A Puzzling End To A Championship Summer

After touring the southland and traveling around the world these past few months, the Stanley Cup is finally off to Montreal to get engraved, making the it official.  The Kings are Stanley Cup champions.

But this is not an easy process, at least as far as determining what names are etched into the greatest trophy in sports.  Many people have played significant rolls in this championship season, and the league allows a maximum of 52 names.  All names must be submitted to the league for approval before they are immortalized on the Cup, and the usual standard for players making it on the Cup are playing 41 regular season games (half the season) or at least one game in the Stanley Cup Finals, although this is not set in stone.

The Kings released the names of players, staff, and executives that were approved by the league, and they utilized all 52 available spots.  While looking over the list the vast majority are well deserved, a few puzzling, along with a handful of glaring omissions.

Not everyone is lucky enough to be among the chosen 52

The following are the 5 names that deserve to be on the final list of 52, and 1 that the organization should be ashamed to have forgotten.

ANDREI LOKTIONOV

Loktionov has been with the organization since 2008.  He is a bright star in the organization, and had appeared in 39 regular season games and 2 playoff games for the Kings.  He has shared time between Los Angeles and their minor league organization in Manchester over the years, but he clearly was a contributing player throughout this season.  This omission is even more puzzling when you see that Kevin Westgarth and Davis Drewiske will have their names on the Cup, despite playing in only 25 and 27 regular season games respectively, and non in the post season.  What may have something to do with this decision is one made by Loktionov himself.  Loktionov has chosen to play in the KHL (Russia's hockey league) during the lockout.  The thing is, Loktionov is not locked out.  He was assigned a few weeks ago to the minors, which is not effected by the lockout at all.  This clearly has caused some friction within the organization, and may come to a head later down the line.  But it seems the Kings may be punishing Loktionov for not being a team player and reporting to Manchester.

ED ROSKI

Most people know Roski as a driving force in getting the NFL back to Los Angeles.  But few realize that he, along with Philip Anschutz and AEG, partnered in buying the Kings out of bankruptcy in 1995.  He was even listed as an owner in this years playoff media guide.  Seems fishy that a part owner would not have his name among those on the Cup, especially since Anschutz has his wife Nancy's name on the list of 52.  But like Loktionov, this may be a form of payback.  AEG (the owners of the Kings) and Roski are competing for an NFL franchise to move to the Los Angeles area, so his omission may be another example of the vindictiveness of AEG.

TERRY MURRAY

This is a very odd omission in my opinion.  Murray coached the Kings for 4 plus season before being replaced halfway through last season.  He coached the team to the playoffs twice after missing the playoffs for almost a decade.  Throughout the playoffs and after winning the Cup, the players and executives all gushed over Murray, constantly expressing their gratitude for his services, reminding everyone who would listen that they would not be in this position if it weren't for Murray.  Maybe he was one of the last ones cut (because the owners wife obviously takes priority) and he will receive a championship ring, but for anyone who knows hockey, your name on the Cup is what lives forever.


NICK NICKSON

Nickson has been with the Kings since 1981, first doing television commentary, and when the tv/radio broadcasts were separated in 1990, he became the radio voice of the franchise.  For someone who has been a part of many people lives to be omitted from the final 52 is odd.  Sure he is a radio guy, and radio isn't what it once was, but he has been a mainstay for the franchise.  Many of us have been stuck in LA traffic or away from the tv and depend on Nickson to paint the mental picture of what is happening on the ice.  A very peculiar omission.


JIM FOX

Fox played 9 season in the NHL, all with the Kings.  When he retired in 1990 he became the team's tv color commentator, and has blossomed into the best in the game.  He is one of the most knowledgeable hockey minds around, and his ability to express what is going on objectively, not only to the hockey fan, but to the casual observer, is astounding.  He lives for the Kings.  Seeing how emotional he was after the game 6 win and even at the celebratory parade makes this omission that much more confusing.  Fox deserves to have his name on the Cup for all the years he has dedicated to the organization, both on and off the ice.


