ROBITAILLE READY TO BOW OUT `COMMON-SENSE DECISION' TO CALL IT QUITS, SAYS LEFT WING.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Luc Robitaille sat in the Montreal Forum with a stomach full of hot dogs, and butterflies, and waited for his name to be called June 9, 1984, the afternoon of the NHL Entry Draft.

"I think the draft started at 1 p.m. and finally my name got called at around 6:30 or 7," said Robitaille, the Kings' ninth-round draft pick that year. "The Forum was known for its great hot dogs, and I think I had six or seven that day. Finally they called my name and I tried to go down, but the security guard wouldn't let me. I was trying to use my best English. I said, `I got drafted, I got drafted.'

"Finally I got down there and everybody was gone. ... (Kings executive) John Wolf said, `Who are you?' and I said, `I'm Luc Robitaille, you just drafted me.' He said, `I don't have any hats or t-shirts left,' so he took his pin (off his shirt) and gave it to me. I still have that pin somewhere."

With that, Robitaille's NHL career began, and now it is soon to conclude after 19 seasons, including 14with the Kings, a career that includes countless records and memories. Robitaille, a certain Hall of Famer, officially announced his retirement Tuesday, effective after this season.

Robitaille, 40, will finish as the all-time leading scorer among NHL left wingers, the No. 10 goal scorer in league history and the top goal scorer in Kings history, but his legacy extends far beyond, to the fans he always engaged and the strangers who benefited from his immense charity work.

"There have been a lot of Luc moments," team captain Mattias Norstrom said. "There's nothing to be sad about. Luc is one of those guys who will walk out with his head up high.

"Everybody knows that careers don't last forever. For me, he's my best friend on the team and I'm going to miss him."

Robitaille skated for more than an hour in practice Tuesday, changed into a suit and walked upstairs to say good-bye. His voice cracked just once, when he described the dressing-room standing ovation he received from teammates in January after he broke Marcel Dionne's record for most goals as a King.

Stacia Robitaille, Luc's wife, was in Utah working for their charity foundation, Shelter For Serenity, but will attend his final two games, along with his parents, children and agent and close friend Pat Brisson.

Robitaille described his choice to retire as tough but "a common-sense decision."

"I remember looking at a map (after the draft) and seeing how far L.A. was," Robitaille said, "and now this is my home. It's a dream come true. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everybody who has ever touched me in the game of hockey."

Absent on Wednesday was any trace of bitterness. A day before, Brisson said Robitaille's decision had been influenced by the fact that he was scratched from three recent games, but Robitaille downplayed it.

"It had nothing to do with what happened to me last week," Robitaille said.

Instead, there were smiles and anecdotes all around. General manager Dave Taylor, Robitaille's former teammate, described Robitaille's habit of shooting pucks during practice at inopportune times.

"They would have pucks lined up along the boards for drills and Luc would shoot them," Taylor said. "He would always be hitting the goalies on the back of the legs, and they'd get mad. He would tell them, `These pucks belong in the net.' "

To that end, Robitaille certainly did his job.

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