Roenick Anxiously Awaits Green Light

Jeremy Roenick is ready to come back and battle demons -- the Kings’ freefall, his skates, his hockey future beyond this season, and so on.

He will learn if his chance comes sooner rather than later with today’s scheduled visit to the doctor. If the broken finger on his left hand checks out, Roenick will be cleared to play, although he probably won’t be rushed into the lineup against Phoenix on Thursday, Coach Andy Murray said.

Roenick was injured against Vancouver on Dec. 19 and underwent surgery three days later. He was told that the finger would take up to six weeks to heal and Monday was six weeks to the day.

“I’m dying,” Roenick said. “I have never taken as long as they told me it would take to get back in the lineup. I’m usually back a week before. But this is a delicate thing. If I come back and play and break it again, I’m [in trouble] until the playoffs. I can’t afford that.”

The Kings are mired in a slump, losing nine of their last 12 games.

The Dallas Stars have left them in the dust in the Pacific Division while the Mighty Ducks, among other teams, are creeping up from behind.

The Kings are sixth in the Western Conference.

“It’s been awful, just awful,” Roenick said of not be able to help the team. “This hopefully is one of those things that builds [team] character. We come out of this and make the playoffs, we know we battled a demon that not many teams overcome. It’s what every team dreads -- losing.”

Roenick is an unrestricted free agent after this season and at 36 would benefit from a strong finish. He struggled before the injury with being out of shape after the 18-month layoff from the NHL lockout, suffered some nagging injuries and, finally, had issues with the blades of his skates.

He has six goals and 13 points in 32 games. Roenick played his best game of the season, with a goal and an assist, the night he was injured.

“There will be a lot driving me, as hard as I worked since I have been hurt,” said Roenick, who is in better shape now than when the season began after going through two-a-day workouts the past month. “I don’t want to have to say all this work was for nothing.”

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Defenseman Mattias Norstrom needed dental work Tuesday, a day after being hit in the face by a puck in a game against the Mighty Ducks. Whether he can play against Phoenix will be decided today.

Meanwhile, Murray was again optimistic about defenseman Tim Gleason, who he said was “better.” Gleason has missed two games with an injured left knee.