KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
11.29.99 After beating the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings don't play again until Friday at Anaheim...they have a five-day break. "[Beating the Sharks was] a nice way to go into this two-day break and it sets up an intense game for next Friday night at Anaheim," Kings' head coach Andy Murray said. But don't think they're going to slack off too much. The Kings will have Sunday and Monday off for a much-deserved rest. They return on Tuesday for fitness testing and practice. "We're taking two days off," Andy Murray said. "We're going to do fitness testing on Tuesday morning and then right after the testing, we're going to practice. We normally haven't done testing during the year, but we want to monitor where we're at and know if there are areas we need to address in terms of [the players'] conditioning." The players are happy to be able to get some extended rest. "We're happy we have a few days off and now we can get rested up and get ready for the next week," said Kings' winger Glen Murray. Left wing Luc Robitaille will return to practice on Tuesday. If he can participate without pain or other problems, he will probably return to the lineup on Friday.With five days off between games, the Los Angeles Kings are taking time to rest and reflect a little about their good fortune and the hard work that still lies ahead. "Last year, when I came, we were looking up at everyone," said Kings' right wing Donald Audette about his team being on top of the league standings [tied with Phoenix and San Jose after Sunday's games]. "Now we're looking down at them. It's something to be proud of. But it's a long season and a lot of things can happen. You have to keep yourself ready to play every night." "You look at all five teams in our division, they're probably among the top six in our conference," Audette added. "Every time you play a division team it's like a playoff game. It's always a real battle." Audette's linemate Glen Murray talked about their line and how well they've been playing of late because they've gotten accustomed to each other. "We've been skating with each other since the start of the season, so we know each other's tendencies and we know where the other guy's going to be," Murray said. "I've already told [center] Bryan [Smolinski] that he's turned into Wayne Gretzky. He's got to set up Donald and me all the time, so no more goals for him." I wonder what Smolinski had to say about that... 
11.24.99 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings will recall goaltender Mike O'Neill from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL to replace Jamie Storr, who suffered a badly strained right groin during the first period of Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. O'Neill will fly to Dallas on Wednesday and will be available when the Kings skate against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Storr suffered the injury in the first period, when he stopped Colorado forward Joe Sakic on a breakaway.. He was replaced by Marcel Cousineau at the start of the second period. Cousineau faced 21 shots and made 20 saves and got his first NHL win of the season. Storr, who was seen icing down the affected area after the game, said that he could have continued, but the Kings did not want to risk further injury. "I could have stayed in, but I might have injured it more," Storr said. "We'll have to see tomorrow just how bad it is." Kings' head coach Andy Murray said that the strength in Storr's right leg was down to twenty percent. This clearly made the recall of O'Neill necessary, especially since Kings' goalie Stephane Fiset is still about two weeks away from returning from a badly bruised right hand. "This is the time when we find out about ourselves and our system," Murray said. "We have confidence in the guy we are bringing up. We will get through this." "This is part of the game," Kings' captain Rob Blake said. "You aren't going to replace the guys we've lost, but now is the time when you put faith in your system. Last year, we lost guys and it killed us. But we weren't a playoff team. Now we are." Let's hope the goaltending fares better than the Kings' power play has over the last few games. 