KINGS NOTEBOOK: DEADMARSH SET TO CALL IT QUITS.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Adam Deadmarsh, who has battled concussion problems the past three years, has decided to retire from the NHL, he told The Denver Post on Wednesday.

``I've been living on hope the last three years I'd be able to play again, but my body is just telling me it's not going to happen,'' Deadmarsh said from his home in British Columbia.

Deadmarsh has yet to file retirement papers with the league, but he will soon. Traded by the Colorado Avalanche to the Kings in February 2001, Deadmarsh played 567 career games, finishing with 184 goals and 373 points.

--Kopitar to Sweden: The Kings cut 17 players from their training-camp roster Wednesday, and they would have preferred not to put Anze Kopitar's name on that list.

Kopitar, the team's 18-year-old first-round draft pick from this year, might not have cracked the Kings' lineup out of camp, but he certainly did enough to draw the attention of team management, which encouraged him to stay in America rather than play in Sweden, which is what Kopitar chose.

Concerned about his ability to live far from his native Slovenia in his first pro season, Kopitar decided to play for Sodertalje of the Swedish Elite League and took a flight late Wednesday afternoon.

``It's a good feeling, to leave, but on the other hand a sad feeling,'' Kopitar said. ``I had a great two weeks here and I'm already looking forward to coming here next year.

``I'm confident, especially because they showed a lot of confidence in me. Next year hopefully I'll be able to stick around, either here or in Manchester (of the American Hockey League).''

The Kings were pleased with Kopitar's development, so much so that they put him on a line with Valeri Bure and Noah Clarke in Tuesday's preseason game in Phoenix.

--Injury report: Derek Armstrong, who suffered a concussion in Sunday's game, rode an exercise bicycle Wednesday and reported no problems. Murray said the team's medical staff will attempt to determine today when Armstrong might return to the ice.

--Say goodbye: There were no surprises among the roster cuts, which took the Kings down to 31 players. Murray said he was inclined to not make the final eight cuts until the very end of training camp.

Assigned to Manchester were forwards Brendan Bernakevitch, Connor James, Petr Kanko, Ryan Murphy, Konstantin Pushkarev, Dany Roussin, Matt Ryan, Brad Smyth, Jeff Tambellini and Lauri Tukonen, defensemen Joey Mormina and Richard Seeley and goaltenders Barry Brust and Yutaka Fukufuji.

Defensemen Oriel McHugh and Nate Metcalf were released to Bakersfield of the ECHL.