Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles , California . They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The team was founded on February 9 , 1966 , when Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles , becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the 1967 NHL expansion . The Kings called The Forum in Inglewood , California ( a suburb of Los Angeles ) , their home for thirty - two years until they moved to the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles to start the 1999 – 2000 season . During the 1970s and early 1980s , the Kings had many years marked by impressive play in the regular season only to be washed out by early playoff exits . Their highlights included the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon , and the " Triple Crown Line " of Charlie Simmer , Dave Taylor and Hall of Fame player Marcel Dionne , who had a famous upset of the uprising Edmonton Oilers in a 1982 playoff game known as the Miracle on Manchester . In 1988 , the Kings traded with the Oilers to get their captain Wayne Gretzky , leading to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey ' s popularity in Los Angeles . Gretzky , fellow Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille and defenseman Rob Blake led the Kings to the franchise ' s sole division title in 1990 – 91 , and the Kings ' first Stanley Cup Final in 1993 . After the 1993 Finals , the Kings entered financial problems , with a bankruptcy in 1995 that was only solved after the franchise was acquired by Philip Anschutz ( owner of Anschutz Entertainment Group , operators of Staples Center ) and Edward P . Roski . A period of mediocrity ensued , with the Kings only resurging as they broke a six - year playoff drought in the 2009 – 10 season , with a team that included goaltender Jonathan Quick , defenseman Drew Doughty , and forwards Dustin Brown , Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams . Under coach Darryl Sutter , who was hired early in the 2011 – 12 season , the Kings have won two Stanley Cup s in three years : 2012 , over the New Jersey Devils , and 2014 , against the New York Rangers . Quick and Williams respectively won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs . Franchise history . The " Forum Blue and Gold " years ( 1967 – 68 to 1987 – 88 ) . Prior to the Kings ' arrival in the Los Angeles area , both the Pacific Coast Hockey League ( PCHL ) and the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) had several teams in California , including the PCHL ' s Los Angeles Monarchs of the 1930s and the WHL ' s Los Angeles Blades of the 1960s . When the NHL decided to expand for the 1967 – 68 season amid rumblings that the WHL was proposing to turn itself into a major league and compete for the Stanley Cup , five separate Los Angeles groups bidded for a hockey franchise , including ones led by Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson and Donna Reed ' s producer husband Tony Owen . Blades owner Dan Reeves , who was also proprietor of the National Football League ' s Los Angeles Rams , seemed the favorite for already having a team and a stadium lease with the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena . However , he would end up surpassed by Canadian entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke , who owned the National Basketball Association ' s Los Angeles Lakers . As the Lakers played at the Memorial Sports Arena , Cooke applied for both a long time NBA lease and the right to sign a lease for hockey in case he won the NHL franchise . But the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission , which manages the Sports Arena and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the present day , had already entered into an agreement with the Blades , and only offered a two - year deal for the Lakers . Frustrated by his dealings with the Coliseum Commission , Cooke said , " I am going to build my own arena . . . I ' ve had enough of this balderdash . " Thus he was the only Los Angeles applicant with plans for his own stadium , something that made the NHL favor his bid . In February 1966 , Cooke was awarded one of the six new NHL expansion franchises , which also included the California Seals , Minnesota North Stars , Philadelphia Flyers , Pittsburgh Penguins and St . Louis Blues . Los Angeles has a large number of expatriates from both the Northeastern United States and Canada , which Cooke saw as a natural fan base . On July , Cooke purchased 29 . 4 acres of land in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood to build his arena , The Forum . Combining the $ 2 million NHL expansion fee , a $ 1 million indemnity to the Blades for territorial rights , $ 4 . 02 million for the Forum terrain and $ 12 . 2 million for the building itself , Cooke spent $ 19 million ( $ 139 million ) to create the Kings , one of the most expensive expansion teams of the period . Following a contest to name the team , Cooke picked the name Kings , and chose the original team colors of purple ( or " Forum Blue , " as it was later officially called ) and gold - the same worn by the Lakers - because they were colors traditionally associated with royalty . Prior to the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft , Cooke named Larry Regan the first General Manager in franchise history , and struck a deal with Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Red Kelly , who was set for his retirement , to become the Kings ' first head coach . Kelly ' s rights would be acquired during the expansion draft , but eventually Maple Leafs ' general manager Punch Imlach decided to put him on the protected list and force Cooke to send one of his picks , Ken Block , in exchange for Kelly . Cooke also decided to improve the Kings ' roster by purchasing the American Hockey League ' s Springfield Indians and promoting their best players . Construction on Cooke ' s new arena , the Forum , was not yet complete when the 1967 – 68 season began , so the Kings opened their first season at the Long Beach Arena in the neighboring city