Defenseman Berg Is Sent to Phoenix

Defenseman Aki Berg has appeared in only four games this season, so the Kings decided on Thursday to give him the opportunity for more playing time--in Phoenix of the International Hockey League.

Berg, 19, was the Kings’ first-round draft choice (third overall) in 1995 and is still developing. In four games, he had no points and a defensive rating of minus-two.

“We feel at his age and with his potential, he can’t fully develop when he’s being played sparingly,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “He has to go to Phoenix and play every day, in every type of situation.”

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King defenseman Rob Blake’s parents were in Detroit on Monday for the Red Wing game, and watched their son in a somewhat rare fight, “My mom said, ‘Why did you have to fight?’ ” Blake said, smiling.

Blake, not surprisingly, easily handled rookie forward Tomas Holmstrom, known as “Demolition Man” in his native Sweden.

“I don’t know why he wanted to fight so bad,” Blake said. “I got lucky. Obviously, he didn’t know how to fight.”