Will a Player/Players on the Current Kings Roster Have Their Numbers Retired?

[MOGlLNY]

Easy question, does any player on the roster right now have the merit to get their number retired at the end of their career? In my opinion, Brownie and Kopi are as close as you can get but have to put up 3-4 more seasons of production. But I also think Drew and Quick could have their numbers retired at the end of it as well, but I feel like 4 guys is a lot just from one team. Thoughts/opinions?

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[tigermask48]

Easy question, does any player on the roster right now have the merit to get their number retired at the end of their career? In my opinion, Brownie and Kopi are as close as you can get but have to put up 3-4 more seasons of production. But I also think Drew and Quick could have their numbers retired at the end of it as well, but I feel like 4 guys is a lot just from one team. Thoughts/opinions?

Tough question... I'd agree that any of Brown, Kopitar, Doughty or Quick could be. But right now I just don't think they will... Quick and Kopitar probably have the best shots, but in Quick's case I think that has more to do with the lack of quality goalies to have played in LA. He's a very good goalie and already has a number of records to his credit but other than last year, he's just been really solid and not a great NHL goalie. Part of me hopes they all make it but then a part of me thinks that it needs to be saved for very very special players. Of course if this team turns into a dynasty ala the 90's Wings or Avalanche then I'm cool with all of them getting their numbers retired.

 

[HYORI 1963]

Very good question Leonard. I'd say right now, Brownie has the best chance seeing that he's the only captain in kings history to hoist the cup. And as you've mentioned Kopi, Quick and of course Doughty all should be considered. Basically, what it boils down to is, if all of the 4 mentioned players spend a good part of their nhl career in a kings uni, the better the chance of their jersey being retired.

I would also consider Richards, Carter and hopefully Voynov as well if they all play considerable number of games as a king.

 

[Telos]

You are correct. Kopitar and Brown are both right there. 2-3 more seasons sounds about right, but I think they'll get boosts for winning the first cup as well, so if something were to cut their career with us short, I think they would still get theirs retired. Especially Kopitar. He is already, at age 25, creeping up LA's top 10 lists:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/LAK/leaders_career.html

Quick will also be there with a couple more seasons as well. I don't think it is over the top to retire them all. 7/8 of the Oilers' retired numbers are from players during their dynasty period, all from the same era. Not that their comparable, but just pointing out that Edmonton only had one retired jersey when Gretzky and company entered the scene, and they retired their number one goalie, number one center, number one defenseman, and top wingers/leaders from that decade.

Doughty still has the longest road of the four, as he is still coasting on potential, needs to play more games and put up more numbers before he is considered.

 

[FrozenKing18]

I definitely think Brown will have his number retired being the first Captain to hoist cup. Also putting up consistent numbers season after season.

 

[Sydor25]

Is this before or after Rob Blake's #4 is retired?

 

[RonSwanson*]

Is this before or after Rob Blake's #4 is retired?

The Kings will probably wait and retire Blake's jersey on the same night as someone else's (Brown, perhaps) just to avoid the boo birds.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I think a couple will, but they got long careers ahead of them so we'll see.

 

[MollerManor]

If Brownie and Kopitar play more than 600 games with the Kings and score more than 330 goals each with ~700 points I expect their numbers to be retired. The Bernie Nicholls threshold I like to call it.

I expect Quick to get his number retired once he passes all of Vachons games played, wins, and shutout records and stays on the team another 3-4 seasons.

If a player has better stats or close to the guys already in the rafters, why not them too?

(except you Blake, go back to San Jose, you trader.)

 

[KINGS17]

The Kings will probably wait and retire Blake's jersey on the same night as someone else's (Brown, perhaps) just to avoid the boo birds.

What a disgrace that would be. I'm looking forward to Blake being a distant memory.

 

[tsanuri]

I think the hatred of the casual fan of Blake is way overblown. My wife have only one jersey, don't think I didn't offer to get her another, and it's a Blake. Offer might not even be a strong enough word I begged her to let me get her a new one. She went to games for over 12 years with season seats and about another 5 on ice packs. So she would even been considered an above casual fan. And she still likes him and wears the jersey proudly. And she knows how I feel about what he did to the team. But doesn't share my view. And there are many casual to above casual fans that feel the same way. It's more the hard core fans that hate him and we are in the minority.

 

[I Am Ziggy Palffy]

as much is dependent on the work DL does to keep them under contract and a quality team intact for several more yrs to come. If contract issues arise, we'll likely have another early departure. But if team structure is good, and players are paid reasonably well, longevity + productivity means likely enshrinement.

 

[Puck U]

I'd venture to guess the Kings will honor Blake with one of there MacDonald's LEGENDS Nights maybe as early as next season ... and they will then gauge the level of acceptance to Blake from that before they consider adding his # to the Rafters/Wall. As more time passes, fewer people will be opposed to it happening, so eventually Blake's #4 will be up there, like it or not ... it's obvious Luc is still his friend and Lombardi still wants to build that Red-Wing-esque Culture here in LA, so that means History, Stats and friendships within the organization will overrule a handful of fans that dislike it.

As for the OP's question ... too early to tell, but all signs point to QUICK, BROWN, KOPITAR and DOUGHTY going up as long as they continue to do what they do for the Kings for another few years ... IF they could pull off winning another cup I'd consider it a slam dunk ! Otherwise down the road, all four are home grown kids that have/or may set records as a King, and Won a Cup ... only a matter of time and more seasoning(s), to use a pun.

