So, this article will round out the small market NHL teams series that was broken up into six parts. Today I would like to talk about the LA Kings. Throughout the whole series, I have judged teams on talent, leadership, and fan support. Today I will do the very same with the LA Kings.
So lets start with the talent, then onto leadership, then we will round it out with the fan support. The best talent on the Kings look like this: Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll, Derek Armstrong, Alexander Frolov, Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan. Yes, that is good talent but you need more top notch players. The Kings are not going to succeed with that. Besides, Stoll scored just 14 goals and 22 assists for only 36 points in 81 games.
This season they should have Drew Doughty, Colten Teubert, Jonathan Bernier, and Tomas Hickey all playing in the NHL. That is the only plus side that I can find though. The Kings do not have good leadership that will lead them to the playoffs and eventually a Stanley Cup.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The closest player that they have to that is Anze Kopitar who has proved that he is ready for captaincy by never giving up when times get tough and always encouraging his fellow teammates, but you never want to just throw someone into captaincy so he could be one of the assistants.
So then, you can make 35 year old and the most experienced King captain right? Wrong. Derek Armstrong has yet to prove that he is worthy. So now who? Finally, lets move onto the fan support. After the Ducks won the Stanley cup it didn't help the Kings one bit. Infact if it did anything to their fan support it made it worse as both team are in the state of California.
So now the LA Kings have very little support. They may sell a lot of tickets every night but not a whole lot of sell outs. Just because LA has a lot of sports teams doesn't mean that there are a lot of die hard hockey fans. Basketball, baseball, soccer, and football are all American sports. Hockey is Canadian and doesn't do well in a lot of American cities. Same with the population. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are all hockey fans. Plus, the Californian hockey fans would be split up between the Kings and the Ducks.
So to finish up the series here are my final small market NHL teams rankings (based on projected performance).
1. Tampa Bay
2. Columbus
3. Nashville
4. Phoenix
5. Los Angeles
6. Atlanta
comments (23) write a comment »
write a new comment
3 months ago
Lauri Tukonen is not even on the Kings. He was traded in July to Dallas for Clune, and their depth at forward and defensive prospects is far greater than what was mentioned in the above article.
Research helps.
from 3 months ago
well than that just goes to show how much the Kings update their website.
3 months ago
Your and idiot. Los Angeles is the second largest media market in the U.S. The population of Los Angeles County is 9,948,081 (2006) and this is not including San Bernardino County (pop. 1,709,434 as of 2000), Orange County (pop. 2,846,289 as of 2000), Riverside County (pop. 1,545,387 as of 2000) and Ventura County (pop. 753,197 as of 2000). Biz Journals on http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/36.html rates Los Angeles as most promisisng area for an additional sports franchise considering that there is already 2 professional basketball team, 2 professional hockey teams, 2 professional baseball teams and 2 professional soccer teams. Biz Journal has the population of the Los Angeles Metro area as 17.5 million and a combined annual income of almost $600 billion. Los Angeles is the farthes thing from a small market as you can get.
Before you actually write an article about a team you should do a little research into their players and prospects. Best prospects of Laurie Tukonen and Johan Fransson are not even close to the teams top tier prospect talent. Prospect to likely make the team this year are Brian Boyle, Teddy Purcell and Matt Moulson. Other top end talent includes Trevor Lewis, Oscar Moller, Wayne Simmonds, Peter Harrold, Jeff Zatcoff, Jonathan Quik and Scott Parse just to name a few. Hockeys Future ranks the Kings 5 in organizational prospect talent depth.
Please do some research before you make yourself look like an idiot in the future.
from 3 months ago
Laurie Tukonen is not even a Kings prospect anymore.
from 3 months ago
I now know that Lauri Tukonen is no longer on the Kings, I am about to edit that but i can't right now because it is being edited by someone else. As for the population, those are mostly American sports. Football, american, Baseball, american, soccer, bearly canadian, and Basketball, american. Just because of that population doesn't mean that they majority is all die hard hockey fans. Thanks for the nice comment. I was also on the Kings website looking and studying their roster and prospects while writing this article, just goes to show how much they update it.
3 months ago
John Fansson? Two names. Both wrong.
Hockey's Future has JOHAN FRANSSON listed.... oh.... wait.... they don't even have him listed!!!
