KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
10/30/98 The Los Angeles Kings announced today that they traded center Roman Vopat to the Colorado Avalanche for left wing Eric Lacroix. The Avs also get a 1999 sixth-round draft choice in the deal. Lacroix, 27, has averaged sixteen goals and thirty points over his last three seasons. In 1997-98, Lacroix played in 82 games for Colorado, contributing sixteen goals and fifteen assists for thirty-one points while racking up eighty-four penalty minutes. Lacroix, who is 6-1, 210 pounds, set career-highs in 1996-97, when he scored eighteen goals and had eighteen assists for thirty-six points and twenty-six penalty minutes in eighty-one games. Lacroix begins his second stint with the Kings. He was originally acquired on October 3, 1994 in a trade with Toronto. He was traded after the 1995-96 season to Colorado for goalie Stephane Fiset and a swap of 1998 first-round picks between the two teams (the Kings selected defenseman Mathieu Biron with that pick). Vopat, 22, never really displayed the physical style of play he should have been capable of with the Kings, who are obviously looking for a forward who will drive to the front of the net consistently, feeling that Lacroix just might be that player.10/27/98 Jim Hodges of the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported in Tuesday's edition that goaltender Stephane Fiset, who suffered a groin strain on October 18, could be the backup to Manny Legace tonight when the Los Angeles Kings skate against the New York Islanders. And Roger Phillips of the LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM reported in Tuesday's edition that Fiset might start on Wednesday at New Jersey. Phillips also reported that left wing Josh Green, who has been suffering from a shoulder injury, has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup for tonight's game. Center Ian Laperriere (partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee) may try to skate this week with a brace. Goalie Jamie Storr, who suffered a groin strain on October 18, may also try to skate this week. Center Jozef Stumpel probably won't be allowed to play until he has recovered 100% from his hip flexor injury. 
10/23/98 The Los Angeles Kings announced on Thursday that they have acquired goaltender Ryan Bach from the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional draft choice in the 2000 NHL entry draft. Bach, 25, has a 2-1-0 record with a 2.74 goals-against-average in four games with the Utah Grizzlies on the IHL this season. In 43 games last season, Bach earned a 26-9-6 record with a 2.32 GAA with the Houston Aeros of the IHL. Bach will join the Kings in Tampa Bay on Friday and will back up Manny Legace. The Kings also announced that goalie Alexey Volkov has been returned to his junior team, the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 10/20/98 Here's a bit more on the Los Angeles Kings' goalie situation... Both Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr went down with groin strains during Sunday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. Various reports published on Tuesday state that Fiset is listed as day-to-day and that there is a chance he could play on Friday when the Kings skate at Tampa Bay. The news is not so good for Storr, who was placed on injured reserve on Monday. Inferring from the fact that players on injured reserve cannot play again for seven days, Storr must be listed as week-to-week. "They could not play right now, either one of them," Kings' trainer Peter Demers said. "It looks like Fiset will come along quicker. It's too early for us to see how long they'll be out." Manny Legace, who was recalled from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL on Monday, talked about his upcoming NHL debut. "I'll probably get really nervous and really emotional," Legace said. "This is what I've been dreaming about since I was four years old, ever since I laced up a pair of skates." "I feel kind of bad that it's happening because guys have gotten injured," Legace added. 10/19/98 During Sunday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings' goalies Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr both suffered groin injuries. And when Los Angeles Kings' trainer Peter Demers said on Sunday night that Storr was the more seriously injured of the two, he wasn't kidding. Storr was placed on injured reserve on Monday and the Kings have called up Manny Legace from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL and Alexey Volkov from the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Fiset remains on the active roster but there has been no word on how long either goalie is expected to be out of action. Both goalies were recalled on an emergency basis. Fiset, who suffered a right groin strain, left Sunday's game at the 7:13 mark. He is 2-0 this season, with a 1.76 GAA. Storr, who suffered a left groin strain, is 0-1-1 with a 3.90 GAA. Legace, 25, was 4-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage with Long Beach. Volkov, 18, a third-round draft choice of the Kings in the 1998 NHL entry draft, was 8-0 with Halifax. He had a 1.75 GAA and .939 save percentage. Legace will reportedly get the start on Wednesday at Florida. 10/14/98 Center Ian Laperriere has a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out a minimum of two weeks and probably longer, according to various reports. He will not skate for ten days. He will then work to rehabilitate the knee without surgery and he would prefer to play with a brace, if possible. Don't get your hopes up, folks...seems like surgery is almost always required in these cases. Look for Ray Ferraro to take Laperriere's place in the lineup. 10/7/98 According to articles in Wednesday's LOS ANGELES TIMES and the LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM, it is apparent that the Los Angeles Kings' move to assign center Olli Jokinen to Springfield of the AHL was prompted by a numbers game at the center position. Apparently, the coaches and scouts felt that Jokinen was not very comfortable playing on a wing and with their depth at center, they didn't want him sitting around and not playing. 10/6/98 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings sent left wing Dan Bylsma and center Jason Morgan to Long Beach of the International Hockey League. XTRA AM 690 in Southern California is reporting that forward Olli Jokinen has been assigned to Springfield of the IHL. 10/5/98 In Monday's NHL Waiver Draft, the Los Angeles Kings lost goaltender Frederic Chabot, who was selected by the Montreal Canadiens, a team he has played for earlier in his career. "We would like to wish Frederic the best of luck in Montreal," Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor said. "Last season he preformed well in 12 games with the Kings and we hope he continues that success with the Canadiens." The Kings, who did not have a pick until late in the second round, did not select anyone in the waiver draft. The Kings completed their pre-season schedule with a 6-2-1 record with a 4-3 come-from-behind win against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday in Bakersfield. 10/4/98 On Saturday, Nathan Lafayette scored in overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks at the E Center in Utah in NHL pre-season action. The win gives the Kings a 5-2-1 record in the exhibition season (apparently, the shootout "win" was counted as a tie). Defenseman Rob Blake suffered a right hip flexor strain at San Jose earlier in the week and is listed as day-to-day. He is not expected to play tonight against the Vancouver Canucks at the Centennial Gardens Arena in Bakersfield, the Kings' final pre-season game. The Kings' protected/unprotected list for Monday's waiver draft offered no surprises. Here's the list: PROTECTED: Goaltenders: Stephane Fiset, Jamie Storr Defensemen: Rob Blake, Doug Bodger, Philippe Boucher, Steve Duchesne, Garry Galley, Mattias Norstrom, Sean O'Donnell Forwards: Russ Courtnall, Craig Johnson, Matt Johnson, Ian Laperriere, Steve McKenna, Sandy Moger, Glen Murray, Yanic Perreault, Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel, Vladimir Tsyplakov UNPROTECTED: Goaltenders: Frederic Chabot, Manny Legace Defensemen: Jaroslav Modry, Mark Visheau Forwards: Dan Bylsma, Ray Ferraro, Nathan Lafayette
