KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
11/28/98 Roger Phillips, beat writer covering the Los Angeles Kings for the LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM, reported in today's edition that goalie Jamie Storr will start in goal tonight when the Kings host the Phoenix Coyotes. Philipps also reported that goalie Stephane Fiset (groin strain) will return and will be Storr's backup. Center Jozef Stumpel (ankle sprain) and defenseman Doug Bodger (broken hand) will be back in the lineup as well.11/26/98 Not much in the way of news from the Los Angeles Kings on this Thanksgiving holiday in the United States... Jim Hodges reported in today's LOS ANGELES TIMES that right wing Sandy Moger has been placed on injured reserve due to this back strain. Roger Phillips, the premier beat writer covering the Kings these days (he writes for the LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM), has yet another very good feature article, this time on Kings' defenseman Philippe Boucher. Point your web browser to: http://www.ptconnect.com/sports/ Click on the "NHL NOTEBOOK" link on the left side of the page. This is the kind of story the LOS ANGELES TIMES should be printing a lot more of. Are you LISTENING Bill Dwyre?? 
11/25/98 Various reports on Wednesday state that Los Angeles Kings' goalie Jamie Storr skated with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL on Tuesday, with the intent of getting into a game later that evening. However, Storr experienced more problems with his groin and was scratched. Kings' prospect Ryan Bach, now playing for Long Beach, also has a strained groin. Right wing Sandy Moger continues to be sidelined with a back strain. Center Jozef Stumpel resumed skating on Tuesday, but there has been no word about when he'll return to the lineup. The good news is that defenseman Doug Bodger has been cleared to resume full practice and is expected to play on Saturday against Phoenix. 11/24/98 The Los Angeles Kings have unveiled a brand-new look to their official web site. It has new graphics and is organized differently. I think the Kings have listened to the fans who have given them feedback about the site because the first thing you see on their home page is a list of the latest news about the team. Their home page is also a bit "simpler." It's not quite as heavy with graphics, making it far easier to load (takes less time) yet it still looks really good. Check it out for yourself at http://www.lakings.com 11/23/98 Los Angeles Kings' left wing Matt Johnson has been suspended for twelve games as a result of him sucker-punching New York Rangers' defenseman Jeff Beukeboom in the back of the head during last Thursday's game at the Great Western Forum. Johnson, who said he was retaliating for Beukeboom's alleged "slew-footing" of Kings' winger Glen Murray, was hit with a match penalty during the game. He will lose $95,121.96 in salary as a result of the suspension. "A punch from behind by Mr. Johnson resulted in a head injury to Mr. Beukeboom and the league has made clear that deliberate blows to the head--particularly those which cause injury to the head of an opponent--will be treated severely," said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. "Also considered was the fact that Mr. Johnson was the recipient of supplementary discipline on two occasions last season," Campbell added. Johnson was suspended for four games during the 1997-98 exhibition season and in 1996-97 for a fight with then-San Jose Sharks forward Andrei Nazarov. Johnson's suspension is the longest in the NHL since then-Kings' winger Tony Granato was suspended for fifteen games in February/March, 1994, when he slashed then-Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Neil Wilkinson over the head. 11/20/98 Good news and bad news on the injury front... First the bad news... Jim Hodges reported in Friday's LOS ANGELES TIMES that Los Angeles Kings' center Jozef Stumpel skated on Thursday but reported pain in his sprained ankle. Goalie Stephane Fiset also skated Thursday morning but also reported some pain from his groin strain. Now for the good news... The Kings announced late Friday that goalie Jamie Storr has been activated from injured reserve and is scheduled to start in goal on Saturday when the Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Not surprisingly, the Kings assigned Ryan Bach to Long Beach of the IHL after Thursday's game. Johnson to have hearing on match penalty on Monday... The NHL announced late Friday that winger Matt Johnson, who sucker-punched New York Rangers' defenseman Jeff Beukeboom in the back of the head in Thursday's game, has been suspended pending a hearing. Johnson received a match penalty, which results in an automatic suspension until the Commissioner (or his delegate) investigates and rules on the incident. