1988 – 89 Los Angeles Kings season The 1988 – 89 Los Angeles Kings season saw the Kings finish second in the Smythe Division with a record of 42 - 31 - 7 , for 91 points . The 1988 – 89 season was the first for the great Wayne Gretzky in a Kings uniform . He had come over in a shocking trade with the Edmonton Oilers in the off - season ( see below ) . Paced by Gretzky , Los Angeles led the league in goal scoring , with a total of 376 goals scored . In the playoffs , the Kings upset the Oilers , Gretzky ' s former team , in seven games in the Smythe Division Semi - finals before being swept in the Smythe Division Finals by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames in four straight games . This was also the first season that the Kings wore their silver and black uniforms , which they would wear until the 1998 – 99 season . In the offseason , they had changed their team colours to silver and black from gold and purple , which were more associated with their co - tenants at the Great Western Forum , the NBA ' s Los Angeles Lakers . They had also unveiled a new logo that reflected the new team colours . Offseason . Wayne Gretzky trade . On August 9 , 1988 , in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL , the Oilers traded Gretzky , along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski , to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson , Martin Gelinas , $ 15 million in cash , and the Kings ' first - round draft picks in 1989 ( Jason Miller ) , 1991 ( Martin Rucinsky ) , and 1993 ( Nick Stajduhar ) . " The Trade " , as it came to be known , upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it and Pocklington was burned in effigy . Gretzky himself was considered a " traitor " by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown , his home province , and his home country ; his motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife ' s acting career . Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade , seeking to benefit personally from the transaction . Regular season . On October 6 , 1988 , Wayne Gretzky made his debut as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in a game against the Detroit Red Wings . Gretzky scored on his first shot , and contributed 3 assists in an 8 - 2 victory . In Gretzky ' s first season with the Kings , he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists , and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league ' s Most Valuable Player . He led the Kings to a second - place finish in the Smythe Division with a 42 – 31 – 7 record ( 91 points ) , and they ranked fourth in the NHL overall . Gretzky ' s first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey . The Kings , who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum , named Gretzky their captain ( a position he held until his trade to St . Louis in 1996 ) and boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 1989 playoffs . Player stats . Forwards . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; PIM = Penalty minutes " Defencemen . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; PIM = Penalty minutes " Goaltending . " Note : GP = Games played ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; T = Ties ; SO = Shutouts ; GAA = Goals against average " Playoffs . Smythe Division Semi - finals . The Kings faced Gretzky ' s old team , the Oilers , in the first round of the 1989 playoffs . They fell behind 3 games to 1 , but rallied to take the series in seven games , helped in no small part by nine goals from Chris Kontos , a little - known player who had just recently been called up from the minor leagues . However , the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames . " Los Angeles wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 3 " Smythe Division Finals . Los Angeles Kings vs . Calgary Flames " Calgary wins best - of - seven series 4 games to 0 " References . < / div >