Kings Put Janecyk on the Spot

Bob Janecyk’s value to the Kings continues to plummet.

The veteran goaltender’s name was not included among a list of 19 players--17 skaters and 2 goaltenders--designated by the Kings for protection in Monday’s National Hockey League waiver draft.

Meanwhile, the Kings said Friday that rookie goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick, drafted in the second round of the entry draft last June, has been returned to his junior team at Medicine Hat, Canada.

That means that the Kings, who will play the U.S. Olympic team tonight at San Diego in their final exhibition game, will open the season with two goaltenders, Rollie Melanson and rookie Glenn Healy.

Janecyk, 30, was sent last week to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in New Haven, Conn., despite compiling a 40-40-12 record in three seasons with the Kings.

King General Manager Rogie Vachon said the decision not to protect Janecyk was made not only for financial reasons--Janecyk’s contract guarantees that he be paid an NHL salary even if he spends the season in the minors--but also out of respect for Janecyk.

“He’s been very good to us,” Vachon said. “We felt that if he has another chance to play in the National Hockey League, we’d like to give him that chance.”

If another team picks up Janecyk, it will have to take a goaltender off its protected list and offer him to the Kings, or pay the Kings the waiver price, which in Janecyk’s case will be $10,000.

Vachon said he doesn’t expect Janecyk to be claimed in the draft.

Janecyk, who played in only seven games last season because of a knee injury and an arm rash, became expendable to the Kings with the emergence of Fitzpatrick.

The Kings believe that Healy, who won 46 games the last two seasons at New Haven, deserves a chance to play, but Fitzpatrick, 18, gave Healy, 25, a strong battle in training camp.

Fitzpatrick was sent out, in part, because he still has junior eligibility. Fitzpatrick was not under contract to the Kings. If they had signed him before the start of the regular season and kept him beyond Oct. 19, the Kings would have had to pay $20,000 to the Medicine Hat team.

King Notes Among the other players who will be available in Monday’s waiver draft are Charlie Simmer, the Kings’ No. 4 all-time leading scorer, who was not protected by the Boston Bruins, and Darren Eliot, who started last season as the Kings’ No. 1 goalie. Eliot was not protected by the Detroit Red Wings, who signed him as a free agent during the off-season. . . . Other players not protected by the Kings were goaltender Al Jensen, center Glen Currie and right wing Paul Guay, all of whom were assigned last week to New Haven, and left wing Mal Davis, who is playing in Europe.

Skaters with fewer than three years in pro hockey are exempt from the draft, as are goaltenders with fewer than four years’ experience. The Kings didn’t have to protect rookie Glenn Healy, but they did anyway. . . . Only seven players changed teams after last year’s waiver draft, including center Bob Bourne, who was picked up by the Kings from the New York Islanders for $2,500. . . . The five teams that did not make the playoffs last season--Buffalo, New Jersey, Vancouver, Minnesota and Pittsburgh--will select in reverse order of last season’s finish. All five must pass in the same round before the 16 other teams get a chance to select a player. The Kings will pick first among the playoff teams.