Flinn Injures Head on the Ice

King forward Ryan Flinn left Saturday’s game after hitting his head on the ice during a first-period fight with Chicago’s Jim Vandermeer at Staples Center.

Flinn lost his helmet as he fell to the ice and landed hard on his head, with Vandermeer falling on top of him. Flinn was immobilized and put on a back board by emergency medical technicians before being removed from the ice. He gave the crowd a thumbs-up signal as he was taken from the ice.

King officials said that Flinn was taken to County-USC Medical Center, was coherent and talking and was expected to be released from the hospital Saturday night.

Flinn had been recalled Saturday from the Kings’ minor-league affiliate in Manchester, N.H.

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King General Manager Dave Taylor said that he would begin negotiations within a month to extend the contract of Coach Andy Murray and his staff.

Murray and his assistants, Mark Hardy, Ray Bennett and John Van Boxmeer, are in the last year of their contracts. The Kings hold an option year on all four, but Taylor said he was interested in signing them beyond the next season.

“We’re going to get started on that soon,” Taylor said. “Obviously we like what they are doing. Andy has done a tremendous job in the last seven years.”

The Kings are off to one of the best starts in franchise history. The fast start, which has the Kings leading the Pacific Division, also has Taylor shying away from making trades at this time.

“I’m happy with the team, so we’re not looking to do anything,” Taylor said.

“We just got Derek Armstrong and Luc Robitaille back [from injuries]. We’ll see how they fit in first.”

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Mattias Norstrom played in his 663rd game as a King, breaking Rob Blake’s team record for a defenseman.

“Matty is what he is, he’s a warrior,” Murray said. “I keep telling him he must have been born in Manitoba.”

Said Norstrom: “I’m all Sweden.”

As for the 663 games, Norstrom said, “I’m not really sure what it means, other than I have been very fortunate with injuries.”