Kings vs. Blues notes: Dustin Brown weighs in on Jason Collins

ST. LOUIS -- Greetings from St. Louis, where the Kings will take to the ice at Scottrade Center for their morning skate at 11:30 a.m. CDT today. They will then play the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Blues at 7 p.m.

First, some leftover tidbits from Monday’s events.

In the wake of NBA player Jason Collins saying that he is gay, making him the first male athlete in a major American sport to come out while an active player, I asked Kings captain Dustin Brown if he thought an NHL player could make a similar announcement and be accepted.

Brown had a thoughtful answer that unfortunately got trimmed out of colleague Kevin Baxter’s article in Tuesday’s editions: “I think so. That’s not to say everyone will be happy about it, because everyone has their own opinions, but I think, and I can only speak for myself, I would be perfectly comfortable with it,� Brown said. “I have friends that are gay. I have relatives that are gay. It’s part of society.

“ ... It’s just like anything else. If they’re going to help me win, I want them on my team, right? At the end of the day, as an athlete, that’s what I want: I want to win. I don’t care what it is off the ice. If they’re going to come in here and help us be a better team, I’m perfectly OK with it.�

And for some laughs, check out this video from TSN, which spoofs “The Hangover.� Kings Anze Kopitar, Colin Fraser, Dustin Penner and Jarret Stoll have starring roles. And don’t miss the surprise cameo at the end.

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