KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
1-31-02 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that their long-awaited retirement of Wayne Gretzky's number 99, will come during a ceremony on opening night of the 2002-03 season. The exact date will be set when the NHL finalizes its 2002-03 regular season schedule. "First and foremost, this is the greatest hockey player in the history of this sport," said Kings' President Tim Leiweke. "Wayne's achievements with the Kings brought the sport of hockey to new heights and gave the Kings front-page status in Los Angeles. We now have the opportunity to pay tribute to Wayne and the impact that he had on this sport and on Southern California." "Wayne's arrival in Los Angeles changed the face of hockey in the United States, particularly in our market here in Los Angeles," said Kings Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "It is a well-deserved honor that we look forward to sharing with Wayne and his family." Gretzky, 41, is the greatest scorer in the history of the National Hockey League with 2,857 points, and is the holder of 61 NHL records. He played eight seasons in Los Angeles during which he won the NHL's scoring title (Art Ross Trophy) on three occasions (1989-90, 90-91, 93-94), was named the league's Most Valuable Player (Hart Memorial Trophy) once (1988-89), and led the Kings on their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. Fourth on the Kings all-time scoring list, Gretzky scored 918 points (246 goals, 672 assists for 918) in only 539 games. He is also the Kings all-time leading scorer in the playoffs with 94 points (29 goals, 65 assists for 94 points) in 80 post-season games. While he was with the Kings, Gretzky became the NHL's all-time leading scorer on October 15, 1989 at Edmonton, where he broke Gordie Howe's record of 1,850 points. He also broke Howe's all-time goal scoring record on March 23, 1994 against Vancouver, when he scored his 802nd goal at the Great Western Forum. Following his retirement, the NHL bestowed on Gretzky the unique distinction of being the only player in the history of the NHL to have his jersey number retired by all member clubs. His number 99 was formally retired at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. On November 22, 1999, Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, becoming the tenth and final player in history to have the mandatory three-year waiting period for enshrinement waived by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors. Gretzky said that he is looking forward to the sharing this honor. "I look forward to sharing this honor with my family, friends, and especially the fans, whose support of both myself and the Kings over the years has been tremendous and very humbling," said Gretzky. The jersey retirement event will be more than just a pre-game ceremony. Also included in the celebration will be a celebrity/charity dinner and sports memorabilia auction honoring Gretzky, which will take place on the evening prior to the jersey retirement ceremony. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Kings Care Foundation and other charities. "We want this to be more than just a game, but a true celebration for our fans and the city," Leiweke said. "In typical Gretzky style, this will not only be an event to honor Wayne, but also an opportunity to have a significant impact on our fans and a group of worthy charities."On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have assigned center Adam Mair to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Mair, 22, played in eight games for the Kings this season, scoring a goal while racking 51 penalty minutes. 
1-30-02 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have placed defenseman Mathieu Schneider on injured reserve, retroactive to January 29, due to a left shoulder strain. Schneider was injured during the first period of Monday's game at Colorado. He is listed as week-to-week. The Kings also announced that they have claimed left wing Ted Donato off of waivers from the New York Islanders, and loaned him to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes. Donato, 32, played in one game with the Islanders, after signing as a free agent on January 16. Earlier in the season, Donato, who is 5-10 and weighs 180 pounds, played at Manchester on a minor league contract, appearing in twenty-five games, and scoring 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points. In 680 NHL games with the Islanders, Dallas Stars, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, Donato has scored 142 goals and added 191 assists, for 333 points to go along with 368 penalty minutes. Donato was the Bruins' fifth-round selection (98th overall) in the 1987 draft. 1-29-02 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that center Eric Belanger underwent successful surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. The surgery was performed on Tuesday morning at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic by hand specialist Dr. Normal Zemel. Belanger, who suffered the injury during the second period of the Kings' January 15 game against the Nashville Predators at Staples Center, was placed on injured reserve on January 21, retroactive to January 16. Belanger, who is the Kings' best face-off man with a 58.5% face-off winning percentage (fourth in the NHL), is expected to be out for eight weeks. 1-23-02 On Wednesday, the National Hockey League announced that Mighty Ducks of Anaheim right wing Kevin Sawyer has been suspended, as a result of a major penalty for charging against Los Angeles Kings' goalie Felix Potvin during their game on Monday night. At the 10:47 mark of the first period, Potvin went behind his net to stop the puck. Sawyer came in from the right wing. He clearly saw Potvin in time, but made no attempt to stop, slow down or do anything to avoid contact, and he nailed Potvin, who went down in a heap. Sawyer, who was suspended for five games in December for hitting Calgary goalie Mike Vernon, will miss the next two games, and is now considered a repeat offender by the NHL. He will forfeit $10,365.86 in salary. 