1.   Johnson says he continues to work diligently to make sure his surgically repaired back stays strong.

2.   Not the pleas of his coaches to hit the ground when that seems the prudent course of survival in general and protection for his surgically repaired back in particular.

3.   Several doctors have told Gardener he needs to periodically rest his surgically repaired back to avoid aggravating it.

4.   Slow, comfortable tosses to loosen his arm and body, especially his surgically repaired back.

5.   So the Pittsburgh Penguins forward has begun to play on consecutive nights, something he planned to avoid so as not to tax his surgically repaired back.

6.   The main reason the Kings were so willing to part with Tocchet was concern over his surgically repaired back.

7.   John LeClair of the Philadelphia Flyers skated for the first time Tuesday since being diagnosed with an infection in his surgically repaired back.

8.   Last July, he aggravated his surgically repaired lower back while lifting weights at home.

9.   Left wing John LeClair of the Philadelphia Flyers will be out for another two weeks because of an infection in his surgically repaired back.

10.   Left wing John LeClair of the Philadelphia Flyers is expected to miss a minimum of another two months because of an infection in his surgically repaired back.