Robinson Regrets Incident

Coach Larry Robinson said that he did not sleep well Tuesday night after being ejected by referee Bill McCreary in the first period of the Kings’ 4-3 loss to Dallas at the Great Western Forum.

What bothered Robinson the most was that he did not remember that he had made an obscene gesture to McCreary until he watched a replay in the coaches’ dressing room following the game.

“I didn’t realize that the camera was on me and I did something that I regret right now,” Robinson said about the first ejection of his three-year coaching career. “I have to be more responsible with my actions and with things that I say. I regret what was said in the heat of the action and the gesture that was made on public television. I would like to apologize to [McCreary] and to all of the fans of Los Angeles. I have to carry myself in a much better manner especially with the position I’m in.”

Brian Burke, the NHL’s senior director of hockey operations, said that Robinson left a telephone message apologizing for his actions Tuesday night and that the league has to review the incident before deciding on any disciplinary options.

“It was classy for Larry to call and apologize,” Burke said. “Our coaches have one of the toughest jobs in the world, and not just in sports. . . . Coaches may periodically do something that they may regret. We have had virtually no trouble with Larry Robinson. This is not a guy we view as a problem.”

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The NHL’s March 25th trading deadline is less than a week away and Robinson said that the Kings would like to pick up a quarterback for the team’s inconsistent power play.

“We’re still looking for [someone to direct play], which is not unlike most of the rest of the league,” Robinson said. “So much is on specialty teams now. Teams with a guy who can quarterback a power play is a real commodity because games are won and lost on penalty kill and power play.”

Finding the right player may be difficult for the Kings, who have maintained that they will not trade away any of their younger players.