The Los Angeles Kings are a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
team based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. The team competes in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) as a member of the
Pacific Division in the
Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and news ...
was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9, 1966, becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the
1967 NHL expansion. The Kings played their home games at
the Forum in
Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, for 32 years, until they moved to the
Crypto.com Arena in
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is a ...
at the start of the
1999–2000 season.
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
Marcel Elphège "Little Beaver" Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. Marcel ...
, who had a famous upset of the uprising
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
in a 1982 playoff game known as the
Miracle on Manchester
The Miracle on Manchester is the nickname given to a National Hockey League (NHL) playoff game between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers that took place on April 10, 1982 in the league's 65th season. The game, the third in a best-of-five ...
. In 1988, the Kings traded with the Oilers to get their captain
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, leading to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey's popularity in Los Angeles, and helped raise the sport's profile in the American
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — d ...
region. Gretzky, fellow Hall of Famer
Luc Robitaille
Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
During his 19-seaso ...
, and defenseman
Rob Blake led the Kings to the franchise's sole division title in
1990–91, and the Kings' first
Stanley Cup Final
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, french: Finale de la Coupe Stanley) is the National Hockey League's (NHL) championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, North America ...
appearance in
1993, where they lost to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
.
After the 1993 Finals, the Kings entered financial problems, with a bankruptcy in 1995, which led to the franchise being acquired by
Philip Anschutz (the owner of
Anschutz Entertainment Group and the operators of Crypto.com Arena) and
Edward P. Roski
Edward P. Roski Jr. (born 1938) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is a billionaire, president of Majestic Realty, and appeared at #115 on the Forbes 400 in 2021, and owns more than 83 million square feet of real estate across th ...
. 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 Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
s in three years:
2012 over the
New Jersey Devils, and
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
over the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
, while Quick and Williams respectively won the
Conn Smythe Trophy.
Franchise history
NHL expansion and the "Forum Blue and Gold" years (1967–1975)
When the NHL decided to
expand for the 1967–68 season amid rumblings that the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior ...
(WHL) was proposing to turn itself into a major league and compete for the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
, Canadian entrepreneur
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and news ...
paid the NHL $2 million to place one of the six expansion teams in Los Angeles.
Following a fan contest to name the team, Cooke chose the name Kings because he wanted his club to take on "an air of royalty," and picked the original team colors of purple (or "Forum Blue", as it was later officially called) and gold because they were colors traditionally associated with royalty. This color scheme, first popularized by the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
's
LSU Tigers and later on the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL), was then adopted by the
Los Angeles Lakers of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA), which Cooke also owned.
Cooke wanted his new NHL team to play in the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, home of the Lakers, but the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which managed the Sports Arena (and still manages the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum today), had already entered into an agreement with the WHL's
Los Angeles Blades (whose owners had also tried to land the NHL expansion franchise in Los Angeles) to play their games at the Sports Arena.
Frustrated by his dealings with the Coliseum Commission, Cooke said, "I am going to build my own arena...I've had enough of this balderdash."
Construction on Cooke's new arena,
the Forum, was not yet complete when the
1967–68 season began, so the Kings opened their first season at the
Long Beach Arena in the neighboring city of
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporat ...
on October 14, 1967, defeating another expansion team, the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
, 4–2.
The "Fabulous Forum" finally opened its doors on December 30, 1967, with the Kings being shut out by the Flyers, 2–0.
While the first two seasons had the Kings qualifying for the playoffs,
afterwards poor management led the Kings into hard times. The general managers established a history of trading away first-round draft picks, usually for veteran players,
and attendance suffered during this time.
Eventually the Kings made a few key acquisitions to resurge as a contender. By acquiring
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
winger Bob Pulford, who would later become the Kings' head coach, in 1970,
Finnish center
Juha Widing in a trade from the New York Rangers, and
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
goaltender
Rogie Vachon in 1971,
the Kings went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best, and in 1974 they returned to the playoffs.
Marcel Dionne and the "Triple Crown Line" (1975–1988)
After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both
1973–74 and
1974–75, the Kings moved to significantly upgrade their offensive firepower when they acquired center
Marcel Dionne
Marcel Elphège "Little Beaver" Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. Marcel ...
from the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...
.
Behind Dionne's offensive prowess, the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon, and the speed and scoring touch of forward
Butch Goring,
the Kings played two of their most thrilling seasons yet, with playoff match ups against the then-
Atlanta Flames in the first round, and the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...
in the second round, both times being eliminated by Boston.
Bob Pulford left the Kings after the
1976–77 season after constant feuding with then owner Jack Kent Cooke, and General Manager
Jake Milford
John Calverley "Jake" Milford (July 29, 1914 – December 24, 1984) was a general manager in the National Hockey League.
In the early sixties, Milford built the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League into a powerhouse winning th ...
decided to leave as well. This led to struggles in the
1977–78 season, where the Kings finished below .500 and were easily swept out of the first round by the Maple Leafs. Afterwards, Vachon became a free agent and sign with the Red Wings. The following season, Kings coach
Bob Berry tried juggling line combinations, and Dionne found himself on a new line with two young, mostly unknown players: second-year right winger
Dave Taylor and left winger
Charlie Simmer, who had been a career minor-leaguer.
Each player benefited from each other, with Simmer being the gritty player who battled along the boards, Taylor being the play maker, and Dionne being the natural goal scorer. This line combination, known as the "Triple Crown Line", would go on to become one of the highest-scoring line combinations in NHL history.
During the first three seasons of the Triple Crown Line, a period where Dr.
Jerry Buss purchased the Kings, the Lakers, and the Forum for $67.5 million,
the Kings were eliminated in the first round. The Kings regressed in
1981–82 finishing 17th overall, but this was nevertheless good enough to make the
1982 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 7, after the conclusion of the 1981–82 NHL season. The playoffs concluded on May 16 with the champion New York Islanders defeating the ...
under the new format put in place that year as they were still fourth in their division with 63 points, the lowest point total of any playoff team but ahead of the
Colorado Rockies, the worst team in the league that season. However, Los Angeles managed to upset the second overall
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
, who finished 48 points ahead of them during the season and were led by the young
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
.
