Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Name	Los Angeles
Official name	City of Los Angeles
Settlement type	City
Nickname	L.A., the City of Angels, Angeltown, the Entertainment Capital of the World, La-La Land
Website	lacity.org
Image seal	Seal of Los Angeles, California.svg
Map caption	Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	US-CA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	California
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Los Angeles
Government type	Mayor-Council
Governing body	Los Angeles City Council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Antonio Villaraigosa
Leader title1	City Attorney
Leader name1	Carmen Trutanich
Leader title2	City Controller
Leader name2	Wendy Greuel
unit pref	US
area footnotes
area total sq mi	502.693
area land sq mi	468.670
area water sq mi	34.023
area total km2	1301.970
area land km2	1213.850
area water km2	88.119
area water percent	6.77
area note
Population as of	2010
Population note	2010 United States Census
Population total	3792621
Population rank	(2nd US, 48th World)
Population urban	14,940,000
Population metro	15,250,000
Population blank1 title	CSA
Population blank1	17786419
Population demonym	Angeleno
Population density km2	auto
Population density sq mi	auto
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	-8
Timezone dst	PDT
Utc offset dst	−7
Latns	N
Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Longew	W
Elevation m	71
Elevation ft	233 (city hall)
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	90001–90068, 90070–90084, 90086–90089, 90091, 90093–90097, 90099, 90101–90103, 90174, 90185, 90189, 90291-90293, 91040–91043, 91303–91308, 91342–91349, 91352–91353, 91356–91357, 91364–91367, 91401–91499, 91601–91609
Area code	213, 310/424, 323, 661, 747/818
Established title	Settled
Established date	September 4, 1781
Established title2	Incorporated
Established date2	April 4, 1850
Footnotes	}}

Los Angeles ( ; , English: "The Angels"), with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City, on a land area of , and is located in the southern region of the state. It is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside combined statistical area, which contains nearly 17.8 million people and which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world and the second largest in the United States. Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most multicultural counties in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself is recognized and regarded as the most diverse metropolitan area in the United States. The city's inhabitants are referred to as "Angelenos" ().

Often known by its initials, ''LA'', and nicknamed the ''City of Angels'', Los Angeles is a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. Los Angeles has been ranked the third richest city and fifth most powerful and influential city in the world, behind only New York City in the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York metropolitan area. As the home base of Hollywood, it is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World", leading the world in the creation of motion pictures, television production, video games, and recorded music. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs home. Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics as well as multiple games of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including the final. Los Angeles is also home to renowned universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.

Los Angeles enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with an average of 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.

History

The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes thousands of years ago. The first Europeans arrived in 1542 in an expedition organized by the viceroy of New Spain and commanded by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer who claimed the area of southern California for the Spanish Empire. However, he continued with his voyage up the coast and did not establish a settlement. The next contact would not come until 227 years later, when Gaspar de Portolà, along with Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769. Crespí noted that the site had the potential to be developed into a large settlement.

In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra built the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel near the Whittier Narrows, in what is now called San Gabriel Valley. In 1777, the new governor of California, Felipe de Neve, recommended to Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, viceroy of New Spain, that the site noted by Juan Crespí be developed into a pueblo. The town was officially founded on September 4, 1781, by a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores". Tradition has it that on this day they were escorted by four Spanish colonial soldiers, two priests from the Mission and Governor de Neve. The town was named ''El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula'' (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River). These pueblo settlers came from the common Hispanic culture that had emerged in northern Mexico among a racially mixed society. Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto, and therefore, had African, Amerindian, and European ancestry. More importantly, they were intermarrying. The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820 the population had increased to about 650 residents. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.

New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico, made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capital. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.

Railroads arrived with the completion of the Southern Pacific line to Los Angeles in 1876. Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.

By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000 people, putting pressure on the city's water supply. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.

In the 1920s, the movie and aviation industries flocked to Los Angeles, with continuing growth ensuring that the city suffered less during the Great Depression. In 1932, with population surpassing one million, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.

The post-war years saw an even greater boom, as urban sprawl expanded the city into the San Fernando Valley. In 1960, non-Hispanic whites made up 82% of the population of Los Angeles County. In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.

In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries, the 1984 Olympics became the most financially successful in history, and only the second Olympics to turn a profit – the other being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.

During the remaining decades of the 20th century, the city was plagued by increasing gang warfare, drug activity, and police corruption; the century ended with the Rampart scandal, one of the most widespread documented cases of police misconduct in American history. Racial tensions erupted again in 1992 with the Rodney King controversy and the large-scale riots that followed the acquittal of his police attackers. In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.

Voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city in 2002.

Gentrification and urban redevelopment have occurred in many parts of the city, most notably Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown.

Cityscape

The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods, many of which were incorporated places or communities that were annexed by the city. There are also several independent cities around Los Angeles, but they are popularly grouped with the city of Los Angeles, either due to being completely engulfed as enclaves by Los Angeles, or lying within its immediate vicinity. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, The Eastside and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles (still often colloquially referred to as South Central by locals), the Harbor Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.

Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, the Downtown Financial District, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, Century City, and Brentwood.

Landmarks

Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kodak Theatre, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Getty Villa, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Boulevard, Capitol Records Tower, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Theme Building, Watts Towers, Randy's Donuts, Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, and La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street. Downtown Los Angeles is quickly becoming a landmark of itself, with development of billion dollar projects such as Wilshire Grand Tower I, rivaling the prominence of places such as Times Square.

Geography

Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and, according to the United States Census Bureau, covers a total area of , comprising of land and of water. The city extends for longitudinally and for latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is . It is the only major city in the United States bisected by a mountain range.

Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city is Mount Lukens, located at the northeastern end of the San Fernando Valley. The hilly parts of Los Angeles include the entire Santa Monica Mountains which stretch from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean, the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district.

thumb|240px|Mallards on the Los Angeles RiverThe Los Angeles River, a major river which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel. It was straightened and lined in concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers for almost its entire length to act as a flood control channel. The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city and flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains as they diminish, then south through the city center, then through nearby Vernon on its way to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean.

Geology

Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability has produced numerous faults, which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually. One of the major faults is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake. Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt. The most recent earthquake felt was the 4.4 2010 Pico Rivera earthquake on March 16, 2010. Parts of the city are also vulnerable to Pacific Ocean tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960. The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.

Climate

Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csb'' on the coast, ''Csa'' inland), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid Köppen's ''BSh'' (semi-arid climate) classification. Los Angeles enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.

The average annual temperature in downtown is : during the day and at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from during the day and at night. In the warmest month – August – the temperature typically ranges from during the day and around at night. Temperatures exceed on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September. Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas the difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 °F (17 °C). Average annual temperature of sea is , from in January to in August. Sunshine hours is above 3,000 per year, from average 7 hours of sunshine / day in December to average 12 hours of sunshine / day in July.

The Los Angeles area is also subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate. As such, the temperatures can vary as much as 36 °F (20 °C) between inland areas and the coast. California also has a weather phenomenon called "June Gloom or May Grey", which sometimes gives overcast or foggy skies in the morning at the coast, but usually gives sunny skies by noon, during late spring and early summer.

