What’s new with the Los Angeles Kings? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit Line Change website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

That’s because hockey never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!

Take a look at some of the Kings collectibles I have in my home.

Enjoy this site, check back whenever you like, and contact me with any questions or comments.

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Updates

2022-23 Season

Season Recap: The Kings were tough to beat at home and on the road in 2022–23, finishing 47–25–10 to finish with more than 100 points. Adrian Kempe had another great year with 41 goals, Kevin Fiala topped the club with 49 assists, and captain Anze Kopitar led LA with 74 points. After a pair of overtime victories, the Kings led their opening round playoff series against the Oilers but ended up losing to Edmonton for the second year in a row, 4 games to 2.

Season Preview: The Kings surprised many experts with their fine season in 2021–22. Whether they go up or down from there will be one of the big stories in LA sports this winter. As always, Drew Doughty will head up the defense, while centers Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault power the offense. Much is expected from newcomer Kevin Fiala, who looked like a superstar at times with the Minnesota Wild, and Quinton Byfield, who struggled during his rookie year with the Kings. Can the goaltending duo of Jonathan Quick & Cal Petersen keep the puck out of the net? That is yet another big question the Kings will have to answer in 2022–23.

2021-22 Season

Season Recap: The Kings made the playoffs with 44 victories and nearly upset the Edmonton Oilers, stretching them to seven games. Veteran Anze Kopitar was terrific as usual, leading the club with 48 assists and 67 points. Adrian Kempe was the team’s only All-Star, rewarded for a breakout season during which he scored a career- and team-high 35 goals. Trevor Moore, who grew up within driving distance of the Kings’ arena, was their best two-way player.

Season Preview: The Kings were busy in the off-season adding important pieces to their lineup to help Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, and Anze Kopitar find their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals. That may be asking a lot, but there are young players on the second and third lines—and in goal—who could make the Kings one of the surprise teams in the NHL this year.

2020-21 Season

Season Recap: The Kings fell short of the playoffs for the third year in a row. They could not keep up their good early-season work on the power play and had trouble putting the puck in the net down the stretch. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were the team’s top players and rookie Mikey Anderson showed he could be one of the league’s top defensemen.

Season Preview: The goal for the Kings in 2020–21 is to play consistent hockey and make the playoffs. Both will depend on their up-and-coming young stars, including Gabe Vilardi and Quinton Byfield. In the meantime, veterans Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jeff Carter will be LA’s most important leaders.

2019-20 Season

Season Recap: The Kings were one of the hottest teams in the NHL when the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they were still a handful of wins short of a playoff spot. Anze Kopitar continued to be the team’s most exciting scorer, while Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell formed a solid goaltending duo.

November 6, 2019: Jeff Carter, a King since 2012, played in his 1,000th NHL game.

Season Preview: No one is expecting the Kings to return to the Cup finals, but between their star veterans and rising stars, they could make the playoffs very interesting if everything goes right. Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Jonathan Quick are among the big names still on the ice for LA. By season’s end, Alex Turcotte and Blake Lizette may become household names, too.

2018-19 Season

Season Recap: The Kings finished at the bottom of the Pacific Division with just 31 victories. The team did not get the big scoring seasons it needed from stars Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk did not energize the team. The Kings have a lot of forwards on the roster; they will need to trade one or two to help in other areas.

January 5, 2019: Goalie Jonathan Quick won his 300th game. Only 35 other players have 300 wins.

Season Preview: Center Anze Kopitar, defenseman Drew Doughty and goalie Jonathan Quick will have to be as good as they were last year for Los Angeles to challenge for the 2019 Stanley Cup. They will get help from veterans Ilya Kovalchuck and Jeff Carter, who could easily combine for 50-plus goals. The L.A. defense is excellent at full strength and even better when killing penalties. The Kings are getting older, so the window for another Cup may be closing soon.

2017-18 Season

Season Recap: The Kings returned to the playoffs after a down year in 2016–17, thanks to a great final two months. Anze Kopitar was easily the club’s best player, with a career-high 35 goals and 57 assists. He was just as good at the defensive end. The Kings also got solid contributions from goalie Jonathan Quick and defensemen Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown.

December 15, 2017: Marion Gaborik scored the 400th goal and 800th point of his career in the same game in a 5–2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Season Preview: Los Angeleans were unhappy to see the Kings fall short of the playoffs in 2017, and the team replaced its coach and general manager. The players the Kings send out on the ice, however, remain mostly the same. They will have to do a better job of putting the puck in the net, and get great play from their defensemen to recapture their past glory.

