Tukonen’s Wait Nearly Over

Last year, it was visa problems

This year, it was shoulder rehabilitation.

The Kings’ Lauri Tukonen could grow to dislike this training camp thing.

Still, after two years of waiting, Tukonen, a quick, 6-foot-2, 200-pound forward, was expected to get in an NHL exhibition game. He was scheduled to play one of the Kings two games this weekend, either tonight at San Jose or Saturday at Colorado.

“It will be good to get a game in,� said Tukonen, who had shoulder surgery last April. “I can get a chance to show the Kings how I can play.�

It won’t matter, not this training camp anyway. Travel orders have already been cut for Tukonen, the Kings’ first-round pick in 2004, with the date to be filled in next week. But before sending him to minor league Manchester (N.H.), the Kings want to get a look.

“We’ve been keeping him around to make sure his shoulder rehabilitation went the right way,� Coach Marc Crawford said. “He’s a real important asset in this organization and we want to take care of him.�

Still, Crawford said, “It’ll be good to get a look at him in a game to see where he’s at.�

Where Tukonen is at is better than where he was last season. He played with a painful shoulder, first injured in October. He re-injured it while helping Finland win the bronze medal in the World Junior Championships -- where he scored the game-winning goal in that medal match against the U.S.

“The shoulder got so bad that I couldn’t move my hand,� said Tukonen, who scored 14 goals in 62 games with Manchester last season. “It was time to get it fixed.�

Still, the rehabilitation took him into the second week of training camp. He was cleared to resume contact drills last week.

“It’ll be fun to get in a game, then go to Manchester,� he said.

Maybe.

“If he scores four goals, we’ll probably keep him here,� Crawford joked.

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Forward Brian Willsie, who has been out since Monday because of a sore groin, returned to practice Thursday.... The Kings will hold their annual charity golf tournament Tuesday at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort Club. Details: (213) 742-7553.

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