Kings Don’t Keep Tonelli Out of the Draft : Hockey: Watters, Halkidis, Bjugstad among others who could be selected today by Minnesota or expansion San Jose Sharks.

Veteran forward John Tonelli headed a list of 10 Kings left unprotected Wednesday for today’s NHL expansion draft.

Also thrown into the pool from which either the new San Jose Sharks or the Minnesota North Stars can take one King were defensemen Tim Watters, Bob Halkidis, Peter Prajsler and Tom Laidlaw, and forwards Ilkka Sinisalo and Scott Bjugstad, along with three minor leaguers, goalie Mario Gosselin, defenseman Rick Hayward and forward Jim Thomson.

Each team was allowed to protect 16 skaters and two goalies.

The exposure of Tonelli was no surprise since the Kings have been hinting since the end of the season that he doesn’t fit into their plans.

But it was still painful for the 34-year-old veteran, who began his pro career with Houston of the old World Hockey Assn., centering a line that included Gordie and Mark Howe.

After two seasons with Houston, Tonelli went to the New York Islanders in 1978, arriving just in time to become part of the dynasty that yielded four consecutive Stanley Cup victories in the early 1980s.

After 7 1/2 seasons in New York and 2 1/2 with the Calgary Flames, he joined the Kings as a free agent three seasons ago.

“It’s a disappointment,” said Tonelli, who was informed by General Manager Rogie Vachon that he would not be protected. “I have to deal with it.”

Tonelli, who is beginning the option year of his contract, is not expected to be retained by the Kings, even if he is not selected in today’s draft.

But he is far from ready to retire.

“Age is absolutely not a factor,” he said. “I feel physically fine. I’ve had no major injuries. I love the game. I feel if I’m given the opportunity, there is no problem with me contributing to some team somewhere.”

Tonelli played in 71 games last season, producing 14 goals and 30 points.

As for the other Kings, Laidlaw missed all season with a lingering back injury. Coach Tom Webster seemed to give up on both Watters and Halkidis in the playoffs, using them less and less as the season wore on. Gosselin’s days with the organization were numbered when the Kings obtained Daniel Berthiaume on the eve of training camp last season to back up starter Kelly Hrudey.

Bjugstad spent most of the season with the Kings, playing in 31 games. Sinisalo was obtained from the North Stars late in the season and made it to the ice for only seven games.

Among other players left unprotected around the league were forwards Tim Kerr and Keith Acton of the Philadelphia Flyers, defenseman Bob McGill of the Chicago Blackhawks and Rob Ramage of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and goalie Wendell Young of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

There have been many expansion drafts in sports, but none quite like this one.

That’s because there has never been a deal quite like this, in which the owners of an existing club, in effect, swapped it for an expansion team.

George and Gordon Gund threatened to move their North Stars to the Bay Area, but, instead, worked out a deal to sell the team and acquire the new Shark franchise.

As part of the transaction, a complicated plan was worked out to share the wealth, a deal that new North Star owner Norm Green balked at after he had bought the North Stars.

Under terms of the final arrangement, hammered out after months of additional haggling, San Jose will get 25 players from the Minnesota organization. Two to four of them will be members of the club that shocked the hockey world by getting to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rest will be minor league prospects and juniors.

Expected to be lost from the big club are North Star backup goalie Brian Hayward and, perhaps, forward Ulf Dahlen, defenseman Brian Glynn or both.

Once this dispersal draft is completed, Minnesota and San Jose will share in the expansion draft. The Sharks will pick first, then the North Stars, and so on until 20 players, one from each other club, have been taken.

Players made available must have played in 40 NHL games last season or in 70 over the past two seasons. Goalies must have at least 60 minutes of ice time in the NHL. First- and second-year professionals are exempt.