We are now just 50 days away from Opening Night!
For me, this marks the time to dive into one of my favorite offseason projects: compiling 50 Facts about the LA Kings.
I initiated this series two summers ago and continued it last year. It draws inspiration from Matthew Berry, whose Fantasy Football articles I enjoy; he writes a piece each season that consistently gets me thinking. The concept is straightforward: present facts that are verifiably true. These facts often relate to one another, contributing to an overarching narrative, but ultimately, they stand as mere truths. Yet, it is essential to recognize that facts can shape perceptions. While they remain accurate, they can be wielded by writers to influence readers’ opinions in specific directions. The intention behind their use can skew the interpretation.
To illustrate, here are two factual player profiles.
Player A: Last season, Player A topped all Kings defensemen in goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Additionally, he ranked first in individual shots on goal, shot attempts, and scoring chances per 60 minutes. When it comes to on-ice chances, no other Kings blueliner exceeded Player A in per 60 minutes for scoring or high-danger chances. He also played a significant role on the power play, leading the Kings in power-play assists per 60 minutes.
Player B: Last season, Player B recorded only two goals and six points from the blue line. One of those goals was scored at 5-on-5, and it occurred late in a blowout victory. Player B placed sixth among Kings defensemen in points per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play and finished last in assists per 60 minutes. He had the lowest goal share of any Kings defenseman, despite commencing nearly 55 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone during even-strength play.
Player A sounds like an offensive powerhouse, a driving force, and someone I would want on my team. On the other hand, Player B appears to be a significant liability offensively.
Interestingly, Player A is Brandt Clarke, and Player B is also Brandt Clarke.
I have a strong appreciation for Brandt Clarke as a player. I believe his potential is exceptional, likely the highest among prospects in our organization. However, without context or proper details, I could easily portray him as a disappointing player by using only cold facts. Conversely, I could also depict him as an outstanding performer, just like Player A seems to be.
The Kings anticipate that Brandt Clarke will be a consistent contributor in all 82 games this season at the NHL level. With that expectation comes the need for offensive production, which I believe he will deliver. If one were to focus solely on the numbers without considering observations and context, they would have only a partial understanding of the situation. Occasionally, I may present facts selectively to promote a particular narrative—be it positive or negative—that I wish to convey. I suspect that many writers do the same, whether consciously or subconsciously. Even the most factually accurate articles can contain half-truths, and this one is no exception.
With that said, here are 50 facts about the 2024-25 LA Kings.
1. Let’s start with Clarke—Brandt Clarke led all AHL defensemen in points per game (0.92) last season.
2. In the past 20 years, only four rookie defensemen have played in 40 or more AHL games while averaging 0.8 or higher points per game: Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, Brandon Montour, and John Carlson.
3. Two of those defensemen are now part of the LA Kings.
4. Clarke ranked in the 94th percentile in the NHL last season for the percentage of his ice time spent in the offensive zone.
5. Spence led all Kings defensemen in both individual high-danger chances and scoring chances.
per/60 last season, Spence ranked within the NHL’s Top-15 in this category.
6. Spence’s shooting percentage at even strength stood at 1.6%, placing him 190th among the 217 defensemen who played at least 500 minutes last season.
7. With 1.09 assists and 0.55 primary assists per/60, he secured a Top-20 position among NHL defensemen last season.
8. Players from the 2020 NHL Draft who scored 20 goals, 30 assists, and maintained a positive rating in the 2023-24 season include Seth Jarvis and Quinton Byfield.
9. Byfield finished as the second-highest scorer for the Kings last season with 37 points at 5-on-5 and led the team with 0.84 primary assists per/60 and 1.4 assists per/60.
10. Following Jim Hiller’s appointment as the Kings’ Head Coach, no forward logged more 5-on-5 minutes than Byfield.
11. This summer, Jim Hiller was confirmed as the permanent Head Coach of the LA Kings.
11A. According to Rob Blake, Byfield is expected to start the season on a line with Kevin Fiala.
12. Last season, the six forwards who played over 100 minutes with Fiala at even strength had a higher expected goals for per/60 while playing beside him compared to when they were not.
13. Byfield and Fiala shared 62 minutes of ice time last season, amassing a 73 percent expected goal share.
14. In his inaugural professional season, forward Alex Laferriere topped the Kings in individual high-danger chances and scoring opportunities at 5-on-5.
15. Laferriere placed second in expected goals scored at 5-on-5, just behind Trevor Moore.
16. Among regular Kings forwards, he ranked seventh in actual goals and shooting percentage.
17. He also came ninth in time-on-ice per game amongst 5-on-5 forwards.
18. Laferriere contributed to over 60 percent of the goals while on the ice last season, landing him in ninth among regular Kings forwards.
