Boucher Happy to Contribute

He has played in 275 NHL games, seven more in the playoffs, but Friday night was Philippe Boucher’s biggest.

“At least it’s the most special,” he said while his left foot was submerged in the swirling hot water two hours before Friday’s game against Dallas.

The significance comes from his fear that he might never play another game for the Kings.

Boucher, a defenseman, has missed almost the entire season because of an injury that was presumed to have healed in time for training camp. He had an extra bone in one of his feet that began to bother him last season, and he underwent surgery to have it removed in April, at season’s end.

He spent the summer in rehabilitation, then came to training camp and found that his foot still hurt. More rehabilitation ensued, but every time he tried to skate, the pain was unbearable.

Boucher went to a doctor in Canada, seeking a second opinion, then to Carol Frey, a doctor in Manhattan Beach, who concurred with her Canadian colleague. A second operation, this time on a foot tendon, was performed in November. Boucher was able to skate in February before moving to Long Beach for rehabilitation in some IHL games.

On Friday he was recalled to replace Garry Galley, who was out because his wife, Terri-Lynn, is about to deliver the couple’s third child.

“When you’re younger, you don’t think about things like this,” Boucher said. “You just play and you think you can always play.

“When you get older, you appreciate it more. This might be for only one game, but every game means a lot.”

As much as anything else, it means that other people’s faith has been rewarded.

“I’ve had a lot of support through this from my family, and from Dr. Frey and the staff,” Boucher said. “I owe them a lot.”

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Traffic for a block on 11th Street downtown was blocked off for an hour before Friday’s game while police examined a suspicious package found in parking lot No. 2 at Staples Center.

Lot attendants spotted the package, which was a bit larger than a shoe box, in a parking space two hours before the game, and summoned building personnel. They, in turn, called police, which sent for the bomb squad.

An examination, which included an X-ray, revealed the package contained a shirt and some aluminum containers.

“With the Democratic National Convention and the playoffs coming, we’ve got to take these things seriously,” said Lee Ziedman, vice president of operations.