BOB MILLER

Miller has been the voice of the Kings since 1973.  He was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2000 and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Miller IS the Kings and the best in the business.  Nobody has felt the ups and downs of this organization like he has.  Most fans (myself included) have been introduced to the game and have learned the intricacies from listening to Miller.  When the Kings won, the one person captain Dustin Brown was looking for to hand the Cup to was Bob Miller.  One of the biggest regrets to such a magical season was that us fans were unable to hear him call the Finals due to the NHL's contract with NBC.  But to have his name omitted is an absolute travesty.  The Kings should be ashamed of themselves.  When the video editor gets higher priority than the man who has touched EVERY Kings fan, who has brought the game into our homes for generations, there is something extremely wrong and troubling going on.

Shame on you AEG.  I hope our new owners have a sense of history and class the next time we're lucky enough to raise the Cup.

My Stanley Cup Dream Come True

After enduring months of immense anxiety, growing a playoff beard, going through the same routine every game day, refusing to acknowledge their mind blowing run and neglecting this blog for fear of jinxing them, it has yet to sink in.  Even after watching Game 6 of the finals no less than 5 times in the past week, it still doesn't seem real.  The Los Angeles Kings, MY Kings, are Stanley Cup champions.

I vividly remember my first game.  I was already a die-hard Lakers and Dodgers fan, but my father insisted on taking my brother and myself to see a Kings game.  My father, being from Detroit, was already well versed in hockey, having watched the great Red Wings teams growing up, and I recall him explaining the game to us and how the Forum would look completely different from the normal basketball set up we were used to.  Of course being a kid you are always half listening to your parents, and this was no different, as I was still unsure about this whole hockey thing.  But I will never forget walking down the tunnel, feeling the cold air from the ice meandering around the arena, and seeing the rink for the first time.  It seemed massive; taking up the entire arena.  And once the game started, I was hooked.  I couldn't get enough of the Kings.  I watched games, memorizing the yearbook of players names, birthdays, etc.  I asked for jerseys and hockey sticks for holidays, and slowly the Kings replaced my beloved Lakers and Dodgers atop my favorite teams.

Being a Los Angeles fan I was used to success.  The Lakers had won multiple titles during the "Showtime" era, and the Dodgers had come out of nowhere to win the World Series in 1988.  I admit, I was spoiled.  All I knew was success in my sporting life, and it seemed the Kings would be no different.  They won their division for the first time in 1991, and made the finals in 1993 (and should have won if not for Marty McSorley.  Yes, I'm am still bitter).  But after 1993, reality struck.  I was neglectful of the Kings past futility, but it soon became crystal clear.  They made a serious of horrible moves, and always seemed to underachieve.  They missed the playoffs year after year, and when they did, they were quickly sent home.  After enduring this for years it became expected.  Like most Kings fans, I lived by the motto "hope for the best, expect the worst".

And this year started no different.  The Kings were among the favorites to contend for the Cup, but like they always do, began their usual decent in the standings once the end of the year rolled around.  They didn't even make the playoffs until their 81st game.  But then, something magical happened, and they went on one of the most unbelievable rolls in sports, one that culminated in hoisting the greatest prize in athletics.

Still gives me goosebumps

I can get into what exactly they've accomplished.  Their 16-4 record, 10 straight road wins, starting 3-0 in every series, and giving up the same amount of goals in the entire playoffs that the cup favorite Pittsburgh Penguins gave up in the first round.  But what trumps these statistics, at least to me, is the incredible feeling you get when something you care and dream about so deeply finally becomes a reality.  You can't help but look back at all that you've endured over the years (for me, nearly 25 LONG years), and all the disappointment and heartache.  But you also remember all the memories that were made along the way, all the relationships that were built and shared around this team.  For me, after watching the Kings lift The Cup through misty eyes, my mind went back and reflected on how this team and organization has played such a major part in my life.

I thought about my dad, and all the nights we stayed up watching the Kings, and all the events we were taken to when I was young meet the players and actually experience hockey.  All the frustration we've experienced, and how this validated all the years of loyalty and love.

I thought about my brother, and the countless hours of trading and studying hockey cards, and playing hockey in the backyard, pretending to win the Cup on a last second goal or save.

I thought about one of my best friends, and I how much I miss him and wish he was still here to experience this run with me.  We had met and bonded over hockey, and he was the only other person I knew who was as rabid about the game as me.  I know if he were around there would be nobody happier for me than him.