19. He hit the post eight times last season, which was tied for the highest on the Kings.
20. Four free-agent forwards who switched teams this summer averaged both a goal and an assist per/60 at 5-on-5 last season.
21. Warren Foegele is one of those forwards.
21A. Foegele signed with the Kings on July 1.
22. Foegele ranked third in the NHL for scoring chances per/60 at even strength, following Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews.
23. He also took the fourth spot in high-danger chances behind Matthews, Hyman, and Anders Lee.
23A. Foegele is expected to join Byfield and Fiala on the third line.
23B. Refer to #8.
24. Last season, Foegele was fourth in even-strength points for the Oilers, behind only Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl.
25. The Kings finished 22nd in hits across the NHL last season.
26. Tanner Jeannot, who was acquired by the Kings in June, recorded 211 hits last season, which would have placed him first on the Kings.
27. Jeannot ranked fifth among forwards logging 50 or more games in hits per/60.
28. He also made the NHL’s Top-25 in penalties drawn per/60 last season.
29. He was one of nine players in the league to rank within the Top-25 for both hits and penalties drawn.
30. Interestingly, Andreas Englund was fourth among NHL defensemen in penalties drawn last season and led all blueliners in penalties drawn per/60.
31. The Kings signed goaltender Cam Talbot last summer, following a season in which he fell below his career averages in both save percentage and goals against average.
32. In the three seasons prior,
During the period from 2019 to 2022, Talbot achieved a save percentage of .909, placing him ninth in the NHL for those three seasons.
33. This summer, the Kings secured goaltender Darcy Kuemper through a trade.
34. Kuemper is coming off a season during which his save percentage and goals against average fell below his career norms.
35. In the three seasons leading up to 2023 (2020-2023), Kuemper recorded a save percentage of .914, ranking eighth in the NHL during that timeframe.
36. According to Natural StatTrick, Kuemper stood fifth in the NHL for goals saved above average during that span.
37. Forward Anze Kopitar did not finish as the leading scorer for the LA Kings in 2023-2024, marking just the third instance in 18 seasons.
38. Nonetheless, Kopitar was one of only two players over the age of 35 in the NHL to record 70 or more points, alongside Sidney Crosby.
39. The Kings’ leading scorer, Adrian Kempe, achieved career highs with 47 assists and 75 total points.
40. Kempe led the team in both shot attempts and shots on goal from the slot last season.
41. Furthermore, he was the team’s leader in scoring chances generated from rushes and in-zone cycles.
42. In the 2023-2024 season, Kempe tallied 23.0 expected goals, slightly down from 23.9 in 2022-2023.
43. Kempe’s shooting percentage dropped five points from 16.4% to 11.4% between 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. He also tied with Laferriere for the most posts struck last season and generated a team-leading 39 rebounds.
44. When fielding 11 forwards and seven defensemen, the Kings recorded an impressive 13-1-1 record last season.
45. In 11/7 alignments, the Kings averaged 3.9 goals per game, a pace that would have topped the NHL if sustained over a full 82-game season.
46. Similarly, in 11/7 lineups, they averaged only 1.7 goals allowed per game, a rate that also would have led the NHL last season over 82 games.
47. Out of the 15 games in this formation, five were against teams that qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
48. The Kings were the youngest team in the 2023-2024 season, both in terms of age and total experience (combined games played) among those qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
49. The anticipated average age of the LA Kings roster for the 2024-2025 season is 27.9, making it the fourth-youngest team to reach last year’s playoffs.
50. The regular season kicks off on October 10, and it will be interesting to see how relevant these statistics turn out to be.
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50 Intriguing Facts About the LA Kings as Opening Night Approaches
As the excitement builds for the upcoming NHL season, fans of the Los Angeles Kings are eager to dive into the team’s rich history and fascinating trivia. Here, we present 50 intriguing facts about the LA Kings that will not only enhance your knowledge but also ignite your passion for this iconic franchise. From historic achievements to entertaining anecdotes, read on and discover what makes the Kings a beloved team in the heart of Los Angeles.
1. Foundation and Early Years
- The LA Kings were established in 1967 as part of the NHL’s expansion, making them one of the first teams in the West Coast.
- They were the first NHL team based in California.
- The Kings’ first game was played on October 14, 1967, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
2. Iconic Colors and Logo
- The team’s colors are purple, black, and silver, a combination that has become synonymous with the franchise.
