STANLEY CUP FINALS / NOTES

Paul Coffey, his Red Wings’ season ended on the bench in Game 7 against Toronto in the first round, when a wrist injury suffered in the previous game rendered him unable to play, had nothing but positive things to say about his old teammates.

Some have suggested the Kings certainly could have used the veteran defenseman and his experience in the Stanley Cup finals, particularly on the power play. The main player the Kings received from Detroit in the Coffey trade, Jimmy Carson, finally found his way back into the lineup Monday night, marking his first appearance since Game 4 of the Campbell Conference finals against Toronto.

Coffey, who owns Stanley Cup rings from his days in Edmonton and Pittsburgh, said he has not watched much of the playoffs. He had a two-week vacation in Barbados and finally was able to get his wrist in good enough shape to resume golfing. Coffey said he will have the wrist X-rayed again soon. “I’m happy for the Kings and I’m happy for Wayne,” Coffey said from his Canadian home in Ontario. “It’s awesome--this is what it is all about.”