Thread: Facts on the Fly: 1/19/2013 Chicago Blackhawks @ Los Angeles Kings

IT HAS BEGUN!!! (Finally) So for those in the know I need a little help. Traditionally this would have been called the 2012-13 Season; but since there was no 2012 to the season and all of the games are being played in 2013, is it called along the lines of the 2013 Lockout Shortened Season? Or is it still the 2012-2013 Season? Discuss. Anyways the season is here and it is time for the first Facts on the Fly for the season. I did a few FotF during the lockout because I simply missed hockey but in the last month it was hard to do because of the holidays and the frustrations of the talks that did eventually bring back the game we all love. I did install something new to the mix in the latest editions, trivia at the end of the article. The rules are simple and it helps to keep some dialogue flowing; I will post a trivia question and the first person to answer it needs to post another question and so on; they can be as easy or hard as you want them to be but make sure that the answer is correct. I hope those of you lucky enough to go to the game have a great time, I will not be in attendance for this game. My oldest daughter is turning 16 and there is a big party that was planned well before the new schedule came out. This has been brought to you by McDonalds, I’m Loving It!!! Who knows, maybe I can get some coupons or something.
(Image of 2011-12 Stanley Cup Campions)



1/19/2013- Chicago Blackhawks @ Your Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings

On 1/1/2008; LA King Ladislav Nagy had his third career hat trick, it also happened to be the 164th hat trick in Kings history and Alexander Frolov would collect a career high five points (2-3=5) as the Kings had nine goals to rout Chicago, 9-2. Nagy's hat trick was the first since Luc Robitaille had done it on Jan. 19, 2006 vs. Atlanta.
(Imagine of Nagy)



LA Kings Goaltender Stephane Fiset got a 3-0 win over the Blackhawks in what would be his 12th career shutout on 1/31/1998. Russ Courtnall scored the game-winning goal which was short handed, Glen Murray and Stacey Moger also scored. Bob Miller is saluted during a ceremony at intermission commemorating 25 years with the Kings.
(Image of Fiset)



On 2/12/1989; LA King Wayne Gretzky scored a hat trick to lead the Kings to a 6-2 win against the Blackhawks at Chicago. It would be Gretzky's 45th career hat trick, most by any player in NHL history, this was also his10th consecutive 40-goal season, an NHL record. Gretzky would extend that streak to 12 consecutive 40-goal seasons in his first 12 seasons in the NHL.
(Image of Gretzky)



The Blackhawks are a team that I have liked since I was a kid, (Kings first of course) and it mainly had to do with their jersey which is still pretty damn awesome. That Indian head is not only classic it has a uniqueness that is not found in jerseys made today. Anyways, I will not wax nostalgic any longer, here some facts on the Blackhawks as the Kings prepare to open the season as they begin their reign as Stanley Cup Champs!!!
(Image of Blackhawks Logo)



The Blackhawks have had a long and storied history that dates back to 1926, and in all of those years they have retired just six jerseys; 1 Glenn Hall, 3 Pierre Pilote/Keith Magnuson, 9 Bobby Hull, 18 Denis Savard, 21 Stan Mikita, and 35 Tony Esposito.
(Image of Mikita and Hull)



The number 3 that was retired by the Blackhawks is unique in that it was two players that had it done in the same ceremony. Pierre Pilote was with the team for 13 seasons from 1955-1968 and was a three time Norris Trophy winner, (1963, 1964, 1965). Keith Magnuson played with team for 11 seasons from 1969-1980 and was an Assistant Coach and finally Coach from 1980-82. Both players had their sweaters retired on 11/12/2008 at the United Center.
(Image of Pilote)



The number 1 that was retired belonged to goaltender Glenn Hall. He holds a record that when looked at for what it is, is truly amazing. He played in an NHL record 503 consecutive games, and every single one of those games was without a facemask.
(Image of Hall)



Denis Savard spent a total of 24 seasons with the Blackhawks, 12 as a player and the rest as either an assistant or head coach. Savard was only the second player in Chicago’s history to record 100 points in one season, (1981-82) and would go on to record 2 more 100 point seasons in his career.
(Image of Savard)



Now here comes the fun part, writing about the Stanley Cup Champs!!!

