Kings Pay Tribute to Hrudey : Hockey: Goalie’s steadying influence earns him selection as team’s most valuable player.

His numbers were a little better a year ago. But there was no question his contribution was bigger this season.

So when King goalie Kelly Hrudey was announced as the team’s most valuable player before Tuesday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, there were a lot of nods of approval from his teammates.

Amid the slumps and injuries and suspensions that led to a season of ups and downs, Hrudey was the steadying force that kept his club from hitting one valley too many.

He finished the season 26-17-13 with a 3.37 goals-against average during 60 games. A year ago, he was 26-13-6 with a 2.90 goals-against.

But last season, Hrudey appeared in only 47 regular-season games, sharing the load with fellow 20-game winner Daniel Berthiaume.

When Berthiaume self-destructed midway through this season and was traded, Hrudey operated with a net behind him but no safety net below. With no experienced backup until the acquisition of Steve Weeks, Hrudey started 18 consecutive games in one stretch.

Hrudey’s play was especially important in light of the problems experienced by some of his teammates.

Center Wayne Gretzky, suffering both the physical pain of a back injury and the emotional pain of watching his father struggle back from a brain aneurysm, started slowly and finished with the poorest of his 13 NHL seasons statistically. He had fewer than 40 goals for the first time, getting 31, fewer than 100 assists for the second time, winding up with 90, and his lowest point total at 121. For many players, that would be a career season. For Gretzky, it was 16 points worse than his previous low, set in 1979-80, his first season in the NHL.

Wing Jari Kurri also struggled, getting career-low totals in goals (23), assists (37) and points (60).

Fellow wing Tomas Sandstrom, playing in only 49 games because of a shoulder injury and a suspension, dropped from 45 goals a year ago to 17. Defenseman Marty McSorley went from a plus 48 in the plus/minus ratings, good enough to tie for the league high, to a minus 13.

But there were some improvements.

Wing Luc Robitaille led the team with 44 goals and also had a career-high 63 assists. Forward Tony Granato had career-high totals in goals (39) and points (68). Wing Mike Donnelly, who had scored a total of 21 goals and 45 points in 149 NHL games over five seasons with three clubs, had 29 goals and 45 points this season. And center Corey Millen, coming from the New York Rangers in a trade, contributed 20 goals and 41 points in 46 games.

But that’s all history. The numbers revert to zero on Saturday when the Kings open the postseason against the Edmonton Oilers at the Forum.

The regular season, good or bad, will quickly become a footnote to what follows.