11.23.99 Matt McHale has a good article about Los Angeles Kings' left wing Luc Robitaille's progress in his recovery from a fractured left foot in an article in Tuesday's Los Angeles DAILY NEWS. The long and the short of it is that Robitaille isn't close to returning to the lineup. But he did skate for a short time on Monday. You can check out the story on the web at: http://www.dailynewslosangeles.com/extra/today/spo03.asp Jim Hodges also reports on Robitaille's prognosis in his daily report: http://sports.latimes.com/news/19991123/hko/000107053.html 11.22.99 ESPN reported on Sunday that Montreal Canadiens right wing Brian Savage, who suffered what was called an upper back injury following a collision with Los Angeles Kings' center Ian Laperriere at 4:20 of the second period during Saturday's game at Staples Center, has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture of a vertabrae in his neck. Savage, who led the Canadiens in scoring and was among the league leaders, underwent an MRI examination at Centinela Hospital Medical Center, where the fracture was discovered. Savage will be out of the lineup for six to twelve weeks. In other news... On Monday, former Kings' center Wayne Gretzky will be inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. ESPN2 will provide live coverage of the ceremony at 6:00 PM PST. 11.21.99 RDS in Canada is reporting today that Montreal Canadiens right wing Brian Savage, who suffered what was called an "upper back injury" during Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center, will be out for three months after an MRI examination revealed a hairline fracture on his cervical vertebrae. Savage was following-through on a slapshot and had his head down when he collided with Kings' center Ian Laperriere. It was a clean hit and no penalty was called. Savage, who is the Habs' leading scorer and is among NHL scoring leaders with twelve goals and seven assists for 19 points in 21 games, is listed on the official NHL injury report as being out indefinitely, although the injury is still listed as an "upper back injury." 11.20.99 This is the kind of news that really isn't very much fun to report on... At 4:20 of the second period during Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens at Staples Center, Montreal right wing Brian Savage suffered an upper back injury on a collision with Kings' center Ian Laperriere. On the play, Savage was winding up for a slap shot at the top of the slot just as Kings' winger Glen Murray stick-checked him. Savage fanned on the shot and on the follow-through, with his head down, he ran into Laperriere. Savage's head met Laperriere's left shoulder/elbow his head snapped backward violently. The hit on Savage was clean and no penalty was called. But play was stopped almost immediately as Savage lay on the ice, his body in convulsions. Montreal trainers rushed onto the ice to care for Savage. Kings' trainer Peter Demers and the Kings' team doctor also rushed out to aid Savage. With players from both teams surrounding him, Savage, who never lost consciousness, was immobilized, placed on a backboard, fitted with a cervical collar and wheeled off the ice on a stretcher. He was taken by ambulance to Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Savage's teammates, who won the game, 5-3, weren't thinking much about the win after the game. "When you see someone take a hit like that, hockey becomes secondary," Canadiens' team captain Shayne Corson said. "You worry about a guy's health, life, wonder if he could play with his kids again, do things with his wife and be able to walk around. To see a friend and a teammate like that, it's a pretty sobering thought when you think about it." "I think he's going to be OK," Montreal center Trevor Linden said. "I don't think it's anything too serious. He had his head down and then he saw it coming, and he got in a funny position. But it wasn't a dirty check." Laperriere expressed concern for his friend after the game, but said that he can't let an incident like this change his game. "I practice with Brian in the summer, and I don't want to hurt him," Laperriere added. "It just happened. It's a physical sport, and it's just too bad I'm the one that hit him. I never want to hurt anyone." "I know it was a solid hit--I heard the noise," Laperriere said. "I play physical, but I don't think it was a dirty check. He was coming in with his head down and I had to finish my check. If I don't do that, I'm not doing my job." X-rays taken were negative. However, at press time, an MRI examination was pending. Savage will remain hospitalized overnight, at the very least. 11.16.99 Seen in the dark depths of the Staples Center following Tuesday's game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks... ...was long, lost defenseman Jere Karalahti, who made it to the arena sometime during the game. Karalahti had been playing in Finland while waiting for all the red tape to clear so he could get his working visa and come to the United States. He met briefly with Kings' head coach Andy Murray and team captain Rob Blake after the game. Karalahti will be assigned to the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL so he can play in the Ice Dogs' game on Wednesday. He will then be recalled and will be back with the Kings in time for Thursday's game against the Phoenix Coyotes. There has been no word on if or when Karalahti will be in the Kings' lineup. 