EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) – The Los Angeles Kings placed Jonathan Quick on injured reserve Thursday after the star goalie got hurt in the first period of their season opener.
Quick incurred an unspecified lower-body injury during Los Angeles’ opener at San Jose while making a fairly ordinary stretch to stop a scoring chance by Joe Pavelski. Quick was replaced by new backup Jeff Zatkoff for the final two periods of the Kings’ 2-1 loss.
The Kings described Quick’s absence as “week-to-week.”
Los Angeles’ home opener is Friday night against Philadelphia. The Kings didn’t immediately make a corresponding move, but NHL veteran Peter Budaj is on the roster of the Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario.
With Quick sidelined by a potentially serious injury, the Kings’ 50th anniversary season has been thrown into turmoil after just one game. The unorthodox, athletic American goalie is exceptionally important to the Kings, playing in 140 of their 162 regular-season games over the past two seasons.