15 things the Los Angeles Kings should be thankful for
By Matt Pelkey
It’s the holiday season and the Los Angeles Kings definitely have some things they should be thankful for.
With the holiday season right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to identify some things the Los Angeles Kings should be thankful for. To keep things simple, I went with more recent factors that have contributed to the overall success of the team rather than include everything from the team’s 48-year existence (another time, though!).
From the business side of the team to players, coaches, and even Steven Stamkos, the Kings have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season.
Let’s get to it.
15 – Kings Marketing Team
The Kings have sold out 177 consecutive games and they don’t appear to be slowing down. Sure, a winning hockey team is a big factor in whether or not there are fans in the stands, but the Kings’ marketing team has done a tremendous job promoting the game in and around L.A. Stick tap to them.
14 – Mike Stothers/Mark Morris
The Kings’ current AHL affiliate coach, Mike Stothers, and long-time former head coach Mark Morris (now with the Florida Panthers) are big reasons why L.A.’s future continues to look bright. The Kings’ AHL affiliate won the Calder Cup as AHL Champions in 2014-15 and, despite not having superstar top prospects on the roster, have been dominant over the last 1.5 years as the players continue to buy into Stothers’ systems.
13 – Kings Social Media Team
Often referred to as the best social media account in the NHL by fans, the Kings’ social media team, led by Pat Donahue, have been instrumental in growing the L.A. Kings brand over the last 5+ years. After winning the internet with a tweet after a 2012 1st round playoff win against the Vancouver Canucks, Donahue tweeted from the Kings Twitter account, “To everyone in Canada outside of BC, you’re welcome.” The tweet shook the social media world as it was one of the first tweets from a pro sports team that went outside the typical social media boundaries. Since then, they have been a leader in the social media game in all of sports.
12 – Owners
L.A. Kings owners Philip F. Anschutz and Edward P. Roski, Jr. are owners who obviously care about the team. When Kings GM Dean Lombardi was hired, he made it very clear to ownership that much more money was going to have to be spent on scouting and developing players in order to succeed, and he got it. Allowed to spend right up to the salary cap, Lombardi virtually has the freedom to make any moves he sees fit for the franchise with the confidence ownership will back him up 100%.
11 – Milan Lucic
Desperately in need of a top-6 left-winger, the Kings traded for Lucic in June 2015. The hulking forward brings size (6’3”, 235 lbs), strength, a mean reputation and a Stanley Cup ring to the Kings. Seemingly perfectly molded for L.A.’s style of hockey, Lucic has fit in nicely so far this season on a line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Here’s to hoping he re-signs before he becomes a free agent on July 1.
Nov 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Milan Lucic (17) celebrates as he shoots and scores a goal during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
10 – Bob Miller/Nick Nickson/Jim Fox
The three voices of the L.A. Kings and two Hall of Famers. Miller, in his 43rd year with the Kings, called games on both TV and radio for 17 years before becoming the exclusive voice of the team on TV. His partner in crime has been Fox, who has called games alongside Miller for 26 years. Nickson, awarded the 2015 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award (Miller won the award in 2000), has been the voice fans turn to when listening on the radio for the previous 35 years. Los Angeles Kings hockey is not the same without these two H.O.F voices.
9 – Mike Futa/Mark Yannetti
Futa, the Kings’ VP of Hockey Operations and Director of Player Personnel, and Yannetti, the Director of Amateur Scouting, are two major reasons L.A. ices the team they do today. Under Futa and Yannetti’s watch, the Kings have drafted later-round roster players like Jordan Nolan, Alec Martinez and Dwight King. Not to mention, they were also big voices in drafting higher-drafted prospects such as Drew Doughty, Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Trevor Lewis, Tanner Pearson and Kyle Clifford. Oh, and they also tabbed Jake Muzzin as a top prospect and the Kings soon signed him as a free agent.