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 23 at the NHL's offices in New York with NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. The Los Angeles Kings announced late Thursday that they have claimed center Brandon Convery off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. This season, Convery appeared in twelve games for Vancouver, scoring two goals and adding seven assists for nine points and was +5. In 1997-98, Convery, 24, played in seven games for Vancouver, with no goals and two assists. He spent most of the season at St. John's in the AHL. In forty-nine games, he scored twenty-seven goals and added thirty-six assists for sixty-three points. Convery, who stands 6-1 and weighs 195 pounds, was drafted eighth overall in the 1992 draft. He was Toronto's first pick that year. One apparent reason the Kings acquired Convery is because they have lost winger Russ Courtnall for four to six weeks with a fractured right ankle. The Kings announced that X-rays taken on Thursday revealed the injury. He was placed in injured reserve. Defenseman Rob Blake announced before Thursday's game that he will be examined on Monday and could return to practice next week. If everything looks good, he said, he could return to the lineup against the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday, November 28, 1998. All this was according to Blake, however. The Kings' training staff and team doctors have not commented on Blake's progress in quite some time. 11/19/98 Good news and bad news for the Los Angeles Kings... First the bad news...Kings' forward Russ Courtnall was hit on the left ankle by a puck during Wednesday night's game at San Jose and left the San Jose Arena on crutches. He will be examined today. The good news is that goalie Stephane Fiset appears to be in the lineup and may start tonight against the New York Rangers. 11/18/98 Various sources reported on Wednesday that Los Angeles Kings' center Jozef Stumpel, who suffered a sprained right ankle during Monday's game at Anaheim, will not accompany the team to San Jose tonight nor will he play on Thursday when the Kings host the New York Rangers. Stumpel sprained the same ankle that he injured during training camp. Good news...goalie Stephane Fiset will travel with the team tonight to San Jose and may be the backup to Manny Legace. 11/17/98 The injury problems of the Los Angeles Kings are getting worse... In recent days, various outlets have reported that Kings' prospect Pavel Rosa, who is playing for the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL, has suffered a recurrence of post-concussion syndrome. Rosa said that he has been suffering from headaches for two weeks. "It's very scary," said Rosa, who participated in non-contact drills with the Ice Dogs on Friday and acknowledged a "light-headed" feeling. "I've had big headaches every day, headaches all the time." Rosa suffered his concussion during the 1997-98 pre-season and missed the entire season, except for a couple of games at Long Beach at the end of the season. He was diagnosed with an inner ear disorder, which was corrected by medication. There has been no further word on Rosa's condition or on what treatment he may be undergoing. With Sandy Moger returning to the lineup, the Kings re-assigned forward Dan Bylsma to Long Beach. The Kings also activated defenseman Mark Visheau and he played in the Kings' last two games. Last Friday, the Kings went through a tough practice with lots of skating. And Jozef Stumpel, Glen Murray, Olli Jokinen, Luc Robitaille and Steve Duchesne, who Kings' head coach Larry Robinson has said are taking very long shifts, were the ones skating the longest and the hardest. Everyone else skated for much shorter times. "You've heard a picture is worth a thousand words?" Robinson said after berating his players about their long shifts and the impact that skating long shifts in the first period can have on third period play. Hopefully, this will be a lesson learned. 11/12/98 Injury Update... Various reports on Wednesday and Thursday state that Los Angeles Kings' goalie Jamie Storr, who was assigned to the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL on Wednesday, was not given medical clearance by Kings' doctors to play. He did practice with the Ice Dogs on Wednesday but is listed as day-to-day as he continues to recover from a groin strain. Jim Hodges reported in Thursday's LOS ANGELES TIMES that left wing Steve McKenna's abdominal strain has been re-evaluated and his injury was found to be more serious than originally diagnosed. He has been placed on injured reserve and could be out for as long as two months. Through fifteen games this season, the Kings have lost 58 man-games to injuries/illnesses compared to just twenty-four man-games through fifteen games last season. 11/10/98 There has been no definitive word on whether or not Los Angeles Kings' center Jozef Stumpel will return to action tonight when the Kings skate at Calgary. Reports today state that Stumpel's condition has been upgraded, but he's still listed as questionable. Through Monday's action, the Kings have lost 52 man-games to injuries/illnesses in fourteen games. That's compared to 23 man-games lost through fourteen games last season. 11/8/98 Here's more on the injury to Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Rob Blake... Jim Hodges reported in Sunday's LOS ANGELES TIMES that X-rays after Blake broke his foot against Tampa Bay were negative, but an MRI scan last Friday showed the break. Blake continued to play and practice. He was able to skate without extreme pain and there was no swelling until he removed his skates. However, the problem never went away. "A bruise generally heals and this one just wasn't," Blake said. "We had another X-ray, and it didn't show anything either. The break showed up on the MRI." "I figured I had been playing on it, so it couldn't be that bad," Blake added. "And X-rays didn't show the break. But they found it was an essential bone, a navicular, one that helps carry blood to the foot." "Actually, I was lucky," he said. "The doctor said I was lucky that the bone wasn't pulled apart. If it had been, it would have meant surgery and I would have been out for the season." But there's good news about center Jozef Stumpel... Reports on Sunday stated that Stumpel will accompany the team to Vancouver on Monday and could play on Tuesday at Calgary. 