- The original logo featured a crown, which continues to symbolize the team’s royal status.
- In 1988, the Kings became the first team in the NHL to wear black as their primary color.
3. Notable Players Through the Decades
- Wayne Gretzky, often regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, played for the Kings from 1988 to 1996.
- Luc Robitaille, a Kings legend, is the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history.
- Rob Blake, a key defenseman, led the Kings to multiple playoffs and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.
4. Memorable Playoff Moments
- The Kings made their first playoff appearance in the 1969-70 season.
- In 1993, the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
- The Kings pulled off one of the greatest playoff upsets in 2012 by winning the Cup as an 8th seed.
5. The Stanley Cup Victories
- The Kings have won the Stanley Cup twice: in 2012 and 2014.
- In 2012, they became the first 8th seed to win the Stanley Cup in NHL history.
- Their 2014 victory marked their second championship win, defeating the New York Rangers in five games.
6. Home Arena
- The Kings play their home games at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), a major venue in Los Angeles.
- Crypto.com Arena is shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
- It has hosted numerous memorable events beyond hockey, including concerts and award shows.
7. Fan Engagement and Community
- The Kings have a dedicated fan base known for their loyalty and enthusiasm.
- The team actively participates in community outreach programs, including youth hockey initiatives.
- King, the team’s mascot, is a fan favorite and is known for his entertaining antics during games.
8. Historic Rivalries
- The Kings have a well-known rivalry with the Anaheim Ducks, known as the “Freeway Face-Off.”
- They also share a heated rivalry with the San Jose Sharks, adding to the excitement of California hockey.
- Each season, these matchups create some of the most thrilling games on the calendar.
9. Statistical Highlights
| Player | Record | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 923 | Points (Most in Franchise History) |
| Luc Robitaille | 557 | Goals (Most in Franchise History) |
| Rob Blake | 144 | Points by a Defenseman (Franchise Record) |
10. Coaching Legends
- Bruce McNall was instrumental in the Kings’ early success, serving as the owner during the Gretzky era.
- Coach Darryl Sutter led the Kings to both Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014.
- Current head coach Todd McLellan is focused on developing young talent and fostering a winning culture.
11. Unique Championship Tradition
- The Kings celebrate their Stanley Cup victories with a “day with the Cup,” allowing players and staff to share the trophy with fans and family.
- The team has also been known to bring the Cup to various community events, ensuring that the celebration extends beyond the ice.
12. Historic Milestones and Achievements
- In 2016, the Kings became the first team in NHL history to reach the playoffs after having missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.
- The team has had multiple division championships, showcasing their competitive spirit through the years.
13. Influence in Pop Culture
- The Kings have made appearances in various films and TV shows, highlighting their influence beyond just sports.
- Notable appearances include the animated series “The Simpsons” and the movie “D2: The Mighty Ducks.”
14. Current Roster Highlights
- With emerging stars like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, the Kings are building a strong core for future seasons.
- Young talents like Quinton Byfield are expected to play pivotal roles as the team evolves.
15. The Future of the Kings
- The Kings are committed to developing young prospects through their farm team, the Ontario Reign, in the AHL.
- Investments in training facilities and analytics are paving the way for a brighter future.
16. Resources for Fans
For fans looking to stay connected with the LA Kings, here are some helpful resources:
17. Game Day Experience
Attending a Kings game at Crypto.com Arena offers an unforgettable experience:
- Arrive early to enjoy pre-game activities and festivities.
- Be sure to try the various food options available, including classic stadium fare and local favorites.
- Participate in the game-day traditions like the national anthem and goal celebrations to immerse yourself in the atmosphere.
18. Fun Facts and Trivia
- The Kings were the last NHL team to wear white at home for their games until the 2011-2012 season.
- The team’s mascot, Bailey, is named after a phrase used by fans: “Let’s Go Kings!”
- In 2014, the Kings became the first team in NHL history to win the Cup after being down 3-0 in a playoff series.
19. The Kings’ Impact on Hockey
The LA Kings have significantly impacted the growth of hockey in California:
- They played a crucial role in promoting youth hockey programs in the area.
- Many players from California have made their mark in the NHL, inspired by the Kings’ success.
20. Upcoming Season Anticipation
As the opening night approaches, fans are eager to see how the Kings will perform this season:
- With a mix of seasoned veterans and promising rookies, the team looks poised for success.
- Fans are hoping to witness more memorable moments and playoff runs in the coming year.
These facts offer just a glimpse into the exciting world of the LA Kings. From their rich history to their vibrant community
