KINGS NOTEBOOK: SWEDES TAP NORSTROM DEFENSEMAN TO BE IN GAMES.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom was selected Wednesday to represent his native Sweden next February at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Sweden kicked off the selection process that will culminate Saturday when the U.S. team is announced on KABC-Channel 7 during intermission of the Kings-Ducks game.

The Canadian Olympic team will be announced Saturday during the popular `'Hockey Night in Canada'' telecast.

``It always is a great feeling to represent your country,'' said Norstrom, named to the 1998 Olympic team that played in Nagano, Japan. ``Playing in the NHL is as good as it gets, but there is something special about the Olympics.''

Norstrom will be joined on the Swedish team by Peter Forsberg (Colorado), Mats Sundin (Toronto), Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa), Markus Naslund (Vancouver), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit), Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver), Jorgen Jonsson (Farjestads-Swedish Elite League) and former NHL player Mikael Renberg (Lulea-Swedish Elite League).

Edmonton goaltender Tommy Salo, who defeated the Kings on Wednesday night, also was named to the team.

Kings defensemen Mathieu Schneider and Aaron Miller and forward Adam Deadmarsh are candidates for the U.S. team. Forwards Ziggy Palffy and Jozef Stumpel and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky are expected to make the Slovakian team.

Luc Robitaille, the Kings' 35-goal scorer, is a candidate for the Canadian team, for which the Mighty Ducks' Paul Kariya is a lock.

--Roster move: Before Wednesday's game, the Kings recalled right-winger Marko Tuomainen, 28, from Lowell (Mass.) of the AHL after Scott Thomas suffered a concussion in Monday night's game against Phoenix.

Thomas, 31, whose gritty play has earned him more ice time during the Kings' recent success, could be back for Saturday's game against the Ducks at Staples Center. That would force the Kings to make a decision on Tuomainen, who has been up and down six times since signing with the Kings in early January.

Tuomainen, who had nine goals in 63 games last season, came to training camp

without a contract and played at Lowell on several short-term agreements. He was free to explore other options but came back to the Kings on Jan. 3 when Jason Blake was traded to the New York Islanders.

``It is something you get used to,'' Tuomainen said of the shuttle between Lowell and L.A. `'This is the job. You do what you are asked. You have to stay prepared for whatever situation arises.''

Tuomainen, originally drafted by Edmonton (205th overall) in the 1992 entry draft, was a scratch for Wednesday's game.

When Tuomainen is playing with the Kings, he is drawing on a $500,000 contract. When he returns to Lowell, it drops to $75,000.