Special Hat Trick Gets Tocchet Off to Good Start

For King right wing Rich Tocchet, it was a different kind of hat trick on Friday--a new contract, a debut with his new team at the Forum and a game against his former team.

Hours before the Kings tied the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-5, before an announced crowd of 12,652, Tocchet agreed to a four-year contract in the $8-million range. There is deferred money included in the deal, a typical practice in most King contracts.

Tocchet, 30, was acquired from the Penguins in July for left wing Luc Robitaille. Robitaille did not play, but Tocchet appeared in his first exhibition and showed he isn’t afraid of contact after his off-season back surgery. Tocchet, who had been with the Penguins since the 1991-92 season, threw one of the hardest checks, delivering a solid hit on defenseman Pat Neaton behind the net.

The Kings don’t want to push Tocchet too quickly. He is scheduled to play in the final exhibition Wednesday at the Forum against San Jose. King General Manager Sam McMaster said the team will take a prudent approach with Tocchet as well as with right wing Tony Granato, resting them on longer trips and keeping the two players out of games on consecutive days.

“I think we’ll do that with Tony Granato all season and we’ll see how it goes with Rick Tocchet,” McMaster said. “The type of goal could be 65 games out of 84 for Granato. I don’t think we have a specific goal with Tocchet. We want them to be healthy for the playoffs.”

Wayne Gretzky, who has a groin injury, did not play for the second consecutive game.