A PGP Guide to: The Los Angeles Kings

A PGP Guide to: The Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings aesthetic is black and silver, Hollywood, palm trees outside and ice inside, Wayne Gretzky making hockey cool in Southern California, one of the best playoff teams of the 2010s, Jonathan Quick being completely unhinged in net, Drew Doughty talking approximately all the time, two Stanley Cups in three years, and a franchise currently trying to figure out how to build its next great era after saying goodbye to the player who defined the last one.

The Kings have had several completely different lives. There were the purple and gold years at the Forum, the Triple Crown Line, the Miracle on Manchester, the arrival of the greatest hockey player ever, the heartbreak of 1993, years of trying to find their way back, and finally the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championships, and for the first time in twenty years, there is no Anže Kopitar in the lineup, so we're officially entering something new.

The Basics

Team: Los Angeles Kings

Conference: Western Conference

Division: Pacific Division

Home Arena: Crypto.com Arena (rip Staples Center)

Location: Los Angeles, California

Franchise Founded: 1967

Team Colors: Black, silver and white

Stanley Cups: 2

Stanley Cup Years: 2012, 2014

Stanley Cup Final Appearances: 1993, 2012, 2014

Biggest Rivals: Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas Golden Knights

The Kings were part of the NHL's enormous 1967 expansion, when the league doubled from six teams to twelve. Los Angeles joined alongside Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minnesota and the California Seals.  They currently play at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, where they moved in 1999 after spending more than three decades at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood. The Forum wasn't just some old arena either, it became an enormous part of Kings identity, particularly during the Dionne and Gretzky eras.

Original owner Jack Kent Cooke held a public naming contest and received more than 7,000 suggestions. He ultimately chose “Kings” because he wanted something symbolic of leadership and intended to build a hockey dynasty in Los Angeles, which took a few decades, but technically, mission accomplished twice.

The Origin Story

Los Angeles getting an NHL team in 1967 was genuinely a big deal. At the time, the NHL had spent decades concentrated in Canada and the northeastern United States. Putting professional hockey in Southern California, where winter looks suspiciously like everyone else's spring, was a massive experiment.

Jack Kent Cooke wanted the team to feel glamorous and important from the beginning. The Kings originally wore purple and gold, deliberately fitting into the Los Angeles sports aesthetic of the era, and played their first NHL game in 1967 against the Philadelphia Flyers at Long Beach Arena while their permanent home was still being finished.

Then came the Fabulous Forum! Cooke had it built in Inglewood after difficulties securing the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The building opened in December 1967 and became the Kings' home for the next 32 years.  The Kings weren't immediately a hockey powerhouse, but over time, the franchise accumulated enough star power to make Los Angeles hockey matter and eventually, one trade changed everything.

The Vibe Check

The Kings are one of the best examples of a team whose aesthetic evolved alongside the city. The original version was very LA with purple and gold, a crown, and The Forum. Then Wayne Gretzky arrived in 1988 and the Kings switched to black and silver, creating one of the most recognizable looks of the era. That color scheme became permanently attached to Gretzky-era Los Angeles hockey and eventually came back as the franchise's primary identity. In 2024, the Kings updated their branding again, bringing back a modernized version of the Gretzky-era shield while incorporating the original crown.

Culturally, though, Kings hockey is a weirdly perfect combination of glamour and grit. The warm California sunshine invites LA locals and celebrities who sit against the glass in black jerseys, chanting “GO KINGS GO!” along with everyone, and then twenty minutes later somebody is getting driven into the boards by Drew Doughty while an entire arena screams.

The championship Kings were especially funny because there was basically nothing glamorous about the way they played. They were big, heavy, defensively suffocating, difficult, and built for playoff hockey. The biggest complement you could give the 2012-2014 Kings is simply that nobody wanted to play them.

The History You Need to Know

The early Kings had some good teams, but their first truly iconic offensive era arrived when Marcel Dionne came to Los Angeles in 1975. Eventually Dionne was paired with Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer, creating the Triple Crown Line, and they were ridiculous. During the 1980-81 season, Dionne, Taylor and Simmer combined for 328 points, becoming the first line in NHL history to have all three players record at least 100 points in the same season.

