KINGS NOTEBOOK: MURRAY'S TRAVEL PLANS UNCERTAIN.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - A neurological examination Saturday revealed Kings coach Andy Murray has slight swelling of the brain, and he must receive a doctor's clearance to rejoin the team when it plays Tuesday at Columbus.

Murray, who suffered a concussion and multiple injuries in a Feb. 15 car accident in Wisconsin, saw a neurologist near his family's home in Faribault, Minn., Saturday morning and underwent tests and therapy. Murray spent Friday night in the hospital after a recurrence of severe headaches and nausea but returned home after visiting the doctor.

Kings general manager Dave Taylor said he will respect whatever decision Murray and his doctor make.

The current plan is for Murray to board a plane Monday afternoon for Columbus, Ohio, and be on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jackets, but first he must receive medical approval Monday morning. Twice in the past week, Murray's return to the Kings has been delayed by setbacks in his recovery.

The coach's wife, Ruth, said Murray had taken prescribed medication and was fatigued but resting comfortably at home late Saturday afternoon.

``I'm optimistic that he will be able to go to Columbus,'' Ruth Murray said. ``The doctor said he needs a couple more days of rest and then we'll see, but he's feeling much better. He's really improved, even (since Saturday morning) and that's good because for a while he had been getting worse, not better.''

If Murray is not cleared to travel, Kings assistants Ray Bennett, Mark Hardy and Dave Tippett would likely share coaching duties in some fashion. All three have head-coaching experience at various lower levels, and they ran the team's practice Saturday morning for the third consecutive day.

On Friday, Taylor said the trio could handle shared coaching duties during games should Murray's return be delayed again.

--He's been there: One King who can sympathize with Murray is forward Nelson Emerson, who was sidelined for more than a month this season because of post-concussion syndrome.

Emerson has suffered several concussions during his 12-year NHL career and considered retirement during his most-recent stint on the injured list, but he has been symptom-free since late November.

``Unless you've had one, you can't really know what a person with a concussion feels like,'' Emerson said. ``I have no idea how serious (Murray's) is, but to be in a car accident like that it must be pretty serious.

``With mine, every night I went to bed and I thought I would feel better when I woke up in the morning. I never did. The headaches and the nausea just stay with you.''

Emerson stressed the fact that all concussions are different, as are recovery times. Any Kings player with post-concussion syndrome must be totally symptom-free for 10 days before he can return to practice.

Murray obviously would not be subjected to the same strenuous physical activity as his players, but concussions impact the aspects of life most people take for granted.

``You feel queasy, and the headaches are always there,'' Emerson said. ``The headaches weren't constant, but I would probably get them five times a day. It took about five weeks before they went away for good.

``I don't know exactly how Andy is feeling, but the most important thing for him is to be with his family and have them take care of him. He can worry about us later.''

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ANDY MURRAY

The Kings coach has slight swelling of the brain, a result of the concussion he received in a car accident Feb. 15.