of Long Beach on October 14 , 1967 , defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4 – 2 . For the next two months , the Kings played their home games both at Long Beach and at the Sports Arena . The " Fabulous Forum " finally opened its doors on December 30 , 1967 , with the Kings being shut out by the Flyers , 2 – 0 . The Kings made the Forum their home for the next 32 seasons . Players like Bill " Cowboy " Flett , Eddie " The Jet " Joyal , Eddie " The Entertainer " Shack , Real " Frenchy " Lemieux and Jim " Attaboy " Atamanenko helped introduce the Los Angeles area to the NHL in the team ' s first few seasons . Such player nicknames were the brainchild of none other than Cooke himself . In their first season , the Kings finished in second place in the Western Division , just one point behind the Flyers . The Kings were the only expansion team that had a winning record at home , but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota North Stars , losing the seventh game at The Forum on April 18 , 1968 , 9 – 4 . In their second season behind head coach Red Kelly , the Kings finished fourth in the West Division — the final playoff berth . But after eliminating the Oakland Seals in the first round of the playoffs in seven games , the Kings were swept out of post - season play in the second round by the St . Louis Blues . After two fairly successful seasons , the Kings hit upon hard times , mostly due to poor management . Kings general managers established a history of trading away first - round draft picks , usually for veteran players ( many of them NHL stars on the downside of their careers ) , a problem that would hinder the franchise for years to come . The Kings ' attendance also suffered during this time , leading Cooke to muse that the reason so many Northeasterners and Canadians moved to Southern California was that " they hated hockey . " In 1972 , the Kings made two key acquisitions . First , the rise of rookie goaltender Ken Dryden in Montreal made their # 1 goalie Rogatien Vachon expendable and the Kings obtained him in a trade . After years of a " revolving door " in goal , Vachon solidified the position , often in spectacular fashion . For the next 5 years , the Forum was often filled with chants of " Rogie ! , Rogie ! " as Vachon made many a great save . In addition , the Kings obtained former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bob Pulford , first as a player and then as their head coach . Under Pulford ' s disciplined direction , the Kings went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best . It took him just two seasons to lead the Kings back to the playoffs and in 1974 , they faced the Chicago Blackhawks , only to be eliminated in five games . Pulford eventually led the team to three of the most successful seasons in franchise history , including a 105 - point season in 1974 – 75 that is still a franchise record . In 1973 , the Kings hired Bob Miller as the their play - by - play announcer , and he has held that post continuously since that time . Miller , considered to be one of the best hockey play - by - play announcers in the NHL , is often referred to as the " Voice of the Kings . " He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 13 , 2000 , and his first book , " Bob Miller ' s Tales of the Los Angeles Kings " , was published in 2006 . After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both 1973 – 74 and 1974 – 75 , the Kings moved to significantly upgrade their offensive firepower when they acquired center Marcel Dionne on June 23 , 1975 , in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings . Dionne was already a superstar in the NHL and he made an immediate impact in the 1975 – 76 season , scoring 40 goals and adding 54 assists for 94 points in 80 regular season games . He led the Kings to a 38 – 33 – 9 record ( 85 points ) , earning them a second place finish in the Norris Division . Behind Dionne ' s offensive prowess , the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon , and the speed and scoring touch of forward Butch Goring , the Kings swept the Atlanta Flames out of the first round of the playoffs , but were eliminated in the second round by the Boston Bruins in seven games . The Kings would defeat the Flames and lose to the Bruins in the following year ' s playoffs as well . On January 13 , 1979 , Dionne found himself on a new line with two young , mostly unknown players : second - year right winger Dave Taylor and left winger Charlie Simmer , who had been a career minor - leaguer . This line combination , known as the " Triple Crown Line , " would go on to become one of the highest - scoring line combinations in NHL history . After the Triple Crown Line ' s first season together , Dr . Jerry Buss purchased the Kings , the Lakers , and the Forum for $ 67 . 5 million , but the Simmer - Dionne - Taylor combination remained intact . The next season , the Triple Crown Line dominated the NHL , scoring 146 goals and 182 assists , good for 328 points . The entire line , along with goalie Mario Lessard , was selected to play in the NHL All - Star Game that season , which was played at the Forum . In that 1979 – 80 season , Dionne won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy for winning an NHL scoring title that season with 137 points on 53 goals and 84 assists . But even with the Triple Crown Line ' s ability to dominate , the Kings still could not get out of the first round of the playoffs until 1982 . That year , the Kings opened the playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers , who were led by a young but fast - rising star by the name of Wayne Gretzky . Gretzky was only in his third year in the league , but he dominated the NHL like no other had before from the moment he stepped onto NHL ice in his rookie season . By the 1981 – 82 season , he was already the most dominant player in the league , and had made the Oilers one of the elite teams in the NHL , on their way to winning four Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s . The Oilers finished with 111 points , the