Downtown Los Angeles averages of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April) with generally moderate rain showers, but usually as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms during Winter storms. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the mountains get slightly more. However the San Fernando Valley Region of Los Angeles can get between of rain per year. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is bimodal, with a short string of dry years (perhaps ) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. Snowfall is extremely rare in the city basin, but the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was in 1932. The highest recorded temperature in downtown Los Angeles is on September 27, 2010 and the lowest recorded temperature is on December 22, 1944.

Flora

The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub, which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and Giant Wildrye. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though it is not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the Coral Tree (''Erythrina caffra'') and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (''Strelitzia reginae''). Mexican Fan Palms, California Fan Palms, and Canary Island Palms can be seen throughout the Los Angeles area, despite the latter being non-indigenous to Southern California.

Environmental issues

The name given by the Chumash tribe of Native Americans for the area now known as Los Angeles translates to "the valley of smoke" because of the smog from native campfires. Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources. The smog season lasts from May to October. Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles. Smog is expected to continue to drop in the coming years due to aggressive steps to reduce it, electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit, and other pollution reducing measures.

The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution. In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution. In addition, the groundwater is increasingly threatened by MTBE from gas stations and perchlorate from rocket fuel. With pollution still a significant problem, the city continues to take aggressive steps to improve air and water conditions. The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010.

Economy

The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, video games, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States. The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere and is vital to trade within the Pacific Rim. Los Angeles has been classified an "Alpha(-) world city" according to a 2008 study by a research group at Loughborough University in England.

Until the mid-1990s, Los Angeles was home to many major financial institutions in the western United States. Mergers meant reporting to headquarters in other cities. For instance, First Interstate Bancorp merged with Wells Fargo in 1996, Great Western Bank merged with Washington Mutual in 1998, and Security Pacific Bank merged with Bank of America in 1992. Los Angeles was also home to the Pacific Exchange, until it closed in 2001.

The city is home to seven Fortune 500 companies. They are aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman, energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, engineering firm AECOM, real estate group CB Richard Ellis and builder Tutor Perini.

Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include California Pizza Kitchen, Capital Group, Capstone Turbine, Cathay Bank, City National Bank, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, DeviantArt, Far East National Bank, Farmers Insurance Group, Fox Entertainment Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, Hanmi Bank, Herbalife, J2 Global Communications, The Jim Henson Company, KB Home, Korn/Ferry, Latham & Watkins, Mercury Insurance Group, Oaktree Capital Management, O’Melveny & Myers; Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Premier America, Premiere Radio Networks, Rentech, Roll International, Sunkist, The TCW Group, Tokyopop, Triton Media Group, United Online, and VCA Antech.

The metropolitan area contains the headquarters of companies who moved outside of the city to escape its taxes but keep the benefits of proximity. For example, Los Angeles charges a gross receipts tax based on a percentage of business revenue, while many neighboring cities charge only small flat fees.

The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer and contributes $4 billion annually to the local economy.

The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Los Angeles, the main one of which is located at 7001 South Central Avenue.

According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city are the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Kaiser Permanente, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Farmers Insurance Group, TeamOne, Fox Entertainment Group, and American International Group.

Culture

Los Angeles is often billed as the "Creative Capital of the World", due to the fact that one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."

Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, globally recognized as the epicenter of the motion picture industry. A testament to its preeminence in film, the city plays host to the annual Academy Awards, the oldest and one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. Furthermore, there are 54 film festivals every year, which translates into more than one every week. Finally, Los Angeles is home to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest and largest school of its kind in the United States.

The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles' cultural identity. There are over 1,000 musical, theater, dance, and performing groups. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more than 1,100 annual theatrical productions and 21 openings every week." The Los Angeles Music Center is one of the three largest performing arts complexes in the nation. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, the centerpiece of the Music Center, is home to the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic. Notable organizations such as Center Theatre Group and the Los Angeles Master Chorale along with the rising Los Angeles Opera are also resident companies of the Music Center. Talent is locally cultivated at premier institutions such as the Colburn School and the USC Thornton School of Music.

There are 841 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County; Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other city in the world. The most notable museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (the largest encyclopedic museum west of Chicago), the Getty Center (part of the larger J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution), and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A significant amount of art galleries are concentrated on Gallery Row and thousands are in attendance of the monthly Downtown Art Walk that takes place there.

Media

The major daily newspaper in the area is the ''Los Angeles Times''; ''La Opinión'' is the city's major Spanish-language paper. ''Investor's Business Daily'' is distributed from its L.A. corporate offices, which are headquartered in Playa Del Rey. There are also a number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the ''Daily News'' (which focuses coverage on the San Fernando Valley), ''LA Weekly,'' ''Los Angeles CityBeat,'' ''L.A. Record'' (which focuses coverage on the music scene in the Greater Los Angeles Area), ''Los Angeles'' magazine, ''Los Angeles Business Journal,'' ''Los Angeles Daily Journal'' (legal industry paper), ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and ''Variety'' (entertainment industry papers), and ''Los Angeles Downtown News.'' In addition to the English- and Spanish-language papers, numerous local periodicals serve immigrant communities in their native languages, including Armenian, Korean, Persian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Many cities adjacent to Los Angeles also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Los Angeles neighborhoods. Examples include ''The Daily Breeze'' (serving the South Bay), and ''The Long Beach Press-Telegram.''

Los Angeles and New York City are the only two media markets to have all seven VHF allocations possible assigned to them.

The city has major broadcast channels as well as three PBS stations. World TV operates on two channels and the area has several Spanish-language television networks. KTBN 40 is the flagship station of the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network, based out of Santa Ana. A variety of independent television stations also operate in the area.

Sports

Los Angeles is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, an NBA Development team owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is also home to the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA, both of which are Division I teams in the Pacific-12 Conference. The Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA of Major League Soccer are based in Carson. The city is the largest in the U.S. without an NFL team.

There was a time when Los Angeles boasted two NFL teams, the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis and the Raiders heading back to their original home of Oakland. Los Angeles is the second-largest city and television market in the United States, but has no NFL team (see List of television stations in North America by media market). Prior to 1995, the Rams called Memorial Coliseum (1946–1979) and the Raiders played their home games at Memorial Coliseum from 1982 to 1994.

Since the franchise's departures the NFL as an organization, and individual NFL owners, have attempted to relocate a team to the city. Immediately following the 1995 NFL season, Seattle Seahawks owner Ken Behring went as far as packing up moving vans to start play in the Rose Bowl under a new team name and logo for the 1996 season. The State of Washington filed a lawsuit to successfully prevent the move. In 2003, then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue indicated Los Angeles would get a new expansion team, a thirty-third franchise, after the choice of Houston over Los Angeles in the 2002 league expansion round. When the New Orleans Saints were displaced from the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina media outlets reported the NFL was planning to move the team to Los Angeles permanently. Despite these efforts, and the failure to build a new stadium for an NFL team, Los Angeles is still expected to return to the league through expansion or relocation. On August 9, 2011 the LA City Council approved plans to build Farmers Field which will become home to an NFL team in the future. The stadium is expected to be completed by 2016.

