When did you become a Kings fan?

[aceofpace]

This will give us an idea of how old some of us are here.

As for me, I became a fan during the '93 Cup run. I'm not sure why that run is not talked about much but I remember it captivating the entire city that year. It did help that all the other LA pro teams (Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, etc.) were having down years that year. Maybe it because it ended in a sour note? Maybe. But LA truly became a hockey town that year.

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[King'sPawn]

This will give us an idea of how old some of us are here.

As for me, I became a fan during the '93 Cup run. I'm not sure why that run is not talked about much but I remember it captivating the entire city that year. It did help that all the other LA pro teams (Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, etc.) were having down years that year. Maybe it because it ended in a sour note? Maybe. But LA truly became a hockey town that year.

My dad started watching the Kings after the Gretzky trade. I would sometimes take a look, but didn't really pay attention until a kid moved down the street from me. He was a huge hockey fan and it wasn't until we played in his yard that I learned to love it. That was in 91 I believe.

Sadly, he passed away this year due to health complications.

 

[Statto]

Watched my first game in the UK in ‘86 and immediately became hooked. I became a Kings fan the same day as it was the only place in the US that I’d been to. So I immediately started researching, Reading etc about hockey and the Kings.

 

[Soapdodger]

I became hooked on hockey during the 94 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
In those days there was almost no coverage of the NHL in Germany available, but if there was the Kings were usually involved.

 

[apadilla]

It was around 1971. I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was kneeling in front of my TV changing the channel with the rotary dial, and I came upon a game where players were skating around. And at that instant a Kings player (believe it was Mike Corrigan) knocked an opposing player to the ice with a hard hit. The opposing player got up and jawed with the King, and bam, they dropped their gloves and went at it for about 20 seconds. Both of them got their shots in. I was thrilled, thinking "OMG, this is great!" From then, I was hooked =)

 

[KingsHockey24]

2006, Kopi's rookie season.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

I was in grammar school in the 60s and found hockey. Been hooked ever since. Supported them through many horrible teams, bad trades and drafts. Finally was rewarded in 2012 & 2014.

 

[bland]

Saw JP Kelly score a late tying goal against the North Stars at my first game, hooked ever since.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Became a hockey fan in general in the late 80s because I sucked at every other sport but baseball (figured I could translate to a stick), was a teen playing in the early 90s during the Gretzky trade and became a rabid fan when I realized it was on TV

 

[Schrute farms]

now i feel old.
mid 70's for me (1975?). I was just a kid around 5 years old. But i loved listening to games on the radio. Whole family thought i was bizarre -- which i was for sure.

 

[kingsboy11]

For me I think I started watching around 2005-06, definitely around when Kopi first started playing. My dad had been following the Kings for years, but what also helped was that my family on my mother's side has Slovenian heritage so that was a big draw for me.

But what sold it for me was that back then, the company my dad used to work for had a luxury box at Staples Center and this was back when the team was shit so they would give away tickets to the Kings games and my dad was the only one who wanted them. So for my birthday we invited all my friends from school and we all went to the game and it was awesome.

 

[onlyalad]

1970
Family moved to California from Mass.
the company my dad worked for had Senate seats for all events at the Forum. Everyone wanted Lakers tickets so the Kings games went unclaimed. My parents were/are Bruins fans. I decided to root against them for the Kings. My dad took us often because free tickets.

 

[fivehole32]

i started watching either a KCMJ or KTLA broadcast as a kid in either 87 or 88 at the age of 11. The speed of the game got me hooked. I was the only hockey fan I knew in the Coachella Valley. I got my dad into it and we started going to live games in the 90s.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Became a hockey fan late 05-06 season watching all 3 California teams whenever one of their games was on TV. My stepdad who is a Kings fan took me to a Sharks-Kings game at Staples. Whoever won that game was going to be the team I follow (Nixed the Ducks lol). Kings won the game so I became a Kings fan. 06-07 season was when I really started getting into it, Kopi's rookie season, and the debut of Los Angeles Kings legend,

 

[bmr]

My dad started watching the Kings after the Gretzky trade. I would sometimes take a look, but didn't really pay attention until a kid moved down the street from me. He was a huge hockey fan and it wasn't until we played in his yard that I learned to love it. That was in 91 I believe.