11/7/98 The Los Angeles Kings announced late Friday that they have called up defenseman Jan Nemacek from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL. Nemacek will be the Kings' sixth defenseman, replacing the injured Rob Blake in the lineup. Left wing Steve McKenna has been diagnosed as having an abdominal strain and is now listed as week-to-week. Center Jozef Stumpel reportedly is skating now, but is still at least a week or two away from returning. Goalie Jamie Storr could be cleared to play as early as Monday, but maybe assigned to Long Beach for reconditioning. 11/6/98 Here we go again...more bad news...this time REAL bad... On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that defenseman Rob Blake will be out six to eight weeks with a broken right foot. Blake suffered the injury during last Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was hit in the foot by a puck. Blake played in Thursday night's game against the St. Louis Blues, but persistant pain continued and he underwent an MRI examination today at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Blake has been placed on the injured reserve list. The Kings have recalled winger Dan Bylsma from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL to fill Blake's roster spot. Another addition to the long list of injuries to Rob Blake...losing their best player is really going to hurt the Kings...ouch! 11/4/98 Injury Update... Los Angeles Kings' goalie Jamie Storr, who remains on injured reserve due to a groin strain, is making progress in his recovery. "I'm almost 100%," Storr Jim Hodges of the LOS ANGELES TIMES. "There's still a little pain," Storr added. "But I'm taking my time, making sure that I'm OK and not going to be injured again." Roger Phillips of the LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM has a great article about the Kings' top-rated penalty-killing unit and how they've made their improvements over last season's poor penalty-killing. Check out that article at: http://www.ptconnect.com/sports/ You'll need to click on the Kings link on the left side of the page. 11/3/98 The biggest reason why the Los Angeles Kings' have recalled center Olli Jokinen from Springfield of the AHL is... Center Jozef Stumpel, who is suffering from a hip flexor and abdominal pain, has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 19. Looks like Stumpel will be out of the lineup for quite awhile longer. I would expect that Jokinen won't be returned to Springfield anytime soon, unless he totally flops. Late Monday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled center Olli Jokinen from Springfield of the AHL. Jokinen is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday when the Kings host the St. Louis Blues. The Kings are hoping Jokinen's size and playmaking ability will help wake up their slumbering offense--the Kings have been shutout in three of their last four games. "I'm not going to say that this is a permanent move," Kings' head coach Larry Robinson said. "I still think a kid his age has got to play, and I'm not sure that he's ready for the jump just yet, but until [center Jozef] Stumpel gets back, this is a good chance for him to get some NHL experience, especially since we're not creating a lot offensively." Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor echoed Robinson's comments. "We're looking for a little boost offensively," Taylor said. "[Jokinen)] is as good a playmaker as we have on the team, especially with Stumpel out." I'd expect to see Jokinen on the Kings' first line... Taylor, who is attending the NHL meetings in New York today, said that he will be keeping his eyes and ears open for players who might be available. "There'll be some discussions," Taylor said. "I wouldn't say we're close. We're always looking. It takes awhile to build a club. We don't want to fill one hole and create another one. We have to show some patience." Taylor also said that he has no immediate plans to recall a defenseman to fill the roster spot opened up by the injury to Doug Bodger (fractured hand; out four to six weeks). Injury Update... Center Ian Laperriere, who is suffering from a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee is expected to be cleared to play Thursday. He will be skating with a brace. 11/2/98 Various sources reported on Monday that Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Doug Bodger suffered a fractured left hand during warm-ups prior to Sunday's game against Phoenix. Bodger will be out four to six weeks. Bodger reportedly stepped on a puck during warm-ups and fell on his hand. Including Sunday's game, the Kings have lost twenty-four man games to injuries/illnesses this season. The Kings are likely to call up either Jan Nemacek or Jaroslav Modry from Long Beach to fill the roster spot.