11.12.99 It's official... The Los Angeles Kings have announced that defenseman Jere Karalahti has obtained his work visa in Helsinki, Finland today. Karalahti, 24, has been playing with IFK Helsinki in the Finnish Elite League this season while waiting for all the red tape to clear. In thirteen games with IFK Helsinki, Karalahti has two goals and two assists for four points along with 55 penalty minutes. Originally drafted by the Kings in the sixth round (146th overall) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Karalahti has spent parts of the last seven seasons with IFK Helsinki where in 49 games during the 1998-99 season, the 6-2, 210-pound native of Helsinki had 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points and 65 penalty minutes. Karalahti was also a member of the silver-medal-winning Finnish National Team in May at the 1999 World Championships in Norway. In 12 games, Karalahti finished third on the club (behind Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne) in scoring with five goals and three assists for eight points and two penalty minutes, and was named to the post-tournament All-Star Team. Karalahti will play this weekend for the Finnish National Team in the Karjala Cup in Helsinki. He is then expected to fly to Los Angeles and join the Kings on Tuesday. There was no word about possibly assigning him to Long Beach. Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Jere Karalahti is getting very close to coming to Los Angeles, according to the Kings. He apparently has a meeting today with US Immigration and Naturalization Service officials in Helsinki, Finland. The hope is that they will have a working visa for him. The Kings will assign Karalahti to the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL when he gets to Los Angeles. The Kings believe that could happen as early as Tuesday. 11.10.99 Encouraging news from the Los Angeles Kings... Goaltender Stephane Fiset was re-examined today and it was determined that he has a bone bruise/contusion on his right hand. No fracture/break. He is listed as day-to-day and is questionable for Thursday's game against Colorado. The Kings will recall goalie Marcel Cousineau on Thursday to backup Jamie Storr. In case this hasn't been reported anywhere yet... Stephane Fiset was to be the starting goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings in their game on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers at Staples Center (wound up a 1-1 tie). But Fiset was hit twice on consecutive shots on his right hand during warm-ups prior to the game, so Jamie Storr got the start. Fiset suffered what is being called a bone bruise. X-rays were negative, but he was to be examined more closely after the game. Further details were not available following the game. Fiset told reporters that the shots somehow got under his blocker. He didn't look like he was in pain after the game, but his status is unknown. If he continues to feel pain, expect Fiset to undergo an MRI on Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed, Kings' fans... 11.8.99 The Los Angeles Kings announced late Monday that center Jozef Stumpel underwent successful abdominal surgery to repair a sports hernia. The procedure was performed by Dr. Craig Smith, who also performed a similar procedure on Kings' left wing Luc Robitaille during the 1997-98 season. Stumpel is expected to miss the next 8-10 weeks and is scheduled to begin rehabilitation in approximately 2-3 weeks. The Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have recalled center Len Barrie from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL. Barrie may center the Kings "top" line with Marko Tuomainen on left wing and Ziggy Palffy on right wing. 11.6.99 The Los Angeles Kings will start center and now-left wing Jason Blake on the Kings' top line, replacing Luc Robitaille, who suffered a fractured left foot and will be out of the lineup for 2-6 weeks. Kings' head coach Andy Murray told Blake this he has an opportunity now and needs to make the most of it. "He is a high-energy guy whose speed will give us something we didn't have as much with Luc," Murray said. "He always wants to be on the ice and I've had to drive home the idea of playing as a team. During the game, I'll look down the bench and he'll be looking at me with those big kid eyes, just wanting to play so bad." "The circumstances aren't the way you want them, but now he has his chance." Blake admitted to being nervous about the situation, but he knows that he's getting a big chance to show what he's capable of. "I was nervous today, but this is what I have been waiting for," Blake said. "I am not taking Luc's job. I am filling a spot in our system until he gets back. I am looking forward to the opportunity." The Kings' coaching staff does not want to break up their second line of Glen Murray, Bryan Smolinski and Donald Audette. At least for now, the Kings appear undaunted. "There are a lot of tests during a season and injuries are part of the game," Kings' right wing Donald Audette said. "I know we will handle this. We've worked so that things don't get us down." "I think we will be fine