 2009, is the highest- scoring left wing in NHL history and the all-time Kings leader in goals scored. He is in his sixth season as president of business operations.

The Sports Network