Goaltender Darcy Kuemper made his return to the lineup for the Los Angeles Kings, getting the start after missing over two weeks due to an injury suffered in December.
Kuemper was placed on Injured Reserve on Dec. 16 after he was forced out of a game the day prior against the Dallas Stars. Kuemper suffered an injury when he was hit by Stars forward Miiko Rantanen.
The 35-year-old Kuemper is 10-6-6 with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in another standout season for the Kings, who reacquired him in a trade in June 2024.
On Wednesday, Kuemper was one of three goaltenders selected to be on Team Canada’s roster for the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February, alongside Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals.
This news coincides with a potential injury to a fellow selection to Canada’s Olympic roster on Thursday, as New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat departed their game after suffering an apparent injury.
Kuemper backstopped the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title in 2022, and he was a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time last season after leading the Kings into the playoffs.
The Kings enter this game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday having won just one of their past four games. They beat the Lightning 2-1 on Dec. 18 in Tampa Bay.