Moreau’s status, and bad ice

A couple “housekeeping’’ items…

— First, in terms of Ethan Moreau’s stats, Moreau was officially assigned to the AHL yesterday after he cleared waivers. I’m told the Kings will “give Ethan a short time to think things over.’’ Moreau can report to Manchester or he can be put on the suspended list, at which point the Kings would not be responsible for his salary. It can’t be an easy choice for a 36-year-old veteran who has family in Southern California.

— Second, the subject of ice quality at Staples Center is a regular one. The ice has never been particularly good, but there’s a sense that it’s worse than ever. To that end, Dan Craig, the NHL’s facilities operations manager — a.k.a. “ice guru’’ — visited the arena on Saturday to check things out. It’s not known what he thought or saw, exactly, but one player said this week that the ice quality is awful, and that he often sits on the bench between shifts and notes the bad bounces that the puck takes. This player, it should be noted, also made a point of saying that both teams have to deal with bad ice, and that it wasn’t a reason for the Kings’ offensive struggles.