Beck Not Spectacular, but He’s Useful

Barry Beck’s back, and his shoulder is with him. For now.

After a 3 1/2-year retirement, during which Beck devoted himself to renovating his house at nearby Horseshoe Bay, the Kings’ newest defenseman resumed his National Hockey League career Friday night at age 32.

How fitting that it was against the Canucks. Beck grew up three blocks from Pacific Coliseum, where the Kings got away with a 6-5 win.

A phone call from Wayne Gretzky lured Beck to the Kings this season, although during his retirement here he was also lured by the Canucks.

The Kings got him, but had to wait until now to use him. Beck has been recovering from a groin injury he sustained in training camp. But then, Beck has been recovering from some form of injury since 1982.

Friday night, the man they call Bubba admitted to some excitement in playing in front of his family.

“It’s always nice to come back and play in your hometown,” Beck said after the game.

The Canucks are no strangers to Beck, since the only two exhibition games he played were also against them. Beck was starting to think his comeback was limited to Vancouver.

“I can’t wait to play other teams in the league,” he said.

Beck’s first game back was unspectacular but useful. He was the Kings’ seventh (extra) defenseman and was used for killing penalties. He was teammed with Steve Duchesne.

It was a good pairing--the offensive-minded Duchesne and the defensive-thinking Beck.

“He tells me, ‘Kid, go do what you have to do, I’ll stay here,’ ” Duchesne said. “It’s great playing with him, he’s so calm all the time.”

Although he has had ample reason, Beck has seldom panicked. When the Kings came courting last summer, Beck had to rent ice time at a tiny rink to skate himself back into shape. And he worked with the Canucks’ trainer to recondition his tender left shoulder.

The shoulder in question, the one which sent him out of the league prematurely, now has a tattoo of a whale wrapped around it. The Haida Indian tribe in Canada believes the whale is the symbol of healing. Beck says he believes it, too.

“I don’t expect to be sore (today),” he said. “I also don’t expect it will come back quickly. I expect to keep getting better.”

Thus, a career which began 12 years ago was rekindled, with hope and no small amount of finger-crossing. For the Kings would covet a defense that had the steady hands of both Beck and Larry Robinson, who signed as a free agent. And, while no one is saying so outright, the Kings would also love for Beck and Robinson to pass on some of their savvy to the younger players.

“What he’s doing is keeping the game very simple back there,” King Coach Tom Webster said. “If there isn’t a play, he makes an outlet pass and gets it out of there.”

Webster wasn’t around to remember King defenses of old, which loved nothing more than to slide a pass enticingly across the crease or drop a blind pass off in front of the King net.

If the blighted tradition of King defense is to be purged, a healthy Beck may be the man to do it. Beck was picked by Colorado (now New Jersey) second overall in the 1977-78 draft. He scored his first NHL goal against the Kings and in that tremendous rookie season he set NHL records for points (60) and goals (22) by a rookie defenseman. He was voted to the All-Star team and placed second in the rookie of the year voting.

Thus began a career marked by high hopes and low blows. Beck sailed along with Colorado for two years then was sent to New York in a five-player trade with the Rangers. Soon, the Rangers named Beck their captain and his steady presence and powerful play became synonymous with New York’s intimidating style of the era.

Beck was valuable to a team on several levels. Defensemen are often called upon to lead a team, and Beck did with calm assurance. His size was an intimidating factor, but it was Beck’s ability as a scorer that added a dimension opponents feared. Here was a tough-hitting backliner who also possessed a wicked slap shot.

Just as the promise blossomed, so too did the devastating series of injuries. It began on Feb. 24, 1982, against Chicago. Beck’s left shoulder was injured in that game, and, although he played four more seasons in the league, the shoulder never fully healed.

Various comebacks, all too soon, never really worked.

Beck’s career petered out more than it came to a crashing halt. His future in hockey seemed to be written not on a statistics sheet but a medical chart.

After emerging from Friday night’s game sore but unhurt, Beck may just be starting to change his luck.

GRETZKY’S COUNTDOWN TO 1,851 POINTS Gordie Howe’s all-time regular-season scoring record (points and assists) is 1,850. Through Friday night’s game, the Kings’ Wayne Gretzky is two points away from breaking that record.

POINT NO.: 1844 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: March 12 Hartford at Detroit Assists on goal by Dave Keon in first period. Goaltender: Rogie Vachon. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 11 N.Y. Islanders vs. Kings at Forum Assists with Luc Robitaille on goal by Dave Taylor at 13:52 of first period. Goaltender: Mark Fitzpatrick. POINT NO.: 1,845 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: March 19 Montreal at Hartford Assists on goal by Jordy Douglas in first period. Goaltender: Denis Herron. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 11 N.Y. Islanders vs. Kings at Forum Assists with Bernie Nicholls on goal by John Tonelli at 16:52 of second period. Goaltender: Mark Fitzpatrick. POINT NO.: 1,846 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: March 21 Philadelphia at Hartford Assists on goal by Jordy Douglas in second period. Goaltender: Phil Myre. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 11 N.Y. Islanders vs. Kings at Forum Scores power-play goal at 1:27 of third period. Assists to John Tonelli, Marty McSorley. Goaltender: Mark Fitzpatrick. POINT NO.: 1,847 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: March 22 Hartford at Montreal Assists on power play goal by Jordy Douglas in first period. Goaltender: Michel Larocque. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 13 Kings at Vancouver Assists with Steve Duchesne on Bob Kudelski’s second-period goal. Goaltender: Kirk McLean. POINT NO.: 1,848 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: March 24 St. Louis at Hartford Assists on goal by Jordy Douglas in third period. Goaltender: Mike Liut. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 13 Kings at Vancouver Assists with Bernie Nicholls on Bob Kudelski’ssecond-period goal. Goaltender: Kirk McLean. POINT NO.: 1,849 GORDIE HOWE IN 1980: April 6 Detroit at Hartford Assists on Ray Allison’s goal in first period. Goaltender: Rogie Vachon. WAYNE GRETZKY IN 1989: Oct. 13 Kings at Vancouver Assists with Larry Robinson on Steve Kasper’s third-period goal. Goaltender: Kirk McLean.