EL SEGUNDO — Marian Gaborik described the unspecified surgery on his left knee in April as a “pretty major procedure” when speaking to reporters on Wednesday for the first time since the operation.

The 35-year-old Kings winger, who has missed 54 games over the last two seasons, did allow that two problems with his knee were addressed in the same surgery, but declined to get more specific on the nature of the procedure.

He practiced with the team for the first time on Friday, but there is no timetable for his medical clearance to play.

“It took me out for a long time,” Gaborik said of the surgery. “Just to get back and rehab was quite a process. I’m still rehabbing and doing things off the ice to make sure the structure and the strength is going to be there.”

As far as continued rehab once Gaborik is medically cleared, he said the knee will require routine maintenance. But the surgery was intended to eliminate the chronic nature of his injury.

Gaborik, who has four years remaining on the $34 million contract he signed after leading the NHL with 14 postseason goals on the way to the Kings’ 2014 Stanley Cup championship, missed the first nine weeks of last season after the Slovak broke his foot playing for Team Europe in the World Cup. He returned to the Kings in late November, but it was another month before he skated with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, the line with which he was supposed to begin the season.

Since training camp began Sept. 13 until the team left for China on Sunday, Kopitar, Brown and free agent acquisition Michael Cammalleri skated together every day. Gaborik, however, could eventually find his way onto that line given that Brown had less than 30 points four consecutive seasons before last year and the 35-year-old Cammalleri scored just 10 goals last season with the New Jersey Devils.

Gaborik’s contact has been severely limited during his handful of practices thus far in training camp, something he gradually intends to change.

“It’s going the right direction,” Gaborik said. “The group is going to come back from China (on Monday) and I’ll join them and just ramp things up from there.”

KINGS IN A FOG

Things have been going smoothly for the group of Kings in China to participate in the first NHL games hosted by the country – with perhaps one exception.

When the Kings arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai for their first practice in China, there was a thick fog hanging over the ice. Humid conditions outside the arena were the apparent cause.

The fog remained heavy during the practice time designated for the Kings opponent for a pair of preseason games in China, the Vancouver Canucks. It conveniently rolled out when the Kings began their practice following the Canucks, only to later return, though not nearly as thick.

Tail end of Vancouver's skate pic.twitter.com/SpJydzvR00 — Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) September 19, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Arena does not typically host hockey, but the Wukesong Arena in Beijing, which will host Saturday’s preseason game, has been home to a hockey team from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

The Kings will play the Canucks on Thursday at 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time, televised on NBCSN, and Saturday at 12:30 a.m. (late Friday PT) on NHL Network.

The Canucks defeated the Kings, 4-3, in overtime on Sept. 16 at Staples Center in the preseason opener for both teams.