second - best record in the league , while the Kings barely made the playoffs with only 63 points . The Kings won Game 1 in Edmonton on April 7 , 1982 , 10 – 8 , in the highest scoring Stanley Cup Playoff game ever . The Oilers recovered to win in overtime in Game 2 , and the teams headed to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 . Game 3 would be one of the most amazing in hockey history and was later dubbed the " Miracle on Manchester " ( the Kings arena , the Forum , was on Manchester Boulevard ) . In that game , played on April 10 , 1982 , Gretzky led the Oilers to a commanding 5 - 0 lead after two periods and it seemed like the Kings were headed for a blowout loss . But the Kings began an unbelievable comeback in the third period , tying the game on a goal by left winger Steve Bozek at 19 : 55 of the third period and sending the game into overtime . Bozek ' s goal set the stage for what was to come . At 2 : 35 of the overtime period , Kings left winger Daryl Evans fired a slap shot off a face - off in the right circle of the Edmonton zone , beating Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr over his right shoulder to give the Kings an incredible come - from - behind , overtime victory , 6 - 5 . The Miracle on Manchester , the greatest comeback in NHL playoff history , is also the greatest moment in Kings franchise history as of 2007 . Not only did the Kings complete a miraculous comeback against the vaunted Oilers , but they also went on to eliminate them from the playoffs in five games . Despite Dionne ' s leadership , the Kings missed the playoffs in the next two seasons , and were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Oilers in 1985 , when the Oilers won their second straight Stanley Cup championship . Dionne ' s time with the Kings ended on March 10 , 1987 , when he was traded to the New York Rangers . But by this time , the Kings had new skaters to help lead them into the next decade , including star forwards Bernie Nicholls , Jimmy Carson , Luc Robitaille , and defenseman Steve Duchesne . Even before the Dionne trade the Kings were sent reeling when coach Pat Quinn signed a contract to become coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks with just months left on his Kings contract . NHL President John Ziegler suspended Quinn for the rest of the season and barred him from taking over Vancouver ' s hockey operations until June . Ziegler also barred him from coaching anywhere in the NHL until the 1990 – 91 season . In Ziegler ' s view , Quinn ' s actions created a serious conflict of interest that could only be resolved by having him removed as coach . Despite these shocks , the Kings made the playoffs in the next two seasons , but they were unable to get out of the first round . Part of the problem was that the way the playoffs were structured ( teams were bracketed and seeded by division ) made it very likely that they would have to get past either the powerful Oilers or Calgary Flames ( or both ) to reach the Conference Finals . In fact , the Kings faced either the Oilers or the Flames in the playoffs four times during the 1980s . However , the 1988 – 89 season would be a big turning point for the franchise . Silver and Black Era ( 1988 – 89 to 1997 – 98 ) . In 1987 , coin collector Bruce McNall purchased the Kings from Buss and turned the team into a Stanley Cup contender almost overnight . On August 9 , 1988 , McNall acquired the league ' s best player , Wayne Gretzky , in a blockbuster trade with the Edmonton Oilers . The trade rocked the hockey world , especially north of the border where Canadians mourned the loss of a player they considered a national treasure . McNall also changed the team colors to silver and black . 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 . 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 Flames . The next season saw Gretzky become the league ' s all - time leading scorer . On October 15 , 1989 , in Edmonton , he assisted on a Bernie Nicholls goal to tie Gordie Howe ' s career record of 1 , 850 points , then broke it late in the contest on a game - tying goal against Bill Ranford . The goal forced overtime , where Gretzky capped a spectacular night by scoring again to win the game for Los Angeles . At season ' s end , the Kings finished fourth and faced the defending champion Flames in the first round . This time , they defeated Calgary in six games , two of which had dramatic overtimes — Game 3 was won with a shorthanded goal by Tony Granato , and Game 6 ended with a strange goal by Mike Krushelnyski while he was flat on his back . However , the Kings were swept in the second round by the eventual champion Oilers , who were seeking revenge for the loss of the previous year . Gretzky spearheaded the Kings to their first ( and at present , only ) regular - season division title in franchise history in the 1990 – 91 season with a 46 - 24 - 10 record ( 102 points , the second best point total in franchise history ) . Notably , it was the first time in 10 years that a team from Alberta had not finished first in the Smythe . However , the heavily favored Kings struggled in the playoffs , winning the first round against the Vancouver Canucks in six games but losing a close series against Edmonton in the second round that saw four games go into overtime . The 1991 – 92 season , the Kings ' 25th as a franchise , witnessed eight Kings players score over 20 goals ; Gretzky himself had a then - career low in scoring yet still finished third in the league behind Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens . Despite this , Los Angeles again failed to thwart their Edmonton rivals in the post - season , losing to the Oilers in the first round . This marked the third straight year that the Gretzky - led Kings were eliminated from the playoffs by Gretzky ' s former teammates . The Kings would reach new heights in the 1992 – 93 season , but the campaign started badly when it was learned that Gretzky had suffered a career - threatening herniated thoracic disk before the season began . The concern was not mainly