Nice research
Here's what they actually DO say about our "top prospect" (according to you)
2006-07: Split time between the SM-Liiga in Finland and the SEL in Sweden, combining for seven points in 49 games. Fransson's game declined demonstrably this season.
from 3 months ago
If you read other comments I was reasherching from their website, again, just goes to show howw much it gets updated.
3 months ago
On what planet is LA a small market team?
I mean I know LA isn't a rabid hockey market but it is by no mean small market, this is the team that stole Gretzky and began the salary boom.
from 3 months ago
It may not be 'small' but its definatly not a large market, maybe I should have used the word "low".
from 3 months ago
You're right LA isn't a large market either...it's a gigantic market.
You can't confuse lack of visibility on the local sports radar with the size of the market.
If the Kings would actually bother to put together a half decent team and market properly they would be a HUGE moneymaker.
3 months ago
Your 6 part series was an interesting idea but I think you let yourself down by failing to do your due dilligence or establish a purpose. Your first article on the Jackets had some blaring errors (you stated that they have a 10 year history - fyi they began in 2000-01) and the rest showed a lack of research or insight.
Glancing back through a few of your 6, i have trouble even discerning the point of the series. Are you simply stating which teams are small market? Giving your opinion on what they need to do? What?
I'm all for editorial pieces but they sort of need a purpose don't you think?
3 months ago
You are kidding right? This article is a joke? Have you ever been to a Kings game? Or a Ducks game for that matter? Yeah, the Kings have had a rough few years and attendance is done but that isn't the norm. And even so, the fan base is full of loyal, passionate people who are sticking by their team. Go to any off-ice event, even go to their practices, and there are always fans around. Small market? Los Angeles, California? That's hilarious. L.A. couldn't be a small-market even if it wanted to be. And the Ducks winning the Cup was supposed to help the Kings? The Kings are the reason why the Ducks exist. And the Ducks couldn't even fill the arena last year during their short playoff stint. Yeah, they may have "sold out" the games but if you had gone to one, as I did, you would have seen a lot, and I mean a lot, of empty seats. There's a small market for you. Just because Anaheim just won the Cup does not mean they aren't small-market. You want to talk about a pathetic fan base? Go talk to a Ducks fan and your next article should be easy and accurate.
You're confusing teams that have had no success the last few years with teams in small markets. Watch some games (in person), do some research, and then write.
3 months ago
This Canadian has no clue about how many hockey fans there are in LA.
Take a look at the numbers of posts over at hfboards once in awhile. You will see how many hockey fans there are in LA. When the Kings start winning again it will be a tough ticket to get in this town.
from 3 months ago
That's true, it will be tough to get a ticket when they're winning. So does this make Kings fans bandwagoners? Probably not, but if the seats are empty that goes to show that no matter how many people there are in LA that not too many are that interested in hockey.
Los Angeles is by no means a small market team. But to say that they hold a strong fan base doesn't seem too apparent when you watch games at the Staples Center when they're on NHL Centre Ice.
from 3 months ago
Chris -
The lower level seats of the Staples Center between the goal lines mostly consists of tickets sold to corporations and businesses who want guaranteed Lakers tickets. Most of the ticket holders do not care much for hockey and will end up eating tickets they can not give away.
This system sucks Royally, but the Kings management does not seem overly interested in making them available to the regular fans.
from 2 months ago
The Kings' HF board is one of the most active of the Western Conference teams.
So I'm not sure if you are trying to poke jabs at the Kings fans or support them.
from 2 months ago
For reference, the Kings' HF Board has twice the number of posts as the Red Wings' HF Board.
Only 3 teams have more posts. (Oilers, Canucks, Blue Jackets)
http://hfboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191
3 months ago
As I post this, 7 others have kicked you in the teeth over your "small market" labeling of Los Angeles. You really shouldn't use words unless you understand their meaning.
Staples Center seats a little over 18,000 for hockey. That requires only a small percentage of fans to fill.
King management is doing their level best to drive away fans. The have put horrible teams on ice for the last few years while increasing ticket prices at the same time. They seem to think King fans will shell out just to see Luc Robitaille or Anze Kopitar with no consideration given to making the playoffs.
