Robitaille Cuts Out of Town

By HELENE ELLIOTT

July 3, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Luc Robitaille, his pride wounded by the Kings’ offer of a $1-million pay cut after he scored 37 goals and ranked 12th in scoring in the NHL last season, on Monday agreed to a free-agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

The deal guarantees him $9 million over the next two seasons and includes incentive clauses and a mutual option for a third season.

Robitaille, 35, has been a favorite among King fans since his debut season, 1986-87, when he scored 45 goals and was voted the NHL’s rookie of the year. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1994 but returned in 1997 and averaged more than 37 goals the last three seasons. His 88 points last season were his most since 1992-93, when he had 125, and he ranked second in the NHL in power-play points with 45, among them a team-leading 16 power-play goals.

A future hall of famer--he ranks 13th on the all-time list with 590 goals--Robitaille earned $3.5 million last season in the final year of a six-year contract he signed while with the New York Rangers. The Kings’ lone proposal to him, made a few days before he became an unrestricted free agent Sunday, was for $2.5 million for one season.

“The truth is, they made it really easy on me to go to a different team,” he said. “I was very surprised and very shocked. I don’t think I’m a greedy person. But I want to win the Cup and I want to play for a team that is a contender, and I believe Detroit is doing that now.”

The Red Wings are revamping their team after losing to the Kings in the first round of the playoffs. Before signing Robitaille, they acquired goaltender Dominik Hasek from the Buffalo Sabres.

King General Manager Dave Taylor said the length of the deal was the key difference. Budget limitations also played a role, with a ceiling of about $40 million having been imposed by owner Philip Anschutz.

Those restraints were cited by the Kings as a reason they traded defenseman Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche in February, rather than pay him the market rate or lose him without compensation. Blake on Saturday re-signed with the Avalanche for $54 million over six years if his option year is invoked, $30 million more than the Kings’ last offer of $8 million a year for three years.

“We made an offer to Luc and I talked personally to him Saturday, and after free agency opened [Sunday] we hadn’t talked to him again,” Taylor said. “It’s difficult. The player as a free agent really holds the cards, and he can determine where he plays.

“We have nothing but great things to say about Luc Robitaille. I can’t say anything but wish him luck. . . . This leaves some money available in the budget, but I can’t say, ‘Luc is gone, so we’ll bring in Player X.’ We’ve looked at a number of free agents, without getting specific. One of our concerns was getting Mathieu Schneider re-signed, and that helps us on defense. The other players we have to sign are restricted free agents. Now we’ll look at other options.”

Schneider, also an unrestricted free agent, spurned what he described as “solid offers” from three to five other teams to sign a three-year contract with the Kings on Monday that will pay him an estimated $3.5 million a year, plus bonuses. However, the Kings lost enforcer Stu Grimson, who signed as a free agent with the Nashville Predators. To replace him, they signed left wing Ken Belanger, pending a physical examination. Belanger, 27, sat out 21 games last season because of a hip injury and collected 121 penalty minutes in 40 games with the Boston Bruins.

In addition, the Kings signed defenseman Brett Hauer out of the Edmonton Oilers’ minor-league system. Hauer, who will be 30 next week, has eight points and 32 penalty minutes in 34 NHL games.

Schneider said having his family settled in L.A. was a crucial factor in his decision.

“I didn’t make it a secret right from the start that I wanted to return,” said Schneider, whose career was on the decline when the Kings signed him as a free agent a year ago. He rebounded to have a fine season, scoring 16 goals and 51 points. “It was just a great year all around. I got along great with Andy [Murray, the Kings’ coach] and the coaching staff. My family is happy here in Los Angeles. I’m very excited they basically matched the other offers I had.”

The Kings had no intention of matching higher offers for Robitaille, and evidence mounted throughout the season that they would not bring him back. Not only did Murray point out the left wing’s shortcomings at every turn and say Robitaille’s defensive skills had deteriorated so badly he couldn’t be trusted in four-on-four situations, Robitaille wasn’t appointed the team’s captain after the Kings traded Blake.

“I had two months where it was really a weird feeling,” Robitaille said. “It was hard the last couple of months because I never heard from the Kings. They never acknowledged me. I knew something was going on, and I didn’t know what it was.”

Pat Brisson, one of Robitaille’s agents, said Robitaille took the Kings’ offer as a slap in the face. “He told me, ‘I’m a proud athlete. Once I’m out there, I don’t think about money and I will work hard, but don’t hurt my pride,’ ” Brisson said. “He was very shocked and he said, ‘I take it personal,’ and we started accepting calls and discussing different situations.”

Said Tom Reich, Brisson’s partner in representing Robitaille: “He never wanted to leave, but once they made that offer, he wasn’t going to come scrambling back. The offer they made to him was about as attractive as a Zamboni through your front door, and Luc gave Pat and me explicit directions to cut a deal with one of the contending teams that was a good fit. . . . They made his decision easier than my fork cutting through cheesecake.”

Robitaille’s wife, Stacia, and their sons, Steven and Jesse, will remain in Los Angeles. “Leaving is going to be hard,” he said. “L.A. is always going to be home and where we raise our kids. To a certain degree, this wasn’t really up to me.

“I’m always going to be thankful for the way the fans treated me. We had a great run in the playoffs, and I thought things would go a different route, but they didn’t.

“This is the best opportunity for me to win the Cup, and I’m thankful I got to go to a good team.”

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THE PLAYER

Luc Robitaille’s career stats:

REGULAR SEASON

*--*

Year, Team GP G A Pts 1986-87 Kings 79 45 39 84 1987-88 Kings 80 53 58 111 1988-89 Kings 78 46 52 98 1989-90 Kings 80 52 49 101 1990-91 Kings 76 45 46 91 1991-92 Kings 80 44 63 107 1992-93 Kings 84 63 62 125 1993-94 Kings 83 44 42 86 1994-95 Pitt 46 23 19 42 1995-96 NYR 77 23 46 69 1996-97 NYR 69 24 24 48 1997-98 Kings 57 16 24 40 1998-99 Kings 82 39 35 74 1999-00 Kings 71 36 38 74 2000-01 Kings 82 37 51 88 Totals 1124 590 648 1238

*--*

PLAYOFFS

*--*

Year, Team GP G A Pts 1986-87 Kings 5 1 4 5 1987-88 Kings 5 2 5 7 1988-89 Kings 11 2 6 8 1989-90 Kings 10 5 5 10 1990-91 Kings 12 12 4 16 1991-92 Kings 6 3 4 7 1992-93 Kings 24 9 13 22 1994-95 Pitt 12 7 4 11 1995-96 NYR 11 1 5 6 1996-97 NYR 15 4 7 11 1997-98 Kings 4 1 2 3 1999-00 Kings 4 2 2 4 2000-01 Kings 13 4 3 7 Totals 132 53 64 117

*--*

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

* 33rd on the NHL all-time scoring list with 1,238 points (10th among active players)

* 13th on the NHL all-time goal-scoring list with 590 (fourth among active players)

* Kings’ career leader in playoff goals with 41

* Kings’ career leader in power play goals with 195

* Second on Kings’ career scoring list with 1,079 points

* Second on Kings’ career goal-scoring list with 520

* Second in games played with the Kings at 932

* Second in Kings’ career playoff scoring with 89 points

* Fourth on the Kings’ career assist list with 556

* Led the Kings in scoring five times (1986-87, 1987-88, 1992-93, 1998-99 and 1999-00)