The Los Angeles Kings have been the story of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, running roughshod over the President's Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks and the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues before skating out to a 3-1 advantage in the NHL's Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Dwight King has stepped up his game, scoring as many goals (five) in 13 playoff games as he did in 27 regular-season games. Goaltender Jonathan Quick - already a Vezina Trophy finalist after going 35-21-13 with a .928 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average - has raised his level of play as well, going 11-2 in the playoffs with a .950 save percentage and a 1.46 goals-against average. Dustin Brown has played the role of captain to perfection, leading the Kings in scoring with 15 points (seven goals and eight assists) while delivering his usual complement of hard hits and solid defensive play.
What's been almost as impressive, though, is the way the Kings have promoted themselves to get all of Los Angeles on board.
To be perfectly honest, the running joke about the Kings' lack of media and public attention is a little overplayed. Yes, the Kings have been the subject of a number of head-slapping slip-ups from the local TV stations in Los Angeles, including a graphic on the local NBC affiliate that used the logo of the NBA's Sacramento Kings instead of the local hockey club's and a KCBS report that included stock footage of Sacramento's lion mascot "Slamson" instead of the Kings' own lion, "Bailey." Los Angeles is also home, however, to Los Angeles Times columnist Helene Elliott, who has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame for her work covering the sport, and the media members who actually cover hockey are on par or better with those covering teams elsewhere around the NHL.
Still, it's been entertaining to watch the Kings' PR staff do whatever they can to bring more attention to the team. Generally, that means the team's Twitter account (@LAKings), which first made waves after LA's first win of the playoffs, a 4-2 victory over the Canucks that was punctuated by a tweet declaring, "To everyone in Canada outside B.C., you're welcome."
At various points since then, the Kings have mocked Nickelback, poked fun at Twitter-happy Coyotes tough guy Paul Bissonette and continued to offer witty commentary on the action on the ice. The crowning glory for director of digital media Dewayne Hankins and his staff, however, came before Sunday's game against the Coyotes, when actor Rainn Wilson of The Office fame asked for tickets.
Dear @LAKings - I've never been to a hockey game before. Considering getting some tix 4 Sunday. Should I go? Whats the puck made of?
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) May 16, 2012
True to form, the Kings had a witty response, drawing on the first prank Jim played on Dwight in The Office's pilot episode.
@rainnwilson We can give you tickets - if you let us deliver them to you in a bowl ofjello. — LA Kings (@LAKings) May 16, 2012
And sure enough, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Luc Robitaille, the Kings' president of business operations, delivered the tickets as advertised. Wilson was in attendance on Sunday when the Kings were shut out by Mike Smith and the Coyotes. The likelihood that Wilson's presence contributed in any way to the LA loss (which snapped an eight-game winning streak) is slim, but that didn't stop Wilson from offering an apology Tuesday afternoon.
@LAKings don't worry, I'm not going to the game tonight. Y'all should win no problem! #Stanley'sCup
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) May 22, 2012
The Kings appreciated the gesture.
@rainnwilson it's ok... You will be welcome back next season. Fresh start. — LA Kings (@LAKings) May 22, 2012
Naturally, the Kings hope that Wilson's not the only one coming back in the fall.
The fact of the matter is that while the non-hockey crowd in Southern California may still have a lot to learn about the Kings, the team wouldn't have been around for some 45 years without a dedicated following. Still, one can sense that with a Stanley Cup Finals appearance on the horizon (and the Lakers and Clippers done for the year), the Kings' front office is doing whatever it can to get the locals hooked on hockey.
Whether it will work remains to be seen. For now, there's a game to be played.