Los Angeles has twice played host to the Summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. When the tenth Olympic Games were hosted in 1932, the former 10th Street was renamed Olympic Blvd. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as multiple FIFA World Cup games in 1994 including the final.

Los Angeles also boasts a number of sports venues, including Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Coliseum, The Forum, Staples Center, a sports and entertainment complex that also hosts concerts and awards shows such as the Grammys. Staples Center also serves as the home arena for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. It was also home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the original AFL, a team that did not participate in that league's ongoing revival.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League are in the Los Angeles media market and are based in Anaheim in Orange County. The Angels began as an expansion franchise team in Los Angeles in 1961 and played at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field and then Dodger Stadium before moving to Anaheim in 1966. The Ducks, who have played in Anaheim since their inception as an expansion team in , were originally owned by Disney and known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, after the popular Disney film. The team adopted its current name in , a year after Disney sold the franchise.

Religion

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles leads the largest archdiocese in the country. Cardinal Roger Mahony oversaw construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, completed in 2002 at the north end of downtown. Construction of the cathedral marked a coming of age of the Catholic, heavily Latino community. There are numerous Catholic churches and parishes throughout the city.

The Los Angeles California Temple, the second largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. Dedicated in 1956, it was the first Mormon temple built in California and it was the largest in the world when completed. The grounds includes a visitors' center open to the public, the ''Los Angeles Family History Library'', also open to the public, and the headquarters for the Los Angeles mission.

With 621,000 Jews in the metropolitan area (490,000 in city proper), the region has the second largest population of Jews in the United States. Many synagogues of the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist movements can be found throughout the city. Most are located in the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles. The area in West Los Angeles around Fairfax and Pico Boulevards contains a large number of Orthodox Jews. The Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles, built in 1923, was the largest synagogue west of Chicago in its early decades. (It is no longer a sacred space and is being converted to a museum and community center.) The Kabbalah Centre, devoted to one line of Jewish mysticism, is also in the city.

The Hollywood region of Los Angeles also has several significant headquarters, churches, and the Celebrity Center of Scientology.

Because of Los Angeles' large multi-ethnic population, a wide variety of faiths are practiced, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, various Eastern Orthodox Churches, Sufism and others. Immigrants from Asia for example, have formed a number of significant Buddhist congregations making the city home to the greatest variety of Buddhists in the world.

Education

Colleges and universities

There are three public universities located within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Private colleges in the city include the American Film Institute Conservatory, Alliant International University, Syracuse University (Los Angeles Campus), American InterContinental University, American Jewish University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy – Los Angeles campus, Antioch University's Los Angeles campus, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los Angeles campus (FIDM), Los Angeles Film School, Loyola Marymount University (LMU is also the parent university of Loyola Law School located in Los Angeles), Marymount College, Mount St. Mary's College, National University of California, Occidental College ("Oxy"), Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Southwestern Law School, and University of Southern California (USC).

The community college system consists of nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College.

Schools and libraries

Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population over 800,000. After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. Several small sections of Los Angeles are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. Los Angeles County Office of Education operates the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 72 public libraries in the city. Enclaves of unincorporated areas are served by the County of Los Angeles Public Library, many are within walking distance to City of Los Angeles residents.

Transportation

Freeways and highways

The city and the rest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area is served by an extensive network of freeways and highways. The Texas Transportation Institute, which publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report, ranked Los Angeles road traffic as the most congested in the United States in 2005 as measured by annual delay per traveler. The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 72 hours of traffic delay per year according to the study. Los Angeles was followed by San Francisco/Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, (each with 60 hours of delay). Despite the congestion in the city, the mean travel time for commuters in Los Angeles is shorter than other major cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Los Angeles' mean travel time for work commutes in 2006 was 29.2 minutes, similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Among the major highways that connect LA to the rest of the nation include Interstate 5, which runs south through San Diego to Tijuana in Mexico and then north to the Canadian border through Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle; Interstate 10, the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States, going to Jacksonville, Florida; and U.S. Route 101, which heads to the California Central Coast, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire, and the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Public transportation

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies operate an extensive system of bus lines, as well as subway and light rail lines across Los Angeles County, with a combined daily ridership of 1.7 million. The majority of this (1.4 million) is taken up by the city's bus system, the second busiest in the country. The subway and light rail combined average the remaining roughly 319,000 boardings per weekday. In 2005, 10.2% of Los Angeles commuters rode some form of public transportation.

The city's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States and its light rail system is the country's third busiest. The rail system includes the Red and Purple subway lines, as well as the Gold, Blue, and Green light rail lines. The first phase of the Expo Line is scheduled to open in November 2011. The Metro Orange Line is a bus rapid transit line with stops and frequency similar to those of a light rail. The city is also central to the commuter rail system Metrolink, which links Los Angeles to all neighboring counties as well as many suburbs.

Besides the rail service provided by Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles is served by inter-city passenger trains from Amtrak. The main rail station in the city is Union Station just north of Downtown.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked L.A. the 13th most walkable of fifty largest cities in the United States.

Air transportation

The main Los Angeles airport is Los Angeles International Airport . The sixth busiest commercial airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, LAX handled over 61 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo in 2006. The Theme Building is pictured here. LAX is a hub for United Airlines

Other major nearby commercial airports include: LA/Ontario International Airport, owned by the city of Los Angeles; serves the Inland Empire. Bob Hope Airport, formerly known as ''Burbank Airport''; serves the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys Long Beach Airport, serves the Long Beach/Harbor area John Wayne Airport of Orange County. LA/Palmdale Regional Airport is owned by the city of Los Angeles and serves the northern outlying communities of the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys.

The world's third busiest general-aviation airport is also located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport .

Ports

The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood, approximately south of Downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA, the port complex occupies of land and water along of waterfront. It adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach.

The sea ports of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together make up the ''Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor''. Both ports is the 5th busiest container port in the World, with a trade volume of over 14.2 million TEU's in 2008. Singly, the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast of the United States – Port's World Cruise Center serves about 800,000 passengers in 2009.

There are also smaller, non-industrial harbors along LA's coastline. Safety is provided at the only beach controlled by Los Angeles City by the highly trained Los Angeles City Lifeguards.

The port includes four bridges: the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Henry Ford Bridge, Gerald Desmond Bridge, and Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge.

Passenger ferry service from San Pedro to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is provided by Catalina Express.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621. The population density was 7,544.6 people per square mile (2,913.0/km²). The racial makeup of Los Angeles was 1,888,158 (49.8%) White, 365,118 (9.6%) African American, 28,215 (0.7%) Native American, 426,959 (11.3%) Asian (3.2% Filipino, 2.9% Korean, 1.7% Chinese, 0.9% Indian, 0.9% Japanese, 0.5% Vietnamese, 0.3% Thai, 0.1% Cambodian), 5,577 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 902,959 (23.8%) from other races, and 175,635 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,838,822 persons (48.5%). Among the Hispanic population, 31.9% are Mexican, 6.0% Salvadoran, 3.6% Guatemalan, 0.6% Honduran, 0.4% Nicaraguan, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Peruvian, 0.4% Cuban, and 0.3% Colombian.