Still, one of the most famous moments of that era actually came against Edmonton. The 1981-82 Oilers were becoming terrifying… I mean, Wayne Gretzky had scored 92 goals and 212 points. Edmonton finished first in the Smythe Division with 111 points and the Kings barely made the playoffs with 63. As we’ve understood thus far, hockey is really funny, and so naturally, Los Angeles upset them. Game 3, in specific, became one of the most famous comebacks in hockey history. Edmonton led 5-0 after two periods at the Forum, but the Kings somehow scored 5 unanswered goals in the third, including Steve Bozek's tying goal with just five seconds remaining! Then Daryl Evans scored in overtime and because the Forum sat on Manchester Boulevard, the game became known forever as the Miracle on Manchester. LA went on to win the series, and then, six years later, Edmonton would change Kings history again.

On August 9, 1988, the Kings acquired Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski from Edmonton in one of the biggest trades in sports history. The deal didn't simply make the Kings better, it changed hockey in Los Angeles. Gretzky was the greatest player in the sport, suddenly playing in one of the largest entertainment markets in the world. Attendance and attention exploded, hockey's profile grew throughout Southern California and the Kings suddenly mattered on a completely different level. They also changed from purple and gold to the iconic black and silver look that became synonymous with the Gretzky era. Then, in 1989, the Kings met Edmonton in the playoffs. LA fell behind 3-1 in the series before coming back to eliminate Gretzky's former team in seven games. It remains the last time the Kings have beaten Edmonton in a playoff series (iykyk).

Five years after the trade, Gretzky finally took Los Angeles to the Stanley Cup Final. The defining moment came in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference Final against Toronto, when Gretzky scored a hat trick in a 5-4 Kings win. For the first time ever, the Los Angeles Kings were going to the Stanley Cup Final and their opponent was Montreal. LA won Game 1, but then came Game 2. The Kings led 2-1 late in the third period when Montreal coach Jacques Demers requested that officials measure the curve of Marty McSorley's stick. And guess what? It was illegal! McSorley received a penalty and Eric Desjardins scored on the power play to tie the game and then completed a hat trick 51 seconds into overtime. Montreal won the next three games and the Stanley Cup.

If you're a Kings fan, there are certain historical phrases that require no further explanation, the illegal stick is one of them. After the Gretzky era ended, Los Angeles spent years looking for another championship caliber core, and eventually, they drafted one.

The foundation started appearing in the 2000s. Dustin Brown came in 2003, Anže Kopitar and Jonathan Quick in 2005, and Drew Doughty in 2008, completing The Core Four. Then management surrounded them with players like Justin Williams, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez. Darryl Sutter took over as coach during the 2011-12 season and suddenly, everything clicked.

The 2011-12 Kings barely got into the playoffs, as they finished eighth in the Western Conference. Their reward was the Presidents' Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks and LA handled it with ease, beating them in 5. Then, they swept St. Louis, beat Phoenix (rip coyotes) in 5, and they started the postseason with an absurd 10-0 on the road, reached the Final with a 12-2 playoff record and became the first NHL team to take a 3-0 series lead in every round of a postseason. In the finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils and in Game 6, at home, they won. Dustin Brown became the first King ever to lift the Stanley Cup, Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy after going 16-4 with a 1.41 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, and after 45 years of waiting The Los Angeles Kings were indeed the Kings of the National Hockey League. They were also the first 8th seed to win the Cup under the conference based playoff format! I love my iconic team!!

Then, came 2014 which was completely different. 2012 felt dominant, every Kings fan felt 2012 in their body, but 2014 felt like the Kings were actively attempting to kill their fans. In Round 1, against the Sharks, LA lost games 1, 2, and 3, going down 3-0 in the series. Thought they were done, right? Wrong! The Kings won four straight games and became just the fourth team in NHL history at the time to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. Round 2 against the Ducks lasted 7 games and was the first ever playoff edition of the Freeway Face-Off. Game 7 at Honda Center (the Kings second home), Kings win, goodbye Anaheim! The Western Conference Final was insanity. Chicago had eliminated LA in the 2013 Western Conference Final and won the Cup, so the Kings took a 3-1 series lead in 2014. Chicago fought back, leading to game 7 OT in Chicago where Alec Martinez’s shot deflected off Nick Leddy and into the net. Kings won and this series later was described as the Series of the Decade for the 2010s. I told you 2014 was insane, but it’s not over yet. Sorry, I’m reliving my glory days as I write this. The Stanley Cup Final was LA vs NYC – battle of who’s the better city! The Kings won the first two games in overtime and eventually they returned home for Game 5 leading the series 3-1. One overtime went into two, and Tyler Toffoli's shot created a rebound, Alec Martinez scored, and if you know, you know. Gloves went flying, Martinez freaked out and started doing jazz hands, Jonathan Quick launched himself into the celebration, Dustin Brown lifted the Cup again. The Kings had officially won two Stanley Cups in three seasons. That postseason took LA 26 games, the most ever played by a Stanley Cup champion. They went 7-0 in elimination games and won three Game 7s on the road.

