The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California
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. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference
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. The team was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9, 1966
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. The Kings play their home games at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, their home since the start of the 1999–2000 season
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The Kings have had a storied history, marked by both highs and lows
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. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Kings had many years of impressive play in the regular season, only to be washed out by early playoff exits
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. Highlights from 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
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. One of the most memorable moments was the famous upset of the rising Edmonton Oilers in a 1982 playoff game known as the “Miracle on Manchester”
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In 1988, the Kings made a significant trade with the Oilers to acquire their captain Wayne Gretzky, which led to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey’s popularity in Los Angeles and helped elevate the sport’s profile in the American Sun Belt region
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. Gretzky, along with fellow Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille and defenseman Rob Blake, led the Kings to their first division title in 1990–91 and their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1993, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens
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The Kings faced financial difficulties in the mid-1990s, leading to a bankruptcy in 1995 and the franchise being acquired by Philip Anschutz and Edward P. Roski
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. A period of mediocrity ensued, but the Kings resurged in the 2009–10 season, breaking a six-year playoff drought with a team that included goaltender Jonathan Quick, defenseman Drew Doughty, and forwards Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams
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. 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 Cups in three years: 2012 over the New Jersey Devils and 2014 over the New York Rangers
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The Kings have a rich history of talented players and memorable moments, making them a beloved team among hockey fans in Los Angeles and beyond
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