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Nothing lucky about Robitaille’s career

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A few things jumped to mind with the announcement that former Kings’ star Luc Robitaille will be inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame.

First, it was a no-brainer honor for a player who scored 668 goals.

But how Robitaille, and others, handled the less-than-happy moments revealed a lot.

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Before the season started, he and his wife helped relocate New Orleans families left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. Robitaille’s reward was to endure a difficult season under Coach Andy Murray.

Murray benched Robitaille twice that season, once waiting until the last minute to tell him. Yet, the often self-absorbed Murray, who was fighting to keep his job, was more than willing to share in the moment when Robitaille scored his 551st career goal as a King to set the franchise record.

On the the play where Robitaille set the the record, Murray made sure to tell reporters afterward, ‘I saw how well Luc was playing, so I made sure I double-shifted him there.’

Made you wonder how Robitaille managed to score the other 667 goals without Murray’s help. As a tribute to Robitaille, no one in the media used that quote.

Robitaille’s comments on that goal were a little different.

First, he made sure to point out, ‘It was a great pass from [defenseman] Mike Weaver.’

Robitaille also thanked Marcel Dionne, whose record he had broken. Dionne took in Robitaille and mentored him as a rookie.

Murray was fired before the season ended. Robitaille skated the last shift at San Jose in the season finale. Afterward, among family and friends, an emotional Robitaille finally got selfish.

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Tripping over the rolled-up sidewalks, trying to find a restaurant in San Jose near midnight, Robitaille’s group walked into an Italian place. After being told that the ovens had just been shut off, Robitaille turned to his agent and longtime friend, Pat Brisson, and said, ‘Hey, Jerry Maguire, get it done.’

Brisson talked the manager into opening a few bottles of wine and cooking up a couple of pizzas.

So, as the band Mando Diao once sang, ‘Welcome home, Luc Robitaille,’ the Hall of Fame has your table ready.

--Chris Foster

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