Laperriere Might Not Play

Any question as to why the Kings, then struggling to score, signed defensive center Bob Corkum were answered Sunday at Iceoplex when Ian Laperriere skated off the ice 15 minutes into practice.

The answer was emphasized later in the afternoon when the Kings’ charter took off for Dallas without Laperriere. He will be examined today for an injury to his left knee, which he sustained in the first period of Thursday night’s victory over Edmonton.

He had missed a New Year’s Day practice as a precautionary measure, and Sunday it became apparent that the precaution was necessary.

To clear roster space, the Kings assigned center Jason Blake and winger Brad Chartrand to Long Beach. Both have been on injured reserve lately, Blake because of a concussion, Chartrand because of a groin strain and then a bruise suffered when he was hit by a shot in the Edmonton game.

The moves give them 22 active players, room to activate Corkum today if the word on Laperriere isn’t good.

Laperriere has centered the third line since the first day of training camp.

When Corkum was signed a week ago as a Group II free agent, Coach Andy Murray had called the move one for “depth” and Corkum was forecast as a third- or fourth-line center. Defense, penalty killing and winning faceoffs are his fortes.

Since signing, Corkum has worked on conditioning, which needed to improve after a six-month layoff.

He could be installed as the third-line center, with Len Barrie remaining on the fourth line.

TONIGHT

at Dallas, 5:30 PST

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Reunion Arena.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 17-14-6-2, Stars 19-15-5-1.

* Record vs. Stars--0-1-0-1.

* Update--The Stars come in fresh off a New Year’s Eve victory over the Mighty Ducks in which Brett Hull scored the 600th and 601st goals of his career and Jere Lehtinen, out 30 games because of injury, celebrated his return with a goal in his first shift. The victory continued a streak in which the Stars are 14-0 when they score three or more goals in a game. That record is 44-0 over two seasons. Defenseman Darryl Sydor, who had two assists for the Kings in their last victory over Dallas, scored a goal for the Stars against the Ducks while wearing two hospital bracelets. He was told he had to keep the bracelets on to visit his wife in the hospital, where she had just given birth to twins.