Kings, looking for an energy boost, recall forward Colin Fraser

He happens to be the kind of hard-working, energetic player coaches like and trust, so it is not entirely surprising that forward Colin Fraser was recalled by the Kings on Tuesday.

The timing was slightly surprising, though, coming on the eve of Game 3 of the playoffs against the San Jose Sharks. Fraser had been sent down to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 9, and it seemed like he might never get the call to come back.

“There’s always the hope you get called up,” Fraser said after Tuesday’s morning skate at Staples Center. “It kind of reminded me of when I was 20 years old, waiting for the call to get back up and your career goes full circle.

“I’m 29 now, and I’m down there waiting for the call again. You never know when it’s going to happen. There’s nothing you can do. You’ve just got to play your game. I wasn’t going to whine or complain. It’s part of what happened and I was able to come back today.”

Fraser suffered a broken hand – blocking a shot - when he was with Manchester and missed five weeks of action. His first and only game since then was against Providence on Friday.

The Kings know exactly what they are getting with Fraser, who was part of their Stanley Cup winning team in 2012. He had two assists in 33 games with the Kings this season before the demotion.

“He’s’s a good team guy,” Kings center Jarret Stoll said. “He does a lot of little things out there. He’s a smart player, and he’s a smart player in the defensive zone. He can win some faceoffs, he can penalty kill, he can play a lot of different roles. It’s great to have him back in the room.”

Fraser made no secret about how tough it was to get demoted.

“Man, it was the worst,” he said. “I’ve been in the league here six years in a row. To be demoted, nobody wants to be demoted. With that being said, it’s part of the business and part of playing hockey too.

“I’m not a fold-the-tent-kind-of guy. I’m a positive guy. I’m still going to work hard and still try to get back. Good things happen when you do that and here I am.”

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