With two victories in Edmonton and one at the Forum – dubbed "
Miracle on Manchester
The Miracle on Manchester is the nickname given to a National Hockey League (NHL) playoff game between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers that took place on April 10, 1982 in the league's 65th season. The game, the third in a best-of-five ...
", where the Kings managed to erase a 5–0 deficit at the third period and eventually win in
overtime – the Kings upset the vaunted Oilers, but they wound up eliminated by eventual finalists
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...
in five games.
The 1982 off-season saw the moribund Rockies move to
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. . To keep the divisions geographically and numerically balanced, the re-named
New Jersey Devils were re-aligned to the Patrick Division while the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
took their place in the Smythe Division. It was immediately apparent that the Kings, now the lone American team in the division, would have a much more difficult time staying out of last place since Winnipeg, after struggling for their first two seasons after
moving over from the WHA, had already improved to a .500 record the previous season. Despite Dionne's leadership, the Kings missed the playoffs in the next two seasons.
The Kings managed to record a winning record in
1984–85 under coach
Pat Quinn, although it was still only good enough for fourth place. This time, the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Oilers on their way to capturing their second-straight Stanley Cup championship.
After a losing season in
1985–86, the Kings saw two important departures during
1986–87, as Quinn signed a contract in December to become coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks with just months left on his Kings contract – eventually being suspended by
NHL President John Ziegler for creating a conflict of interest -
and Dionne left the franchise in March in a trade to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
.
Despite these shocks, a young squad that would lead the Kings into the next decade, including star forwards
Bernie Nicholls,
Jimmy Carson
James Charles Carson (born July 20, 1968) is an American former professional hockey player. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League with five different teams. In 1988, he became only the second teenager in NHL history to score 50 goals ...
,
Luc Robitaille
Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
During his 19-seaso ...
, and defenseman
Steve Duchesne,
started to flourish under head coach
Mike Murphy, who played thirteen season with the Kings and was their captain for seven years, and his replacement
Robbie Ftorek.
The Kings made the playoffs for two seasons, but they were unable to get out of the first round given the playoff structuring forced them to play either the Oilers or the equally powerful
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...
en route to the Conference Finals. In all, the Kings faced either the Oilers or the Flames in the playoffs four times during the 1980s.
The Gretzky era (1988–1995)
In 1987, coin collector
Bruce McNall purchased the Kings from Buss and turned the team into a Stanley Cup contender almost overnight. After changing the team colors to silver and black,
McNall acquired the league's best player, Wayne Gretzky, in a blockbuster trade with the Edmonton Oilers on August 9, 1988. The trade rocked the hockey world, especially north of the border, where Canadians mourned the loss of a player they considered a national treasure.
Gretzky's arrival generated much excitement about hockey and the NHL in Southern California, and the ensuing popularity of the Kings is credited for the arrival of another team in the region (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, renamed the
Anaheim Ducks in 2006), as well as the arrival of a new team in Northern California (the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertain ...
) and the NHL's expanding or moving into other
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — d ...
cities such as
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
,
Phoenix,
Tampa,
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
Nashville, and
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
.
In Gretzky's first season with the Kings, he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists, and won his ninth
Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
. The fourth overall Kings eliminated Gretzky's old team, the Oilers, in the first round of the 1989 playoffs before being swept out in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Flames.
Clashes between Gretzky and head coach Robbie Ftorek led to Ftorek's dismissal,
and he was replaced by
Tom Webster. The
next season, where Gretzky became the league's all-time leading scorer,
was the inverse of its predecessor, with the Kings eliminating the defending champion Flames before falling to the eventual champion Oilers.
Gretzky spearheaded the Kings to their first regular season division title in franchise history in the 1990–91 season, but the heavily favored Kings lost a close series against Edmonton in the second round that saw four games go into overtime.
After a third straight elimination by the Oilers in 1992, Webster was fired. General manager Rogie Vachon was moved to a different position in the organization and named
Nick Beverley
Nicholas Gerald Beverley (born April 21, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. Beverley played over 500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and later coached in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL). ...
as his successor, and Beverley hired
Barry Melrose, then with the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...
's
Adirondack Red Wings, as head coach.
Melrose would help the Kings reach new heights in the
1992–93 season, even if Gretzky missed 39 games with a career-threatening herniated thoracic disk. Led by Luc Robitaille, who served as captain in Gretzky's absence,
the Kings finished with a 39–35–10 record (88 points), clinching third place in the Smythe Division.
Heavily contested series in the 1993 playoffs had the Kings eliminating the Flames, Canucks and Leafs en route to their first berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1993 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1992–93 season, and the culmination of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens. I ...
, the Kings faced the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
. They won the first game 4–1, but late in Game 2, with the Kings leading by a score of 2–1, Canadiens coach
Jacques Demers requested a measurement of Kings defenseman
Marty McSorley's stick blade.
His suspicions proved to be correct, as the curve of blade was too great, and McSorley was penalized.
The Canadiens pulled their goalie,
Patrick Roy, giving them a two-man advantage, and
Eric Desjardins
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* a ...
scored on the resulting power play to tie the game.
Montreal went on to win the game in overtime on another goal by Desjardins,
and the Kings never recovered. They dropped the next two games in overtime, and lost Game 5, 4–1, giving the Canadiens their league-leading 24th Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Bankruptcy, move to the Staples Center, and rebuild (1995–2009)
The years after the 1993 playoff run were tough for the Kings, as a sluggish start in the
1993–94 season cost them a playoff berth, their first absence from the postseason since 1986. However, Gretzky provided a notable highlight during that year on March 23, 1994, when he scored his 802nd career goal to pass
Gordie Howe
Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer. At the same time, McNall defaulted on a loan from
Bank of America
The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank ...
