Kings Notebook : First Practice Leaves Crowd in Happy Fog

For hours, the citizens of Hull and surrounding communities waited in line outside the Robert Guertin Arena Saturday morning. Despite the muggy heat and the light showers, they started lining up long before the doors opened for the start of the Kings’ first practice of the 1989-90 season.

That’s right. For practice. In early September.

The people of this pioneer settlement community, rich in both French and English tradition, are also known for their love of hockey.

Larry Robinson, for one, was not a bit surprised to see more than 3,000 fans in the stands--nearly capacity--for a practice session. “This is a great sports town,” Robinson said with a hint of braggadocio in his voice as he added that his family has its roots in the area. “They love hockey. They also support baseball and football. It’s a sports community.”

And, of course, having the Kings in town meant a chance to see the Great One. Wayne Gretzky is treated as a national treasure in all parts of Canada, but Gretzky owns this town.

Well, he owns the hockey team, the Hull Olympiques of the Major Junior Hockey League. That’s almost the same thing.

So the fans flocked to the home of the Olympiques to see the Kings skating through the early-morning fog.

The fog was inside, not outside. The warm, wet air rushing in with the fans met the cold air over the ice, forming the fog.

No one could tell the players without a program on this day. Even the coaches needed a list of numbers, with 68 players taking turns in three practice sessions. More than half of those players will be cut before the team breaks camp Friday and heads for its first exhibition game, in Quebec.

No. 99 was out there during the second session. That was one number no one in the building had to consult the program on.

No. 99 was also the hottest property at the souvenir counters, where the black and silver King jerseys were being sold alongside the black and silver Olympique jerseys.

It’s interesting that the Kings’ colors changed to match the Olympiques’ colors at the same time the Kings signed Gretzky.

When he addressed the gathered media after his practice time had ended, Gretzky faced the cameras, spoke into the microphone and said: “We’re very pleased to be here. The L.A. Kings are happy to be training in a real hockey city, a hotbed of hockey, so to speak.”

Gretzky can speak for the Kings like that. He was chosen as the team captain Friday by Coach Tom Webster. Asked why he had chosen Gretzky, Webster said, simply, that Gretzky had been the captain of the hockey team wherever he has been. As if it were the only logical choice.

He wasn’t the Kings’ captain last season, however. He was not the choice of Coach Robbie Ftorek.

But Ftorek is not here. He got himself fired.

Webster chose Gretzky, he said, with the approval and consent of Dave Taylor, who has been the Kings’ captain for the last four years. Webster said: “I asked him, and as a gentlemen, he consented.” Taylor will be one assistant captain, and another will be chosen later.

Taylor said that he had considered offering to concede his position to Gretzky, anyway. He had already talked with his wife about it. “Once Tom talked to me, the decision was easy,” Taylor said with a smile.

He added: “I don’t think I’m going to change what I do at all. Whether I’m wearing the ‘C’ or not, I’ll try to be a leader and do the same things.”

Said Gretzky: “I wanted to be the captain, but I know I’m going to have to have a lot of help around me from people like Larry (Robinson) and Davey Taylor. Everyone has a responsibility to lead. That’s what makes a good hockey team.”

Free agent John Tonelli was one of the leaders last season. But he was the only player not in camp Saturday.

Two weeks ago, Tonelli was sure that he would be signing a contract with the Kings soon. He said that he thought things would move along because the Kings had agreed to give him a two-year contract. They had spent theu summer hung up on whether he would get one year or two years.

And King General Manager Rogie Vachon kept saying that he was sure the Kings would sign Tonelli. But he hasn’t signed.

The 32-year-old left winger, who signed a one-year contract with the Kings during the summer of 1988, was at home in New York. He had planned to stay there through Thursday (when his wife gave birth to their new daughter, Ashley Lauren), but he had expected to be signed.

And the Kings expected him in Hull by now.

Vachon said Saturday morning: “A couple of weeks before training camp, he told us he wanted more than one year. He wanted the security. We gave him that. Then he came at us with a curve. Hopefully, we can settle that, too. He had a real solid year for us. We would like to have him back.”

King Notes

Jim Fox, who sat out all of last season after surgery on both knees, skated Saturday. He iced both knees after practice and said that he would know more when he woke up today. . . . Peter Millar, a trainer for the Edmonton Oilers last season, has joined the Kings as an equipment manager. . . . Barry Beck, the former Ranger defensemen who hasn’t played hockey in two years because of shoulder problems, gave his shoulder a 100% rating after his turn on the ice and limited contact. Beck, who came to terms with the Kings on Friday, signed Saturday.