Camp Is Set to Open in Wake of Tragedy

Although mourning the deaths of scouts Ace Bailey and Mark Bavis in Tuesday’s terrorist attack on New York’s World Trade Center, the Kings will conduct business as usual this morning, opening training camp at El Segundo.

Coach Andy Murray will lead his players onto the ice at 10:30 a.m. at HealthSouth Training Center as the Kings begin preparations for their regular-season opener Oct. 4 against the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center.

“We talked about it internally with our [office] staff and with our coaching staff and felt that both Ace and Mark would want us to move ahead with training camp,” General Manager Dave Taylor said.

“We’re going to go on the ice [today] and try to conduct business. It’s difficult to think about hockey, obviously, when tragedy such as what happened today hits, but that’s the direction we’re going forward with.”

Taylor, though, said the status of Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Mighty Ducks at Staples Center was undetermined.

A decision on whether to play, he said, will be made today or Thursday.

Taylor said the Kings planned to pay tribute to Bailey and Bavis, perhaps by wearing a patch on their uniforms this season.

He said no players expressed reservations about opening camp today.

“I don’t think we have any players who didn’t want to go forward,” he said.

“They’re probably most comfortable on the ice.”

On Tuesday, even as the HealthSouth Center’s two ice rinks and one roller-hockey rink were closed to public skating, the Kings gathered in the morning.

They had physical examinations and medical testing, and photos taken for the media guide.

They met again in the afternoon for an orientation meeting with coaches.

Brad Sholl, general manager of the training center, said the facility, about a mile south of LAX, was closed to the public because of limited access.

“It’s kind of a slow time anyway because the kids are in school,” Sholl said.

“It’s a chance to catch up on maintenance.”