KINGS NOTEBOOK: MAIR SUSPENSION OVER.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

The question was posed to Adam Mair, but Kelly Buchberger gave the answer.

Mair was asked what he thought now that his 10-game suspension for leaving the bench during a Dec. 20 brawl had ended after Saturday's game.

``I lost a lot of money because I was dumb,'' said Buchberger, who was a couple of lockers away.

Mair broke into a huge grin. Although he was fined $25,000 in addition to the suspension, Mair had gained the respect of the veteran players.

He also remained with the club after he was activated and centered the Kings' fourth line Tuesday night against Nashville.

``Adam showed a lot in his time here,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``He's gritty and has offensive skill. He has an opportunity to play.''

Before the suspension, Mair appeared in three games with no points but 49 penalty minutes. Forty-seven of those came for his fight with Ottawa's Chris Neil, who already had struck Mikko Eloranta and Felix Potvin before Mair raced to the scene.

League policy dictates a 10-game suspension for leaving the bench to participate in a fight.

``I would imagine that I would think twice about doing something like that again,'' Mair said. ``But you never know, in the heat of the moment, when you're playing and things happen fast.''

--Getting better: Kings enforcer Ken Belanger skated Tuesday for the first time since breaking his left thumb Jan. 2 against Florida.

Belanger, scoreless in 24 games this season, will have his cast removed Friday and hopes to receive a soft cast fitted so he can hold a stick.

``It would be good to get back on the ice, '' he said. ``Not full contact but just getting moving again and being around the guys.''

Belanger said he could return within two weeks of getting the first cast removed.

--Carrying a torch: While most of his teammates will be asleep, Kings captain Mattias Norstrom will be carrying the Olympic torch through the streets of Pasadena.

Norstrom will begin his run at 7:55 a.m. at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Los Robles Boulevard and proceed less than a mile on Colorado.

Norstrom was approached last month and agreed after learning he would not be running on a game day.

``It is such an honor to not only be in the Olympics but to participate in the torch relay,'' said Norstrom, who will represent his native Sweden at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

--Quick whistles: Before the game, Buchberger was honored for becoming the 168th NHL player to appear in 1,000 games. Buchberger, who reached the milestone Jan. 7 in New Jersey, received a Rolex watch from his teammates and a trip to Hawaii from management. ...

Former Kings enforcer Stu Grimson has not played for Nashville the past two weeks due to a concussion. He is out indefinitely. ... Nashville's 5-3 loss to the Mighty Ducks on Monday was their 13th in the past 15 road games. ``We were kind of hoping they would win that one,'' Murray said.