Los Angeles Kings

Team information

• Inaugural season: 1967
• Home arena: Crypto.com Arena
• Owner: Philip Anschutz, Edward Roski
• Team colors: Black, silver, and white

Overview

The Los Angeles Kings is a professional ice hockey team that competes in the National Hockey League (NHL). Based in Los Angeles, California, the team is a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1967, the team was one of six established as part of the NHL’s expansion that year. From its founding until 1999, the Kings played their home games at The Forum in Inglewood, California. They moved their home games to the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 1999 and as of 2020 continue to play in this location. The 1970s and 1980s were notable years for the team mainly because of the “Triple Crown Line,” which included star players Charlie Simmer, Dave Taylor, and Marcel Dionne. This era also saw the “Miracle on Manchester,” a famous 1982 playoff game between the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings later traded with the Oilers in 1988 to add Wayne Gretzky to their lineup, arguably the most famous hockey player in history. Gretzky led the team to its only division championship during the 1990–1991 season as well as its first shot at the Stanley Cup in 1993. Financial troubles led to the franchise declaring bankruptcy in 1995. The team was then acquired by Philip Anschutz and Edward P. Roski, after which it entered into an unimpressive playing period before experiencing a resurgence in the 2010s, winning two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. After another playoffs slump, team owners dismissed Stanley Cup-winning coach Darryl Sutter. Between 2017 and 2019, the team hired three new coaches in the hopes of breaking its playoff losing streak.

History

The Los Angeles Kings was established as part of the NHL expansion efforts of the 1967–68 season. The expansion was a response to rumors that the Western Hockey League (WHL) was trying to create a major league to compete for the Stanley Cup. The NHL expansion to Los Angeles was initiated by Canadian entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke, who paid the NHL $2 million to have one of the expansion teams set up in the city. Since Los Angeles housed a number of people who had moved from the Northeast and parts of Canada, where hockey was very popular, Cooke considered Los Angeles to be a prime location to settle a hockey team.

While awaiting construction of The Forum to be completed, the Kings played their inaugural season at the Long Beach Arena in the nearby city of Long Beach, California. They played their first game on October 14, 1967, against the Philadelphia Flyers, defeating the team 4–2. The Forum had its grand opening two months later. The Kings played their first game there on December 30, 1967, against the Flyers, but this time the Flyers defeated them 2–0. The Kings managed to finish second of six that season, winning 31 games and losing 33.

The team had a few unremarkable seasons before it reached a turning point in the 1970s. At this time, the Kings finally made it to the playoffs and added several key players to its lineup, taking it to new heights. First, the arrival of Marcel Dionne from the Detroit Red Wings in 1971 gave the team a much-needed offensive boost. Kings’ coach Bob Berry later added a pair of young and unknown players to Dionne’s offensive line: Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer. The trio worked well together and scored a historic number of goals, eventually being nicknamed the “Triple Crown Line” for their goal-scoring prowess. The three led a 1982 upset victory against the Edmonton Oilers, a team then led by young hockey star Wayne Gretzky. This helped the Kings come back from a five goal deficit during the third period to win in what was later dubbed the “Miracle on Manchester.”

Gretzky was later added to the Kings’ roster in 1988 following the team’s purchase by Bruce McNall, a former racehorse owner. Gretzky was considered the NHL’s best player, and his addition to the Kings proved very fortuitous for the team and Gretzky himself. McNall raised Gretzky’s salary to $3 million, a move that prompted a swift rise in NHL salaries across the board throughout the 1990s. McNall also orchestrated a change to the Kings’ team colors, which were originally purple and gold. The Kings now wore silver, white, and black. Gretzky remained with the Kings through 1996, a year after the franchise declared bankruptcy. Gretzky led the Kings to their first ever Stanley Cup final in 1993. Gretzky’s tenure in Los Angeles gave the sport of hockey a boost in popularity in the West, and the Kings became a much-liked team with A-list fans such as Hollywood celebrities and politicians.

The Kings declared bankruptcy in 1995 following allegations of bank fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion against McNall and his associates. Jeffrey Sudikoff and Joseph Cohen served as the team’s owners from 1994 to 1995 before selling the franchise to Philip Anschutz and Edward Roski for $113.25 million. Shortly after the sale, the partners began the construction of a new home for the Kings and other Los Angeles sports teams. The Kings relocated their games to the state-of-the-art Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles in 1999. The arena featured luxury suites among many other modern amenities that attracted fans and athletes.

The 2000s were not remarkable years for the team, and between the 2002–03 and 2009–10 seasons, the Kings did not qualify for the playoffs once. After a slow start to the 2010s, the Kings made a comeback in 2012 under the direction of head coach Darryl Sutter and won the Stanley Cup, defeating the New Jersey Devils in the finals. The Cup win was the first in the team’s history. Two years later, the Kings captured their second Stanley Cup when they bested the New York Rangers in that year’s Stanley Cup Finals. That season was one of the best in the team’s history, with its 26-win run in the playoffs becoming the longest of any Stanley Cup-winning team in NHL history.

However, the Kings’ success dwindled over the latter half of the decade. Sutter was fired in 2017 and replaced by John Stevens. Stevens coached for one full season and a short period during the 2018–19 season before being replaced by Willie Desjardins, who was then replaced by Todd McLellan for the 2019–20 season. They missed the playoffs in 2021, finishing sixth in the Honda West Division. The team qualified for the playoffs in 2022 but were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. History repeated itself in 2023, when the Kings once again faced the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs and were defeated. In 2024, the team fired head coach Todd McLellan. Assistant coach Jim Hiller named interim head coach.

Notable players

The Kings rose to prominence among NHL teams when Wayne Gretzky was added to the roster in 1988. His time with the Kings included a division championship and the team’s first shot at the Stanley Cup. Gretzky, considered one of the league’s best players ever, raised the status of the sport among those on the West Coast. He won multiple honors during this period, including the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, and scored a record number of points during the 1988–1989 seasons that remains unsurpassed. Gretzky’s number, 99, was retired across the NHL in 2002.

Prior to Gretzky’s arrival, the team’s renowned “Triple Crown Line” featured players Charlie Simmer, Dave Taylor, and Marcel Dionne. The trio was one of the highest scoring offensive player combinations in NHL history and led the 1982 legendary victory against the Edmonton Oilers dubbed the “Miracle on Manchester.” Dionne remains the team’s all-time points’ leader with 1,307 points. He was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1992. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest players in NHL history. His number, 16, was retired in 1990.

Other notable players from the Kings include Hall of Famer Rogie Vachon, who played from 1966 to 1982 and was one of the team’s first members. Vachon’s number was retired in 1985. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, players Bernie Nicholls, Kelly Hrudey, and Hall of Famer Rob Blake proved standout players. Nicholls holds the record for most goals in one season (1988–1990). The all-time goals’ leader for the team is Luc Robitaille, whose twenty-year career (1986–2006) included 89 game-winning goals.

During the teams’ Stanley Cup-winning period, a number of players made headlines for their skills including Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick, and Drew Doughty. Center Brown and right winger Kopitar led the team in goals and assists with defenseman Doughty helping out with assists. The three are counted among the team’s top-ten scorers in franchise history. Goaltender Jonathan Quick held the record for most wins and shutouts. He was named the MVP during the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Bibliography

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