2015-16 Season

Season Recap: A promising 102-point season ended in the first round of the playoffs against the streaking San Jose Sharks. LA’s regular-season heroes included veterans Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Milan Lucic and Jeff Carter, along with young gun Tyler Toffoli, who blossomed into a great two-way center at age 23. Goalie Jonathan Quick had an All-Star season, winning 40 games—the most in his career.

Season Preview: L.A. fans are still wondering how their team went from NHL champs to playoff chumps last season. Milan Lucic joins the #1 line alongside Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik, but he is the only big addition. Meanwhile, Stanley Cup heroes Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll are no longer with the team. That means the Kings will need big years from goalie Jonathan Quick and defensemen Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin in order to go deep into the playoffs again.

2014-15 Season

October 23, 2014: Jonathan Quick held the Sabres scoreless for his 33rd career shutout. He passed Rogie Vachon for the most in team history.

Season Preview: Will Drew Doughty be the NHL’s next great superstar? Based on last year’s playoffs, he looks like a good bet. The multitalented defenseman led a core of quality blue-liners that stood between opposing scorers and goalie Jonathan Quick. The team’s scoring was triggered by winger Anze Kopitar and veteran Marian Gaborik. Just about everyone from the championship team is back exception of Willie Mitchell, one of the league’s smartest defensemen. The Kings should do fine without him.

2013-14 Season

June 13, 2014: The Kings won the Stanley Cup on a double-overtime goal in Game 5 by Alec Martinez against the New York Rangers. Justin Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. The Kings finished the year with 100 points and took a deep and powerful team into the playoffs. This enabled them to survive three seven-game series on their way to the finals against the Rangers. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick outplayed Henrik Lundqvist in a 4–1 series victory.

April 30, 2014: The Kings beat the Sharks after falling behind 0–3 in the series. Two Los Angeles players—Mike Richards and Jeff Carter—were teammates on the 2010 Flyers, who also won a playoff series after trailing 0–3.

March 22, 2014: L.A. forward Jeff Carter scored a hat trick in the Olympics against Austria.

february 23, 2014: L.A. defenseman Drew Doughty was named to the Olympic All-Star squad after helping Canada win a gold medal.

February 14, 2014: Almost all of the key players from the 2012 championship are

Season Preview: Almost all of the key players from the 2012 championship are still in L.A., so Kings fans have high hopes for another Stanley Cup in 2013–14. Dustin Brown, Justin Williams, and Anze Kopitar will once again man the team’s top line, while Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick lead the defense.

More Go-To Guys

This card freaked me out a little when I was kid. (Topps, Inc.)

Jim Fox signed this photo from the 1990s. Fox is a great guy, and he stayed with the team after his playing days as a broadcaster. (Author’s Collection)

Mattias Norstrom signed this photo, which shows him wearing the captain’s C on his sweater. (Author’s Collection)

  • Eddie Joyal — Center
    Born: 5/8/1940
    Played for Team: 1967–68 to 1971–72
    Eddie “The Jet” Joyal was one of the Kings’ most exciting players in their earl years. He was one of the fastest skaters in the league, and became a good goal-scorer with Los Angeles. He netted 33 goals in his second year with L.A.

  • Mike Murphy — Right Wing
    Born: 9/12/1950
    Played for Team: 1973–74 to 1982–83
    Mike Murphy was a hardworking wing for more 10 years in L.A., scoring 20 or more goals in five of his first six seasons. An All-Star in 1980, he retired at age 33 and the Kings’ coach four years later.

  • Jim Fox — Right Wing
    Born: 5/18/1960
    Played for Team: 1980–81 to 1989–90
    Most L.A. sports fans know Jim Fox as a hockey announcer, but he first came to California as a 20-year-old rookie with the Kings. Fox was a consistent scorer who averaged a point a game in 1984–85.

  • Bernie Nicholls — Center
    Born: 6/24/1961
    Played for Team: 1981–82 to 1989–90
    Bernie Nicholls was one of the best homegrown players the Kings ever produced. In 1988–89, he teamed with Wayne Gretzky to produce a season for the ages—70 goals, 80 assists, and 150 points. He was especially dangerous as a penalty-killer, because he could turn a bad pass into a short-handed goal in the blink of an eye.

