SAVING THE NHL SEASON : KINGS : ‘A Late Christmas Is Better Than No Christmas’

The marathon card games ended and the phone finally went silent at King defenseman Rob Blake’s house. General Manager Sam McMaster stopped his early-morning pacing at home. Goaltender Kelly Hrudey turned off the television, cutting off his four-month relationship with Oprah, Phil and Geraldo.

Finally, skating, coaching and general managing had a distinct purpose again after the 103-day NHL owners’ lockout ended Wednesday, when the leaders of the NHL Players Assn. accepted the last proposal from the league.

At the Kings’ practice facility in North Hills, there was a sense of giddiness and relief from coaches and management. Fifteen players, including Wayne Gretzky, took part in an informal skate and prepared for their first formal practice, which could be as early as Friday, pending contract ratification by the union’s membership.

Outside, a handful of patient fans skipped over puddles of rain in pursuit of autographs.

“It’s funny how time flies,” Gretzky said. “It seems as though it was like yesterday we were walking out. It’s nice to be back. It’s nice to be sweating.”

Said owner Joe Cohen: “It’s like Christmas late. But a late Christmas is better than no Christmas at all.”

Almost everyone welcomed the chance to focus on hockey, even the business of hockey. McMaster said one of his immediate priorities was signing Hrudey to a new contract. Hrudey, who is in his option year, has filed for salary arbitration, but his contract status is unclear because of remaining uncertainty in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Coach Barry Melrose, preparing for a potential season-opener at the Forum a week from Friday or Saturday, has worked out practice and scrimmage schedules. He also plans to call up rookie forward Matt Johnson and rookie goaltender Jamie Storr from their junior teams as well as forwards Rob Brown and Eric Lacroix from the Kings’ minor league affiliate in Phoenix.

Center Jari Kurri has the most difficult travel schedule because he has been playing for the Finnish Elite team, Jokerit in Helsinki, but is expected to return this weekend. Defenseman Marty McSorley, a member of the NHLPA’s negotiating committee, was in Toronto and will remain there during the transitional period.

Gretzky said the decision how to vote will be simple, saying: “I’m voting to play, it’s pretty easy.”

Although McSorley was not quite as decisive, Blake, the team’s player representative, indicated he would follow the decision of his union leaders.

“I think I learned more in these last four months than I did in three years at Bowling Green,” he said.

Asked if there would be lingering animosity between players and management, Gretzky said: “I can’t speak for anybody but myself, but business is business. I’m not going to hold any grudges against anyone and I would hope no one holds any grudges against (union chief) Bob Goodenow or (Commissioner Gary) Bettman for that matter.”

McMaster didn’t think there would be irreparable harm to the game.

“People have to put everything behind them and forge ahead from today,” he said. “Now that we’ve resolved it, I think players, management, owners and fans should forget it and enjoy something they like to do. What had to be done is done. Now, let’s get on with it.”

Said McSorley: “If we forget this happened, we’re crazy if we don’t say, ‘You guys get educated, get prepared.’ This was a nice battle. When the next one happens, it’s because of the history from this. We’d be fools not to be ready.”

Hrudey, although pleased to be back, viewed the labor dispute pragmatically. “I harbor no ill feelings whatsoever,” he said of Bettman. “If you ask me what kind of job he did, I think he did a pretty good job himself. He attacked us when we were weakest. He continually attacked us. It was his job. He did what he had to do from a business standpoint.

“Obviously, it happened when we were at our weakest and we hadn’t been paid in months and months. When you look back and ask if he (Bettman) did a great job, if you’re going to have a war, you might as well attack an opponent when he’s weak. Don’t do it when he’s strong.”