With the Stanley Cup Final set to begin in just over a week’s time, the NHL summer calendar is quickly moving along. Next week, the annual Draft Combine will take place in Buffalo, followed by the actual Draft in Las Vegas coming up at the end of June. Sandwiched in-between all that activity, teams will start to release their official schedule for the 2024-25 campaign — which is scheduled to begin on (or near) Wednesday, October 9.
When it comes to the LA Kings, they’re expected to begin next season out East, as the team is scheduled to end training camp in Quebec, as discussed here:
That also means the Kings home opener could be pushed deep into the second half of October, depending how long the team’s opening road trip is scheduled for. Of course, this was all necessary due to the ongoing renovations at Crypto.com Arena.
Further, the construction has also created a rather unique scenario. For the first time since moving to Downtown LA in 1999, the Kings will not play any preseason games in their home arena.
Sure, technically speaking, they’ll be listed as the home team for a handful of games. Similar to neutral site games played in year’s past, though, that’s more of a formality.
From what we’ve been hearing, the Kings will most likely play six preseason games. There is still the possibility of a seventh game being added, yet it doesn’t appear to be likely at this time. Several things are still in motion due to the Coyotes late move from Arizona to Utah. It isn’t believed to be having a big impact on the Kings directly, but more with a few other Pacific Division teams. Getting the Utah preseason schedule solidified would have an impact on building availability (and/or travel) for other teams who could also be looking to get something scheduled with LA as a visitor.
Four of the Kings preseason games are already locked in. We’re projecting the dates for the other two games below based on proximity. For example, with the Kings scheduled to open their preseason slate with a game in Utah against the Golden Knights, it would only make sense to have them play their preseason game in Vegas the next night. That would then allow them to come home, to both train and play a pair of games against the Ducks before departing for Quebec on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
LA Kings 2024-25 Preseason Games:
Mon. 9/23 vs. Golden Knights (Frozen Fury in Salt Lake City)
Tue. 9/24 vs. Golden Knights in Vegas (projected date)
Thurs. 9/26 vs. Ducks in Anaheim (projected date)
Sat. 9/28 vs. Ducks (Empire Classic in Ontario)
Thurs. 10/3 vs. Boston Bruins (in Quebec)
Sat. 10/5 vs. Florida Panthers (in Quebec)
Additional Notes:
— People keep asking, so we keep checking… and from what we’ve been told, 2024 Frozen Fury will still be played against the Golden Knights, even though Salt Lake City now has their own hockey team. The reason for this largely has to do with timing. When the event was put on sale, many VGK fans purchased tickets expecting to see their team take on the Kings. If that was now switched to LA vs. Utah, many fans would likely request a refund and that creates a real ticket puzzle of then trying to resell those tickets, etc. For all involved — and especially considering Utah HC has plenty of other things to worry about this summer — it appears to be a one-off. The real question becomes, what happens to Frozen Fury next year? There is a multi-year agreement with the building for it to take place. Do the Kings play the new Utah team in September 2025? It’s a question that will be answered down the road.
— What about a game in San Diego? It was wildly successful last year from everything we heard. Could they maybe squeeze that in on Sunday, following the Empire Classic in Ontario? Or, will that game return next year instead? That’s a game hosted by the Ducks, so it’s a decision that’s more in their realm.
— From the sound of things, there may not be a preseason game against the Sharks this year. However, if that was to happen, it would likely be soon after Frozen Fury and then the projected Thurs. game against the Ducks could be moved to Sunday (or even Monday), just before the team leaves for Quebec.
— Prior to training camp opening, the Kings will also the annual NHL Rookie Faceoff event at their training facility in El Segundo. In addition to LA’s top prospects, there will be five other teams involved: Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Utah Hockey Club, and Vegas Golden Knights. We have more information on the tournament up here.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Anze Kopitar played in the original rookie tournament that eventually spawned into the Rookie Faceoff? See some early pictures, stats, and quotes here:
— If you just can’t wait to see the Kings back on the ice, Dev Camp is slated to get underway at Toyota Sports Performance Center in about a month. More details can be found in the article linked below.
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