Kings Sign Vopat for 3 Years

The upcoming Winter Olympics in Japan--and the inclusion of the NHL’s top players--means the league will take a break during the regular season, from Feb. 8-24.

For the first time, regular-season games will be played outside of North America when the Mighty Ducks open against Vancouver in Tokyo, Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.

The Kings start with a five-game trip, opening on Oct. 1 at Pittsburgh. They play their home opener on Oct. 12 against Ottawa.

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1997-98 King Schedule

OCTOBER: 1--at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m.; 2--at Boston, 4:30 p.m.; 5--at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m.; 7--at Carolina, 4:30 p.m.; 9--at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m.; 12--Ottawa, 5 p.m.; 15--Boston, 7:30 p.m.; 17--Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.; 19--Edmonton, 5 p.m.; 21--N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.; 23--Detroit, 7:30 p.m.; 26--at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.; 28--at Florida, 4:30 p.m.; 31--at Detroit, 4:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER: 1--at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m.; 4--at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m.; 6--Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.; 8--Montreal, 5:30 p.m.; 11--Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.; 13--San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 15--Dallas, 7:30 p.m.; 20--Chicago, 7:30 p.m.; 24--at Colorado, 6 p.m.; 26--at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.; 27--at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m.; 29--New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER: 3--at Montreal, 4:30 p.m.; 4--at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m.; 6--at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.; 9--Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.; 13--Washington, 7:30 p.m.; 15--at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 18--Toronto, 7:30 p.m.; 20--at Calgary, noon; 22--at Chicago, 5:30 p.m.; 23--at Colorado, 6 p.m.; 27--Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.; 29--Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.; 31--at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.

JANUARY: 1--at Phoenix, 6 p.m.; 4--at Edmonton, 1 p.m.; 5--at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 8--Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.; 10--Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.; 12--Ducks, 7:30 p.m.; 14--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 20--Calgary, 7:30 p.m.; 22--Florida, 7:30 p.m.; 24--at Ducks, noon; 29--Calgary, 7:30 p.m.; 31--Chicago, noon.

FEBRUARY: 2--at Edmonton, 6 p.m.; 3--at Calgary, 6 p.m.; 5--N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.; 7--at Ducks, noon; 25--at Detroit, 4:30 p.m.; 26--at Chicago, 5:30 p.m.; 28--St. Louis, noon.

MARCH: 2--Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.; 5--Carolina, 7:30 p.m.; 7--Detroit, noon; 9--Ducks, 7:30 p.m.; 10--at Phoenix, 6 p.m.; 12--Toronto, 7:30 p.m.; 14--Colorado, noon; 16--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 17--Dallas, 7:30 p.m.; 21--Phoenix, noon; 24--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 26--San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 28--at Calgary, 3 p.m.; 30--at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.

APRIL: 1--at Buffalo, 4 p.m.; 2--at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m.; 4--at Washington, noon; 6--at Colorado, 6 p.m.; 9--Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.; 11--Colorado, 3 p.m.; 13--Calgary, 7:30 p.m.; 15--at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 16--St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.; 18--Ducks, noon

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1997-98 Mighty Ducks Schedule

OCTOBER: 3 vs. Vancouver, at Japan, 8 p.m.; 4--vs. Vancouver, at Japan, 8 p.m.; 10--Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.; 13--Boston, 7:30 p.m.; 15--Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.; 17--Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.; 19--N.Y. Islanders, 5 p.m.; 21--at Phoenix, 7 p.m.; 22--Detroit, 7:30 p.m.; 25--at N.Y. Islanders, noon; 26--at N.Y. Rangers, 10:30 p.m.; 28--at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.; 30--at Boston, 4:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER: 2--at Detroit, 12 p.m.; 5--Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.; 7--at Calgary, 6 p.m.; 8--at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.; 10--San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 12--Montreal, 7:30 p.m.; 14--Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.; 16--Dallas, 5 p.m.; 18--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 19--Chicago, 7:30 p.m.; 22--at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m.; 24--at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.; 26--New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.; 28--at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.; 29--at Calgary, 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER: 2--at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.; 3--at Buffalo, 4 p.m.; 6--at Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m.; 10--Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.; 12--Washington, 7:30 p.m.; 17--Toronto, 7:30 p.m.; 19--Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.; 21--San Jose, 5 p.m.; 22--Calgary, 7:30 p.m.; 27--at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m.; 28--at Chicago, 5 p.m.; 30--at Carolina, 4:30 p.m.

JANUARY: 1--at Washington, 10:30 a.m.; 3--at Tampa Bay, 3 p.m.; 4--at Florida, 3 p.m.; 7--Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.; 9--Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.; 11--Dallas, 5 p.m.; 12--at Kings, 7:35 p.m.; 14--Colorado, 7:30 p.m.; 18--All-Star Game in Vancouver; 21--Florida, 7:30 p.m.; 22--at Colorado; 6 p.m.; 24--Kings, noon; 27--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m; 28--Calgary, 7:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY: 1--Chicago, 5 p.m.; 4--N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.; 7--Kings, noon; 25--at Vancouver, 7 p.m.; 27--at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.

MARCH: 1--St. Louis, 5 p.m.; 4--Detroit, 7:30 p.m.; 6--San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 8--Carolina, 5 p.m.; 9--at Kings, 7:30 p.m.; 11--Toronto, 7:30 p.m.; 13--at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.; 15--Colorado, 5 p.m.; 18--at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m.; 19--at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m.; 21--at Montreal, 4:30 p.m.; 22--at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m.; 25--at Chicago, 5:30 p.m.; 26--at Detroit, 4:30 p.m.; 28--at Colorado, noon.

APRIL: 1--Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.; 3--at Phoenix, 6 p.m.; 5--Calgary, 5 p.m.; 8--Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.; 9--at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.; 13--Colorado, 7:30 p.m.; 15--at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.; 18--at Kings, noon; 19--St. Louis, 5 p.m.