That team was ridiculous. So ridiculous that they missed the playoffs the year after…

The Icons

Marcel Dionne

Before Gretzky, before Kopitar, before the Cups, there was Marcel Dionne. Dionne became the first truly enormous offensive superstar in Kings history. He centered the Triple Crown Line, put up three consecutive 130 point seasons and won the NHL scoring title in 1979-80 after finishing tied with Wayne Gretzky at 137 points but scoring more goals. For decades, Dionne held the franchise scoring record, but Anže Kopitar finally passed him in March 2026. That's how ridiculous Dionne was.

Wayne Gretzky

You cannot explain Los Angeles hockey without Wayne Gretzky. He didn't win a Stanley Cup here, but his Kings tenure still changed the franchise forever. Gretzky made hockey relevant in Southern California on a completely different scale, led LA to its first Stanley Cup Final and broke numerous NHL records in a Kings uniform. He famously scored career goal number 802 as a King in 1994, passing Gordie Howe for what was then the NHL record.

Luc Robitaille

Lucky Luc.

One of the most beloved Kings ever (more as a player, don’t ask fans how they feel now). LA selected Robitaille in the ninth round of the 1984 Draft, and he proceeded to become the highest scoring left wing in NHL history when he retired. Robitaille had three separate stints with the Kings, became the franchise's all time goals leader and eventually returned to the organization as an executive. He was also part of the front office when LA finally won the Cups he never got to win here as a player.

Dave Taylor

Taylor played his entire 17 season NHL career with the Kings and was 1/3rd of the Triple Crown Line and became one of the great loyalty figures in franchise history. Los Angeles drafted him 210th overall meaning there were only seven picks after him, but he ultimately played 1,111 games for the Kings and recorded 1,069 points. That's a draft steal!

Rogie Vachon

Before Jonathan Quick, there was Rogie. Vachon became the Kings' first truly great goaltender after joining the team in 1971 and helped establish the franchise during its early years. He later became general manager and you know what happened while Rogie Vachon was GM? The Wayne Gretzky trade!

Dustin Brown

The first King to lift the Cup! Brown wasn't always the prettiest player to watch and that was the point. He hit everything, played physically, led, competed, and became the captain of the greatest era in franchise history. He captained LA to both championships and became the first player wearing a Kings jersey to receive the Stanley Cup in 2012. 

Jonathan Quick

The goalie, like, THE goalie. Jonathan “Brick Wall” Quick in 2012 was genuinely terrifying. He was aggressive, athletic, competitive to a concerning degree, and capable of stealing games by himself. Quick won the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy after posting a .946 save percentage during LA's first championship run and helped them win again in 2014. His trade in 2023 was emotional and messy, especially considering he had spent his entire NHL career to that point with Los Angeles, but nothing changes his place in Kings history.

Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty isn't done yet, but he's already an icon. The Kings drafted him second overall in 2008, and he became one of the defining defensemen of his generation. He played enormous minutes during both championship runs, won the Norris Trophy in 2016 and has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. In November 2025, Doughty became the highest scoring defenseman in Kings history by goals. He’s also one of the rare players where listening to him speak for five minutes tells you almost exactly what he's like on the ice – competitive, emotional, VERY opinionated, and VERY Kings.

Anže Kopitar

The King of Kings.

Kopitar's career is over now, so we can officially say it – he's the greatest Los Angeles Kings ever and the greatest homegrown player in franchise history. LA drafted him 11th overall in 2005, and he spent all 20 NHL seasons with the Kings winning 2 Stanley Cups, 2 Selke Trophies, 3Lady Byng Trophies, Kaptain for ten seasons, and by the time he retired in 2026, he was the Kings' all time leader in games played (1,521), assists (864), and points (1,316).  His No. 11 will be retired on February 24, 2027, and the Kings will unveil a bronze statue of him outside Crypto.com Arena that same day. There isn't really a more fitting ending for the King of Kings.

