Laperriere Is In Fighting Shape
(from the Los Angeles Times)
By Jim Hodges
Staff Writer
September 30, 2000 - Ian Laperriere has been antsy, with little to curb his adrenaline, which generally doesn't run but instead gushes.
He has been recovering from off-season knee surgery and has been skating for two months, but was not declared ready for contact until earlier this week.
And he is certainly ready to play tonight against Colorado at Las Vegas in the Kings' final exhibition game.
For that matter, Laperriere was ready to play Friday in the Kings' 2-1 exhibition victory at San Jose, but putting him in back-to-back games is asking a lot of his recovery.
"He's going to be so full of energy, I'm going to have to tell him not to go out and fight everybody," King Coach Andy Murray said.
He's right.
"You want to be one of the guys, and you can't really be one of the guys until you've had some contact, until you've hit somebody," said Laperriere, who centered the Kings' checking line last season.
While he has been out, he has watched the ebb and flow of King players and has set a goal simply to return to the same line this time around.
If he does so, though, it will probably be at right wing, playing alongside center Bob Corkum and left wing Kelly Buchberger.
"That's OK," Laperriere said. "I can play winger. I want to play on the third line, so whatever they want me to do is OK."