, who threatened to force the Kings into bankruptcy unless he sold the team. After the federal government launched an investigation into his financial practices, McNall finally sold the club to IDB Communications founder Jeffrey Sudikoff and former
Madison Square Garden president Joseph Cohen.
It later emerged that McNall's free-spending ways put the Kings in serious financial trouble; at one point, Cohen and Sudikoff were even unable to meet player payroll, and were ultimately forced into bankruptcy in 1995.
They were forced to trade many of their stronger players, and the middling results led to Gretzky demanding a trade to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. He would be dealt to the
St. Louis Blues in 1996.
On October 6, 1995, one day before the
1995–96 season opener, a bankruptcy court approved the purchase of the Kings by
Phillip Anschutz
Philip Frederick Anschutz ( ; born December 28, 1939) is an American billionaire businessman who owns or controls companies in a variety of industries, including energy, railroads, real estate, sports, newspapers, movies, theaters, arenas and mu ...
and
Edward P. Roski
Edward P. Roski Jr. (born 1938) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is a billionaire, president of Majestic Realty, and appeared at #115 on the Forbes 400 in 2021, and owns more than 83 million square feet of real estate across th ...
for $113.5 million. The subsequent rebuild saw the Kings only return to the playoffs in
1998, led by captain Rob Blake and players like
Jozef Stumpel and
Glen Murray, where the highly skilled St. Louis Blues swept the team in four games. The Kings suffered through an injury-plagued season in
1998–99 as they finished last in the
Pacific Division and missed the playoffs with a 32–45–5 record, leading to the dismissal of head coach
Larry Robinson.
The Kings, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, made an even bigger move in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, as they left
The Forum after 32 seasons and moved to the
Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which was built by Anschutz and Roski. Staples Center was a state-of-the-art arena, complete with luxury suites and all modern amenities. With a new home, a new coach (
Andy Murray), a potential 50-goal scorer in the fold in
Ziggy Palffy
Ziggy is a masculine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Zygmunt, Zigmunt and other names. It is also a nickname. Notable people with the name include:
Nickname or hypocorism
* Ezekiel Ansah (born 1989), National Football Lea ...
, and players such as Blake, Robitaille, Murray, Stumpel,
Donald Audette
Donald Daniel Audette (born September 23, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Montr ...
,
Ian Laperriere
Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...
and
Mattias Norstrom
Mattias is a masculine given name found most prominently in Northern Europe. It is a cognate of Matthew and Matthias, and may refer to:
Sports
* Mattias Adelstam (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Mattias Asper (born 1974), Swedish goalkeeper
...
, the Kings improved dramatically, finishing the season the 1999–2000 season with a 39–31–12–4 record (94 points), good for second place in the Pacific Division. While Audette would struggle under the Kings' system and was unhappy as the number two right wing, most of the new Kings like
Bryan Smolinski and Palffy would find success under Andy Murray. But in the 2000 playoffs, the Kings were once again dispatched in the first round, this time by the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.
The
2000–01 season was controversial, as fans began to question AEG's commitment to the success of the Kings because they failed to significantly improve the team during the off-season. Adding fuel to the fire was the February 21, 2001, trade of star defenseman and fan favorite Rob Blake to the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
.
Despite this, two players received in the deal, right wing
Adam Deadmarsh and defenseman
Aaron Miller, became impact players for the Kings, who finished the 2000–01 season with a 38–28–13–3 record (92 points), good for a third-place finish in the Pacific Division and another first-round playoff date with the Detroit Red Wings.
The heavily favored Red Wings suffered an upset, losing in six games for the Kings' first playoff series win since 1993.
In the second round, the Kings forced seven games in their series against the Avalanche, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
[
Afterwards, during the off-season, Luc Robitaille turned down a one-year deal with a substantial pay cut and ended up signing with Detroit, as the Red Wings represented his best chance at winning the Stanley Cup, and like Tomas Sandstrom before him in 1997, Robitaille won the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2002. The Kings started off the season with a sluggish October and November, and then found their game again to finish with 95 points. They in fact were tied in points with the second-place Phoenix Coyotes, and only finished third in the Pacific Division and seventh in the West due to a goals-for differential—the Coyotes having 228 and the Kings having 214 as a team. In the playoffs they met the Colorado Avalanche once again, this time in the first round. The series would prove to be a carbon copy of their previous meeting, with the Kings behind three games to one and bouncing back to tie the series, only to be dominated in the seventh game and eliminated. The next seasons would be major disappointments as the Kings hit another major decline, missing the postseason up until the 2009–10 season.
During those mediocre seasons, there would be a few bright spots in the form of draft picks that would attribute to future success for the team, beginning with the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Players such as Dustin Brown (2003), Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick (both 2005), and Drew Doughty (2008) were drafted and would help the Kings reach the playoffs once again.
]
Return to the playoffs and Stanley Cups (2009–2014)
During the 2009–10 season, the team had built a consistent roster with goalie Jonathan Quick, defenseman Drew Doughty, and forwards Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Finishing sixth overall in the West with 101 points, just the third 100-plus point season in franchise history, and establishing a franchise record with a nine-game unbeaten streak, the Kings returned to the playoffs, where they lost to a highly skilled Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...
team in six games. The Kings entered the 2011 playoffs as the seventh seed in the West and played San Jose in the first round. Despite Anze Kopitar's absence with injury, the Kings pushed the series to six games until an overtime goal by Joe Thornton qualified the Sharks.