The Current Era

This section is a little weird for me to write, because for twenty years, the Los Angeles Kings had Anže Kopitar, and now they don’t. I grew up with this version of the Kings. Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown — these weren’t just players I watched for a few seasons before they moved on somewhere else. They were my players. I got to grow up alongside them, watch them become champions, watch them get older, watch the team fall apart and rebuild around them, and somehow keep coming back every year with at least a few familiar faces still there.

There is a loyalty within this franchise that I don’t think I fully appreciated until this era started ending. For most of my life as a hockey fan, I was incredibly lucky to turn on a Kings game and see the same people I had loved for years wearing the same jersey. Kopitar especially was just a constant. He was there when I was a kid learning to love hockey, there for both Stanley Cups, there through the bad years, the rebuild, the return to the playoffs and everything in between. So this really does feel like the beginning of an entirely different Los Angeles Kings team. For the first time, the team I grew up with is officially becoming history rather than the team I get to watch every night, and even though that is incredibly bittersweet, it also makes this next chapter so intriguing.  Who becomes the face of the Kings now? What does this team look like without Kopitar at the center of everything? Who are the players the next generation of Kings fans will someday feel this attached to?

The Kings qualified for the playoffs in five consecutive seasons from 2022-26, but they have not won a playoff round in any of them. Edmonton eliminated LA in the first round in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Then in 2025-26, LA finally avoided Edmonton and got Colorado instead who swept them. The 2025-26 Kings finished fourth in the Pacific and as the Western Conference's second wild card. They scored only 220 goals, 29th in the NHL, while remaining one of the better defensive teams in the league.

It was a strange season even before the playoffs. Phillip Danault was traded back to Montreal in December for a 2026 second-round pick. Jim Hiller was fired on March 1 (way too late) and D.J. Smith took over as interim head coach. The Kings then made a blockbuster move for Artemi Panarin in February, sending top prospect Liam Greentree and conditional picks to the Rangers while signing Panarin to a two year extension. At the deadline, they moved Warren Foegele and Corey Perry for future assets while acquiring Scott Laughton. Then Perry came back in free agency because apparently his brief breakup with Los Angeles did not take. And finally, Kopitar retired. That's a LOT of change.

So I guess, welcome to the post-Kopitar Kings. Peter Laviolette was hired in June. He's extremely experienced, won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and previously took Philadelphia and Nashville to the Final. Most importantly for this particular Kings team, Laviolette has spoken repeatedly about wanting LA to play a more attack oriented offensive style without abandoning its defensive structure, which is so important for this team. Defense has NEVER been a problem for the Kings, but goal scoring has been. Now, the organization looks to players like Byfield, Kempe, Clarke and the next group to actually take over this team.

The Controversies

Two current members of their leadership group have previously faced serious allegations.

Drew Doughty

In 2012, shortly after the Kings won their first Stanley Cup, Drew Doughty was investigated after a woman alleged that he sexually assaulted her following an encounter in Hermosa Beach earlier that year. Doughty denied the allegation and cooperated with the investigation. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office ultimately declined to file charges, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Doughty remained with the Kings throughout the investigation and has spent his entire NHL career with the franchise. In September 2026, following Anže Kopitar's retirement, Los Angeles named him the 15th captain in team history.

Artemi Panarin

Artemi Panarin arrived in Los Angeles in February 2026 when the Kings acquired him from the New York Rangers and immediately signed him to a two year extension. 

In 2025, The Athletic reported that a former Rangers employee had accused Panarin of sexually assaulting her during a team road trip in December 2023. Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports separately reached financial settlements with the woman in 2024. The agreements reportedly contained no admission of wrongdoing. The Rangers hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegation, the NHL was informed of the matter, and the league later said it considered the investigation closed. Panarin was not criminally charged. The Kings nevertheless acquired Panarin in 2026 and, entering the 2026-27 season, named him one of their alternate captains alongside Adrian Kempe and Mikey Anderson. That leadership appointment is particularly notable given the allegations that became public only the year before.

The Players You Need to Know

Adrian Kempe

The star who's officially becoming the face of the team.

Kempe has gone from exciting young winger to arguably the most important King moving forward. He led LA in goals, assists and points in 2025-26, marking his fourth 35 goal season in five years and third consecutive 70 point season. Kempe signed an eight year extension that begins in 2026-27 and keeps him in Los Angeles through 2034.When Kopitar retired, we, along with most Kings fans, assumed Adrian would be the new captain. While this isn't the case, Kempe does seem to be next in line after Doughty.

