On March 1, 2017, Iginla was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick. He chose to wear the number 88, as number 12 was already taken by Marián Gáborík. As a 10-year-old, Iginla had purchased a Kings jersey and placed his name and the number 88 on the back after Wayne Gretzky was traded to the team. Kings general manager Dean Lombardi hoped a fresh start for Iginla would ignite him after playing for a struggling team in Colorado.