Kings Lose, 4-2; Hrudey’s Future in Doubt

It seemed a virtual certainty--after lengthy preliminaries, of course--that the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Marty McSorley would move on. And they all did.

So, where does King goaltender Kelly Hrudey, the most visible holdover of the Gretzky era, fit into the youth-movement equation?

Although no one is saying, indications are that he may have played his last game at the Forum as a King. Unless, however, he starts Wednesday against San Jose in the regular-season home finale.

Goaltender Byron Dafoe, who played in a 4-2 loss Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, has made four of the last six starts. The victory by the Canucks actually had more importance to the Mighty Ducks’ playoff aspirations as Anaheim trails the Canucks by seven points.

The Kings’ playoff hopes officially disappeared on March 31, leaving only a few major matters to be resolved, including Hrudey’s future. The 35-year-old becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and several teams are likely to express interest.

Hrudey reached an agreement to sell his South Bay house on Wednesday, but cautioned against reading too much into that.

“I’m still holding out hope that I’ll finish my career here,” he said on Saturday. “We’ll see what happens. This year has been a learning experience. I’ve learned a lot this year.”

King General Manager Sam McMaster said no decision has been made on Hrudey. He also said the organization believes prospect Jamie Storr can make the full-time jump to to the NHL next season.

“It’s not a decision this franchise will take lightly,” McMaster said. “Goaltending is so important to a franchise I don’t think you can place age as a criteria. He [Hrudey] is a great athlete. I believe he can play a couple more years. Whether he can be a starter every night, I don’t know, but he keeps himself in shape and is a tremendous competitor.”

Others around the league feel Hrudey has plenty left.

Said Red Wing defenseman Paul Coffey: “He moves laterally as well as anybody in the league. He’s been through a lot here. He’s played 15 years in this league and you don’t last if you are not a great goalie.”

King Notes

General Manager Sam McMaster said he has received authorization to hire another advance scout for the pro ranks as well as a full-time scout to survey the amateurs in this country. Also, the team will share an off-season training camp with Florida, July 21-Aug. 11, at Thunder Bay, Ontario. It will be held for the team’s younger players and unsigned draft choices.