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Kings call up emergency backup after Darcy Kuemper injury

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints
By Colin Gallant | Last updated 10/16/24

The Los Angeles Kings will be without goaltender Darcy Kuemper in Toronto against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, head coach Jim Hiller confirmed. The 34-year-old is day-to-day with an injury and will not dress at Scotiabank Arena.

That means it’ll be David Rittich starting for the Kings in the cross-conference matchup; Phoenix Copley was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign as an emergency backup in a corresponding move, per NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy.

A 2022 Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche, Kuemper was acquired from the Washington Capitals during the summer in a one-for-one swap that saw Pierre-Luc Dubois move to the nation’s capital.

And Kuemper was exceptional in his first two games in Los Angeles. He made 32 saves on 33 shots in a 3-1 season-opening win over the Buffalo Sabres on October 10, and followed it up by going 23-for-25 in a hard-luck 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins two nights later.

In the early going, Kuemper is looking like a solid Cam Talbot replacement, although he had a very tough outing against the Ottawa Senators in a Monday afternoon matinee.

Darcy Kuemper had a tough go vs. Senators

Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) makes a save in front of Ottawa Senators lef wing Brady Tkachuk (7) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Entering a road tilt in Ottawa on Canadian Thanksgiving, Kuemper had allowed just three goals on 58 shots. But he was taken apart by the Senators, allowing eight goals on 41 shots in a wild 8-7 overtime loss to the Senators.

The game was a shooting gallery, with Sens goaltender Anton Forsberg getting the hook after allowing three goals on nine shots. With Linus Ullmark out with an injury, Mads Sogaard didn’t fare much better, giving up four goals of his own on 17 shots.

It’s unclear whether Kuemper suffered the ailment during the game, but based on his uncharacteristic performance, it’s certainly possible. Still, the hope is that he’ll be able to return to Ottawa’s lineup by the end of the week.

After Wednesday in Toronto, the Kings remain on the road to face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday in the second half of the back-to-back. It’s unlikely that Kuemper will be available for that tilt, although he could return as soon as Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

Along with Kuemper, defenseman Joel Edmundson will not be available, as he awaits the birth of his first child in Los Angeles. Andreas Englund will draw into the Kings lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first three games of the 2024-25 season.

Despite two straight losses, 1-0-2 Los Angeles is one of a few NHL teams that remain unbeaten in regulation. Starting the season on a brutal seven-game road trip, they’ll play in Toronto before three more road tilts in Montreal, Anaheim and Las Vegas over the next seven days.

The Kings will look to continue the streak — and get back in the win column — when the puck drops just past 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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