Quinton Byfield

The most important question.

Byfield was drafted 2nd overall in 2020 with the expectation that he could eventually become a franchise center. Eventually has arrived. He scored 24 goals and 49 points in 79 games in 2025-26, including an excellent late season stretch with 16 points in his final 16 games. Now Kopitar is gone and NHL.com's current projected lineup has Byfield centering Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on the first line. The Kings don't simply need Byfield to be a good young player anymore, they need him to become a top NHL center.

Artemi Panarin

The superstar import.

The Kings spent years desperately needing more high end offensive creativity, then they got the Breadman. LA acquired Panarin from the Rangers and because Panarin had full n -movement protection, he had significant control over his destination, and he specifically wanted Los Angeles (apparently because our jerseys are sick). He immediately helped, scoring 27 points in 26 games with LA and added two goals and an assist during the four-game playoff series against Colorado. The Kings finally have a truly elite creative winger!

Kevin Fiala

The chaos skill guy.

Fiala is creative, fast, emotional and sometimes capable of making both teams wonder what he's about to do. When he's on, he's one of the most dangerous offensive players on the roster. The Kings acquired him from Minnesota in 2022 because they desperately needed skill, and he has consistently provided it. With Panarin and Kempe occupying major offensive roles, Fiala gives LA depth as now, there’s multiple lines containing players who can create offense themselves.

Brandt Clarke

The future of the blue line.

Brandt Clarke is no longer just “the defense prospect.” He's here and I’ve never been happier! The Kings selected him 8th overall in 2021, and during his second full NHL he led every Kings defenseman in scoring. He's expected to play a major role on the power play and is essentially being handed part of the offensive-defenseman torch from Doughty. Which brings us to…

Drew Doughty

The last man standing.

This is going to hurt a little… Kopitar, Brown, Quick, Martinez, Carter, Williams are all gone, but Doughty is still here. He's now the final remaining active King from both the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup teams, and 2026-27 could be enormously important for his future. Doughty is entering the final season of his contract, but for the first time ever, he's the captain of the Los Angeles Kings. Many fans would have rather had Kempe given he's the future, but Drew has cemented himself as a Kings icon who loves to win. So while Byfield, Clarke and Kempe represent the future, Doughty is the final living piece of the championship era still on the ice. Okay, I’m gonna cry now…

Alex Laferriere

The really useful one.

Laferriere has become one of the Kings' better development stories. LA drafted him in the third round in 2020, and he has turned himself into an extremely useful top-nine NHL forward. Laffy WORKS! He gets into dangerous areas, can play with different linemates, and is exactly the sort of player good playoff teams need.

Darcy Kuemper

The goalie question.

2024-25 Darcy Kuemper? Fantastic! 2025-26? Much messier. An injury in December changed the trajectory of his season. Before the injury, his save percentage was .917, afterward, it was .868. Anton Forsberg actually started all four playoff games against Colorado and was one of LA's better performers in the series. So heading into camp, the goalie situation is suddenly much more interesting than it looked one year ago.

Mats Zuccarello

The fun new veteran.

Mats Zuccarello is somehow a King now! The 38 year old signed a one year deal on July 1 after recording 54 points in 59 games for Minnesota last season. He's small, creative, an excellent passer, and has maintained very strong offensive production even into his late 30s. He's also projected to give LA another playmaking option in a top six that suddenly looks significantly more skilled than the Kings' offense has in years.

Scott Laughton

The new middle of the lineup glue guy.

LA acquired Laughton from Toronto at the 2026 trade deadline and then signed him to a three year extension this summer. He's not here to become the next Kopitar, he’s here because LA needs centers, faceoff help, penalty killing, physicality and reliable middle six minutes.

Corey Perry

Yes, Kings fans, this is our life now.

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks icon, longtime enemy, professional agitator, well known menace, is a Los Angeles King. AGAIN. He originally signed with LA in 2025, scored 28 points in 50 games, got traded to Tampa at the deadline for a second-round pick and then signed with the Kings again on July 1, 2026. I mean, what are we doing?

The Rivalries

Anaheim Ducks

The Freeway Face-Off.

