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| The Kings' primary logo from 2002–2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Los Angeles Kings, who began in 1967 as one of six teams the National Hockey League added when they expanded west, won its first Stanley Cup Monday night. They defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 to take the best-of-seven series in six games.
The Kings were nobody's choice (outside of diehard fans and brave hockey pundits) to win the Cup at the end of the regular season, having just barely made the playoffs as the Number Eight seed in the Western Conference. Then the waves parted. Favorites fell left and right. The Kings won all but one road game as they made short work of Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix on their way to a 16-4 playoff record.
If you want to make a successful playoff run, sometimes all you need is a hot goaltender. The Kings had one in Jonathan Quick, whose stellar performances between the pipes earned him the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Other than that, name one player on the Kings besides team captain Dustin Brown and coach Darryl Sutter. These guys did what Wayne Gretzky could not do when he played in L.A.: Bring a championship to the Southland.
The Devils were also not considered Cup material with their Number Six seed in the Eastern Conference. But behind goalie Martin Brodeur (who's hoisted a few Cups in the past) and Zach Parise (who just priced himself off the Minnesota Wild as he becomes a free agent), they swept past Florida, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers in hard-fought series to get to the finals. But falling behind to the Kings 3-0 before threatening to become only the second team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to make the ultimate comeback was simply too much to ask.
It has already been a successful year in terms of the NHL spreading the gospel of hockey to places where ice is what you put in your drink. In addition to the Kings, San Jose, Phoenix, Nashville and Florida all made the playoffs--which more than made up for half-empty arenas during the regular season. But if your team is in Tampa Bay, Anaheim or Dallas and they didn't make the playoffs, then you have a problem.
The Phoenix Coyotes used to have that problem, being a bankrupt, league-owned team on the verge of leaving town. But one long playoff run later, it looks like they're going to get new owners who'll keep them in the desert.
Winning a Stanley Cup will also do wonders for the Kings off the ice. Its current owners are reportedly putting the franchise up for sale, which means they can now charge a heftier price than they would have if they hadn't won the Cup. They also signed a new TV deal with Fox Sports West that takes them to 2024.
There are storm clouds on the horizon for the NHL. The collective bargaining agreement, which has been in place since a lockout canceled the 2004-05 season, expires in September. The league and the players association, now headed by Donald Fehr (who helped take Major League Baseball into the abyss in 1994), have yet to negotiate on a new deal. They have a lot to negotiate, from salaries to concussions to realignment to participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. Let's all see if the NHL's owners dare to cancel another season.
For now, the Stanley Cup takes its spot on the beach next to surfer dudes and those California girls Katy Perry keeps talking about. In Southern California, it's good to be the Kings.
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