The Nhl

Here's a novel approach to being a general manager: Dean Lombardi, the new G.M. of the Kings, is reading War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy's classic that is heavier than the Flyers' defense after a big meal. Lombardi, among the most detail-oriented executives in sports, picked up the book in an effort to gain insight into top Los Angeles forward Alexander Frolov. "Somebody told me if you truly wanted to grasp the Russian soul, you have to read War and Peace," says Lombardi. As of last week he had read about 200 pages and planned to keep plugging.