Kings Notebook : Tonelli Expected in Camp Today

HULL, Canada —  John Tonelli was scheduled to arrive here early this morning after finally agreeing to contract terms with the Kings, according to General Manager Rogie Vachon.

With the arrival of Tonelli, who was expected to be on the ice today, the Kings will have a full complement of players in camp.

“It is very good news,” Vachon said Sunday morning.

Tonelli, 32, a left winger, had stayed at home in New York while details of a two-year contract were worked out. He had insisted upon a multiyear deal, and the Kings agreed to a two-year contract more than two weeks ago. The last few days have been spent reaching a compromise on the salary.

Tonelli had signed a one-year contract with the Kings as a free agent in 1988, and had an outstanding season, contributing 31 goals and 33 assists as well as a positive attitude and leadership.

New Coach Tom Webster said: “After hearing so many positive things about what he has done and the enthusiasm he brings to the hockey team, I’m very happy that he’ll be back. I talked with him a couple of times this summer. It’s exciting for me to get to have him.”

Wayne Gretzky’s early impressions of the 1989-90 Kings?

“Our depth is going to make us a better team,” he said. “You can work as hard as you can work, but you have to have the talent. Now we’ve added it. We hope we’ve improved defensively. Our size is better. It’s going to be more difficult to waltz around in front of our net. (Goalie) Kelly Hrudey should be the happiest guy in camp.”

Gretzky is used to the Canadian media’s preoccupation with his every move. So, he said he was not too surprised to find a picture of his wife, Janet Jones, dubbed a “SUNshine Girl” on Page 3 of the Sun newspapers, a Canadian chain.

The picture was a reprint of one from a 1987 Playboy magazine in which she was wearing a black leather jacket.

Asked if the printing of the photo upset him, Gretzky said with shrug, “It’s kind of silly don’t you think?. . . . It should upset Playboy. They own the rights to the photo. . . . These are the little things that make me happy to be playing where I’m playing now.”

King Notes

For Sunday’s second practice session, the one including Wayne Gretzky and the rest of the first-team players, the Robert Guertin Arena was packed. At least 4,000 fans turned out for the second day of practice, filling all 3,500 seats and standing behind the wall at the top of the seating area. They’re charging $2 per person to watch, with all the money going to local minor hockey leagues. . . . In the earlier rookie scrimmage, there were fights breaking out all over, leaving the ice spattered with blood. Defenseman Tom Karalis led the session with three fights.