whether Gretzky would be able to play that season , but if he would ever be able to play again . But even without their captain and leading scorer , the Kings got off to a blistering 20 - 8 - 3 start , with left - winger Luc Robitaille , who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the 1986 – 87 ' s NHL Rookie of the Year , filling in as captain for the ailing Gretzky . Robitaille led the team until Gretzky returned after missing the first 39 games . Robitaille would go on to retire at the end of the 2005 – 06 season as the highest - scoring left winger in National Hockey League history . Robitaille and Gretzky , along with former Oilers ' winger Jari Kurri , forwards Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom , defensemen Rob Blake , Marty McSorley , and Alexei Zhitnik , and goalie Kelly Hrudey , guided the Kings through a rough middle portion of the season until they found their game once again in the last three months of the campaign to qualify for post - season action . Although Gretzky came back to score 16 goals and 49 assists ( 65 points ) in just 45 games , it was Robitaille who was the Kings ' impact player that season , leading the team in scoring with 63 goals and 62 assists ( 125 points ) in 84 regular season games , setting new NHL all - time records for goals and points scored by a left winger in a single season . The Kings finished with a 39 - 35 - 10 record ( 88 points ) , clinching third place in the Smythe Division . First - year head coach Barry Melrose had his team ' s offense running on all cylinders when the 1993 playoffs began , and they scored an amazing 33 goals in their first - round series against the Calgary Flames . In the second round , the Kings faced the heavily - favored Vancouver Canucks , a team that had beaten the Kings rather handily five times in seven games during the regular season , and had not lost to the Kings in their four meetings in Vancouver . But the Kings would go on to eliminate the Canucks in six games , with the pivotal victory coming in Game 5 at Vancouver , which was tied 3 - 3 at the end of regulation play . The teams were still tied after the first overtime period , but winger Gary Shuchuk scored at 6 : 31 of the second overtime period , giving the Kings a 3 - 2 series lead , and dealing the Canucks an emotional and , as it turned out , fatal blow . In the Campbell Conference Finals , the Kings were even more of an underdog against the Doug Gilmour - led Toronto Maple Leafs . But with Gretzky at the helm , the Kings eliminated the Leafs in a hard - fought seven - game series that included two overtime games and a Game 6 win for the Kings , who were facing elimination after losing Game 5 in overtime — they trailed the Leafs in the series , 3 - 2 . In Game 6 , Toronto scored two third period goals and tied the game at 4 - 4 at the end of regulation play . But in overtime , Luc Robitaille fed Gretzky a perfect pass and Gretzky scored to give his team a dramatic 5 - 4 victory and send the teams back to Toronto for a Game 7 . In the final contest , Gretzky scored a hat trick ( three goals ) and had an assist to lead the Kings to a 5 - 4 win and a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history . In the Stanley Cup Finals , the Kings faced the Montreal Canadiens , who had breezed through the playoffs and were well - rested . The Kings defeated the Canadiens in Game 1 , 4 - 1 . Game 2 , however , proved to be the turning point in the series . Late in the contest , with the Kings leading by a score of 2 - 1 , Canadiens coach Jacques Demers requested a measurement of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley ' s stick blade . His suspicions proved to be correct , as the curve of blade was too great , and McSorley was penalized . The Canadiens pulled their goalie , Patrick Roy , giving them a two - man advantage , and Eric Desjardins scored on the resulting power play to tie the game . Montreal went on to win the game in overtime on another goal by Desjardins , and the Kings never recovered . They dropped the next two games in overtime , and were shelled 4 - 1 in Game 5 as the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup in franchise history . Despite the stinging defeat at the hands of the Canadiens in the finals , Gretzky and the Kings had generated excitement about hockey and the NHL that had never been seen before in Southern California . As soon as Gretzky donned a Kings jersey , the Forum was sold out for every game — virtually overnight , a Kings game became the hottest ticket in town . The popularity of Gretzky and the Kings also led to the NHL awarding an expansion team to Anaheim , California ; in 1993 the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim ( who became the Anaheim Ducks on June 22 , 2006 ) would become the Kings nearest rival , just 35 miles to the south . Gretzky ' s popularity in Southern California also led to the NHL expanding or moving into other Sun Belt cities such as Phoenix , Dallas , Tampa , Miami , and Nashville . McNall ' s profile also rose during this time . In 1992 , he was elected chairman of the NHL ' s Board of Governors , the second - most powerful post in the league . His support of Gary Bettman tipped the scales in favor of Bettman ' s election as the league ' s first Commissioner . However , only two years later , McNall was forced to sell the team to IDB Communications founder Jeffrey Sudikoff and former Madison Square Garden president Joseph Cohen in the wake of a federal investigation into his financial practices . He ultimately pled guilty to five counts of conspiracy and fraud , and admitted to obtaining $ 236 million in fraudulent loans from six banks over 10 years . It later emerged that McNall had grossly mismanaged the Kings ' business affairs . At one point , Cohen and Sudikoff were even unable to meet player payroll , and were ultimately forced into bankruptcy in 1995 . They were forced to trade many of their stronger players , resulting in a roster composed of Gretzky , Blake , and little else . The Kings missed the playoffs for four seasons , from 1993 – 94 to 1996 – 97 . Staples Center arrival and rebuild ( 1998 – 2011 ) . Phillip Anschutz and Edward P . Roski bought the Kings out of bankruptcy court in October 1995 and began a rebuilding phase . Meanwhile , Gretzky , who was by this time on the downside of his career , stated publicly that he wanted the team to acquire a forward capable of scoring fifty goals per season and an offensive defenseman . If they failed to do that , he wanted to be traded to a team that was a legitimate Stanley Cup contender . After all he had done for the game by that time , Gretzky wanted another chance to win an elusive fifth Stanley Cup before retirement . But his public statements forced the Kings ' hand , since no team would now give them equal value in a trade because of his demands — the Kings would be at a huge disadvantage in any trade , and this would badly hurt their rebuilding program . On February 27 , 1996 , Gretzky was traded , this time to the St . Louis Blues , for forwards Craig Johnson , Patrice Tardif , Roman Vopat , a first - round pick in the 1997 draft ( Matt Zultek ) and a fifth - round choice in the 1996 draft ( Peter Hogan ) . None became stars for the Kings , although Gretzky himself was an unrestricted free agent by season ' s end , and only played 18 regular season games for the Blues . Like Marcel Dionne before him , Gretzky ended up with the New York Rangers . Shortly after Gretzky was traded , the often - maligned general manager Sam McMaster was fired and was replaced by former Kings winger Dave Taylor . But the rebuilding phase for Taylor was a tough one , as the Kings continued to flounder — they failed to make the playoffs until the 1997 – 98 season . After another disappointing season in 1998 – 99 , then - head coach Larry Robinson , who also played three seasons for the Kings from 1989 – 92 and had been an assistant coach on the New Jersey Devils ' 1995 Cup team , was fired . Taylor turned to Andy Murray , who became the Kings ' 19th head coach on June 14 , 1999 . Taylor ' s hiring of Murray was immediately criticized by media across North America because of Murray ' s perceived lack of experience — up to that point , his only head coaching experience had been at the international level with the Canadian National Team and at the US high school level . Indeed , Taylor took a gamble on Murray , hoping it would pay off . But Taylor was not finished dealing that summer . Shortly after hiring Murray , Taylor acquired star right - wing Zigmund Palffy and veteran center Bryan Smolinski on June 20 , 1999 , in exchange for center prospect Olli Jokinen , winger prospect Josh Green , defenseman prospect Mathieu Biron and the Kings ' first - round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft . The Kings also made an even bigger move in 1999 , as they left the Great Western Forum and moved to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles , which was built by Anschutz and Roski . Staples Center was a state - of - the - art arena , complete with luxury suites and all the modern amenities that fans and athletes would want in a brand - new facility . With a new home , a new coach , a potential 50 - goal scorer in the fold and players such as Rob Blake , Luc Robitaille , Glen Murray , Jozef Stumpel , Donald Audette , Ian Laperriere , and Mattias Norstrom , the Kings improved dramatically , finishing the season the 1999 – 2000 season with a 39 - 31 - 12 - 4 record ( 94 points ) , good for second place in the Pacific Division . But in the 2000 playoffs , the Kings were once again eliminated in the first round , this time by the Detroit Red Wings in a four - game sweep . The 2000 – 01 season was a controversial one , as fans began to question AEG ' s commitment to the success of the Kings because they failed to significantly improve the team during the off - season . Adding fuel to the fire was the February 21 , 2001 , trade of star defenseman Rob Blake , who had won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL ' s best defenseman in 1998 . In that deal , the Kings sent Blake and center Steven Reinprecht , to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for right wing Adam Deadmarsh , defenseman Aaron Miller , center prospect Jared Aulin and a first - round pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft ( Dave Steckel ) . Deadmarsh and Miller became impact players for the Kings , who finished the 2000 – 01 season with a 38 - 28 - 13 - 3 record ( 92 points ) , good for a third place finish in the Pacific Division and another first - round playoff date with the Detroit Red Wings . The heavily - favored Red Wings — many predicted another four - game sweep — made easy work of the Kings in Games 1 and 2 at the Joe Louis Arena , but the Kings got back in the series with a 2 - 1 win in Game 3 at Staples Center . In Game 4 , the Red Wings took a commanding 3 - 0 lead after two periods . This set the stage for yet another unbelievable playoff comeback for the Kings , highly reminiscent of the " Miracle on Manchester , " back in 1982 . Seldom - used forward Scott Thomas , a career minor - leaguer , scored a power play goal at 13 : 53 . The Red Wings were called for a penalty with just under three minutes to play and Kings ' coach Andy Murray gambled and pulled his goalie to give his team a two - man advantage . The gamble paid off as Jozef Stumpel would follow with another power play goal at 17 : 33 . Finally , Bryan Smolinski tied the game at the 19 : 07 mark . In the overtime , Deadmarsh stole the puck from Red Wings ' star defenseman Chris Chelios in the right corner behind the Detroit net , and threw a centering pass to center Eric Belanger , who scored the game - winning goal at 2 : 36 to lift the Kings to a miraculous come - from - behind win , now known as the " Frenzy on Figueroa , " or the " Stunner at Staples . " That win would lead to the Kings eliminating the Red Wings in Game 6 by winning four straight games after going down 2 - 0 in the series . It was the Kings ' first playoff series win since 1993 . In the second round , the Kings went up against