emotionally," Kings' head coach Andy Murray said. "We talk a lot to the team. We go to the emotional well every day to get what we need for the next day. Not to demean Luc in any way, but I think we will get along without him. We don't have any choice." Robitaille was disappointed to be out of the lineup, but encouraged his teammates to keep moving ahead. "I am very disappointed, but we have worked very hard to get to where we are and that isn't going to change," Robitaille said. "I feel like I could play, but I know it would not be a good thing. This is something that has to be addressed." Robitaille is now wearing a soft cast on his left foot. 11.5.99 Well, the good news couldn't last forever... On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that left wing Luc Robitaille will miss the next 2-6 weeks due to a fractured left foot. A Kings' press release stated that Robitaille suffered the injury when he was hit in the foot by a puck on Oct. 28 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Staples Center. X-rays performed after the game were negative, but persistent pain continued and Robitaille underwent an MRI exam yesterday that revealed the fracture. Robitaille will be fitted for a cast and will be on crutches prior to beginning his rehabilitation. Should be interesting to see how the Kings juggle the lines now or if they'll call up someone from Long Beach (Pavel Rosa?). 11.4.99 On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings may have tipped their hand regarding their intentions for their goaltenders and the upcoming expansion draft... The Kings announced that they have extended the contract of goaltender Stephane Fiset. Financial terms of the agreement were not announced. Fiset, 29, is in his fourth season with the Kings and his tenth in the NHL. In 13 games with the Kings this season, he has a 7-3-3 record and a 2.25 goals-against-average. He is currently tied for third among all NHL netminders with seven victories and is tied for fourth in the league in save percentage (.924). "We are certainly pleased to reach this agreement with Stephane, which adds stability to our goaltending situation," said Kings' Vice President and General Manager Dave Taylor. "He has been a very solid and dependable goaltender for our organization the past three seasons." "It was very important to me and to my family that I reach a long-term agreement with the Kings," Fiset said. "This is a great organization to be a part of, and I really enjoy playing in Los Angeles." Last year, Fiset recorded a career-best 2.60 goals-against-average in 42 games with the Kings, despite missing 23 games due to groin strains. This isn't directly-related to the Los Angeles Kings, but it is related to the Staples Center... A recent survey indicates that business is up for Downtown Los Angeles restaurant owners, thanks to the Staples Center. The Downtown Los Angeles Business Improvement District (DCBID) reported that an informal telephone survey found that in virtually all restaurants contacted, business was up as much as 25%. "The early results are in and the findings are encouraging," said Carol E. Schatz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the DCBID. "We've long held that arts and entertainment-related development projects will be instrumental in driving the urban renaissance and the indicators are positive, indeed. The sight of crowds strolling Figueroa Street to [the Staples Center] is a first step in creating a vibrant, 24-hour Downtown." "We have enjoyed fabulous business since opening Downtown last year, but the recent leap following the opening of Staples Center is like icing on the cake," said Susan Feniger, chef and co-owner of Ciudad and co-host of the "Too Hot Tamales" show on the Television Food Network. "It validates our faith in the future of the area and the prospect for developing an exciting Downtown." Feniger is also chef and co-owner of the Border Grill in Santa Monica. Many of the fine dining restaurants are also providing shuttle service between their establishments and the new arena, as well as to and from the Music Center. 11.1.99 On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings and the NHL announced that Kings' center Bryan Smolinski has been named NHL Player of the Week for the period of October 25-31, 1999. Smolinski, who won the award for the first time in his NHL career, beat out Phoenix Coyotes centers Jeremy Roenick and Travis Green and Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph for the weekly honor. Smolinski scored two goals and five assists for seven points and earned a +6 rating in three games during that timeframe, including a goal and two assists against Washington on October 26 and a goal and an assist against Pittsburgh on October 30. Smolinski is the second Kings' player to win the award this season. Luc Robitaille won the award for the first week of the season, October 4-10, 1999. link to last month's (October '99) notes