 

[RonSwanson*]

I think the hatred of the casual fan of Blake is way overblown. My wife have only one jersey, don't think I didn't offer to get her another, and it's a Blake. Offer might not even be a strong enough word I begged her to let me get her a new one. She went to games for over 12 years with season seats and about another 5 on ice packs. So she would even been considered an above casual fan. And she still likes him and wears the jersey proudly. And she knows how I feel about what he did to the team. But doesn't share my view. And there are many casual to above casual fans that feel the same way. It's more the hard core fans that hate him and we are in the minority.

I personally don't think he deserves to have his jersey retired. He was good, but I wouldn't say "retired jersey-worthy".

If the Avs haven't retired his jersey (and they have no problem retiring jerseys there. See: Raymond Borque), then that's a good sign that LA probably shouldn't either.

 

[Sydor25]

I think Brown is the most likely to get his number retired. He is the captain of the first Stanley Cup championship in LA and is most likely to sign a long term extension.

Quick is the next most likely since the Kings have had such ****** goaltenders in the past that Quick will re-write the Kings record book for goalies. He is already signed long term.

Kopitar will need to re-sign in LA.

Doughty probably needs to win a Norris trophy to get his number retired.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Nicholls sits 5th in Kings history with 758 points in 602 games. Brown currently has 370 points in 616 games good for 13th all time and 388 points behind Nicholls who does not have his jersey retired. I think for Brown to get in, since he has never been a dominant forward in the NHL, he'll need to hit the 1000 game mark like Dave Taylor. Quick should hold almost every King goaltending record by the time he's done here, hard to argue against retiring his number when he's basically pulled a Gretzky record-wise smashing the numbers of what has been a horrendous position in Kings history. With 20 more wins Jon Bernier will move into 8th all time in Kings history, that's how bad it's been.

 

[tsanuri]

I personally don't think he deserves to have his jersey retired. He was good, but I wouldn't say "retired jersey-worthy".

If the Avs haven't retired his jersey (and they have no problem retiring jerseys there. See: Raymond Borque), then that's a good sign that LA probably shouldn't either.

I never said he didn't or did I was just talking about the hatred.

But if we want to look at numbers he is still the highest scoring defenseman in our teams history in both total points and goals and assists. And even though we didn't win was an important part of the D core in the 1993 cup run. So the argument can be made he should. I really don't have an opinion on it.

 

[Sydor25]

Brown isn't about numbers. He is the heart and soul of the first Stanley Cup champion in LA. He will get to 1,000 games in LA easily, only 5 more healthy seasons and I don't see him signing with another team when his contract is up.

 

[KINGS17]

I'd venture to guess the Kings will honor Blake with one of there MacDonald's LEGENDS Nights maybe as early as next season ... and they will then gauge the level of acceptance to Blake from that before they consider adding his # to the Rafters/Wall. As more time passes, fewer people will be opposed to it happening, so eventually Blake's #4 will be up there, like it or not ... it's obvious Luc is still his friend and Lombardi still wants to build that Red-Wing-esque Culture here in LA, so that means History, Stats and friendships within the organization will overrule a handful of fans that dislike it.

As for the OP's question ... too early to tell, but all signs point to QUICK, BROWN, KOPITAR and DOUGHTY going up as long as they continue to do what they do for the Kings for another few years ... IF they could pull off winning another cup I'd consider it a slam dunk ! Otherwise down the road, all four are home grown kids that have/or may set records as a King, and Won a Cup ... only a matter of time and more seasoning(s), to use a pun.

I sure hope so. I haven't had a reason to BOOO!!! with the kind of vigor I reserve for Blake in quite some time.

Luc? Well, Luc is wrong about a lot of things. It took going outside the organization to change the culture within the organization. Luc had little to do with the change in culture, so I wouldn't trust him to decide which numbers go up in the rafters. I see no need to honor any more members from the past that were a part of a failed culture with a retired number.

It's kind of an insult the way the Kings' organization (I'm looking at you, Luc and Tim) trot Blake out at a special occasion from time to time when they know the kind of disdain most hard core fans have for him.

Numbers should only be retired for special players. Guys like Brown, Kopitar, and Quick are the leading candidates for me right now to have it happen someday.

 

[Puck U]

Luc? Well, Luc is wrong about a lot of things. It took going outside the organization to change the culture within the organization. Luc had little to do with the change in culture, so I wouldn't trust him to decide which numbers go up in the rafters. I see no need to honor any more members from the past that were a part of a failed culture with a retired number.

I don't completely disagree with you, and share a similar dislike for #4, but you'd have to question why the Kings seem reluctant on having anyone else wear that #4, right ? Ellerby wore #4 in Florida, and Hickey wanted the # as well ... so who knows ?

But as far as Luc goes, while sure he may at times get things wrong, it sure appears to me as if A LOT of the Off-Ice stuff seems to be his call of late ? if not MOST of it ? While Lombardi & Co. are in charge of all the On-Ice decisions for the Team. So something like Who gets a Legends Night and Who maybe gets considered to have his Number Up at Staples, I think Luc is/would be heavily involed in that ?