another elite team , the Colorado Avalanche , led by superstars Joe Sakic , Peter Forsberg , Patrick Roy , Ray Bourque , and Rob Blake . The Kings took the eventual champions to seven games but lost the series , 4 - 3 . . The most memorable game of that series was Game 6 where goalies Patrick Roy of Colorado and Felix Potvin of the Kings battled to a 0 - 0 tie . The teams played through one overtime , and the Kings scored in the second overtime for a 1 - 0 win . The 2001 – 02 started off with tragedy as team scouts Garnet " Ace " Bailey and Mark Bavis were both casualties of the September 11th attack . The team honored the two by wearing " AM " patches on their jerseys . Earlier in the season , the team acquired Jason Allison who was involved in a contract dispute along with Mikko Eloranta from the Boston Bruins in return for Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray . At mid - season they held the 2002 NHL All - Star Game while still fighting for a playoff spot in which they clinched seventh place in the Western Conference where they were matched with the heavily - favored Avalanche . After being bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Avalanche , the next two seasons would be major disappointments , as the team failed to make the playoffs in both seasons . Following the resume of play after the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , the Kings acquired Valeri Bure , Jeremy Roenick and Pavol Demitra for the 2005 – 06 season . Los Angeles began the new season strong , but the second half of the season saw the Kings once again stumble badly , freefalling from second in the Western Conference in early January to tenth place . On March 21 , 2006 , the team fired head coach Andy Murray , replacing him with interim head coach John Torchetti . With three games left in the season , Luc Robitaille , the team ' s all - time leading scorer and the NHL ' s all - time highest - scoring left winger , announced that , at the end of the year , he would be retiring from pro hockey . Just one day after the end of the Kings ' 2005 – 06 regular season , AEG decided to clean house . On April 18 , 2006 , President / Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor and Director of Player Personnel Bill O ' Flaherty were relieved of their duties , and Vice President and Assistant General Manager Kevin Gilmore was re - assigned to other duties within AEG . Torchetti and assistant coaches Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett , along with goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki , were also fired . Kings CEO Tim Leiweke also announced that he would no longer be the team ' s Chief Executive Officer . On April 21 , 2006 , the Kings signed Philadelphia Flyers scout and former San Jose Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi as President and General Manager . He was signed to a five - year contract , signaling big changes in the near future for the franchise . Soon after he was hired , Lombardi quickly began to revamp the Kings ' hockey operations and just barely over one month into his tenure as President and General Manager , on May 22 , 2006 , he hired Marc Crawford to be the Kings ' 21st head coach . There were few highlights during the 2006 – 07 season . On January 13 , 2007 , the Kings made hockey history by putting Yutaka Fukufuji in goal for the third period of the game with the St . Louis Blues . This marked the first time in hockey history that a Japanese - born player played in an NHL regular season game . On January 20 , 2007 , the Kings retired Luc Robitaille ' s jersey in an hour - long ceremony prior to the game with the Phoenix Coyotes . It was the fifth Kings jersey to be retired by the team . In the 2007 – 08 off - season , the Kings signed six unrestricted free agents , including center Michal Handzus , left wings Ladislav Nagy and Kyle Calder , and defensemen Tom Preissing , Brad Stuart and Jon Klemm . However , despite opening the season with a win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in the first NHL regular season game in Europe at the new O2 Arena ( also owned by AEG ) in London , England , the new acquisitions did little to change the Kings ' fortunes as the team finished with the second worst record in the league . On June 10 , 2008 , the team announced the firing of head coach Marc Crawford . In the 2008 NHL Entry Draft , the Kings had a busy day , starting with a 3 - way trade with the Calgary Flames and the Anaheim Ducks . The Kings traded Mike Cammalleri to the Flames , and the 28th overall pick to the Ducks . The Kings received the 12th overall pick ( which eventually was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for the 13th overall pick ) . The Kings used the 2nd overall pick to select defenseman Drew Doughty , and the 13th overall pick to select Colten Teubert . On July 17 , 2008 , the Kings hired Terry Murray , who became the 22nd head coach in franchise history . on October 8 , 2008 , right wing Dustin Brown was named as the Kings ’ fifteenth captain in franchise history . Brown , 23 , is also the youngest captain and the first American - born captain in Kings ’ history . In the 2009 - 10 NHL Season , the Kings were very successful , as they finished with the number six seed . However , they lost to the Vancouver Canucks in six games . During the 2010 off - season , the Kings signed veteran and former Vancouver on - ice captain Willie Mitchell , as well as adding forward Alexei Ponikarovsky after losing out on the controversial free agent signing of Ilya Kovalchuk . Mitchell ' s signing created a top defensive pairing along with Norris Trophy favorite Drew Doughty and bolstered the chemistry of the locker room after the departure of veterans Sean O ' Donnell and Alexander Frolov , in the trade deadline , the team acquired Dustin Penner from the Edmonton Oilers for Colten Teubert , a first - round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft , and a conditional second - round pick in 2012 . The Kings entered the 2011 playoffs as the seventh seed in the West and played San