Advertisement

Jokinen Has Incentive Against Former Team

Share via

Olli Jokinen has hard feelings about the way he was traded by the Kings to the New York Islanders in June and said it would give him a bit of extra energy for the game between the two.

It gave him enough to hammer former teammate Craig Johnson into the boards and draw a first-period penalty Monday night.

The deal, in June, sent Jokinen, winger Josh Green and defenseman Mathieu Biron, plus a first-round draft choice, to the Islanders for Ziggy Palffy, Bryan Smolinski and goalie Marcel Cousineau.

Advertisement

The problem with the Kings, said Jokinen, is that “they never called me when they traded me.”

Au contraire.

“I must have called him a half-dozen times,” said Dave Taylor, the Kings’ senior vice president and general manager. “He was on vacation, and I left a message at his home and on his cell phone. . . . I also left a message with his agent.”

*

Winger Donald Audette suffered a setback while skating in his first full-team practice since spraining his ankle Jan. 6.

Advertisement

Audette, who was pointing to a Thursday return against Detroit, lost an edge and fell, “tweaking,” he said, the ankle.

He is going to try to skate again today with an idea of playing Thursday, but labeled the chances no better than 50-50.

Advertisement