Leiweke Unloads on Team in Unusual Appearance

Team President Tim Leiweke would prefer to leave the lecturing of the players to his coaching staff.

“I don’t like to do it at all,” he said.

Which is why his brief postgame dressing-room visit after Monday’s lackluster 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers surprised the players. Apparently, he’d wanted to address the team after the second period but held off.

Leiweke still sounded angry Tuesday, even through a crackling cellular phone line. The Edmonton game finished an erratic 2-5-1 homestand. One of those losses was to the Minnesota Wild, and Leiweke was complimentary of the expansion team’s heart.

If he had spotted more of that recently, there would not have been a dressing-room appearance. In King Coach Andy Murray’s nearly two seasons here, this was the first time Leiweke had made that kind of appearance after a game.

“This is something that’s been an issue for a while,” Leiweke said. “It was the end of the homestand and the appropriate time to talk to them. I don’t want say it was brewing. The conversation that took place was between me and the players and let’s keep it that way.”

Said goaltender Jamie Storr, “It was nothing short of anything. He just wanted the team to do well. It’s something he felt he had to do as part of his job. If they didn’t do it, maybe they would look back and say, ‘Maybe I should have said something.’ ”

Murray had spoken to the team in critical terms after the second period and held off saying anything of great length at practice.

“I want to back off a little bit here and think about what I want to say,” Murray said. “Tim said exactly what I had said, so it’s a different voice. . . . I don’t know if it’s ever effective. I don’t know if it is ever effective when I go after them. It’s only stating the reality of the situation. And I don’t want to downplay what [Leiweke] did because I think it’s great. You shouldn’t need somebody to have to come in and tell you to work and compete.”

TONIGHT

at Dallas, 5:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Reunion Arena.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 24-23-8-1, Stars 31-19-5-1.

* Record vs. Stars--3-1.

* Update--Seemingly forgotten amid the turmoil of the eight-game homestand was a rare bright spot. It was the Kings’ 8-0 victory against Dallas on Jan. 30. Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock took offense to the words and actions of the Kings’ Stu Grimson near the end of the game. Hitchcock remained upset even after it was explained Grimson was merely trying to get Luc Robitaille off the ice. “I hope we get them again,” Hitchcock said. King defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who suffered a bruised left hip against the Oilers, is day to day, as is center Jozef Stumpel, who missed the Edmonton game because of a strained right hamstring.