The Census reported that 3,708,020 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 58,186 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 26,415 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,318,168 households, out of which 446,995 (33.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 522,345 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 196,922 (14.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 88,059 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 90,139 (6.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 15,492 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 373,529 households (28.3%) were made up of individuals and 102,330 (7.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81. There were 807,326 families (61.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.53.

The age distribution was 874,525 people (23.1%) under 18, 434,478 people (11.5%) from 18 to 24, 1,209,367 people (31.9%) from 25 to 44, 877,555 people (23.1%) from 45 to 64, and 396,696 people (10.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.

There were 1,413,995 housing units at an average density of 2,812.8 per square mile (1,086.0/km²), of which 503,863 (38.2%) were owner-occupied, and 814,305 (61.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 1,535,444 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,172,576 people (57.3%) lived in rental housing units.

prior to 2010

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:

German: 4.5% (170,483)

Irish: 3.9% (146,658)

English: 3.5% (129,684)

Italian: 2.8% (100,145)

Russian: 2.6% (98,737)

Polish: 1.6% (59,774)

French: 1.2% (45,127)

Scottish: 0.8% (28,931)

Swedish: 0.6% (23,227)

Scotch-Irish: 0.6% (22,651)

Source:

Current estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau put the city's population at 3,833,995. The California Department of Finance estimates the population at 4,094,764 as of January 1, 2009. The 2000 census recorded 3,694,820 people, 1,275,412 households, and 798,719 families residing in the city, with a population density of 7,876.8 people per square mile (3,041.3/km²). There were 1,337,706 housing units at an average density of 2,851.8 per square mile (1,101.1/km²). Los Angeles has become a multiethnic and multicultural city, with major new groups of Latino and Asian immigrants in recent decades. From a metropolitan area that in 1960 was over 80% non-Hispanic white, Los Angeles has been transformed into a city that now has a "majority-minority" population. As of the 2000 US Census, the racial distribution in Los Angeles was 46.9% White, 11.2% African American, 10.5% Asian, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 25.7% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races. 46.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

The census indicated that 42.2% spoke English, 41.7% Spanish, 2.4% Korean, 2.3% Tagalog, 1.7% Armenian, 1.5% Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin) and 1.3% Persian as their first language.

According to the census, 33.5% of households had children under 18, 41.9% were married couples, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 28.5% of households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size 3.56.

The age distribution was: 26.6% under 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household was $36,687, and for a family was $39,942. Males had a median income of $31,880, females $30,197. The per capita income was $20,671. 22.1% of the population and 18.3% of families were below the poverty line. 30.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.6% of those aged 65 or older were below the poverty line. Los Angeles has had a high degree of income disparity as compared to the rest of the country. Recently, however, income disparity has declined. The median household income of the wealthiest neighborhood was $207,938, while in the poorest it was $15,003.

Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages. Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.

Government

The city is governed by a mayor-council system. The current mayor is Antonio Villaraigosa. There are 15 city council districts. Other elected city officials include the City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and the City Controller Wendy Greuel. The city attorney prosecutes misdemeanors within the city limits. The district attorney, elected by county voters, prosecutes misdemeanors in unincorporated areas and in 78 of the 88 cities in the county, as well as felonies throughout the county.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) polices the city of Los Angeles, but the city also maintains four specialized police agencies; The Office of Public Safety, within the General Services Department (which is responsible for security and law enforcement services at city facilities, including City Hall, city parks and libraries, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Convention Center), the Port Police, within the Harbor Department (which is responsible for land, air and sea law enforcement services at the Port of Los Angeles), the Los Angeles City Schools Police department which handles law enforcement for all city schools, and the Airport Police, within the Los Angeles World Airports Department (which is responsible for law enforcement services at all four city-owned airports, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD), and Van Nuys Airport (VNY).

Neighborhood councils

Voters created Neighborhood Councils in the Charter Reform of 1999. First proposed by City Council member Joel Wachs in 1996, they were designed to promote public participation in government and make it more responsive to local needs.

The councils cover districts that are not necessarily identical to the traditional neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

Almost ninety neighborhood councils (NCs) are certified and all "stakeholders"—meaning anyone who lives, works or owns property in a neighborhood—may vote for members of the councils' governing bodies. Some council bylaws allow other people with a stake in the community to cast ballots as well.

The councils are official government bodies and so their governing bodies and committees must abide by California's Brown Act, which governs the meetings of deliberative assemblies.

The first notable concern of the neighborhood councils collectively was the opposition by some of them in March 2004 to an 18% increase in water rates by the city's Department of Water and Power. This led the City Council to approve only a limited increase pending independent review. More recently, some of the councils petitioned the City Council in summer 2006 to allow them to introduce ideas for legislative action, but the City Council put off a decision.

The neighborhood councils have been allocated $45,000 each per year for administration, outreach and approved neighborhood projects.

Crime and safety

Los Angeles has been experiencing significant decline in crime since the mid-1990s, and reached a 50-year low in 2009 with 314 homicides. Antonio Villaraigosa is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition.

In 2009, Los Angeles reported 314 homicides, which corresponds to a rate of 7.85 (per 100,000 population)—a major decrease from 1993, when the all time homicide rate of over 21.1 (per 100,000 population) was reported for the year. This included 15 officer-involved shootings. One shooting led to the death of a SWAT team member, Randal Simmons, the first in LAPD's history.

Organized crime

The Los Angeles crime family dominated organized crime in the city during the Prohibition era and reached its peak during the 1940s and 1950s as part of the American Mafia but has gradually declined since then with the rise of various black and Hispanic gangs.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 26,000 gang members, organized into 250 gangs. Among them are the Crips, Bloods, Hoovers, Sureños, Maravilla, 18th Street, Mara Salvatrucha, and Asian street gangs. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America".

Sister cities

Los Angeles has 25 sister cities, listed chronologically by year joined: Eilat, Israel (1959) Nagoya, Japan (1959) Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (1962) Bordeaux, France (1964) Berlin, Germany (1967) Lusaka, Zambia (1968) Mexico City, Mexico (1969) Auckland City, New Zealand (1971) Busan, South Korea (1971) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (1972) Tehran, Iran (1972) Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China (1979) Guangzhou, People's Republic of China (1981) Athens, Greece (1984) Saint Petersburg, Russia (1984) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (1986) Giza, Egypt (1989) Jakarta, Indonesia (1990) Kaunas, Lithuania (1991) Makati, Philippines (1992) Split, Croatia (1993) San Salvador, El Salvador (2005) Beirut, Lebanon (2006) Ischia, Campania, Italy (2006) Yerevan, Armenia (2007)

Los Angeles also has an exchange partnership with Tel Aviv, Israel.

