He still owns a house in the area and owns some fond memories of his years here and playing with the Carolina Hurricanes.
After all, there is always going to be something special about that first NHL team. Kings defenseman Jamie McBain was drafted by the Hurricanes, made his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season and played parts of four seasons here.
McBain, 27, returns to play his former team, carrying new responsibilities, married and a newly minted father. His son, Carter, is only a few weeks old and is changing almost daily, it seems.