hockeyfights.com forums - Kings Activate Jack Johnson; Send Down Brian Boyle

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have activated defenseman Jack Johnson from the injured reserve list and have assigned forward Brian Boyle to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

Johnson, who turned 22 on Tuesday, has missed the last 41 games due to a shoulder injury he suffered on October 12. He was placed on the injured reserve list on October 13 and he underwent shoulder surgery later that month.

He has played in two games with the Kings this season and has zero points and two penalty minutes. The 6-1, 225-pound native of Indianapolis has played in 81 career NHL games, all with the Kings, and has 11 points (3-8=11) and 96 penalty minutes. He was originally selected by Carolina in the first-round (3rd overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft before being acquired by the Kings on September 29, 2006.

Boyle, 24, has split this season between the Kings and the Monarchs. In 20 games with the Kings this season, he has two points (1-1=2) and 18 penalty minutes, while in 13 games with Manchester he has 11 points (4-7=11) and 35 penalty minutes.

The 6-7, 252-pound native of Hingham, Mass., was originally selected by the Kings in the first-round (26th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. In 28 career NHL games, all with the Kings, Boyle has seven points (5-2=7) and 22 penalty minutes.

The Kings currently have two players on the injured reserve list: Oscar Moller (fractured clavicle) and Brad Richardson (foot), who is currently assigned to Manchester on a conditioning loan.