In addition, Los Angeles has the following "friendship cities".: London and Manchester, England Łódź, Poland

See also

1992 Los Angeles riots

East Los Angeles (region)

Largest cities in the Americas

Largest cities in Southern California

List of California public officials charged with crimes, Los Angeles

List of people from Los Angeles

List of tallest buildings in Los Angeles

Los Angeles in popular culture

National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California

References

Further reading

General

Architecture and Urban Theory

(available online)

Race Relations

LGBT

Environment

Art and Literature

External links

City of Los Angeles Official Website

ExperienceLA.com

Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau

Los Angeles magazine

Los Angeles website

Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils

Los Angeles Online Magazine LA2day

Historic Bridges of Los Angeles County

Los Angeles Then and Now – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

}} Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:Cities in Los Angeles County, California Category:Communities on U.S. Route 66 Category:County seats in California Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California Category:Populated coastal places in California Category:Populated places established in 1781 Category:Populated places in the United States with Hispanic plurality populations Category:Port settlements in the United States Category:Host cities of the Summer Olympic Games Category:IOC Session Host Cities

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The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded on February 9, 1966, when Jack Kent Cooke was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles, becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the 1967 NHL expansion. The Kings called The Forum in Inglewood, California (a suburb of Los Angeles), their home for thirty-two years until they moved to the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles to start the 1999–2000 season.

The Kings won their division for the only time in their history in 1990–91. They have qualified for post-season play in twenty-four seasons, advancing past the first round twelve times, and past the second round once. The franchise won their conference championship and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1992–93 season, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Franchise history

The "Forum Blue and Gold" years (1967–68 to 1987–88)

Prior to the Kings' arrival in the Los Angeles area, both the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL) had several teams in California, including the PCHL's Los Angeles Monarchs of the 1930s and the WHL's Los Angeles Blades of the 1960s. When the NHL decided to expand for the 1967–68 season amid rumblings that the WHL was proposing to turn itself into a major league and compete for the Stanley Cup, Canadian entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke paid the NHL $2 million to place one of the six expansion teams in Los Angeles. Los Angeles has a large number of expatriates from both the Northeastern United States and Canada, which Cooke saw as a natural fan base.

Cooke was thus awarded one of the six new NHL expansion franchises, which also included the California Seals, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. He named his team the Kings, and picked the original team colors of purple (or "Forum Blue," as it was later officially called) and gold because they were colors traditionally associated with royalty. The same color scheme was worn by the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which Cooke also owned.

Cooke wanted his new NHL team to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, home of the Lakers. But the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which manages the Sports Arena and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the present day, had already entered into an agreement with the Blades (whose owners had also tried to land the NHL expansion franchise in Los Angeles) to play their games at the Sports Arena. Frustrated by his dealings with the Coliseum Commission, Cooke said, "I am going to build my own arena...I've had enough of this balderdash."

Construction on Cooke's new arena, the Forum, was not yet complete when the 1967–68 season began, so the Kings opened their first season at the Long Beach Arena in the neighboring city of Long Beach on October 14, 1967, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4–2. For the next two months, the Kings played their home games both at Long Beach and at the Sports Arena. The "Fabulous Forum" finally opened its doors on December 30, 1967, with the Kings being shut out by the Flyers, 2–0.

The Kings made the Forum their home for the next 32 seasons. Players like Bill "Cowboy" Flett, Eddie "The Jet" Joyal, Eddie "The Entertainer" Shack and Real "Frenchy" Lemieux helped introduce the Los Angeles area to the NHL in the team's first few seasons. Such player nicknames were the brainchild of none other than Cooke himself.

In their first season, the Kings finished in second place in the Western Division, just one point behind the Flyers. The Kings were the only expansion team that had a winning record at home, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota North Stars, losing the seventh game at The Forum on April 18, 1968, 9–4. In their second season behind head coach Red Kelly, the Kings finished fourth in the West Division—the final playoff berth. But after eliminating the Oakland Seals in the first round of the playoffs in seven games, the Kings were swept out of post-season play in the second round by the St. Louis Blues.

After two fairly successful seasons, the Kings hit upon hard times, mostly due to poor management. Kings general managers established a history of trading away first-round draft picks, usually for veteran players (many of them NHL stars on the downside of their careers), a problem that would hinder the franchise for years to come. The Kings' attendance also suffered during this time, leading Cooke to muse that the reason so many Northeasterners and Canadians moved to Southern California was that "they hated hockey."

In 1972, the Kings made two key acquisitions. First, the rise of rookie goaltender Ken Dryden in Montreal made their #1 goalie Rogatien Vachon expendable and the Kings obtained him in a trade. After years of a "revolving door" in goal, Vachon solidified the position, often in spectacular fashion. For the next 5 years, the Forum was often filled with chants of "Rogie!, Rogie!" as Vachon made many a great save. In addition, the Kings obtained former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bob Pulford, first as a player and then as their head coach. Under Pulford's disciplined direction, the Kings went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best. It took him just two seasons to lead the Kings back to the playoffs and in 1974, they faced the Chicago Blackhawks, only to be eliminated in five games. Pulford eventually led the team to three of the most successful seasons in franchise history, including a 105-point season in 1974–75 that is still a franchise record.

In 1973, the Kings hired Bob Miller as the their play-by-play announcer, and he has held that post continuously since that time. Miller, considered to be one of the best hockey play-by-play announcers in the NHL, is often referred to as the "Voice of the Kings." He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 13, 2000, and his first book, ''Bob Miller's Tales of the Los Angeles Kings'', was published in 2006.

After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both 1973–74 and 1974–75, the Kings moved to significantly upgrade their offensive firepower when they acquired center Marcel Dionne on June 23, 1975, in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings. Dionne was already a superstar in the NHL and he made an immediate impact in the 1975–76 season, scoring 40 goals and adding 54 assists for 94 points in 80 regular season games. He led the Kings to a 38–33–9 record (85 points), earning them a second place finish in the Norris Division.

Behind Dionne's offensive prowess, the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon, and the speed and scoring touch of forward Butch Goring, the Kings swept the Atlanta Flames out of the first round of the playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round by the Boston Bruins in seven games. The Kings would defeat the Flames and lose to the Bruins in the following year's playoffs as well.

On January 13, 1979, Dionne found himself on a new line with two young, mostly unknown players: second-year right winger Dave Taylor and left winger Charlie Simmer, who had been a career minor-leaguer. This line combination, known as the "Triple Crown Line," would go on to become one of the highest-scoring line combinations in NHL history.

After the Triple Crown Line's first season together, Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Kings, the Lakers, and the Forum for $67.5 million, but the Simmer-Dionne-Taylor combination remained intact. The next season, the Triple Crown Line dominated the NHL, scoring 146 goals and 182 assists, good for 328 points. The entire line, along with goalie Mario Lessard, was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game that season, which was played at the Forum. In that 1979–80 season, Dionne won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy for winning an NHL scoring title that season with 137 points on 53 goals and 84 assists. But even with the Triple Crown Line's ability to dominate, the Kings still could not get out of the first round of the playoffs until 1982.