  • Marty McSorley — Right Wing/Defenseman
    Born: 5/18/1963
    Played for Team: 1988–89 to 1995–96
    For much of his career—first with Edmonton and later with Los Angeles—Marty McSorley’s job was to make sure no one messed with Wayne Gretzky. He became a fan favorite with the Kings, and rewarded their loyalty by improving in all areas of his game. In 1996, it was only fitting that McSorley got the assist when Gretzky scored the goal that broke Gordie Howe’s NHL career record.

  • Mattias Norstrom — Defenseman
    Born: 1/2/1972
    Played for Team: 1995–96 to 2006–07
    Mattias Norstrom was team captain for the Kings from 2001 until he was traded in 2007. He was a classic stay-at-home defenseman whose main job was to defend his own goal.

  • Drew Doughty — Defenseman
    Born: 12/8/1989
    First Season with Team: 2008–09
    Drew Doughty made the Kings as a teenager and was voted to the NHL All-Rookie Team. In his second year he was third among league defenseman in scoring. The Kings became a championship team when Drew Doughty began focusing more on defense than offense. In the 2011 playoffs, he did both—shutting down enemy scorers while leading all defensemen with 16 points in 20 games—on the way to L.A.’s first title. In 2015–16 he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman.

  • Matt Roy — Defenseman
    Born: 3/1/1995
    First Season with Team: 2018–19
    After starring in college for Michigan Tech, Matt Roy worked his way to the NHL and became one of the best all-around defensemen in 2019–20, his first full year in the league. Although he was still learning “on the job,” the Kings were far better with Roy on the ice than when he was resting on the bench.

More Fun Facts

This is one of my favorite hockey collectibles—the sleeve from the 45 made by Dionne and the Puck-Tones. I met Marcel a couple of years ago. He has a company that sells collectible goalie masks. (author’s Collection)

  • IN THE THICKE OF THINGS
    In 1979, entertainer Alan Thicke (and hockey fan) Alan Thicke wrote two songs to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes. “Please Forgive My Misconduct Last Night” was recorded by Dionne and the Pucktones—linemates Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, and Charlie Simmer.

  • NAME THAT GAME
    During a 2001 playoff game, the Kings erased a 3–0 deficit with 7 minutes to go against the Detroit Red Wings. Scott Thomas, Jozef Stumpel, and Brian Smolinski scored to send the game into overtime, and then Eric Belanger netted the game-winner after Adam Deadmarsh stole the puck from Hall of Famer Chris Chelios. L.A. fans have two nicknames from this miracle comeback—The Frenzy on Figeuroa and The Stunner at Staples.

  • FITTING TRIBUTES
    Among the thousands of people who perished during the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 were the Kings’ two top pro scouts, Garnet Bailey and Mark Bavis. They were passengers on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. The team named their new mascot Bailey in Garnet Bailey’s honor. After the team’s Stanley Cup victory in 2012, a fan left a Kings championship cap between their names on the 9/11 Memorial.

League Leaders

Wayne Gretzky never “owned” L.A. the way Magic did, but he made hockey a primetime sport there. (Sports Illustrated/TIME Inc.)

Marcel Dionne is still signing photos for anyone who asks. This one shows him in the team’s home gold uniform from the 1970s. Check out the linoleum floor—very classy. (Author’s Collection)

  • GOALS
    1979–80 — Charlie Simmer — 56*

    * Tied with another player

  • ASSISTS
    1988–89 — Wayne Gretzky — 114
    1989–90 — Wayne Gretzky — 102
    1991–92 — Wayne Gretzky — 90
    1993–94 — Wayne Gretzky — 92

  • POINTS
    1979–80 — Marcel Dionne — 137*
    1989–90 — Wayne Gretzky — 142
    1990–91 — Wayne Gretzky — 163
    1993–94 — Wayne Gretzky — 130

    * Tied with another player

  • GOALS-AGAINST
    No Kings goalie has led the NHL in this statistic

  • PLUS/MINUS
    1990–91 — Marty McSorley — + 48*
    2015–16 — Tyler Toffoli — +35

    * Tied with another player

In the Stanley Cup Finals

Not many of my friends in New Jersey wanted to keep this Stanley Cup program after the Kings won. They should send them to my friends in Los Angeles! (National Hockey League)

SEASON OPPONENT RESULT
1992–93 Montreal Canadiens Lost 1–4
2011–12 New Jersey Devils Won 4–2
2013–14 New York Rangers Won 4–1

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