Los Angeles Kings

Lore & Background

During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Kings had many years marked by impressive play in the regular season only to be washed out by early playoff exits. Their highlights in those years included the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon, and the 'Triple Crown Line' of Charlie Simmer, Dave Taylor and Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who had a famous upset of the rising Edmonton Oilers in a 1982 playoff game known as the Miracle on Manchester. In 1988, the Kings traded with the Oilers to get their captain Wayne Gretzky, leading to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey's popularity in Los Angeles, and helped elevate the sport's profile in the American Sun Belt region. Gretzky, fellow Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, and defenseman Rob Blake led the Kings to the franchise's sole division title in 1990–91, and the Kings' first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1993, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens. After the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, the Kings entered financial problems, with a bankruptcy in 1995, which led to the franchise being acquired by Philip Anschutz and Ed Roski Jr. A period of mediocrity ensued, with the Kings only resurging as they broke a six-year playoff drought in the 2009–10 season, with a team that included goaltender Jonathan Quick, defenseman Drew Doughty, and forwards Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams. Under coach Darryl Sutter, who was hired early in the 2011–12 season, and with the acquisition of Jeff Carter, the Kings won two Stanley Cups in three years: 2012 over the New Jersey Devils, and 2014 over the New York Rangers, while Quick and Williams respectively won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The team has had mixed success since then as they have qualified for the playoffs from 2022 to 2026, but have not advanced past the first round – a feat they have not achieved since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Honda Center was thick with anticipation, smelling faintly of popcorn and nervous sweat. As the Ducks skated out for warm-ups against their neighbors from Los Angeles, the roar of the crowd was deafening, a wall of sound that seemed to vibrate through the ice itself. Every face-off felt personal; every blocked shot was a statement of territorial dominance. When the puck dropped in the third period, the tension snapped into pure adrenaline, a reminder that for thirty-five miles down the highway, there could only be one king of Southern California.

Reader's Guide

The source article does not provide a guide for visiting or attending games.

Did You Know?

• The Kings were founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9, 1966.
• The Kings played their first season at Long Beach Arena before moving to the Forum on December 30, 1967.
• The Kings' first Stanley Cup Final appearance was in 1993, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
• The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014.