Fox, Plagued by Knee Injuries, Retires in 10th Season With Kings

The knee problems that kept Jim Fox off the ice all of last season have forced his retirement. Fox made the announcement Saturday, early in his 10th season with the Kings, his only NHL team.

After surgery on both knees, after an entire season of working with therapists, after an all-out effort in training camp and in 11 games this season, Fox said: “I just wasn’t able to do a lot of the things that I did before. I was digging, digging, digging. I was getting frustrated. Five or six times that I can think of defensemen were getting a piece of me when, in the past, that wouldn’t happen. My game was stopping, starting, darting in out, using my quickness. I didn’t have that.”

Fox, who suffered an injured right knee in March of 1988, played in 11 of the team’s first 22 games and had one goal and one assist. His only goal was a game-winner at St. Louis.

He asked to be put on waivers Monday, and he cleared waivers. “I wanted to see if there was any interest, and there wasn’t,” Fox said. “I guess everyone else could see it was time for me to retire, too.”

Fox, who worked in community relations for the Kings last season while he was trying to rehabilitate his knees, has been offered a job in the Kings’ front office.

Because it is a disabling injury that is forcing his retirement, he will also file a claim to collect $120,000 in disability insurance from Lloyd’s of London.

Fox was acquired by the Kings with their second choice in the 1980 entry draft. He played in 578 games, getting 186 goals and 292 assists for 478 points.