Hardcore Kings fans are a rabid bunch and will put about 15,000 into the rink nightly. But we are getting tired of Anshultz impersonation of Georgia Frontiere (the bytch who ran the Rams into the ground then moved them to St. Louis)
3 months ago
Derek Armstrong? Talent? I'm so confused.
Los Angeles' largest problem starts in the net and works it's way outward. If Jonathan Bernier steps up and performs like the uber-prospect we've hoped him to be, the Kings will be doing pretty well. Even if it takes Bernier one more year in the minors, I'm not panicking due to Erik Ersberg's performance last year as well as Labarbera working hard to get better. Towards the end of last season the Kings started to do a lot better. Take a look, December destroyed us last season. We had like 13 losses in one month. Ouch.
Moving outward, our defensive crew could use some work as well. Jack Johnson, Drew Daughty, Tom Preissing, Matt Greene, Denis Gauthier, Peter Harrold, Joe Piskula, Colten Teubert... Johnson, Preissing, Greene, and most likely Daughty will be on the ice and the other spots will be battled for. Definitely a weak area, and someone is going to have to step it up big time (I'm looking at you, JMFJ) but I think someone will.
And finally, offense. "The best talent on the Kings look like this: Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll, Derek Armstrong, Alexander Frolov, Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan."
First of all, I definitely like the look of a Brown-Kopitar-O'Sullivan top line. A young, talented top line like that, that will mature together? Oh man. Our second line will look something like Frolov-Stoll-Purcell/Boyle, or someone fighting for that wing spot. I'd assume Purcell. Stoll is mainly a setup man and dominates in the face off circle, something the Kings have been lacking for a while. I think this season, with some help, could be an incredible scorer this season. We'll see, but he's been carrying the second line by himself for a while. Maybe he'll be able to shoot some more, now. Don't forget that the Kings aqcuired Brad Richardson from Colorado and have a ton of prospects that are damn near NHL-ready. Oscar Moller, Trevor Lewis, Brian Boyle, Matt Moulson, Teddy Purcell, Scott Parse, Wayne Simmonds, Marc-Andre Cliche.
I haven't even mentioned Matt Ellis, Kyle Calder, or Raitis Ivanans yet. And Derek Armstrong, I guess, too.
The Kings have six - SIX - plausible goalies this season. Ersberg, Labarbera, Quick, Taylor, and Zatkoff.
As far as this upcoming season goes, I'm not sure how it will play out. Hopefully we'll make the playoffs. If not, hopefully the young guys get some ice time. One thing is for certain, the Kings are going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
And a small time market? Are you kidding me? The second most populated city in the United States is a small market? Or even a low market? I don't think so.
from 3 months ago
My apologies.
"I think this season, with some help, could be an incredible scorer this season. We'll see, but he's been carrying the second line by himself for a while. Maybe he'll be able to shoot some more, now."
I meant to say that this season, with some help, FROLOV could be an incredible scorer. Oops.
3 months ago
I'm not sure I really understand where you came up with the term "small-market". It shouldn't refer to the number of fans/number of seats filled in an arena. It should, in fact, refer to the population of the area, the "wealth" of the area, etc. Atlanta, and LA (and maybe others, I haven't researched it) are all larger cities. They may (MAY, I don't know) have a smaller draw toward hockey, but that doesn't make them small market towns. Small market towns are places like Nashville, Florida, Phoenix and Buffalo, to name a few.
You didn't include the Islanders, whose attendance was at about 83% last year (the Kings were 92%). You certainly can't say that NY is small market.
Small Market does not equal small draw; and even if you assume so in your articles, you've still got it wrong. The smallest draws, percentage wise last year, were the Islanders, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Columbus and Florida.
2 months ago
What a stupid article.
LA has huge fan support. Maybe not in terms of sellouts, but the fans who do show up are crazy about their team.
L.A. is definitely not a small market.
Many of the Kings seats are sold to Lakers season-seat holders are a requirement to buy Lakers tickets.
Basically Lukas shows again that he has no idea what he is writing about and doesn't do his research beforehand.
This is the same author who discussed the value of players based on their +/- and routinely spells Lidstrom's name as Lindstrom.
2 months ago
I'm beginning to think Lukas is 12 years old. He writes like it.
write a new comment