Los Angeles + Orange County. Kings + Ducks. Approximately one awful freeway drive separating the fanbases. The teams have shared Southern California since Anaheim entered the NHL in 1993, and even when one team is bad, there is still something deeply satisfying about beating the other one. The rivalry reached its peak during the 2010s when both teams were legitimate Cup contenders. They finally met in the playoffs in 2014 for a seven game barn burner with LA winning 6-2 on Anaheim’s ice, and going on to win the Stanley Cup. The NHL still officially refers to the matchup as the Freeway Face-Off, and the 2026-27 schedule gives us four of them again. If you're a Kings fan living in Southern California, there’s a Ducks fan in your circle, isn’t there?

San Jose Sharks

Northern California vs. Southern California

Los Angeles and San Jose met in the playoffs repeatedly during the early 2010s when both franchises were trying to win the West. LA beat San Jose in seven games in 2013, then came 2014 where San Jose won the first three games, and then the Kings won every game after, completing a reverse sweep. LA became only the fourth team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit and then proceeded to win the Stanley Cup. The Sharks finally got revenge in 2016, knocking Los Angeles out in five games. The rivalry isn't quite as nuclear now because the franchises have spent recent years at different competitive stages, but 2014 alone means it never completely disappears.

Edmonton Oilers

If you're new to Kings history, you might think this rivalry started because Edmonton eliminated LA four years in a row. Oh no, kids, this goes WAY back. The Kings delivered one of the most humiliating playoff defeats in Oilers history with the Miracle on Manchester in 1982. Then Edmonton turned into a dynasty and repeatedly eliminated LA on the way to Stanley Cups. In 1988 Edmonton traded Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles. The greatest player in hockey went from the Oilers to the Kings, devastated Edmonton and completely changed LA hockey, and because hockey is HILARIOUS, LA faced Edmonton in the playoffs the following spring. Gretzky's Kings came back from down 3-1 and eliminated his former team in seven games in 1989. Then the Oilers beat LA in 1990, 1991, 1992, fast-forward 30 years and apparently we needed to do it again.

Edmonton eliminated the Kings in the first round in 2022 (7 games), 2023 (6 games), 2024 (5 games), 2025 (6 games). FOUR. FREAKIN. YEARS. IN. A. ROW. like kill me, actually. 2025 was the most painful because LA finally had home ice, took a 2-0 series lead and then lost four straight due to one single coaches challenge, so yeah, the Kings-Oilers rivalry isn't merely McDavid versus LA. It's Miracle on Manchester, Gretzky, it's the 1980s, the four consecutive modern playoff exits. There is so much history here.

Chicago Blackhawks

This rivalry belongs to a very specific era, but WHAT an era it was… From 2012 through 2015, Chicago and Los Angeles were basically the Western Conference's final bosses. Chicago won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. LA won in 2012 and 2014. That's five Cups in six seasons between two teams. Chicago eliminated LA in the 2013 Western Conference Final and went on to win the Cup. The following year, LA got revenge. The 2014 Western Conference Final went seven games and overtime, with Alec Martinez's goal sending LA to the Stanley Cup Final. It isn't an especially hot rivalry today, but it represents the highest level of hockey the Kings have ever played.

Vegas Golden Knights

This is the newer regional/Pacific Division rivalry, but there’s actually a fun piece of Kings history behind it considering LA helped bring NHL hockey to Las Vegas before Vegas even had a team. Beginning in the 1990s, the Kings regularly played preseason games in Las Vegas, including the annual Frozen Fury games, which helped prove there was a real appetite for NHL hockey in the city. So there’s something mildly offensive about helping introduce Vegas to hockey only for the Golden Knights to arrive in 2017 and immediately become one of LA’s most irritating division rivals.

They’re close enough for fans to travel, they play in the same division, and Vegas immediately pulled some hockey attention away from Southern California. Then, in the Golden Knights’ very first playoff appearance in 2018, they swept the Kings in the first round. It obviously doesn’t have the history of Edmonton or San Jose yet, but Kings-Vegas games already have the ingredients of a real rivalry. 

The Fanbase

This team has existed since 1967 and generations of Southern Californians have grown up with Kings hockey. Gretzky's arrival accelerated hockey culture throughout the region in a way that's difficult to overstate. The sport's visibility exploded, and Southern California gradually became a legitimate hockey market rather than an NHL novelty. Kings games also feel extremely Los Angeles in a way I love. Yes, celebrities show up. Yes, Will Ferrell is legitimately one of the team's most recognizable celebrity fans and has led increasingly insane “GO KINGS GO” chants during playoff games, but longtime Kings fandom isn't just celebrity sightings. It’s more so the Forum, purple and gold, Bob Miller, Gretzky, Luc, the illegal stick, Deadmarsh in 2001, Quickie, Brownie, Kopi, Dewey, Jazz Hands, Mr. Game 7, and the words “The Kings are the Kings of the National Hockey League.”