1-22-02 Even later on Tuesday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings left wing Craig Johnson did indeed suffer an eye injury when he was high-sticked during Monday's game at Anaheim. Despite earlier reports about Johnson receiving only a cut above his right eye, Johnson actually suffered a corneal abrasion. Late reports indicate that there is some blood in the eye, which is why he will be held out of Thursday's game against Minnesota. Late Tuesday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings left wing Craig Johnson suffered a cut under his right eye after receiving an unintentional high stick from Mighty Ducks' defenseman Vitali Vishnevski during Monday's game at Anaheim. Johnson, will miss Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild, but is expected to return to practice on Friday. 1-21-02 On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have placed center Eric Belanger on injured reserve, retroactive to January 16, due to a sprained wrist. Belanger, 24, was injured during the second period of the Kings' game against the Nashville Predators on January 14. He is listed as week-to-week. To take his place on the roster, the Kings have called up left wing Ryan Flinn from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Flinn, 21, has played for both the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League, and Manchester. At Reading, Flinn, known as an enforcer, scored a goal, and added three assists for four points in twenty games. He also led the Royals with 130 penalty minutes. With Manchester, Flinn played in nineteen games, contributing one assist while racking up 52 penalty minutes. Flinn, who is 6-5 and weights 223-pounds, attended the 2001 Kings summer development camp this past summer. He was originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round (143rd overall) of the 1998 NHL Draft, and was signed as a free agent by the Kings on January 9, 2002. He will wear jersey number 49. 1-19-02 Late Friday, it was learned that the Los Angeles Kings are expected to announce that they have recalled defenseman Jere Karalahti from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Karalahti, who was loaned to Manchester for conditioning purposes on January 16, was recalled because defenseman Philippe Boucher suffered a concussion during Thursday's game against the Buffalo Sabres. Apparently, Karalahti did not get to play a game for Manchester before having to return to Los Angeles. There was no word on Boucher's condition. 1-17-02 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that right wing Ziggy Palffy and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky will be allowed to play for Team Slovakia during a qualifying round game on February 10, 2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Although the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation has yet to name its roster, it is widely believed that both Palffy and Visnovsky will be selected to play. Slovakia is one of eight teams that must qualify for medal round competition in the 2002 Winter Olympics during the preliminary round, held February 9-14. Two teams will advance from the qualifying round to the medal round. Slovakia begins the qualifying round on February 9 against Germany. The Kings allowed Palffy and Visnovsky to play for Slovakia on February 10 because the game does not conflict with the Kings' schedule. "We are pleased to have Ziggy and Lubomir participate with the Slovak Olympic Team," said Kings' Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "This is a tremendous honor and opportunity for the players to participate for their country." Although Palffy and Visnovsky must return to the Kings for their game against the Dallas Stars on February 11 at Staples Center, they are happy to have the chance to help their national team qualify for the medal round. "Lubomir and I know and realize the importance of the Kings schedule and the NHL schedule," Palffy said. "We appreciate the club releasing us to play in the qualifying tournament. It is very important to us to represent our country in Salt Lake City." Palffy played for Slovakia in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, scoring three goals and seven assists for ten points, leading all scorers. He was selected to play for Slovakia in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, but did not play because Slovakia was eliminated during the qualifying round. Visnovsky has not represented his country in Olympic competition. As reported on Wednesday, as expected, the Los Angeles Kings announced on Thursday that they have recalled forward Brad Chartrand from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and have assigned forward Kip Brennan to Manchester. Chartrand, 27, appeared in ten games earlier this season with the Kings, scoring two goals and adding three assists for five points before being loaned to Manchester on January 4. With Manchester, Chartrand has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 22 games. Brennan, 21, played in four games for the Kings racking up 27 penalty minutes. He was recalled from Manchester on January 5 and made his NHL debut that night at the New York Islanders. Early Thursday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings' center Eric Belanger, who is listed as week-to-week with a wrist injury, did not suffer the injury as the result of being slashed during Tuesday's game against the Nashville Predators. Belanger was hurt when he was shooting the puck in the second period. "He was shooting the puck and a defender's body got in the path of his motion and it tweaked his wrist," said Kings' Director of Media Relations and Team Services Mike Altieri. Various sources reported on Wednesday that Belanger had been slashed, but Altieri said those reports were in error. 