McSorley Is Already Ready to Go

The Forum was empty Thursday afternoon except for a handful of reporters at defenseman Marty McSorley’s welcome-back news conference.

Yet, when McSorley put on the silver and black uniform for the first time in eight months and stepped back on the Forum ice to practice before the empty stands, he said: “It got my blood boiling.”

Imagine what he’ll feel tonight when one of the most popular Kings faces an expected sellout crowd of 16,005 as well as the Philadelphia Flyers.

The trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring McSorley back, along with defenseman Jim Paek, for forwards Tomas Sandstrom and Shawn McEachern, occurred Tuesday after only three or four days of talks, according to King owner Bruce McNall.

McSorley will receive the same $1.8-million annual salary he was getting from the Penguins.

Other aspects of his five-year, $10-million deal have been adjusted, according to McNall, to add marketing provisions and performance bonuses. But the total package has not changed.

McSorley, brought back as much for his leadership as for his defense, said he’ll start off low-key.

“I’m not going to say, ‘I’m here. I’m a leader. You’ve got to listen to me,’ ” he said. “I’m not going to come in here and say a lot. It’s best said on the ice.”