A bad start to the 2011–12 season resulted in coach Terry Murray
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...
being fired, with Darryl Sutter being chosen as his replacement. The Kings were much improved under Sutter, finishing with the eight seed after trading for Jeff Carter midseason and having finishing the season with a 40–27–15 record for 95 points. The Kings then headed into the 2012 playoffs against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks. After playing two games in Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
and one in Los Angeles, the Kings were up 3–0 in the series, a franchise first. By winning Game 5 in Vancouver, the Kings advanced to the Conference Semi-finals for the first time since the 2000–01 season, whereupon they swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for only the second time in franchise history. In doing so, the Kings also became the first NHL team to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed and eliminate the first- and second-seeded teams in the Conference. They then defeated Phoenix in five games to reach the Finals, culminating in an overtime goal by Dustin Penner
Dustin Penner (born September 28, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals. Undrafted by any N ...
in Game 5, and thus becoming the second team in NHL history to beat the top three Conference seeds in the playoffs (the Calgary Flames achieved the same feat in 2004, ironically also under Darryl Sutter) and the first eighth seed to accomplish the feat.
Los Angeles faced the New Jersey Devils in the Final, defeating them in six games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. With the Game 6 victory occurring on home ice at Staples Center, the Kings became the first team since the 2007 Anaheim Ducks to win the Stanley Cup at home, as well as the second Californian NHL team to do so. The Kings became the first eight seed champion in any of the North American major leagues, the first Stanley Cup champion that finished below fifth in its conference, and the third to finish below second in its division (after the 1993 Canadiens and the 1995 Devils).[ Goaltender Jonathan Quick was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs, and soon after signed a ten-year contract extension on June 28.]
Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, the 2012–13 Los Angeles Kings season began on January 19, 2013, and was shortened to 48 games. The Kings finished the season as the fifth seed in the West and began the defense of the Cup on the road against the St. Louis Blues, who they swept in the 2012 playoffs. After losing the first two games, the Kings won four in a row to eliminate the Blues in six games. In the second round, they then played a very tough San Jose Sharks team, this time with home-ice advantage. In the first game, Jarret Stoll
Jarret Lee Stoll (born June 24, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Stoll has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.
He is a two-time St ...
suffered an injury from the Sharks' Raffi Torres, who ended up being suspended for the rest of the series. The Kings eventually won in seven games. In the Western Conference Finals, they faced the number one seed in the West and Presidents' Trophy winner, the Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
. After dropping the first two games, the Kings won Game 3 with Jeff Carter suffering an injury from Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, who was suspended for Game 4 as a result. After losing Game 4, the Kings battled the Blackhawks through two overtime periods in Game 5, with Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane II (born November 19, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pic ...
eventually scoring the game-winning goal that won the game and the series, sending the Blackhawks to the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals and ending the Kings' season.
During the 2013–14 season, the Kings acquired Marian Gaborik
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queenslan ...
, and qualified for their fifth straight playoffs with the sixth-best result of the West. In the first round of the 2014 playoffs, the Kings played their in-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks. After losing the first three games to the Sharks, the Kings became the fourth team in NHL history to win the final four games in a row after initially being down three games to none, beating the Sharks in San Jose in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, the Kings played another in-state rival, Anaheim. After starting the series with two wins, the Kings lost three-straight games, trailing the series three games to two. However, for the second time in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Kings were able to rally back after being down in the series and defeated the Ducks in Anaheim in Game 7. In the third round, the Kings jumped out to a three-games-to-one lead against Stanley Cup-defending Chicago, but were unable to close out the series in the fifth and sixth games. On June 1, 2014, the Kings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three years after winning Game 7, 4–3, in overtime through a goal from Alec Martinez
Alec Martinez (born July 26, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. ...
, clinching their third Western Conference title in franchise history. The Kings became the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7s en route to a Stanley Cup Finals berth. Not only were the Kings the first team in history to accomplish this feat, but they also managed to win all game sevens on opposing ice. For the third time, the Kings were finalists after finishing third in their division and sixth or lower in their conference.[
In the Final, the Kings faced the Eastern Conference-winning ]New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
, who had defeated the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in six games in the Eastern Finals. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in five games, culminating with an Alec Martinez
Alec Martinez (born July 26, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. ...
goal in the second overtime of Game 5 at Staples Center. The championship run had a record-tying 26 playoff games (the 1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers and 2003–04 Calgary Flames being the others), with the Kings facing elimination a record seven times. With their Game 7 victory in the Conference Finals and wins in the first two games of the Cup Finals, they became the first team to win three consecutive playoff games after trailing by more than one goal in each game. Justin Williams, who scored twice in the Finals and had points in all three Game 7s throughout the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Playoff struggles and return to rebuilding (2014–present)
Having won two Stanley Cup championships in the last three years, the Kings entered the 2014–15 season as the early favorites to retain their title. However, the Kings struggled often, with scoring slumps, defensemen losing games to injury and suspensions and frequent road losses. A defeat to the Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...
in the penultimate game of the season eliminated the Kings from playoff contention, while qualifying Calgary, which coincidentally missed the postseason during the Kings' five-season playoff streak. Despite finishing with a record of 40–27–15, the Kings became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to miss the postseason since the 2006–07 Carolina Hurricanes and only the fourth overall since the 1967 NHL expansion season.
At the start of the 2015–16 season, the Kings were expected to make the playoffs. They entered the playoffs as the fifth seed in their conference and second seed in their division. They faced the San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertain ...
, but lost to them in five games. On June 16, 2016, the Kings named Anze Kopitar the 14th captain in team history, replacing Dustin Brown, who had led the team for the past eight seasons.
The Kings celebrated their 50th anniversary during the 2016–17 season along with the other still active 1967 expansion teams (the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins), and for the first time since 2002, they hosted the NHL All-Star Game; Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty would represent the Kings at the All-Star Game, with the former leading the team in scoring this season. Goaltender Jonathan Quick suffered an injury on opening night that sidelined him for most of the season, and the Kings struggled without him. Backup Peter Budaj
Peter Budaj ( ; born 18 September 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender. He had previously played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, which drafted him, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Tam ...
filled the void, earning his first starting duties since his time with the Colorado Avalanche six years earlier, but near the trade deadline, the Kings traded him to Tampa Bay for another goalie, Ben Bishop who shared the crease with Jonathan Quick down the stretch, the superstar having returned from his injury. Despite the trade, the Kings ultimately missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and, in the offseason, fired general manager Dean Lombardi and head coach Darryl Sutter. Assistant general manager Rob Blake was promoted to be the new general manager and John Stevens took over as head coach after serving as associate head coach for the Kings for several seasons. In the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights drafted defenseman Brayden McNabb
Brayden Luke McNabb (born January 21, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally selected 66th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL Entry Dr ...