How about some comparisons between the team that went to the finals in 1992-93 and the team that won it all this past season?

The 92-93 squad had 10 players that played in all 24 games of the playoffs that year. The 11-12 team played in a total of 20 games and had 17 players that played in all of the games. Remember, Hrudey did not play in all of the games, Stauber played in four of them.
(Image of Stauber)



Marty McSorley racked up 60 PIM for the 92-93 team during the playoffs, (he had 399 PIM during the regular season). Dustin Brown in the past playoff run of 11-12 was the closest to Marty and he was still far away with 34 PIM.
(Image of McSorley)



If you were to quickly name who had the most points amongst Kings defenseman for the 92-93 squad who would you say? If you said anyone other than Alexi Zhitnik, (not bad for a 19 year old) with 12 points (3+9=12) you would have been wrong. Defenseman Drew Doughty of the 11-12 Team had himself a pretty good playoffs with a total of 16 points (4+12=16).
(Image of Zhitnik)



A big similarity to the two squads is this; the Kings traded away a popular defenseman during the season for scoring help. The 92-93 Team traded Paul Coffey to Detroit for Jimmy Carson and the 11-12 Team traded Jack Johnson to Columbus for Jeff Carter. Interestingly enough, the number 77 was involved both times.
(Image of Coffey)



How about another similarity? Each squad contained three players that played in the playoffs that were born outside of North America. The 92-93 Team had Jari Kurri (Finland), Tomas Sandstrom (Finland), and Alexi Zhitnik (Ukraine). The 11-12 Team had Anze Kopitar (Slovenia), Vyacheslav Voynov (Russia), and Andrei Loktionov (Russia). The 92-93 Team did have Robert Lang (Czech Republic) but he did not play in any playoff games.
(Image of Sandstrom)



How good was Gretzky? To put it in perspective let’s look at the two Kings on the 11-12 Team that had the most points with 20 apiece, Kopitar and Brown. They each had 8 goals and 12 assists; which when added up gives them 16 goals and 24 assists; 40 points over 20 games. Gretzky had 15 goals and 25 assists in 24 games; 40 points.

How about a few of Did You Know type facts?

Bob Miller does some of the voiceover announcing for the 1975 film Rollerball.
(Image of Miller)



The town of Jesenice, Slovenia where Kopitar is from was almost completely destroyed by an allied bomber attack near the end of World War II. Although a great deal many of the Slovenians were sympathetic to the resistance against Germany it was done because the Germans used the town for its steel factories to make weapons.

This is more of a “do you remember” type moment. Last year when there were rumors that Brown was going to be traded he went out and scored a hat trick and an assist in the game played before the trade deadline. The foe that game was the Blackhawks; the Kings are playing the Blackhawks on Saturday; so…….Brown to the (fill in team here) for (fill in player(s) here) and/or (fill in draft pick(s) here). Just saying.
(Image of Brown)



Here is that trivia question that I promised: The Kings just won the ultimate prize in hockey last season, the Stanley Cup. What was the first NHL post season award won by a King and who was it?

Upon further prodding by my loving family, I have started doing the social media thing. My teenage daughters and my wife who are connected to this sort of thing have convinced me to stop being so old and to start using technology for this sort of thing. So without further ado here is what I am set up, it is a work in progress, so bear with me.

Follow me on Twitter at @rawley19 and Facebook username Rawley19

Sources: LAKINGS.com; HOCKEYDB.com; NHL.com; TSN.ca; GOOGLE IMAGES

awesome job!

great job as always!

I love you!


Well I love these posts...that's kind of the same thing right?

Welcome back Rawley with your FOTF. Now the day is complete.

Thanks Rawley! Love Facts on the Fly!

I always look forward to these posts.

How 'bout the synchronicity with the #77 in those two trades? Wow. Good find.

glad to see these threads back too!

Trivia: IIRC the Black Hawks' logo has more colors (seven) than any other professional North American sports team.