The LA Kings begin the 2021 season with a fresh slate and a ton of hope.
When describing the past 10 months, almost every adjective imaginable is applicable
Watching our society — and our planet — go through an unprecedented transition, all we wanted was a distraction
Unfortunately, the hockey world was not immune to said transition
While we were given a dose of hockey in the summer, the Los Angeles Kings did not take part
They were sorely missed, leaving fans longing for their team, for their players
Those who donned the silver-and-black are those whose names we carry on jerseys
Those whose pictures we have on our walls, our phones, and our computers
Those who we name our children and our pets after
And those we live vicariously through, no matter if we’re 6-foot-5 or 4-foot-11
No matter if we’re full of muscle or full of flab
And no matter if we’re expert skaters or barely able to stand on blades
It has been far too long since our Los Angeles Kings took to the ice
We’ve had to say so long to some of our favorites including Trevor Lewis
But we say welcome back to more of our favorites including Anze Kopitar
We identify with so many who don the uniform of our favorite team
We identify with Dustin Brown for his unwavering loyalty
We identify with Jonathan Quick for his laidback, SoCal-like persona
And we identify with Drew Doughty for his determination to prove others wrong
The Los Angeles Kings are much more than our favorite team
They are our escape and even a part of our identity
Whatever stresses we deal with in our lives, we wake up on game days excited for the evenings
We may be disappointed, even disgruntled, when our team loses
Like a close friend or a loved one, however, we forgive and move on
Making the victories all the more worthwhile
When the puck drops, any and all personal or political differences we have with others fall by the wayside
When the puck drops, we are all on the same team; cheering as one or booing as one
Whether you were a fan for 50 years or 50 days, the Los Angeles Kings are the common ground that unites us as fans of hockey but also of friendship and of life
We may not be able attend live games for the foreseeable future
But our current circumstances have given us ways to adapt, to connect in new ways
For however bleak things may seem right now, we can take comfort knowing that our team can provide us with an escape
Once and for all, the Los Angeles Kings are back
Let us all don our jerseys, our hats, our shirts, our scarves and our flags
And let us celebrate the team we have been waiting 10 long months for
To the Los Angeles Kings, we have missed you dearly
And we embrace you and your return
So, let us drop the puck on a new season
Giving us a reason to leave our troubles behind
Here’s to the Los Angeles Kings and its ever-loyal fanbase
Cheers to a new season and a new hope