, who had been left unprotected by the Kings. In the next season, the Kings clinched the 2018 playoffs as a wild card, but were swept by the expansion Golden Knights.
On November 4, 2018, the Kings fired Stevens as head coach after the team started the 2018–19 season 4–8–1, and replaced him with Willie Desjardins
Wilbrod "Willie" Desjardins (born February 11, 1957) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. He is currently head coach and general manager of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. He has also been the head coach of the NHL's Vancouver ...
. In Desjardins' debut on November 7, the Kings defeated the Ducks 4–1. The Kings finished the 2018–19 season in last place in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference with 71 points and they missed the playoffs for the third time in five seasons.
The Kings hired Todd McLellan
Todd Andrew McLellan (born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the San Jo ...
as their next head coach on April 16, 2019. The 2019–20 season was highlighted by several rebuilding moves, as players such as Trevor Lewis
Trevor ( Trefor in the Welsh language) is a common given name or surname of Welsh origin. It is an habitational name, deriving from the Welsh ''tre(f)'', meaning "homestead", or "settlement" and ''fawr'', meaning "large, big". The Cornish l ...
, Jack Campbell, Kyle Clifford
Kyle Frank Clifford (born January 13, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey Le ...
, Derek Forbort and Alec Martinez
Alec Martinez (born July 26, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. ...
would all depart the team, through trades or (in Lewis' case) via free agency. The team notably won the 2020 NHL Stadium Series in a 3–1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, which saw Tyler Toffoli
Tyler Toffoli ( ; born April 24, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entr ...
score the league's first hat trick in an outdoor regular-season game; Toffoli was traded to the Vancouver Canucks two days after the feat. In their later portion of the season, the Kings called up several prospects including Mikey Anderson, Gabe Vilardi and Cal Petersen
Calvin Louis Petersen (born October 19, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was ...
, as the team went on a 7-game win streak, showcasing their deep and talented prospect pool. This win streak, however, would mark the end of their season; the NHL would pause its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, and as part of their plan to return to play, the regular season was officially ended, and the Kings were one of seven teams left out of the playoffs. They were automatically entered into the first phase of the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery, in which the Kings received the second overall pick.
In the 2020–21 season, the Kings had another rebuilding year as they traded Jeff Carter, extended Alex Iafallo
Alexander Iafallo (born December 21, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Early life
Iafallo was born on December 21, 1993, in Eden, New York, to father Tom and ...
, and saw debuts of prospects like Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Jaret Lynn Anderson-Dolan (born September 12, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Anderson-Dolan was selected in the second round of the 2017 NHL E ...
, Arthur Kaliyev
Arthur Kaliyev (russian: Артур Калиев; born June 26, 2001) is an Uzbekistani-born American professional ice hockey forward for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 33rd overall by the Kings in the ...
, Tobias Bjornfot, Rasmus Kupari and Quinton Byfield
Quinton Byfield (born August 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Byfield was selected se ...
. A bright spot saw Anze Kopitar score his 1,000th point near season's end. They finished sixth in the Honda West division and missed the playoffs again. During the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft
The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft was an expansion draft that was conducted by the National Hockey League on July 21, 2021, to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 2021–22 season, the Seattle Kraken.
Background
On December 4, 201 ...
, the Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...
selected Kurtis MacDermid
Kurtis MacDermid (born March 25, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). MacDermid won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. He is mostly kno ...
from the Kings, who was left unprotected (he would later be traded to the Colorado Avalanche).
In the lead up to the 2021–22 season, the Kings acquired forwards Phillip Danault
Phillip Danault (born February 24, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center and an alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 26th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL En ...
and Viktor Arvidsson
Johan Viktor Arvidsson (born 8 April 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round, 112th overall, at the 2014 NHL ...
during the offseason. They also signed defenseman Alexander Edler
Ulf Niklas Alexander Edler (born 21 April 1986) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Vancouver Canucks. He was drafted out of Sweden's third- ...
in an effort to bolster their blue line presence. The Kings qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons, despite losing Drew Doughty to injury. This season would also prove to be Dustin Brown’s last, as the forward announced on April 28, 2022, he would retire following the 2022 playoffs. They were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
in seven games in the First Round.
Team identity
Uniforms and logos
The Los Angeles Kings debuted in the NHL wearing purple – officially the shade "Forum blue" – and gold uniforms. The original design was simple and straightforward, featuring monochrome striping on the shoulders and tail, as well as purple pants with white and gold trim. Later on, white trim was added on the numbers, and names were also added, while tail stripes were adjusted. At one point, gold pants were used to pair with the gold uniforms during the 1970s. A variation of the original crown logo, with a contrasting color background, was used with this uniform.
From 1980 to 1988, the Kings modified their uniforms to include a contrasting yoke that extends from sleeve to sleeve. White was also added to the socks, on the tail stripes, and at the bottom of the yoke, but the color was removed from the pants. The names and numbers were also modified to a standard NHL block lettering.
Just in time for Wayne Gretzky's arrival, the Kings' colors changed to black and silver, mirroring those of the Los Angeles Raiders. The new uniforms did not deviate much from the prior design, save for the color scheme, a new primary Kings logo, and a switch from a contrasting yoke color to sleeve stripes. With minor changes to the text, number font and pant striping, the uniforms were used until the 1997–98 season.
The Kings briefly reintroduced purple and gold to the color scheme upon unveiling an alternate jersey for the 1995–96 season. The uniform featured a gradually fading black splash, medieval-inspired serif text, and a logo of a bearded figure wearing a golden crown. The so-called "Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant ch ...
