Kings' Jack Johnson out because of shoulder injury

The Kings' Jack Johnson, a key figure in the team's rebuilding plans, suffered a tear in the labrum of his left shoulder Sunday and will undergo surgery this week.

He was put on injured reserve and isn't expected back until after the Jan. 25 All-Star game, Coach Terry Murray said Monday.

"It's very unfortunate," Murray said. "When you look at it, and when you look at things like this, it always seems like an innocent play."

Johnson was injured during the first period of the Kings' 1-0 loss to San Jose on Sunday at Staples Center. Murray said Johnson was attempting to play a puck that had flipped into the air when he was hit by a Sharks player.

"He saw the player at the last second and tried to get out of the way but couldn't," Murray said.

Seventh defenseman Peter Harrold is likely to replace Johnson tonight against the Ducks at Staples Center. Another option is Kyle Quincey, who on Monday was claimed off waivers by the Kings from Detroit. However, Quincey hadn't practiced with the Kings yet because he was traveling to Los Angeles.

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Helene Elliott

Alexei Cherepanov, a 19-year-old first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, died during a Continental Hockey League game in Russia. Former Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr played a shift with Cherepanov and was talking to his young Avangard Omsk teammate on the bench shortly after they left the ice, when Cherepanov suddenly collapsed, said a Rangers spokesman who talked to Jagr.

There was no collision that preceded the collapse, the spokesman said, but no other details were available. Cherepanov scored the first goal of the game and had eight in 15 contests this season. Cherepanov surprisingly slipped to the Rangers during the 2007 NHL draft, and they grabbed him with the 17th pick. The talented forward dropped because of concerns about the likelihood of signing him and the potential difficulty in getting him to leave Russia. The Rangers said Cherepanov definitely figured in their plans.

"I was shocked when I heard. I thought it must be a misprint or something because he just had so much going for him," said New York assistant coach Mike Pelino, who had recently returned from a one-week trip to Russia, where he watched Cherepanov play. "He was someone who I was really excited about and thought, 'Wow, we did get something special here.' "

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