THE SIDELINES : Islanders’ Center to Miss Game

New York Islanders center Pat LaFontaine will miss Saturday’s game against the Kings in Los Angeles for personal reasons, his agent said today.

LaFontaine did not attend practice Thursday, and speculation was that he had decided to hold out for a new contract.

Today, however, the Islanders said they had received a written request from his agent, Donald Meehan of Toronto, to give LaFontaine some time off to deal “with certain personal issues with his family.”

Islanders spokeswoman Catherine Schutte said the team could not elaborate on the “personal issues” until General Manager Bill Torrey had a chance to discuss the situation with LaFontaine and his agent.

LaFontaine will also miss Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Oakland.