" jersey proved to be unpopular with fans, and was scrapped after only one season.
For the 1998–99 season, the Kings unveiled new logos, uniforms and a new purple-silver-white color scheme, as black and silver had become associated with gang colors. The shade of purple was a lighter shade than the one used in the "Forum blue and gold" era. The new primary logo was a shield and crest featuring three royal symbols–a sunglass-clad lion, a crown and the Sun. The jerseys featured the shield logo with hints of purple on the yoke, sleeve stripes and tail. By coincidence, this was the same color scheme as the NBA's Sacramento Kings, who had rebranded to the scheme four years before the NHL's Kings did, as well as the Colorado Rockies (not to be confused with the NHL Rockies who became the New Jersey Devils) of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
. The bottom of the jerseys read the city name. A purple alternate jersey featuring the updated secondary crown logo was unveiled for the 1999–2000 season. In 2002, the crown logo became the primary while the shield logo was demoted to alternate status. The socks on the black and purple uniforms also switched designations to match their counterparts. Upon moving to the Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
Edge design in 2007, the jerseys were updated without the tail stripes. The purple-tinged road jerseys were used until the 2010–11 season, while the home jersey was demoted to alternate status in 2011 and remained in use until 2013.
In 2008, the Kings unveiled an alternate jersey inspired by the 1988–98 Kings motif. The current logo, now in a black and silver banner with the updated crown logo and 'LA' abbreviation on top, made its debut with the jersey. Three years later, the Kings completed the transition back to the classic black and silver by unveiling a new away jersey, which unlike the home jersey, features a black and silver tail stripe. The Kings script from their 1988–98 logo returned on the helmets, and would stay that way until 2013, when they were replaced by the current Kings script.
From the 2010–11 to the 2016–17 seasons, the Kings have also worn their classic purple and gold jerseys from the late 1970s as part of "Legends Night" on select home dates. Minor changes in the uniform include the NHL shield logo on the neck piping, as well as the use of the Reebok Edge design.
The Kings wore silver jerseys with white trim, black stripes and shoulder yoke during the 2014 NHL Stadium Series. The uniforms featured a metallic treatment of the alternate crown logo in front. The sleeve numbers were slightly tilted diagonally, while the back numbers were enlarged for visibility purposes. A new 'LA' alternate logo was placed on the left shoulder yoke. For the 2015 Stadium Series, the Kings wore a tricolored jersey featuring the team's silver, black and white colors. Both the sleeve and back numbers are enlarged, while white pants were used with this jersey.
As part of the Kings' 50th anniversary in the 2016–17 season, the team wore commemorative silver alternate jerseys with a black shoulder yoke and striping for every Saturday home game. The logos and lettering were accented with metallic gold, while a purple neckline featured five gold diamonds to symbolize the Kings' original colors. A 50th Anniversary patch was adorned on the right shoulder.
Adidas signed an agreement with the NHL to be the official manufacturer of uniforms and licensed apparel for all teams, starting with the 2017–18 season, replacing Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
. The home and away uniforms that were debuted in the 2007–08 season remained identical with the exception of the new Adidas ADIZERO template and the new collar. With the new collar, the NHL shield was moved to the front and center on a pentagon with a new "Chrome Flex" style. The waist stripes on the road white jersey became curved instead of being straight across.
In the 2018–19 season, the Kings brought back their silver alternate uniforms last used in the 2016–17 season, minus the metallic gold elements in the logo and numerals. The uniform was retired following the 2020–21 season.
During the 2019–20 season, the Kings brought back the 1992–98 white uniform (with black letters and silver trim) as a ''heritage'' uniform for two games.
The 2020 NHL Stadium Series saw the Kings wear special black and white uniforms with "LA" tilted upward in front, along with chrome helmets. The uniforms took cues from the angular architecture and aircraft of the United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...
.
In the 2020–21 season, the Kings unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform in collaboration with Adidas. The uniform essentially recreated the design worn from 1988 to 1998, but black and silver were replaced by the team's original purple and gold colors.
Before the 2021–22 season, the Kings replaced their silver alternates with a modernized version of the throwback 1990s white uniforms. The design featured slightly different striping patterns from the originals, and were paired with chrome helmets.
A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was unveiled in the 2022–23 season, featuring the 1980–88 uniform but with a white base, purple stripes and gold accents.
Mascot
Since 2007, the mascot of the Kings is Bailey, a 6-foot lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...
(6-foot 4 inches with mane included) who wears No. 72 because it is the average temperature in Los Angeles. He was named in honor of Garnet "Ace" Bailey, who served Director of Pro Scouting for seven years before dying in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
. Bailey is the second mascot, after Kingston the snow leopard in the early 1990s.
Rivalries
The Kings have developed strong rivalries with the two other Californian teams of the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks – who also play in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, leading to the rivalry nickname "Freeway Face-Off
The Freeway Face-Off is an ice hockey rivalry between the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. The series takes its name from the massive freeway system in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, the home of both ...
" as both cities are separated by the Interstate 5 - and the San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertain ...
– which also showcases the contrast between Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
and Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...
. The Kings eliminated both teams during the 2014 Stanley Cup run, and have played outdoor games with them for the NHL Stadium Series, losing to the Ducks at Dodger Stadium in 2014 and beating the Sharks at Levi's Stadium
Levi's Stadium is an American football stadium located in Santa Clara, California, just outside San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has served as the home venue for the National Football League (NFL)'s San Francisco 49ers since 201 ...
the following year.[ Starting in 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights joined the league, they also have been considered a rival of the Kings since.
]
Season-by-season record
''List of the last five seasons completed by the Kings. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Los Angeles Kings seasons
This is a list of seasons completed by the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. This list documents the records and playoff results for all seasons the Kings have completed in the NHL since their inception in 1967.
Table key
Year ...
