Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 18, 1992

The biggest little trade of the hockey season took Corey Millen out of Binghamton, N.Y., brought him to Los Angeles, and erased the possibility that he would be in Meribel, France, today. . . .

Millen was playing for the New York Rangers’ farm club in the American Hockey League last December when he was contacted about joining the U.S. team for what would have been his third Olympic Games. . . .

“I was thinking seriously about going, but a couple of days later the Rangers traded me to the Kings,” he said. “I couldn’t pass up that opportunity..” . . .

Millen and the Kings are delighted about the way things have developed. Acquired for journeyman Randy Gilhen, the University of Minnesota product has scored 24 points in 26 games and provided badly needed speed at center ice. . . .

Millen and teammate Tony Granato are two of 12 current NHL players--including the league’s leading scorer, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kevin Stevens, and the highest scoring defenseman, the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch--who were members of the U.S. team that finished a dismal seventh in the 1988 Olympic tournament. . . .

On paper, but not on ice, that team was superior to the one that is playing in France. . . . “This year’s team has a hot goaltender,” said Millen, who scored six goals in six games in Calgary. “You need that in a short tournament. Everything starts with the goaltender and there is a steamroller effect.” . . .

Granato on the Americans: “They’ve surpassed my expectations. They’re much better defensively than I thought they would be..” . . .

Too bad we couldn’t see the 3-3 tie between Sweden and the U.S. live Monday, but Channel 2 would have had to pre-empt “Family Feud..” . . .

Look-alikes: Don MacLean and actor Kevin Bacon. . . .

Genaro Hernandez, who will defend his World Boxing Assn. junior lightweight title against Omar Catari of Venezuela Monday at the Forum, is the first Los Angeles-born champion since Art Frias, who won the WBA lightweight title in 1981. . . .

Green Bay Packer Coach Mike Holmgren already has signed 13 assistants and is looking for a 14th. . . .

One-time San Diego Charger defensive coordinator Tom Bass is director of scouting for the New England Patriots. . . .

New Charger defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger coached Billy Ray Smith’s father when he was with the Baltimore Colts. . . .

Many top prospects didn’t show up for the NFL combine in Indianapolis, but Texas A&M; linebacker Quentin Coryatt lived up to his billing. . . .

At Santa Anita to accept the George Woolf Memorial Award, jockey Jerry Bailey was asked to assess the Eastern prospects for the Kentucky Derby. “To be honest,” he said, “they’re not much.” . . .

In the age of technology, Gary Stevens reports that he is having trouble getting his aerodynamic silks on over his 1 1/2-pound flak jacket. . . .

At the annual Big Brothers bachelors auction, a date with Glen Walker of Prime Ticket’s Press Box show was bought for $1,600 by Sasha Stallone. . . .

The University of Utah women’s gymnastics team expects to average more than 10,000 for home meets this season. . . .

USC’s chances of repeating as Pacific-10 Conference Southern Division champion were lessened when pitcher Mike Collett, considered to be the best pro prospect on the team, suffered an arm injury that will require surgery. . . .

Freshman infielder Aaron Boone--grandson of Ray, son of Bob and brother of Bret--is leading the Trojans with a .400 batting average. . . .

That was a terrific piece “60 Minutes” did on Betty Taylor, mother of Brien Taylor. It was largely because of his mom’s smarts and diligence that Brien, a pitcher who was the first player picked in the amateur draft last June, was able to sign with the New York Yankees for $1.5 million after an original offer of $300,000. . . .

Sunkist Invitational promoter Al Franken on Sergei Bubka’s complaints about the pole vaulting conditions at the Sports Arena Saturday night: “What’s overlooked is that Bubka’s vault was the best in the world this year and that second-place finisher Bill Payne had his best indoor vault ever. Just how bad could things have been?.” . . .

The youngest college head basketball coach ever is believed to have been Phog Allen, who coached Baker, Kan., University the day before his 20th birthday. . . .

Alonzo Mourning continues to impress NBA scouts, who think he may be next year’s Dikembe Mutombo. . . .

The UCLA and USC basketball teams went to Oregon last week to escape the rain.