Murray Ducks Issue

The question came toward the end of the daily gathering with reporters, but Coach Andy Murray was ready for it, almost expecting it.

He was asked for an update on injuries and replied without hesitation, “I’m not allowed to talk about them,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to Mighty Duck Coach Mike Babcock’s statement last week that “that team down the road talks about injuries all the time.”

After Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes, the Kings had lost 236 man-games to injury and were on pace to break the franchise record of 536 set last season, although there has been good news recently.

Center Derek Armstrong skated without contact for the first time since sustaining a fractured finger on his left hand Nov. 15 against the St. Louis Blues. Armstrong will visit doctors Monday to determine when he is ready for contact.

“It feels like it’s summertime right now because I need to get in shape,” Armstrong said. “It’s too bad, because this is December, but it feels good to skate again.”

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Trainer Pete Demers was honored Thursday before his 2,500th consecutive game on duty. Demers, in his 32nd season with the Kings, was given a Rolex watch and a Hawaiian vacation. There was also a video tribute from King employees, including General Manager Dave Taylor, TV play-by-play announcer Bob Miller and left wing Luc Robitaille.

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Goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who sat out two games because of a bruised hip, was Cristobal Huet’s backup Thursday against the Phoenix Coyotes. Goaltender Milan Hnilicka was returned to minor league Manchester (N.H.).... Rookie winger Dustin Brown will not play for the U.S. junior national team at next week’s world championships, because he has not healed from a severely sprained ankle.