''
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses/shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
Players and personnel
Current roster
Team captains
* Bob Wall, 1967–1969
* Larry Cahan, 1969–1971
* Bob Pulford, 1971–1973
* Terry Harper
Terrance Victor Harper (born January 27, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Harper played in the National Hockey League from 1962 to 1981. During this time, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit ...
, 1973–1975
* Mike Murphy, 1975–1981
* Dave Lewis, 1981–1983
* Terry Ruskowski, 1983–1985
* Dave Taylor, 1985–1989
* Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 1989–1996
* Luc Robitaille
Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
During his 19-seaso ...
, 1992–1993, 2006[Robitaille served as captain to start the 1992–93 season, while Gretzky was injured. Gretzky resumed his role as captain when he returned to the lineup. Robitaille again served as captain for the 2 final games of his career.]
* Rob Blake, 1996–2001, 2007–2008
* Mattias Norstrom
Mattias is a masculine given name found most prominently in Northern Europe. It is a cognate of Matthew and Matthias, and may refer to:
Sports
* Mattias Adelstam (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Mattias Asper (born 1974), Swedish goalkeeper
...
, 2001–2007
* Dustin Brown, 2008–2016, 2022[Brown was named captain for the team's final game of the 2021–2022 season]
* Anze Kopitar, 2016–present
Head coaches
* Red Kelly: 1967–1969
* Hal Laycoe
Harold Richardson Laycoe (June 23, 1922 — April 29, 1998) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins between 1945 and 1956. Aft ...
: 1969–1970
* Johnny Wilson: 1969–1970
* Larry Regan: 1970–1972
* Fred Glover: 1971–1972
* Bob Pulford: 1972–1977
* Ron Stewart
Ronald George Stewart (July 11, 1932 – March 17, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1952 to 1973, as well as a coach. He spent the first half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ...
: 1977–1978
* Bob Berry: 1978–1981
* Parker MacDonald: 1981–1982
* Don Perry: 1982–1984
* Rogie Vachon (interim)*: 1984, 1988, 1995
* Roger Neilson: 1984
* Pat Quinn: 1984–1987
* Mike Murphy: 1987–1988
* Robbie Ftorek: 1988–1989
* Tom Webster: 1989–1992
* Barry Melrose: 1992–1995
* Larry Robinson: 1995–1999
* Andy Murray: 1999–2006
* John Torchetti
John Torchetti (born July 9, 1964) is a former American ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. Torchetti has been an interim head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florid ...
(interim)*: 2006
* Marc Crawford: 2006–2008
* Terry Murray
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...
: 2008–2011
* John Stevens (interim)*: 2011, 2017–2018
* Darryl Sutter: 2011–2017
* Willie Desjardins
Wilbrod "Willie" Desjardins (born February 11, 1957) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. He is currently head coach and general manager of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. He has also been the head coach of the NHL's Vancouver ...
(interim): 2018–2019
* Todd McLellan
Todd Andrew McLellan (born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the San Jo ...
2019–present
Notes:
* Rogie Vachon took over as interim head coach for the Kings on three occasions, the first for two games in the middle of the 1983–84 season after Don Perry was fired, then replaced by Roger Neilson. The second time was for one game in the middle of 1987–88 season after Mike Murphy was fired, then replaced by Robbie Ftorek. The third occasion was for the final seven games in the 1994–95 lockout-shortened season after Barry Melrose was fired, then replaced by Larry Robinson. In all those times, he returned to his duties in the Kings front office.
* John Torchetti took over as interim head coach for the final twelve games of the 2005–06 season after Andy Murray was fired. ''Torchetti was replaced by Marc Crawford at the end of the 2005–06 season.''
* John Stevens took over as interim head coach for four games in the middle of the 2011–12 season after Terry Murray was fired. He would return to his duties as assistant coach after Darryl Sutter was hired. Stevens would return again, this time as the permanent replacement for Sutter in 2017.
General managers
* Larry Regan: 1967–1973
* Jake Milford
John Calverley "Jake" Milford (July 29, 1914 – December 24, 1984) was a general manager in the National Hockey League.
In the early sixties, Milford built the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League into a powerhouse winning th ...
: 1973–1977
* George Maguire: 1977–1984
* Rogie Vachon: 1984–1992
* Nick Beverley
Nicholas Gerald Beverley (born April 21, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. Beverley played over 500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and later coached in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL). ...
: 1992–1994
* Sam McMaster
Sam McMaster (born May 3, 1944) is a former NHL General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings ( NHL), whom he managed from 1994 to 1997.
McMaster served as the general manager for both the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Sudbury Wolves of the O ...
: 1994–1997
* Dave Taylor: 1997–2006
* Dean Lombardi
Dean Lombardi (born March 5, 1958) is an American ice hockey executive with the Philadelphia Flyers. He most recently served as the president, general manager and alternate governor of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). ...
: 2006–2017
* Rob Blake: 2017–present
Team owners
* Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and news ...
: 1967–1979
* Jerry Buss: 1979–1988
* Bruce McNall: 1988–1994
* Joseph M. Cohen and Jeffery Sudikoff: 1994–1995
* Philip Anschutz and Edward Roski: 1995–present
Team and League honors
Retired numbers
Notes:
* 1 The NHL had retired Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game
The 2000 NHL All-Star Game was the 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game, All-Star Game in the National Hockey League. It took place on February 6, 2000, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 1st National Hockey ...
.
Hall of Famers
The Los Angeles Kings presently acknowledge an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
. Inductees affiliated with the Kings include 18 former players (five of whom earned their credentials primarily as Kings) and three builders of the sport. The three individuals recognized as builders by the Hall of Fame includes former Kings head coaches, and general managers. In addition to players and builders, athletic trainers were inducted into the Hall of Fame through the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society, and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers. Two athletic trainers from the Kings organization were inducted into the Hall of Fame, Peter Demers in 2007, and Mark O'Neill in 2016.[
Three sports broadcasters for the Kings were also awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for their contribution to hockey broadcasting including Jiggs McDonald (1990), Bob Miller (2000), and Nick Nickson (2015).] In 2005, Helene Elliott
Helene Elliott is an American sportswriter for the ''Los Angeles Times'' who is a general sports columnist. She is the first female journalist to receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 2005 for bringing "honor to journalism and to hockey". Sh ...