Sadly, he passed away this year due to health complications.

Very sorry to hear about your dad. We were a very similar situation and started watching the Kings together when I was just a kid. I really enjoyed those times, even though the Kings sucked for a majority of them. The Cup final with Montreal was such a back breaker. It was really awesome getting to see them win the 2 cups, especially the first one. I'm sure that was an amazing experience for you both.

 

[King'sPawn]

Very sorry to hear about your dad. We were a very similar situation and started watching the Kings together when I was just a kid. I really enjoyed those times, even though the Kings sucked for a majority of them. The Cup final with Montreal was such a back breaker. It was really awesome getting to see them win the 2 cups, especially the first one. I'm sure that was an amazing experience for you both.

Thank you, but I think I wrote it poorly. It was my friend who passed away.

My dad kinda drifted away from watching hockey. He's still alive, but he still thinks Brown is playing lol.

 

[Herby]

My dad took me to my first Kings game in the late 1980's to see Gretzky play, and became hooked. I grew up in OC and was 11 when the Ducks joined the league, so was lucky enough to already be all-in on the Kings and didn't go to the dark-side like so many of the other kids around my age did.

 

[chris kontos]

Believe it or not 1967, i was all of 12 yrs old. Got into the fabulous forum for free(they were giving away tickets at that point) and enjoyed cheering on the likes of gerry dejardins in goal, cowboy bill flett and eddie joyal skating forwards. One helluva lot more dry times than victorys. After 1993 i thought i would never live to see a stanley cup won by the kings and i will always have a special place in my heart for daryl suter, jonathan quick and the restof the great champions on the two cup teeams.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The "Showtime" era Lakers and the 80s Dodgers were the first two sports teams I latched onto, because they were easily accessible and all over local TV, especially for those of us without cable back then.

It wasn't until the Gretzky era where my friends and I all latched onto hockey. The Kings were barely on any local broadcast networks, so I had to rely on the LA Times and sports anchors like Stu Nahan, Fred Roggin, Jim Hill, and Todd Donoho. My only means of watching games would be the rare occasion the Kings had a game on KTLA 5, or had to watch games at a friend's house.

It wasn't until 1993 when our household finally got cable, just in time to tune in to watch their epic run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Any fans here ever visit one of the Kings' Slap Shops? The one on S. Sepulveda Blvd. was massive, and had merchandise from every NHL team. I remember saving up $75 to finally buy my first NHL jersey, a home Gretzky uniform, when the numbers and lettering were still silver with a black outline, circa 1990. They also sold hockey equipment at the store.

 

[yankeeking]

i am the same age as kontos above but didn't move out here until 73 and started going to kings games the next season, and mostly to see the original six when they came since i was a ranger fan . Started to really like the kings over the next two seasons with the off broadway line, nevin , stemkoski , teddy irvine all former rangers and it was so easy to get tickets in those days and the team was competitive , then in a span of 10 days the rangers dumped eddie giacomin and traded for the devil hisself in phil esposito and i just couldn't root for them again and solely was a kings fan and now after 48 years and tens of thousands of dollars i have at least 2 stanley cup victories in person to relish and hundreds of great nites both celebrating or comiserating with you all

 

[Lt Dan]

I became a Kings fan yesterday

 

[kingsholygrail]

90s. Didn't get to go to my first game until 99 though. Mostly because of my older brother who watched hockey all the time and played NHL95 on the Genesis.

 

[Herby]

I became a Kings fan yesterday

So did half the people who were posting here the day after Mike Richards was traded to the Kings.

 

[Mcsorley47]

Became a fan in 91.

Live 15 minutes from the Honda Center.

 

[DAkings20]

My first Kings game was as a 6 month old baby, I had no choice in the matter.

I remember walking around the concourse of the Forum as a 7-10 year old by myself lol. Walking past the ref locker room and being so close to the visiting team heading out to the ice.

I miss those days.