Jose in the first round . Unfortunately , there were more setbacks as the team ’ s high scorer , Anze Kopitar , was injured and unavailable for the playoffs . On the road , the Sharks would win Game 1 in overtime , 3 – 2 , whereupon the Kings responded with a 4 – 0 shut - out in Game 2 . On home ice for Game 3 , the momentum for the Kings appeared to continue as they jumped to an early 4 – 0 lead , only to let it slip away as the Sharks fought back and eventually won the game in overtime , 6 – 5 . The Sharks then made easy work of the Kings in the next game , prevailing 6 – 3 . Facing elimination , the Kings won Game 5 3 – 1 on the road , and kept the score a tie by the end of regulation in Game 6 at home , though failing capitalize on a five - minute power - play late in the game up to overtime would prove to be the fatal blow , as moments after the Sharks ' penalty finished , Joe Thornton would win the game 4 – 3 for San Jose , thereby eliminating the Kings . Stanley Cup victories ( 2012 – present ) . In the 2011 off - season , the Kings acquired Mike Richards and prospect Rob Bordson from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Wayne Simmonds , Brayden Schenn and a 2012 second - round pick . By personal request , the team also traded Ryan Smyth back to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Colin Fraser and a seventh - round pick in 2012 . The club then signed Simon Gagne from the Tampa Bay Lightning to play alongside former Philadelphia Flyer teammate Mike Richards . The Kings began the 2011 – 12 season with a 5 – 1 – 1 record in their first seven games , but went 8 – 11 – 3 over the next 22 , resulting in a 13 – 12 – 4 overall record after the first 29 games . This resulted in coach Terry Murray being fired . He was replaced on an interim basis by John Stevens for four games before on December 17 , 2011 , the team hired Darryl Sutter as their new head coach . Before the trade deadline , the Kings acquired another former Philadelphia Flyer in Richards ' friend and former teammate Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jack Johnson and a conditional first - round draft pick . The Kings were much improved under Sutter , going 25 – 13 – 11 . They also narrowly missed clinching their second divisional title in franchise history . The Kings lost both of their final two games to the San Jose Sharks in overtime , allowing San Jose to edge them out by one point for the seventh seed in the Western Conference , while a five - game winning streak gave the Phoenix Coyotes their first Pacific Division championship . The Kings settled for the eighth seed , having rounded out the season with a 40 – 27 – 15 record for 95 points . The Kings then headed into the 2012 playoffs against the Presidents ' Trophy - winning Vancouver Canucks . After playing two games in Vancouver and one in Los Angeles , the Kings were up 3 – 0 in the series , a franchise first . By winning Game 5 in Vancouver , the Kings advanced to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since the 2000 – 01 season , whereupon they swept the second - seeded St . Louis Blues , advancing to the Western Conference Finals for only the second time in franchise history . In doing so , the Kings also became the first NHL team to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed and eliminate the first - and second - seeded teams in the Conference . They then defeated Phoenix in five games to reach the Finals , culminating in an overtime goal by Dustin Penner in Game 5 , and thus becoming the second team in NHL history to beat the top three Conference seeds in the playoffs ( the Calgary Flames achieved the same feat in 2004 , ironically also under Darryl Sutter ) and the first eighth seed to accomplish the feat . Los Angeles faced the New Jersey Devils in the Final , defeating them in six games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history . With the Game 6 victory occurring on home ice at Staples Center , the Kings became the first team since the 2007 Anaheim Ducks to win the Stanley Cup at home , as well as the second Californian NHL team to do so . The Kings were also the first eight seed champion in any of the North American major leagues , the first Stanley Cup champion that finished below fifth in its conference , and the third to finish below second in its division ( after the 1993 Canadiens and the 1995 Devils ) . Goaltender Jonathan Quick was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs , and soon after signed a ten - year contract extension on June 28 . Due to the 2012 – 13 NHL lockout , the 2012 – 13 Los Angeles Kings season began on January 19 , 2013 , and was shortened to 48 games . Due to the shortened season , teams only played teams within their own conference . Before the season began , the team traded Kevin Westgarth to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Anthony Stewart . They lost their home opener to the Chicago Blackhawks and lost the next two games , only securing a single point in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers . Their first victory came against their Pacific Division rival Phoenix Coyotes . With Willie Mitchell out for the season and Matt Greene injured after the season opener , the Kings made some moves to improve their defense and acquire draft picks . They traded Andrei Loktionov to New Jersey for a 2013 draft pick and traded Simon Gagne to the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional 2013 fourth - round pick . Additionally , Davis Drewiske was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2013 fifth - round pick , then acquiring Keaton Ellerby from the Florida Panthers for a fifth - round pick in 2013 and acquiring Robyn Regehr from the Buffalo Sabres . Regehr would later sign a two - year contract extension with the Kings during the playoffs . The Kings finished the season as the fifth seed in the West and began the defense of the Cup on the road against the St . Louis Blues , who they swept in the 2012 playoffs . After losing the first two games , the Kings won four in a row to eliminate the Blues