, a sportswriter for the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for her contributions to sports journalism.
Franchise records
Regular-season scoring leaders
These are the top-ten regular season scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
* – current Kings player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
Regular-season goaltending leaders
These are the top-ten regular season games played, wins, and shutouts leaders in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
* – current Kings player
''Note: GP = Games played; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; SO = Shutouts''
Playoff scoring leaders
These are the top-ten playoff scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL playoff season.
* – current Kings player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
Playoff goaltending leaders
These are the top-ten playoff games played, wins, and shutouts leaders in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL playoff season.
* – current Kings player
''Note: GP = Games played; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; SO = Shutouts''
;Regular season records
* Most goals: Bernie Nicholls, 70 ( 1988–89)
* Most assists: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 122 ( 1990–91)
* Most points: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 168 (1988–89)
* Most points in a game: Bernie Nicholls, 8 (1988–89)
* Most penalty minutes: Marty McSorley, 399 ( 1992–93)
* Most points, defenseman: Larry Murphy, 76 ( 1980–81)
* Most points, rookie: Luc Robitaille
Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
During his 19-seaso ...
, 84 ( 1986–87)
* Most wins: Jonathan Quick, 40 ( 2015–16)
* Most shutouts: Jonathan Quick, 10 ( 2011–12)
;Playoff records
* Most goals: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 15 (1992–93)
* Most assists: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 25 (1992-93)
* Most points: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 40 (1992–93)
* Most points in a game: Tomas Sandstrom Tomas may refer to:
People
* Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name
* Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name
* Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name
* Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian surna ...
, Tony Granato
Anthony Lewis Granato (born July 25, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger and current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team. He served as head coach of the United States men's national ice hockey te ...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, 5 ( 1989–90)
* Most penalty minutes: Jay Miller, 63 (1988-89)
* Most points, defenseman: Drew Doughty, 18 ( 2013–14)
* Most points, rookie: Tyler Toffoli
Tyler Toffoli ( ; born April 24, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entr ...
, 14 (2013-14)
* Most wins: Jonathan Quick, 16 (2011-2012), (2013-14)
* Most shutouts: Jonathan Quick, 3 (2011-12), ( 2012–13)
;Team records
* Most points in a season: 105 ( 1974–75)
* Most wins in a season: 48 (2015–16)
* Longest regular season winning streak: 9 ( 2009–10)
* Longest playoff winning streak: 8 (2011-12)
Broadcasters
In 1973, the Kings hired Bob Miller as their play-by-play announcer. Considered to be one of the finest hockey play-by-play announcers, Miller held the post continuously until retirement in 2017, and is often referred to as the ''Voice of the Kings''. He received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the NHL Hockey Broadcasters Association on November 13, 2000, making him a media honoree for the Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
, and he also earned a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Miller has written two books about his experiences with the team, ''Bob Miller's Tales of the Los Angeles Kings'' (2006), and ''Tales From The Los Angeles Kings Locker Room: A Collection Of The Greatest Kings Stories Ever Told'' (2013). On March 2, 2017, citing health reasons, Miller announced his retirement after 44 years with the team, and finished his career broadcasting the final two games of the 2016–17 Kings season. The Kings named NBCSN announcer Alex Faust
Alex Faust (born January 14, 1989) is an American television sportscaster who is currently the television play-by-play voice for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He gained additional fame in 2018 when ''Jeopardy!'' hos ...
as Miller's replacement, play-by-play announcer the team on TV for the 2017–18 season on June 1, 2017.
On September 18, 2018. the team announced that it would cease over-the-air radio broadcasts, and had partnered with iHeartMedia to form the ''Los Angeles Kings Audio Network'', which streams exclusively on the iHeartRadio platform. The deal also includes pre-game shows and other ancillary content streaming on iHeartRadio. Two pre-season games were simulcast by KEIB before the transition was completed.
Television: Bally Sports West
Bally Sports West is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of Bally Sports, along with its sister network Bally Sport ...
* Alex Faust – play-by-play
* Jim Fox – color commentator
* Patrick O'Neal – Kings Live anchor
Radio: iHeartRadio
* Nick Nickson – play-by-play
* Daryl Evans
Daryl Thomas Evans (born January 12, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1982 and 1987. The rest o ...
– color commentator
Public address:
* David Courtney 1989–2012
* Dave Joseph 2013–2020
*Trevor Rabone 2021–present
Affiliate teams
The Kings are currently affiliated with the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...
, they also have an affiliation with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL. Previous affiliates included the Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to:
*Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015)
*Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)
The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New ...
, Lowell Lock Monsters, Springfield Falcons, New Haven Nighthawks
The New Haven Nighthawks were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars (1972–1977), New York Islanders (1972–1973), New York Rangers ...
, Binghamton Dusters
The Binghamton Dusters were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. The team logo was designed by Johnny Hart, artist of the comic strip " B.C." a ...
and Springfield Kings of the AHL; Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to:
*Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015)
*Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)
The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New ...
and Reading Royals
The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown ...
in the ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The ...
; Long Beach Ice Dogs, Phoenix Roadrunners and Utah Grizzlies
The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah.
Franchise history
The current Utah Grizzlies franchise started in 1981 as the Nashville South Stars ...
in the International Hockey League; and the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which oper ...
.
See also
* 1967 NHL expansion
* List of NHL players
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
* List of NHL seasons
* Crypto.com Arena
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
National Hockey League teams
1967 establishments in California
Ice hockey clubs established in 1967
Kings
Kings or King's may refer to:
*Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The ''Shahnameh'' ...
Kings
Kings or King's may refer to:
*Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The ''Shahnameh'' ...
Pacific Division (NHL)