Roenick says pneumonia won’t keep him out of lineup

Kings sniper will face Leafs tonight ‘It’s getting out of my chest, I hope’

Jeremy Roenick arrived at the Leafs practice rink yesterday, feeling like his old self.

His bout with pneumonia — one that kept him away from his Los Angeles Kings over the past two games — was over. The NHL’s leading quote machine pronounced himself fit to play, and expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Leafs.

“ It was the first time I’ve been on the ice in four days, but I felt okay,” Roenick said.

Roenick’s health the past week deteriorated steadily and left him with a virus in his chest. He complained of a sore throat in Chicago last Wednesday. The bug progressed rapidly, forcing the club to keep him separated from the rest of the team during games in Ottawa Friday and Montreal Saturday. The Kings landed in Toronto Sunday, and Roenick headed directly to hospital for treatment and antibiotics.

“ I think I’ve got a good grip on it right now, it’s getting out of my chest I hope,” Roenick said. With his club on a four- game losing streak, Roenick hoped his appearance in Toronto — one of his favourite places to play — would spark a resurgence for his team and himself. He has just eight points in 19 games.

In the meantime, he praised Leafs goalie Ed Belfour — a teammate from his days with the Chicago Blackhawks — for reaching the second overall spot in all- time wins for NHL goalies.

“ It doesn’t surprise me about Eddie,” Roenick said. “ You knew he was going to be a legend right away. Forty years from now, they’ll be talking about Eddie Belfour.”