Bob Miller deserves a special mention because he was basically the soundtrack to generations of this franchise. Miller served as the Voice of the Kings for 44 years, calling 3,353 games before retiring in 2017. He received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you grew up a Kings fan, chances are his voice is attached to at least some part of your hockey memory.

The Retired Numbers

As of today, the Kings officially have seven retired player numbers. Anže Kopitar will become the eighth in February 2027!

No. 4 — Rob Blake

A Hall of Fame defenseman, former Kings captain, Norris Trophy winner and one of the most important defensemen in franchise history. His relationship with the franchise has had multiple chapters as player, executive and general manager,  but Number 4 belongs in the rafters.

No. 16 — Marcel Dionne

The original offensive superstar part of the Triple Crown Line, having more than a thousand points as a King.

No. 18 — Dave Taylor

Seventeen seasons, all with Los Angeles as 1/3rd of the Triple Crown Line. Captain and ultimate forever King.

No. 20 — Luc Robitaille

Lucky Luc! Beloved player, franchise goals leader, Hall of Famer, and eventually an executive behind the championship era.

No. 23 — Dustin Brown

Captain of the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup teams and the first King ever to lift the Stanley Cup. There’s also a statue of him outside the arena... as there should be!

No. 30 — Rogie Vachon

The great goalie of the early Kings years who later became the general manager involved in bringing Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles.

No. 99 — Wayne Gretzky

Obviously, his number was retired by the Kings and then by the entire NHL. Nobody wears 99.

No. 11 — Anže Kopitar

COMING FEBRUARY 24, 2027. The Kings will raise Number 11 to the rafters before their game against Montreal and unveil his statue outside Crypto.com Arena that same day, and obviously, I will be sobbing.

The Team Identity

For most of the championship era, Kings hockey meant defense first with heavy forecheck, strong possession, they made you work for everything and wore you down. Jonathan Quick handles whatever got through, Kopitar would go over the boards and ruins your life. The 2012 and 2014 Kings were built to survive playoff hockey, but the modern NHL has changed, and the modern Kings have reached a point where being difficult to score against isn't enough.

They finished 29th in goals last season although they've made the playoffs five straight years, but even then, they've won zero rounds. So the 2026-27 identity feels like it's being rewritten since head coach Laviolette wants more attack and he can get that through Panarin who gives elite creativity, Kempe gives scoring, Fiala gives skill. Byfield is being handed the first line center job, Clarke is being handed more of the blue line offense, Doughty remains the veteran bridge, and Kopitar is no longer there to solve everything.

The Kings have also leaned heavily into experienced veterans this offseason, adding Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula, bringing Corey Perry back, retaining Scott Laughton and adding Erik Gustafsson. This isn’t a young team, but it’s not a rebuild either (they refuse to let it be), their old championship core has dwindled, but the Kings find themselves somewhere in between all of this. 

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Why You Should Watch Them

You should watch the Los Angeles Kings because you're getting to see the beginning of an era we haven't experienced in twenty years. There is no Anže Kopitar!! Just think about how insane that is. I mean, he debuted in 2006, he was there before the Cups, won both Cups, became captain, survived the decline, survived the rebuild, led them back to the playoffs, broke the franchise scoring record, and left. Now the Kings have to find out who they are without him. Can Quinton Byfield finally become the top center LA drafted him to be? What happens when Artemi Panarin gets an entire training camp with this roster? Can Brandt Clarke become the next great Kings defenseman? Does Kevin Fiala thrive in a more offensive system? Does Darcy Kuemper bounce back? How much does Captain Drew Doughty have left?

All of that is happening during the franchise's 60th anniversary season, with Kopitar's jersey retirement and statue ceremony waiting in February, and underneath all of it is the thing Kings fans are sick of talking about – five straight first round exits. For a while, Edmonton was the excuse, but then LA finally didn't play Edmonton and Colorado swept them. So, there's no hiding from the question anymore, the Kings have spent several years being good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to matter once they get there. 2026-27 is about changing that, because this isn't the 2012 team anymore. It's not Kopitar's team anymore, it’s Doughty's team now, so let's see what he does with it.