That year, the Kings opened the playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers, who were led by a young but fast-rising star by the name of Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky was only in his third year in the league, but he dominated the NHL like no other had before from the moment he stepped onto NHL ice in his rookie season. By the 1981–82 season, he was already the most dominant player in the league, and had made the Oilers one of the elite teams in the NHL, on their way to winning four Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s. The Oilers finished with 111 points, the second-best record in the league, while the Kings barely made the playoffs with only 63 points. The Kings won Game 1 in Edmonton on April 7, 1982, 10–8, in the highest scoring Stanley Cup Playoff game ever. The Oilers recovered to win in overtime in Game 2, and the teams headed to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.

Game 3 would be one of the most amazing in hockey history and was later dubbed the "Miracle on Manchester" (the Kings arena, the Forum, was on Manchester Boulevard). In that game, played on April 10, 1982, Gretzky led the Oilers to a commanding 5-0 lead after two periods and it seemed like the Kings were headed for a blowout loss. But the Kings began an unbelievable comeback in the third period, tying the game on a goal by left winger Steve Bozek at 19:55 of the third period and sending the game into overtime.

Bozek's goal set the stage for what was to come. At 2:35 of the overtime period, Kings left winger Daryl Evans fired a slap shot off a face-off in the right circle of the Edmonton zone, beating Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr over his right shoulder to give the Kings an incredible come-from-behind, overtime victory, 6-5. The Miracle on Manchester, the greatest comeback in NHL playoff history, is also the greatest moment in Kings franchise history as of 2007. Not only did the Kings complete a miraculous comeback against the vaunted Oilers, but they also went on to eliminate them from the playoffs in five games.

Despite Dionne's leadership, the Kings missed the playoffs in the next two seasons, and were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Oilers in 1985, when the Oilers won their second straight Stanley Cup championship. Dionne's time with the Kings ended on March 10, 1987, when he was traded to the New York Rangers. But by this time, the Kings had new skaters to help lead them into the next decade, including star forwards Bernie Nicholls, Jimmy Carson, Luc Robitaille, and defenseman Steve Duchesne.

Even before the Dionne trade the Kings were sent reeling when coach Pat Quinn signed a contract to become coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks with just months left on his Kings contract. NHL President John Ziegler suspended Quinn for the rest of the season and barred him from taking over Vancouver's hockey operations until June. Ziegler also barred him from coaching anywhere in the NHL until the 1990–91 season. In Ziegler's view, Quinn's actions created a serious conflict of interest that could only be resolved by having him removed as coach.

Despite these shocks, the Kings made the playoffs in the next two seasons, but they were unable to get out of the first round. Part of the problem was that the way the playoffs were structured (teams were bracketed and seeded by division) made it very likely that they would have to get past either the powerful Oilers or Calgary Flames (or both) to reach the Conference Finals. In fact, the Kings faced either the Oilers or the Flames in the playoffs four times during the 1980s.

However, the 1988–89 season would be a big turning point for the franchise.

Silver and Black Era (1988–89 to 1997–98)

In 1987, coin collector Bruce McNall purchased the Kings from Buss and turned the team into a Stanley Cup contender almost overnight. On August 9, 1988, McNall acquired the league's best player, Wayne Gretzky, in a blockbuster trade with the Edmonton Oilers. The trade rocked the hockey world, especially north of the border where Canadians mourned the loss of a player they considered a national treasure. McNall also changed the team colors to silver and black.

In Gretzky's first season with the Kings, he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists, and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. He led the Kings to a second-place finish in the Smythe Division with a 42-31-7 record (91 points), and they ranked fourth in the NHL overall.

The Kings faced Gretzky's old team, the Oilers, in the first round of the 1989 playoffs. They fell behind 3 games to 1, but rallied to take the series in seven games, helped in no small part by nine goals from Chris Kontos, a little-known player who had just recently been called up from the minor leagues. However, the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Flames.

The next season saw Gretzky become the league's all-time leading scorer. On October 15, 1989, in Edmonton, he assisted on a Bernie Nicholls goal to tie Gordie Howe's career record of 1,850 points, then broke it late in the contest on a game-tying goal against Bill Ranford. The goal forced overtime, where Gretzky capped a spectacular night by scoring again to win the game for Los Angeles. At season's end, the Kings finished fourth and faced the defending champion Flames in the first round. This time, they defeated Calgary in six games, two of which had dramatic overtimes — Game 3 was won with a shorthanded goal by Tony Granato, and Game 6 ended with a strange goal by Mike Krushelnyski while he was flat on his back. However, the Kings were swept in the second round by the eventual champion Oilers, who were seeking revenge for the loss of the previous year.

Gretzky spearheaded the Kings to their first (and at present, only) regular-season division title in franchise history in the 1990–91 season with a 46-24-10 record (102 points, the second best point total in franchise history). Notably, it was the first time in 10 years that a team from Alberta had not finished first in the Smythe. However, the heavily favored Kings struggled in the playoffs, winning the first round against the Vancouver Canucks in six games but losing a close series against Edmonton in the second round that saw four games go into overtime. The 1991–92 season, the Kings' 25th as a franchise, witnessed seven Kings players score over 20 goals; Gretzky himself had a then-career low in scoring yet still finished third in the league behind Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens. Despite this, Los Angeles again failed to thwart their Edmonton rivals in the post-season, losing to the Oilers in the first round. This marked the third straight year that the Gretzky-led Kings were eliminated from the playoffs by Gretzky's former teammates.

The Kings would reach new heights in the 1992–93 season, but the campaign started badly when it was learned that Gretzky had suffered a career-threatening herniated thoracic disk before the season began. The concern was not mainly whether Gretzky would be able to play that season, but if he would ever be able to play again. But even without their captain and leading scorer, the Kings got off to a blistering 20-8-3 start, with left-winger Luc Robitaille, who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the 1986–87's NHL Rookie of the Year, filling in as captain for the ailing Gretzky. Robitaille led the team until Gretzky returned after missing the first 39 games. Robitaille would go on to retire at the end of the 2005–06 season as the highest-scoring left winger in National Hockey League history.

Robitaille and Gretzky, along with former Oilers' winger Jari Kurri, forwards Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom, defensemen Rob Blake, Marty McSorley, and Alexei Zhitnik, and goalie Kelly Hrudey, guided the Kings through a rough middle portion of the season until they found their game once again in the last three months of the campaign to qualify for post-season action. Although Gretzky came back to score 16 goals and 49 assists (65 points) in just 45 games, it was Robitaille who was the Kings' impact player that season, leading the team in scoring with 63 goals and 62 assists (125 points) in 84 regular season games, setting new NHL all-time records for goals and points scored by a left winger in a single season. The Kings finished with a 39-35-10 record (88 points), clinching third place in the Smythe Division.

First-year head coach Barry Melrose had his team's offense running on all cylinders when the 1993 playoffs began, and they scored an amazing 33 goals in their first-round series against the Calgary Flames. In the second round, the Kings faced the heavily-favored Vancouver Canucks, a team that had beaten the Kings rather handily five times in seven games during the regular season, and had not lost to the Kings in their four meetings in Vancouver. But the Kings would go on to eliminate the Canucks in six games, with the pivotal victory coming in Game 5 at Vancouver, which was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation play. The teams were still tied after the first overtime period, but winger Gary Shuchuk scored at 6:31 of the second overtime period, giving the Kings a 3-2 series lead, and dealing the Canucks an emotional and, as it turned out, fatal blow.