I thought about my girlfriend, who watched every single minute of every game with me, putting up with my craziness and yelling, along with scaring the shit out of her every time the Kings scored.  The fact that I was able to share this entire experience with her is beyond special, and something I will never forget.

I thought about all the players I watched and loved over the years, and how this was some validation for all the blood, sweat and tears they put into this organization.  Because without them this would be happening.

I thought about Bob Miller and Jim Fox, the Kings broadcasting crew and hands down the greatest in the game, and how much I wished I could hear them throughout the playoffs.  They have been part of the Kings for generations, and deserved to call not just the final game, but every game.

I thought about Nick Nickson, the radio announcer for the Kings for decades, and how wonderful it was to turn on the radio in the final seconds to hear him make the call "the Kings can finally wear their crown!"  Unforgettable...

But most of all I thought about the Kings fans.  Not those walking around the last few weeks with clean, creased Kings jerseys, but the true Kings fans.  The ones who have never lost faith even when hope seemed lost.  Being a Kings fan in Los Angeles is sort of like a club.  Sharing a city with two behemoths of the sporting landscape is difficult enough, let alone being a winter sport in Southern California.  But Kings fans are the most loyal and intelligent out there.  When you meet another fan it's an instant connection, almost like a secret handshake.  Sure it was a little difficult watching everyone jump on the bandwagon, but that's life, and that's L.A.  But hopefully those who jumped on stay on, because hockey is the greatest sport in the world, and at least for right now, we have the greatest team.

It is a strange feeling once years of disappointment ends.  The next day I felt something I didn't expect:  Relief.  I had just watched my favorite team do something I never expected them to do and I felt as if a weight had been lifted.  I could take a step back and immerse myself in all that had occurred, and finally take a deep breath.

At least until next season starts...

The greatest prize in sports

Excuse Me, Aren't You...

Do you know this man?

Don't feel bad if you don't.  I imagine the majority of Americans have no clue who he is, what he does, etc.  But what if I told you that he is the captain of one of the most storied and successful NHL franchises, winner of 4 Stanley Cups and 7 Norris trophies (given to the best defenseman in the league), in addition to an Olympic gold medal?  His name is Nicklas Lidstrom, who is currently in his 20th NHL season, and is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

I bring this up for a couple of reasons.  The other day my girlfriend and I were watching "NHL 36", a wonderful show that follows an NHL player around for 36 hours from home, to games, to postgame (and no, I didn't force her to watch with me.  I lucked out that she's actually a hockey fan in her own right, so no arm twisting is needed when it comes to pucks).  This particular episode was about the above mentioned Lidstrom.  The first thing that caught my attention was that this man, who is a hockey legend, is able to walk around town unnoticed.  How is this possible?  Can you imagine other players of his status going out to eat and not being approached at all?  Would Kobe Bryant be able to go see a movie without being mobbed?  Could A-Rod take a trip to the mall without being heckled?  The answer is no, yet Lidstrom is able to lead an otherwise normal life.  It's fascinating how certain athletes who have accomplished NOTHING are put on pedestals while others who are enormously more successful aren't really given the time of day by the public.  This may be a byproduct of hockey's status in this country, or the superficial, Karadashi-culture we live in these days.  Lidstrom's humbleness, even while playing in "Hockeytown", comes off to the viewer, which is a nice change of pace from what is normally read about and seen on Sportscenter.

But as we were watching, my girlfriend was bothered by a nagging question...who does this guy look like?  I never realized it, but Lidstrom does have one of those faces that reminds you of someone you know.  We spent the next 20-30 minutes analyzing Lidstrom and coming up with people who he resembles.  Here's who we narrowed it down to:

Sting

Aaron Eckhart

Thomas Jane

Randy Travis

This clearly is not a new phenomenon.  There are numerous athletes who have celebrity doppelgangers.  Here are a few more:

Mike Tomlin & Omar epps

Kyle Korver & Ashton Kutcher

Aaron Rodgers & B.J. Novak

John LeClair

Scott Bakula

John Tortorella

Henry Winkler

Sam Cassell & E.T.

If you have any others please feel free to share!