Dean Lombardi is in a better place. The veteran hockey man needed time to decompress and do some soul-searching in the wake of his firing last April by the Los Angeles Kings after 11 years as GM. He has re-surfaced as a consultant/advisor to his old pal Ron Hextall in Philadelphia and is feeling re-energized (it’s his second tour of duty with the Flyers after also working for them after being let go as San Jose Sharks GM in 2003). After months of nagging him, Lombardi finally agreed to an interview with me this past Friday.



LEBRUN: Dean, thanks for taking the time. Hockey fans haven’t heard a whole lot from you since you left L.A. Perhaps you can recap what you’ve been up to since then?



LOMBARDI: Well, to make it simple, it takes time to regroup. Even though you see what’s happening, still when you’ve spent 12 years in a place, it takes an emotional toll. But then eventually you get your thoughts together, what you like to do, and you...