In the Campbell Conference Finals, the Kings were even more of an underdog against the Doug Gilmour-led Toronto Maple Leafs. But with Gretzky at the helm, the Kings eliminated the Leafs in a hard-fought seven-game series that included two overtime games and a Game 6 win for the Kings, who were facing elimination after losing Game 5 in overtime—they trailed the Leafs in the series, 3-2. In Game 6, Toronto scored two third period goals and tied the game at 4-4 at the end of regulation play. But in overtime, Luc Robitaille fed Gretzky a perfect pass and Gretzky scored to give his team a dramatic 5-4 victory and send the teams back to Toronto for a Game 7. In the final contest, Gretzky scored a hat trick (three goals) and had an assist to lead the Kings to a 5-4 win and a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.

In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Kings faced the Montreal Canadiens, who had breezed through the playoffs and were well-rested. The Kings defeated the Canadiens in Game 1, 4-1. Game 2, however, proved to be the turning point in the series. Late in the contest, with the Kings leading by a score of 2-1, Canadiens coach Jacques Demers requested a measurement of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley's stick blade. His suspicions proved to be correct, as the curve of blade was too great, and McSorley was penalized. The Canadiens pulled their goalie, Patrick Roy, giving them a two-man advantage, and Eric Desjardins scored on the resulting power play to tie the game. Montreal went on to win the game in overtime on another goal by Desjardins, and the Kings never recovered. They dropped the next two games in overtime, and were shelled 4-1 in Game 5 as the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Despite the stinging defeat at the hands of the Canadiens in the finals, Gretzky and the Kings had generated excitement about hockey and the NHL that had never been seen before in Southern California. As soon as Gretzky donned a Kings jersey, the Forum was sold out for every game — virtually overnight, a Kings game became the hottest ticket in town. The popularity of Gretzky and the Kings also led to the NHL awarding an expansion team to Anaheim, California; in 1993 the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (who became the Anaheim Ducks on June 22, 2006) would become the Kings nearest rival, just 35 miles to the south. Gretzky's popularity in Southern California also led to the NHL expanding or moving into other Sun Belt cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, and Nashville.

McNall's profile also rose during this time. In 1992, he was elected chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors, the second-most powerful post in the league. His support of Gary Bettman tipped the scales in favor of Bettman's election as the league's first Commissioner. However, only two years later, McNall was forced to sell the team to IDB Communications founder Jeffrey Sudikoff and former Madison Square Garden president Joseph Cohen in the wake of a federal investigation into his financial practices. He ultimately pled guilty to five counts of conspiracy and fraud, and admitted to obtaining $236 million in fraudulent loans from six banks over 10 years.

It later emerged that McNall's free-spending ways put the Kings in serious financial trouble. At one point, Cohen and Sudikoff were even unable to meet player payroll, and were ultimately forced into bankruptcy in 1995. They were forced to trade many of their stronger players, resulting in a roster composed of Gretzky, Blake, and little else. The Kings missed the playoffs for four seasons, from 1993–94 to 1996–97.

Staples Center era (1998–present)

Phillip Anschutz and Edward P. Roski bought the Kings out of bankruptcy court in October 1995 and began a rebuilding phase. Meanwhile, Gretzky, who was by this time on the downside of his career, stated publicly that he wanted the team to acquire a forward capable of scoring fifty goals per season and an offensive defenseman. If they failed to do that, he wanted to be traded to a team that was a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

After all he had done for the game by that time, Gretzky wanted another chance to win an elusive fifth Stanley Cup before retirement. But his public statements forced the Kings' hand, since no team would now give them equal value in a trade because of his demands — the Kings would be at a huge disadvantage in any trade, and this would badly hurt their rebuilding program.

On February 27, 1996, Gretzky was traded, this time to the St. Louis Blues, for forwards Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, a first-round pick in the 1997 draft (Matt Zultek) and a fifth-round choice in the 1996 draft (Peter Hogan). None became stars for the Kings, although Gretzky himself was an unrestricted free agent by season's end, and only played 18 regular season games for the Blues. Like Marcel Dionne before him, Gretzky ended up with the New York Rangers.

Shortly after Gretzky was traded, the often-maligned general manager Sam McMaster was fired and was replaced by former Kings winger Dave Taylor. But the rebuilding phase for Taylor was a tough one, as the Kings continued to flounder—they failed to make the playoffs until the 1997–98 season. After another disappointing season in 1998–99, then-head coach Larry Robinson, who also played three seasons for the Kings from 1989–92 and had been an assistant coach on the New Jersey Devils' 1995 Cup team, was fired.

Taylor turned to Andy Murray, who became the Kings' 19th head coach on June 14, 1999. Taylor's hiring of Murray was immediately criticized by media across North America because of Murray's perceived lack of experience — up to that point, his only head coaching experience had been at the international level with the Canadian National Team and at the US high school level. Indeed, Taylor took a gamble on Murray, hoping it would pay off.

But Taylor was not finished dealing that summer. Shortly after hiring Murray, Taylor acquired star right-wing Zigmund Palffy and veteran center Bryan Smolinski on June 20, 1999, in exchange for center prospect Olli Jokinen, winger prospect Josh Green, defenseman prospect Mathieu Biron and the Kings' first-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

The Kings also made an even bigger move in 1999, as they left the Great Western Forum and moved to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which was built by Anschutz and Roski. Staples Center was a state-of-the-art arena, complete with luxury suites and all the modern amenities that fans and athletes would want in a brand-new facility.

With a new home, a new coach, a potential 50-goal scorer in the fold and players such as Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray, Jozef Stumpel, Donald Audette, Ian Laperriere, and Mattias Norstrom, the Kings improved dramatically, finishing the season the 1999–2000 season with a 39-31-12-4 record (94 points), good for second place in the Pacific Division. But in the 2000 playoffs, the Kings were once again eliminated in the first round, this time by the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.

2000-01

The 2000–01 season was a controversial one, as fans began to question AEG's commitment to the success of the Kings because they failed to significantly improve the team during the off-season. Adding fuel to the fire was the February 21, 2001, trade of star defenseman Rob Blake, who had won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 1998.

In that deal, the Kings sent Blake and center Steven Reinprecht, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for right wing Adam Deadmarsh, defenseman Aaron Miller, center prospect Jared Aulin and a first-round pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (Dave Steckel). Deadmarsh and Miller became impact players for the Kings, who finished the 2000–01 season with a 38-28-13-3 record (92 points), good for a third place finish in the Pacific Division and another first-round playoff date with the Detroit Red Wings.

The heavily-favored Red Wings — many predicted another four-game sweep — made easy work of the Kings in Games 1 and 2 at the Joe Louis Arena, but the Kings got back in the series with a 2-1 win in Game 3 at Staples Center.

