In 1967, the Los Angeles Kings began playing in the NHL as one of six expansion teams. Since then, they have qualified for the post season 24 times, winning their division once, in 1991. Although they are not the most successful team when it comes to winning, the Kings have improved in recent years, making it all the way to the Conference Quarterfinals in the most recent season.
Off the ice, the Los Angeles Kings are highly involved in their community, especially when it comes to area youth. They have their own children’s foundation called the Kings Care Foundation. Through their organization, the team has managed to donate more than three million dollars to children’s charities and programs, even donating to causes that fight pediatric cancers and AIDS.
They are also active in promoting literacy and education, and encourage academic excellence as well as physical fitness. When they’re not helping the children, the Kings organization is helping the less fortunate in the area as well as supporting the area’s division of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
They have also started a fund and contributed to several causes that benefit the survivors and families of victims of the September 11th attacks, even buying tables at charity events in honor of the members of the organization that were killed that day.
Supporting the Los Angeles Kings in their efforts on and off the ice is Bailey the mascot. Bailey’s story is interesting and slightly different than many mascots’. He is named after a former Director of Pro Scouting, Garnet Bailey, who was killed in the September 11th tragedy when a plane he was on crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The organization also lost another member that day. Mark Bavis was also a scout and was on the flight with Bailey.
Home of the Los Angeles Kings since 1999 has been the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With seating for more than 18,000 fans, the arena cost 375 million dollars to build. The stadium is also home to the Lakers and Clippers of the NBA, the Sparks of the WNBA, and the D-League’s D-Fenders. It also hosts many concerts and events each year and is part of the larger entertainment complex known as L.A. Live.
Although not the most successful team in professional hockey, the Los Angeles Kings are vital to the area with their charitable contributions and fantastic entertainment. On the ice or off, the Kings are a fan favorite and not to be missed.
2009-10 Los Angeles Kings
Kings ticketholders expect better then the 5th place finish in the division from last season and the franchise expects the same from last season’s youngest team in the NHL. The draft saw the franchise make Brayden Schenn the 5th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The team had seven other picks as well. In free agency, the most notable signings for the Kings were former Pittsburgh Penguin Rob Scuderi (4-yr $13.6 million) and Justin Azevedo. The team also resigned a number of players, most notably Jack Johnson (2-yr $2.85 million) and Kevin Westgarth. The team also acquired former Philadelphia Flyer Randy Jones off waivers.
The Kings are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Pacific Division, Western Conference with a 35-19-3 record.
Previous Seasons
Los Angeles Kings tickets have been providing hockey fans with top notch NHL action for years. The Kings are one of the oldest franchises in the NHL. During their first two seasons, 1967-1968 and 1968-1969, the Kings divided their time between the Long Beach Arena and the Los Angeles Sports Arena. For the next 32 years, the Kings played home games at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California, which at the time was one of the most splendid arenas in the world. The Kings were up and down during their first twelve seasons, never advancing beyond the second round of the playoffs despite the success of their superstar center Marcel Dionne.
The acquisition of two young players, right wing Dave Taylor and left wing Charlie Simmer, in 1979 proved to be a great move. These two players, who came to be known as "The Triple Crown Line," became one of the highest-scoring hockey duos of all time. During the 1979-1980 season, they combined for 146 goals and 182 assists. The Kings advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 1982 with a historic comeback victory over the Houston Oilers, but would make it no further than the second round until the 1992-1993 season.
With the help of "The Great One," Wayne Gretzky, who the Kings signed in 1988, the team began their NHL ascent. Led by Gretzky and "Lucky" Luc Robitaille, the Kings earned their first ever Stanley Cup appearance in 1993. Los Angeles Kings Hockey Tickets were a hot item during this era. Californians loved Gretzky and their newly successful hockey team. The bubble quickly burst, however, when Kings owner Bruce McNall was convicted of bank fraud and the Kings plunged into financial trouble. Without the money to sign new talent, the team was unable to make the playoffs until 1997. Gretzky was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 1996.
In 2000, the Kings moved to the Staples Center, a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Los Angeles. The 950,000 square foot arena boasts 160 luxury suites, 13 event suites, seating for 20,000, and welcomes visitors with a statue of The Great One. There are 1,200 television monitors in the arena, which has a $2 million lighting system, and a $1.5 million sound system.
In their new, resplendent home, the Kings found success. They had acquired a few strong players during their rebuilding time, including Rob Blake, Glen Murray, Ian Laperriere, and Matias Norstrom, and had managed to hold on to the now-legendary Robitaille. Los Angeles Kings hockey tickets were hard to find. They were able to make the playoffs in 2000, but were defeated in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings. In 2001, they again faced the Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs, and defeated them in a thrilling comeback, only to be handed defeat by the Colorado Avalanche. In 2002, the Kings once again earned a playoff appearance, but fell to the Avalanche in the first round.
Injuries plagued the Kings during disappointing 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons. They have gotten a strong start this year with new team members Valeri Bure, Jeremy Roenick, Craig Conroy and Pavol Demitra and are strong contenders for the Western Conference Title. If the team can stay healthy, Los Angeles Kings tickets will once again bring the City of Angels the hottest NHL action around.
The Kings want that 2002 playoff glory back. This is probably the reason why they were absolutely major during this off-season’s free agency pool. And they were smart enough to keep their key players, like top scorer Mike Cammalleri, while at the same time making some important additions to their roster, ranking them at the top of the league as far as prospects go. The one thing for the Kings to focus on in ’07-08 is definitely their sub-par goaltending - Dan Cloutier and Jason LaBarbera really need to show improvement if they want that shot at the playoffs.
