Kings could get used to raising championship banners
It was a banner day for the Kings on Wednesday as they raised another Stanley Cup championship banner at Staples Center.
After 45 years without winning a Stanley Cup, it was time for the Kings to party at Staples Center, this time to raise their second banner in three years.
Former King Marcel Dionne held the black-and-white Kings banner on the ice, along with five members of the Kings' junior hockey team. Then they handed it off to captain Dustin Brown and assistant captains Anze Kopitar and Matt Greene, who skated with the banner across the ice. Their teammates followed, and the banner was cheered inch by inch as it was raised into the rafters.
Fans received small replica banners, too.
There was plenty of bling around Staples Center as Kings employees wore their Tiffany & Co. rings for the day.
Longtime Kings broadcaster Bob Miller wore his new bling on his right hand, the second of his Kings career. Public address announcer Dave Joseph earned his first ring and wore it proudly but recognized in a Tweet that Bailey had more rings than he did. Joseph was happy to let folks try it on for size and weight.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman tried one on before conducting a news conference earlier in the day.
"That's very cool. And very heavy," Bettman told a Kings official whose ring he wore for a second.
We’re honored to have designed the @LAKings championship rings and wish them luck this season. pic.twitter.com/BuYYAuSgAl
— Tiffany & Co. (@TiffanyAndCo) October 9, 2014
The day kicked off with the Stanley Cup showing off its shine via the sunny October day at L.A. Live. A crowd gathered to help the Cup make its way from L.A. Live across Chick Hearn Court and into Staples Center for a grand entrance in front of a raucous crowd.
But things quieted down during the game when the Sharks scored early in the first period and again when the Sharks lead 4-0 after two periods. Goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled after two periods as the Kings lost the season opener 4-0.
Back to the banner.
Miller was the master of ceremonies for the pre-game festivities, and he got the sellout, standing-room-only crowd of 18,514 going by asking if fans were ready to raise another championship banner.
Then Luc Robitaille, the president of business operations and former Kings star, took the microphone and used the still unbelievable stats that the Kings won three Game 7s, all on the road, on their road to winning an improbable Cup.
"Our team, our players showed if you're willing to give up personal gain for the greater good or cause, you can achieve anything," Robitaille told the crowd. "Our players did just that. I think we can all agree that was some of the greatest hockey we've ever seen.
"...I know you know when it was all over we showed everyone that LA is the great hockey city in the world."
More applause.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers attended the game and took photos as the Kings banner was being raised on the same end in which he was sitting. He had a nice championship view.
The Clippers begin their quest to win the franchise's first championship here on Oct. 30 at Staples, when they host Oklahoma City, the team that knocked the Clippers out of the playoffs last year.
Sutter: Kings 'had nothing' emotionally in loss to Sharks
With Miller back on the microphone, he introduced all of the Kings' men -- from equipment managers to trainers to the big stars. There was a huge ovation for Kings coach Darryl Sutter. He already had his game face on.
Marian Gaborik, the Kings' leading goal scorer in playoffs, was cheered loudly, as was Justin Williams, the Conn Smythe. Drew Doughty earned praise, as did "Jazz Hands," also known as Alec Martinez. Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Brown and Co. got plenty of love.
In a hilarious note, two of the Junior Kings' in the pregame ceremony shared the same last name as NHL players Perry and Kane. You might recognize those as some of the same names as opponents -- Corey Perry (Ducks) and Patrick Kane (Chicago) -- that the Kings defeated along the way to the Cup.
The Sharks, who have never won a Stanley Cup, stayed in their locker room during the ceremony. Undoubtedly, they could hear the boom of the bass and thunderous applause while the Cup was lowered from the rafters, Kings players were introduced and the banner went up.
The memo that the Kings' were done with their ceremony was a little late to the Sharks' locker room, apparently, because it took a while for the Sharks to make an entrance.
You can understand if they didn't want to hear a second of the ceremony, considering the rival Sharks had a 3-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs and the Kings miraculously rallied to win four straight and the series and eventually the Stanley Cup.
@LAKings Thanks to the entire organization...especially the players! #WeAreAllKings pic.twitter.com/VV6mvU6udf
— Jim Fox (@JimFox19) October 8, 2014
Pia Toscano sang the National Anthem, as she has done for the most of the Kings' games since they won their two Stanley Cups. If something works, you don't need to change it.
And the Kings have worked the last three years, making the Western Conference Finals three consecutive years and winning two Stanley Cups during that span.
The Kings are getting used to this championship banner raising thing.
