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Facts on the Fly: 1/22/2013 Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche Well the banner raising was awesome, even from my couch. The game was not as awesome, but it is time to move on to a road trip and see if the team can continue their road warrior mentality. The gauntlet has been thrown down in the Rawley household as it pertains to my favorite King, Dustin Penner. Once again breakfast is on the line and my wonderful wife is going against Penner on another bet. This one is just on the upcoming road trip and it comes down to points; the over/under for Penner was set at 2 and a half points, I took the over. Three points man, that is all I ask, I know you can do it, you have done it for me once already so I do have faith. Good Luck!!!
(Image of Kings Stanley Cup Logo)
1/22/2013: Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche
On 11/13/1984 Bernie Nicholls became the first player in NHL history to score a goal in all four periods of a game. He scored once in each period, plus the overtime winner as the Kings beat the Nordiques 5-4 in Quebec City.
(Image of Nicholls)
Dustin Brown scored his first NHL goal in a 2-0 win at Colorado. Cristobal Huet earned the shutout with 21 saves and Ziggy Palffy also scored for Los Angeles, this happened on 11/22/2003.
(Image of Palffy)
On 12/27/1979 Charlie Simmer scored a goal in his 13th straight game, a modern NHL record in a 3-0 win over Quebec. Simmer's streak would be stopped on Dec. 29 in a 4-3 loss to Minnesota.
(Image of Simmer)
When it comes to the Avalanche it is relatively easy to come up with new stuff on them or the history of the teams that once either played there, moved there, or currently play there. I have done the Avalanche, Rockies, and the teams that played in Quebec before the Nordiques. So I think it is about time for some Quebec Nordiques facts, besides they did have some pretty cool jerseys and their games against Montreal were not always pretty but they did live up to the adage of going to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out.
(Image of Nordiques vs. Canadiens)
The Quebec Nordiques started as one of the original World Hockey Association, (WHA) teams in 1972. A franchise was to have played in San Francisco, as the San Francisco Sharks. When the group who purchased the San Francisco franchise had their funding collapse prior to the start of the first season, the WHA hastily sold the organization to a group from Quebec City who owned the highly profitable Quebec Remparts junior team.
They were named the Nordiques, (which means Northmen or Northerners) because they were one of the northernmost teams in professional sports in North America. Interestingly enough Quebec City is located at 46 degrees north latitude and there were still four WHA teams that were further north than they were; the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Cowboys, Vancouver Blazers and Winnipeg Jets.
(Image of Blazers vs. Oilers)
Believe it or not the first head coach of the Nordiques was the legendary Maurice "Rocket" Richard.His coaching career there lasted only two games; a 3–2 loss to the Cleveland Crusaders, and a 3-0 win against the Alberta Oilers. Richard decided that after just two games, that coaching was not for him and stepped down.
(Image of Richard)
During the 1975/76 season the team became a scoring machine which seemed virtually unstoppable as they were to become the only team in major professional history to have five players break 100 points (Tardif, Cloutier, Chris Bordeleau, Bernier and Houle). The season essentially ended on a sour note when they lost to the Calgary Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs, a big reason for the early exit was attributed to losing Marc Tardif to injury after a controversial hit by the Cowboys' Rick Jodzio.
(Image of 1976 Team)
How about honoring the teams that came before the Kings, I will start at the first year and work my way to the present day squad!
The first season for the Kings was the 1967/68 season when the NHL expanded and added the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, California Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and of course the Kings.
(Image of Kings Logo)
The Kings played their first game on October 14, 1967 at the Long Beach Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers; the Kings won 4-2. The “Fabulous Forum” would not be ready for another 2 months and the Kings would split time at the arena in Long Beach and the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
(Image of Forum)
The Kings first season would be considered a huge success as far as being an expansion team, they would finish in second place in the Western Division, just one point behind the Flyers. They would also be the only expansion team to have a winning record at home.
(Image of 1967/68 Kings)
At the time there were only 74 games on the schedule, the Kings had five players that played in all of those games; Eddie Joyal, Lowell MacDonald, Bill White, Real Lemieux, and Howie Hughes. Eddie Joyal would lead the team in scoring with 57 points (23+34=57).
(Image of Joyal)
How about some more “Did you Know”?
That after two bad seasons of hockey from 1970-72 that lead to poor attendance at the Forum; Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke was quoted as saying that the reason so many Northeasterners and Canadians moved to Southern California was that they hated hockey.
The oldest person that the Kings took in the first expansion draft was 37 year old Terry Sawchuk. Did you know that the only reason I put this one down was so I could post one of my favorite hockey pictures of all time?
(Image of Sawchuck)
In the first season that the Kings played, (1967/68) there were seven players that wore the number 22 at one time or another. They were: Bill Inglis, Jim Murray, Mike Corbett, Jacques Caron, Poul Popiel, Larry Johnston, and Mike Corrigan.
Sources: LAKINGS.com; NHL.com; HOCKEYDB.com; TSN.ca; GOOGLE IMAGES
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Hockey53
Originally Posted by Rawley19 
Rinkrat 
Go Kings 