8 – Weak Pacific Division
So far this season Los Angeles is taking full advantage of one of the weakest Pacific Division’s the league has seen as of late. Sitting atop the division with 40 points, the Kings are 10 points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes, who rank second with 30 points each. To put into perspective the down year the division is having, leaders in the other three divisions around the league have 43 (Montreal), 42 (Washington), and 46 (Dallas) points. The Kings would sit no higher than second in any other division, while second place Vancouver and Arizona would be sixth (Central), seventh (Atlantic) and sixth (Metropolitan) in the other divisions. The Pacific also boasts two of the league’s bottom five teams (Anaheim and Edmonton).
7 – Darryl Sutter
Ah, Darryl Sutter. The tough, no-B.S. coach that everyone seems to love. He’s the guy who not only led the Kings to the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup in 2012, but he did it again two years later in 2014. He implements a strong system that, if you’re in the L.A. organization and want a chance at playing in the NHL, you better learn inside and out. It’s a defense-first, check, check, and check some more mentality. But it works. Sutter is in his 16th season as a Head Coach in the NHL and only twice has his team missed the post-season (2002-03 Calgary Flames and 2014-15 Kings).
Mar 28, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter in the second period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
6 – That 70’s Duo
Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter can almost single-handedly be credited for the Kings’ strong start through its first 29 games. Carter (26 points) and Toffoli (20 points) are 1-2 in scoring for L.A. and have been on fire since the puck dropped on the season. Last season, Carter finished second on the Kings in scoring with 62 points behind Anze Kopitar (64). Toffoli had a breakout season in 2014-15, scoring 49 points while leading the league with five shorthanded goals.
5 – Jonathan Quick
It’s hard to believe that when Quick was drafted 72nd overall by L.A. in 2005, he was the 8th goaltender to be selected. Often listed as one of the top goalies in hockey today, three goalies taken ahead of Quick have never played a game in the NHL while one played just a single game. The other three goalies were Carey Price (O.K., fair enough), Tuukka Rask and Ondrej Pavelec. Although he doesn’t have a Vezina Trophy to his name (see: Price, Rask), he does have two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy, something none of the goaltenders drafted before him can say (Rask has won one Stanley Cup).
4 – Dean Lombardi
The man that many call “Deano” took the Kings general manager job with a vision and, boy, he got it right. Known to build teams from within, Lombardi strongly believed that in order to build a championship team you must draft and develop very well. So, he did. Under Lombardi, L.A. has drafted Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez, Trevor Lewis, Tyler Toffoli, Kyle Clifford and many more current roster players on the Kings in addition to now-departed guys like Jack Johnson, Jonathan Bernier, Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Lombardi has also pulled the trigger on trades to acquire Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Justin Williams, Milan Lucic, Jarrett Stoll, Marian Gaborik, Willie Mitchell and more. Lombardi is the true architect behind L.A.’s two Stanley Cup Championships and without “Deano” it is hard to see the Kings where they are today.
3 – Steven Stamkos
If it weren’t for Steven Stamkos, the Kings would not have Drew Doughty. If Stamkos hadn’t been in Doughty’s draft year, Drew would have went first overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning (don’t picture it!). Although Stamkos was ranked #1 by the International Scouting Services, he wasn’t a 100% lock to go #1, although it was widely expected. Because Stamkos is as good as he is and the club’s need of a star forward, the Lightning took the offensive force first, leaving now-franchise defenseman Doughty on the board for L.A. Can you imagine the Kings today without #8? Neither can we.
Nov 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) skates with the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) attempts to defend during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2 – Anze Kopitar
Can a player drafted 11th overall be considered a steal in a draft? If so, Kopitar is just that. Kopitar has played more NHL games than anyone in the 2005 draft (712) and only trails Sidney Crosby (872 points) in points with 628 from that same draft. Kopitar has led L.A. in scoring for the last eight seasons, going back to 2007-08. Knowing what we know today, it is truly unbelievable to think that 10 teams passed on Kopitar before then-Kings GM Dave Taylor snagged the Slovenian center at #11.
1 – Fans
Without fans, there wouldn’t be numbers 2-15 on this list. It may sound cheesy and cliché, but it’s true. Fans pay the ticket prices, pay the concession costs, purchase team merchandise and more. They pump up an arena that will give you the chills. Without fans, there would be no NHL. Imagine watching an NHL game when you were the only person in the entire building besides the players and coaches. Not too fun, eh?