Tough-Guy Brennan Gets the Call

Kip Brennan, a tough-guy winger, was recalled Saturday from the Kings’ American Hockey League team at Manchester, N.H., and made his NHL debut in Saturday night’s game against the New York Islanders.

After Ken Belanger was put on the injured reserve list Friday because of a broken left thumb, the Kings could have brought back Brad Chartrand, who was sent down Wednesday after Ziggy Palffy and Mathieu Schneider were activated, but they opted instead for the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Brennan.

Brennan, the Kings’ fourth-round pick in the 1998 NHL draft, had three points and a team-leading 125 penalty minutes in 23 games with the Manchester Monarchs.

“It’s the type of player we lost,” Coach Andy Murray said, explaining why Brennan got the nod over Chartrand as the roster replacement for the 6-4, 231-pound Belanger. “I think we need to have that [element] in our lineup.”

Brennan, 21, said his parents, brother and sister-in-law made the trip from Kingston, Canada, to watch his first NHL game.

“I’m sure he’s over-excited and I’m sure he’s going to be over-aggressive,” Murray said before the game. “He just has to have some balance there and we just have to tutor him as coaches.

“He’s got to play hard and he’s got to know that what he does, he has to do for the team. That’s the important thing.”