L.A. Kings Parade 2012: Celebration Won't Be Franchise's Last

L.A. is just getting started.

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final and their victory parade is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET in downtown L.A. While the city is used to Lakers' championship celebrations, it won’t be the last time that confetti rains down on the Kings in Hollywood.

Elliott Teaford of the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported that head coach Darryl Sutter is already thinking about next season. He said Monday night at the Staples Center: “The first thing you think about as a coach, these guys are all young enough, they've got to try it again.”

Los Angeles’ most potent offensive performers are in their prime. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar led the Kings in postseason scoring. Brown is 27 years old while Kopitar is only 24.

Drew Doughty is 22. Jeff Carter is 27. All-world goalie Jonathan Quick—the man that just outplayed Martin Brodeur—is 26.

Team executive Luc Robitaille echoed Sutter’s thoughts on the squad’s youth. He said (via Long Beach Press-Telegram):

“We feel like we're set up for a while. We've got a lot of young guys. We're going to enjoy this and worry about next season next week.”

Despite entering the playoffs as an eighth seed, L.A. skated circles around their opponents all the way to the Final.

It only took the Kings five games to knock out the Vancouver Canucks, who had just won the Presidents’ Trophy. They embarrassed the St. Louis Blues, sweeping the 49-win team in the second round. The Phoenix Coyotes were a different opponent, but offered the same resistance as the Kings breezed through them as well.

New Jersey forced them to play the most games, but only after the Kings had already jumped out to a 3-0 series lead.

Such a young core dominating like that is mind-blowing. Expect nothing less than one, if not multiple parades in the next few years.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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