1-16-02 Late Wednesday, the National Hockey League announced the complete rosters for the NHL All-Star Game, scheduled for February 2, at Staples Center. Right wing Ziggy Palffy and defenseman Jaroslav Modry were named to the World All-Star team. No Kings were named to the North American All-Star team. You heard it here first... Late Wednesday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings' center Eric Belanger, who suffered a wrist injury, and left Tuesday's game against the Nashville Predators after being slashed in the second period, has been listed as week-to-week. Belanger was examined by a hand and wrist specialist on Wednesday, but apparently, there was no fracture. Nevertheless the Kings are "concerned" about the injury. There has been no word about whether or not the Kings will seek supplementary discipline from the NHL as result of the slashing incident. The Kings are expected to assign forward Kip Brennan back to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, and recall forward Brad Chartrand. Apparently, Belanger will not be placed on injured reserve. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have loaned defenseman Jere Karalahti to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL), the Kings' primary AHL affiliate. Karalahti, who has played in just twenty-five games for the Kings this season, has been the odd-man out among the Kings' defensemen, spending most of his time in the press box rather than out on the ice. Karalahti has one assist and 27 penalty minutes for the Kings this season. At press time, there was no word on the results of an examination of Kings' center Eric Belanger, who suffered a left wrist injury during the second period of Tuesday's game against the Nashville Predators. 1-9-02 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed left wing Ryan Flinn to an NHL contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Flinn, 21, has played this season for both the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and the and the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League. With the Monarchs, Flinn, who is a tough guy/enforcer, has an assist and 34 penalty minutes in 13 games. At Reading, Flinn played in 20 games, scoring a goal and adding 3 assists, while racking up 130 penalty minutes. 1-5-02 On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled left wing Kip Brennan from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Brennan, 21, is 6-4, and weighs 222 pounds. In twenty-three games with the Monarchs this season, he is their enforcer, and leads the team with 125 penalty minutes, to go along with a goal and two assists. Brennan was drafted by the Kings in the fourth round (103rd overall) in the 1998 NHL draft. He will wear number 37. 1-4-02 In the gold medal game of the World Junior Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic on Friday, Team Russia defeated Team Canada, 5-4. Kings' prospect Alexander Frolov scored a goal to help Russia over the Canadians. For the Canadians, Kings' prospect Mike Cammalleri did not score in the game, but was named the top forward of the tournament, and was selected as a member of the first All-Star team. Cammalleri wound up leading the tournament in scoring, with 7 goals and 4 assists, good for 11 points in 7 games. Center Jared Aulin another Kings' prospect playing for Canada, was third in scoring with 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points in 7 games. Frolov ended the tournament sixth in scoring, with 6 goals and 2 assists for 8 points in 7 games. On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Brad Chartrand has cleared waivers, and has been loaned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. They also announced that left wing Ken Belanger, who suffered a broken thumb during a first-period fight with Florida Panthers' defenseman Lance Ward, has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to January 3. In what should be a surprise to no one, now-former Los Angeles Kings' forward Randy Robitaille did not clear waivers. Robitaille, who was placed on waivers on January 2, to help make room on the roster for the return of Ziggy Palffy and Mathieu Schneider from injured reserve, was selected off of waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. Winger Brad Chartrand, who was placed on waivers with Robitaille, has apparently cleared waivers. At press time, there have been no reports that he has been selected by any team. Chartrand could be assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, unless the Kings need him to fill a roster spot due to injury. In the case of Robitaille, the Kings were forced to gamble that no one would select him, because of the fact that forward Adam Mair is frozen on the Kings' roster due to suspension. If Mair had not been suspended, he could have been sent down to Manchester without having to clear waivers. At least losing this Robitaille is not painful. Randy Robitaille was not a major factor for the Kings, unlike Luc Robitaille. 1-3-02 Late Thursday, it was learned that Los Angeles Kings' winger Mikko Eloranta and defenseman Andreas Lilja both skated in practice on Thursday, and will accompany the team on their five-game road trip, starting on Saturday at the New York Islanders. Eloranta and Lilja both suffered what was initially diagnosed as sprained left knees during Wednesday's game against the Florida Panthers. There was no word on whether or not Eloranta or Lilja were involved in any contact drills, or whether or not they would be able to play at any time during the trip. Left wing Ken Belanger suffered a broken thumb during his first-period fight with Panthers' defenseman Lance Ward on Wednesday. There was no word on whether or not he would make the road trip. 1-2-02 Late Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have activated defenseman Mathieu Schneider and right wing Ziggy Palffy from injured reserve. Schneider underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia on November 9, and missed twenty-three games. Palffy suffered a fractured rib against Nashville on December 1, and missed the last fourteen games. To make room on the roster, the Kings designated center Randy Robitaille and winger Brad Chartrand for assignment.
