LA Kings Ready to Celebrate 60th Year in the NHL
The 2026-27 NHL season is less than a week away, and the Los Angeles Kings will enter their 60th season in the league.
Los Angeles has seen plenty in their franchise history, with memorable moments and sad goodbyes.
The Kings have already begun to celebrate, and they hope fans will join them in celebrating this historic season.
The 2026-27 season for Los Angeles opens with a game against the Colorado Avalanche on September 30 at Ball Arena in Colorado.
The Kings officially became an NHL franchise as an expansion team, founded on June 5, 1967, as the league doubled in size from six to 12 teams. Los Angeles played their first game in franchise history on October 14, 1967, against the Philadelphia Flyers and beat them 4-2. Back then, the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, California, wasn’t finished yet, and the Kings needed a place to play, so they settled on the Long Beach Forum.
Jack Kent Cooke owned the Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, and he secured the Kings in a $2 million deal on February 9, 1966. Cook chose the name “Kings” as he wanted the team to portray royalty in Los Angeles. His color scheme was purple and gold, matching the royal theme he envisioned.
Over the years, Los Angeles saw its fair share of celebrities and Hockey Hall of Famers pass through the Forum to the delight of fans and media around town. Wayne Gretzky put the team on the map when he arrived in 1988-89, and the success of the franchise took off, and so did their popularity. While the team didn’t win many Stanley Cups, they were still a hot ticket.
To this day, a Kings game can be the scene around Los Angeles and draw many celebrities, usually in the front rows of Crypto.com Arena, the place the Kings now call home.
In franchise history, Los Angeles has retired seven numbers.
Those include:
- Defenseman Rob Blake (#4)
- Forward Marcel Dionne (#16)
- Forward Dave Taylor (#18)
- Forward Luc Robitaille (#20)
- Forward Dustin Brown (#23)
- Center Wayne Gretzky (#99)
The Kings have also had 15 captains in their history, with defenseman Drew Doughty wearing the “C” this season, 32 head coaches, and 10 general managers.
Over their history, the Kings have a record of 1,972-1,960-424-226 for 4,594 points entering the 26-27 season.
They have won two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014), three conference championships (1992-93, 2011-12, and 2013-14), and one division title (1990-91).
The Kings’ ice crew has added a special logo to the center ice of Crypto.com Arena. The logo is commemorative, celebrating the franchise’s 60th season. Unveiled in September 2026, the brand-new logo features a black “60” with an original silver crown at the base, “Los Angeles” on top, and “EST. 1967” on the bottom. It is a beautiful piece that must be seen.
As for the season itself, the season opener is mentioned above, but the home opener is October 6 at 7:30 PDT, as the Kings will have their hands full with the new-look Florida Panthers. All fans in attendance will receive a 60th-anniversary retro hockey goalie mask, making a big moment even more special as the season kicks off. With Anze Kopitar retiring, this is a new-look Kings team with work to do, but they’re optimistic about what they have in the lineup as they prepare for war on the ice.
The team and fans will have a big-time energy that will have the place rocking with excitement.
The 26-27 season is almost here, and we could not be more ready.
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Categorized:Kings Unique Column