Kings' Murray Out 2 Months

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 3, 1999 / 7:32 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Los Angeles Kings right wing Glen Murray will be sidelined eight to 10 weeks after tearing his right medial collateral ligament in Saturday's 4-2 victory over Colorado.

Surgery is not required and Murray should begin rehabilitation in about a week, a team spokesman said. The Kings are expected to place him on injured reserve on Monday.

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Murray was chasing the puck into the Avalanche zone to avoid an icing call with 7:12 left in the first period. He was checked awkwardly into the end boards by defenseman Aaron Miller, bending back his knee.

Murray's screams were audible throughout the Great Western Forum as he writhed in pain. The Kings' second-leading scorer with 28 points received an ovation as he was taken from the ice on a stretcher.

It was no dirty hit, it was just the way he went in," Kings coach Larry Robinson said after the game. "Murray kind of lost his balance and went down funny on his knee."

Murray is in his second full season with Los Angeles, which acquired him from Pittsburgh in March 1997 for forward Ed Olczyk. He enjoyed his best season in 1997-98 with 29 goals and 31 assists in 81 games while helping the Kings to their first playoff berth in five years.

"It makes you sick to your stomach," added Kings center Ray Ferraro. "They are changing every other rule. Maybe they'll look at the international icing rule. There is no need for the current one."

The international rule does not require a team to touch the puck after it crosses the goal line on an icing infraction.

Murray started his career with the Boston Bruins in 1991 before being traded to the Penguins four years later.

Few teams have been hit harder by injuries than the Kings, who are last in the Pacific Dvision at 13-21-3. Norris Trophy winner Rob Blake missed more than a month with a broken foot and goaltenders Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr were sidelined with groin problems. Center Jozef Stumpel, last season's leading scorer, missed 13 games with a hip flexor.

Right wing Russ Courtnall has been out since Nov. 18 with a broken right ankle, right wing Sandy Moger went down the next day with a lower back strain and left wing Eric Lacroix suffered a broken collarbone on Dec. 12.