in six games . In the second round , they then played a very tough San Jose Sharks team , this time with home ice advantage . In the first game , Jarret Stoll suffered an injury from the Sharks ' Raffi Torres , who ended up being suspended for the rest of the series . The Kings eventually won in seven games . In the Western Conference Finals , they faced the number one seed in the West and Presidents ' Trophy winner , the Chicago Blackhawks . After dropping the first two games , the Kings won Game 3 with Jeff Carter suffering an injury from Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith , who was suspended for Game 4 as a result . After losing Game 4 , the Kings battled the Blackhawks through two overtime periods in Game 5 , with Patrick Kane eventually scoring the game - winning goal that won the game and the series , sending the Blackhawks to the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals and ending the Kings ' season . During the 2013 - 14 season , the Kings acquired another Blue Jackets goal scorer in Marian Gaborik , and qualified for their fifth straight playoffs . The season also had the Kings hosting the first NHL outdoor game in a warm weather city , receiving the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium as part of the 2014 NHL Stadium Series . In the first round of the 2014 playoffs , the Kings played their in - state rivals , the San Jose Sharks . After losing the first three games to the Sharks , the Kings became the fourth team in NHL history to win the final four games in a row after initially being down three games to none , beating the Sharks in San Jose in the deciding Game 7 . In the second round , the Kings played another in - state rival , Anaheim . After starting the series with two wins , the Kings lost three - straight games , trailing the series three games to two . For the second time in the first two rounds of the playoffs , however , the Kings were able to rally back after being down in the series and defeated the Ducks in Anaheim in Game 7 . In the third round , the Kings jumped out to a three games to one lead against Stanley Cup - defending Chicago , but were unable to close out the series in the fifth and sixth games . On June 1 , 2014 , the Kings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three years after winning Game 7 5 – 4 in overtime via a goal from Alec Martinez , clinching their third Western Conference title in franchise history . The Kings became the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7s en route to a Stanley Cup Finals berth . Not only were the Kings the first team in history to accomplish this feat , they also managed to win all game sevens on opposing ice . In the Final , the Kings faced the Eastern Conference - winning New York Rangers , who had defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the Eastern Finals . The Kings won the Stanley Cup in five games , culminating with an Alec Martinez goal in the second overtime of Game 5 at Staples Center . The championship run had a record 26 playoff games , with the Kings facing elimination a record seven times . With their Game 7 victory in the Conference Finals and wins in the first two games of the Cup Finals , they became the first team to win three consecutive playoff games after trailing by more than one goal in each game . Justin Williams , who scored twice in the Finals and had points in all three Game 7s throughout the playoffs , won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP . Having won two Stanley Cup championships in the last three years , the Kings entered the 2014 – 15 season as the early favorites to retain their title . Again , however , Los Angeles ' post - championship home opener was a defeat , this time a 4 – 0 blowout to cross - state rival San Jose Sharks . The following game was an overtime defeat to the Arizona Coyotes , followed by a home win against the Winnipeg Jets . During the season , the Kings took part in their second outdoor game , this time visiting the Sharks at Levi ' s Stadium for the 2015 NHL Stadium Series The Kings struggled often during the season , with scoring slumps , defensemen losing games to injury and suspensions and frequent road losses . A defeat to the Calgary Flames in the penultimate game of the season eliminated the Kings from playoff contention , while qualifying Calgary , which coincidentally missed the post - season during the Kings ' five - season playoff streak . Despite finishing with a record of 40 – 27 – 15 , the Kings became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to miss the post - season since the 2006 – 07 Carolina Hurricanes and only the fourth overall since the 1967 NHL expansion season . Season - by - season record . " This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Kings . For the full season - by - season history , see List of Los Angeles Kings seasons " " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , OTL = Overtime losses / Shootout losses , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against , PIM = Penalties in minutes " Notable players . Team captains . < br clear = " all " > Hall of famers . Players Builders All time Kings team . As voted by the media and fans , an all time Kings team was selected to celebrate the club ' s 40th anniversary in the NHL The first and second teams were as follows : Goalies : first team - Rogatien " Rogie " Vachon , second team - Kelly Hrudey Defensemen : first team - Rob Blake and Steve Duchesne , second team - Larry Murphy and Bob Murdoch Centers : first team - Wayne Gretzky , second team - Marcel Dionne Forwards : first team - Dave Taylor and Luc Robitaille , second team , Charlie Simmer and Mike Murphy Coach : first team - Bob Pulford , second team - Barry Melrose First - round draft picks . < br clear = " all " > Franchise scoring leaders . These are the top - ten point - scorers in franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season . " Note : Pos = Position ; GP = Games Played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; P / G = Points per game ; * = current Kings player "