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Kings captain Brown (hamstring) skates, ‘highly unlikely’ to start season

The Los Angeles Kings welcomed a familiar face to the ice on Monday -- captain Dustin Brown, who skated for the first time since injuring his hamstring at the start of training camp.

Brown, 28, has missed all four of Los Angeles’ preseason games and seems unlikely to be ready for tomorrow night’s game against the Ducks.

Looking ahead, it’s possible he could make his return for the Kings’ Frozen Fury event -- games at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Fri, Sept. 27 (vs. the Rangers) or Sat, Sept. 28 (vs. the Avalanche) -- though those are also questionable, given he hasn’t returned to full practice yet.

One of the team’s most durable players, Brown will very likely be ready to start the regular season. He’s appeared in 610 of a possible 622 games since 2005-06, appearing in all 82 contests for three straight seasons from 2009-12.

The 2013-14 campaign also marks the last of Brown’s six-year, $19.05 million deal. His extension -- a much richer eight-year, $47 million contract -- kicks in for the 2014-15 campaign.

UPDATE

Following the skate, Kings head coach Darryl Sutter downplayed the possibility of Brown being ready for Los Angeles’ season opener on Oct. 3:

Sutter on Brown: “He skated one day since the start of camp, and he’s not a guy that can just jump into a game. So if he doesn’t get any...

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) September 23, 2013

Sutter, 2/2: ...exhibition games, I’d say it’s highly unlikely that you’ve got a player that’s ready for the season.”

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) September 23, 2013