In Game 4, the Red Wings took a commanding 3-0 lead after two periods. This set the stage for yet another unbelievable playoff comeback for the Kings, highly reminiscent of the "Miracle on Manchester," back in 1982. Seldom-used forward Scott Thomas, a career minor-leaguer, scored a power play goal at 13:53. The Red Wings were called for a penalty with just under three minutes to play and Kings' coach Andy Murray gambled and pulled his goalie to give his team a two-man advantage. The gamble paid off as Jozef Stumpel would follow with another power play goal at 17:33. Finally, Bryan Smolinski tied the game at the 19:07 mark. In the overtime, Deadmarsh stole the puck from Red Wings' star defenseman Chris Chelios in the right corner behind the Detroit net, and threw a centering pass to center Eric Belanger, who scored the game-winning goal at 2:36 to lift the Kings to a miraculous come-from-behind win, now known as the "Frenzy on Figueroa," or the "Stunner at Staples." That win would lead to the Kings eliminating the Red Wings in Game 6 by winning four straight games after going down 2-0 in the series. It was the Kings' first playoff series win since 1993.

In the second round, the Kings went up against another elite team, the Colorado Avalanche, led by superstars Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque, and Rob Blake. The Kings took the eventual champions to seven games but lost the series, 4-3. The most memorable game of that series was Game 6 where goalies Patrick Roy of Colorado and Felix Potvin of the Kings battled to a 0-0 tie. The teams played through one overtime, and the Kings scored in the second overtime for a 1-0 win.

2001 through 2004

The 2001–02 started off with tragedy as team scouts Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Bavis were both casualties of the September 11th attack. The team honored the two by wearing "AM" patches on their jerseys. Earlier in the season, the team acquired Jason Allison who was involved in a contract dispute along with Mikko Eloranta from the Boston Bruins in return for Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray. At mid-season they held the 2002 NHL All-Star Game while still fighting for a playoff spot in which they clinched seventh place in the Western Conference where they were matched with the heavily-favored Avalanche. After being bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Avalanche, the next two seasons would be major disappointments, as the team failed to make the playoffs in both seasons.

2005-06

Following the resumption of play after the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Kings acquired Valeri Bure, Jeremy Roenick and Pavol Demitra for the 2005–06 season. Los Angeles began the new season strong, but the second half of the season saw the Kings once again stumble badly, freefalling from second in the Western Conference in early January to tenth place. On March 21, 2006, the team fired head coach Andy Murray, replacing him with interim head coach John Torchetti. With three games left in the season, Luc Robitaille, the team's all-time leading scorer and the NHL's all-time highest-scoring left winger, announced that, at the end of the year, he would be retiring from pro hockey.

Just one day after the end of the Kings' 2005–06 regular season, AEG decided to clean house. On April 18, 2006, President/Hockey Operations and General Manager Dave Taylor and Director of Player Personnel Bill O'Flaherty were relieved of their duties, and Vice President and Assistant General Manager Kevin Gilmore was re-assigned to other duties within AEG. Torchetti and assistant coaches Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett, along with goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki, were also fired. Kings CEO Tim Leiweke also announced that he would no longer be the team's Chief Executive Officer.

On April 21, 2006, the Kings signed Philadelphia Flyers scout and former San Jose Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi as President and General Manager. He was signed to a five-year contract, signaling big changes in the near future for the franchise. Soon after he was hired, Lombardi quickly began to revamp the Kings' hockey operations and just barely over one month into his tenure as President and General Manager, on May 22, 2006, he hired Marc Crawford to be the Kings' 21st head coach.

2006-07

There were few highlights during the 2006–07 season. On January 13, 2007, the Kings made hockey history by putting Yutaka Fukufuji in goal for the third period of the game with the St. Louis Blues. This marked the first time in hockey history that a Japanese-born player played in an NHL regular season game. On January 20, 2007, the Kings retired Luc Robitaille's jersey in an hour-long ceremony prior to the game with the Phoenix Coyotes. It was the fifth Kings jersey to be retired by the team.

2007-08

Before the 2007–08 season, the Kings signed six unrestricted free agents, including center Michal Handzus, left wings Ladislav Nagy and Kyle Calder, and defensemen Tom Preissing, Brad Stuart and Jon Klemm. However, despite opening the season with a win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in the first NHL regular season game in Europe at the new O2 Arena (also owned by AEG) in London, United Kingdom, the new acquisitions did little to change the Kings' fortunes as the team finished with the second worst record in the league. On June 10, 2008, the team announced the firing of head coach Marc Crawford.

In the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Kings had a busy day, starting with a 3-way trade with the Calgary Flames and the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings traded Mike Cammalleri to the Flames, and the 28th overall pick to the Ducks. The Kings received the 12th overall pick (which eventually was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for the 13th overall pick). The Kings used the 2nd overall pick to select defenseman Drew Doughty, and the 13th overall pick to select Colten Teubert.

2008-09

On July 17, 2008, the Kings hired Terry Murray, who became the 22nd head coach in franchise history. on October 8, 2008, right wing Dustin Brown was named as the Kings’ fifteenth captain in franchise history. Brown, 23, is also the youngest captain and the first American-born captain in Kings’ history.

2009-10: Return to the Playoffs

During the 2009 offseason, the Kings traded for forward Ryan Smyth, known for his prowess in front of the opposing goaltender. They also signed defenseman Rob Scuderi, who won the Stanley Cup the previous year with Pittsburgh. The Kings were very successful during the 2009-10 NHL Season, as they finished sixth overall in the West while still in the midst of a rebuild. They established a franchise record with a nine game unbeaten streak, and finished the season with 101 points, just the third 100+ points season in franchise history. However, they lost to a highly skilled Vancouver Canucks team in six games. A series in which the Kings led 2-1 at home up 3-2 entering the 3rd period only to let it slip away due to goaltending by Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo and late goals by the Sedin Twins. Despite the first round loss, many considered the season to be an outright success due to the age of the team and the setbacks from injuries to key players Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams. Forward Anze Kopitar spent most of the first half of the season in the top ten in the league in scoring, and finished 20th overall in points. Doughty was one of three finalists for the James Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman, and received the ‘Best Defenseman’ award on the team. This was the first time in eight years that the Kings made it to the playoffs.

2010-11

During the 2010 offseason, the Kings signed veteran and former on-ice captain for the Vancouver Canucks, Willie Mitchell, and added forward Alexei Ponikarovsky after losing out on the controversial free agent signing of Ilya Kovalchuk. Mitchell's signing created a top defensive pairing along with Norris Trophy favorite Drew Doughty, and bolstered the chemistry of the locker room, after the departure of veterans Sean O'Donnell and Alexander Frolov. The Kings wasted no time in starting the season on the right foot, with a 2-1 shootout victory of the Canucks, on the road in Vancouver. Coupled with a 4-1 victory six days later in Los Angeles, the Kings' two wins in two games against the Vancouver Canucks match the number wins they had in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the same Canucks.

The Kings were the 7th seeded Western Conference team in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and played San Jose in the first round. The team’s high scorer, Anze Kopitar, was injured and was not available for the playoffs. On April 25th, the Kings lost to the San Jose Sharks in game six of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, allowing the Sharks to advance.

Season-by-season record

''This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Kings. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Los Angeles Kings seasons''

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses/Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

GP 82 82 82 82 82

Season	|	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
	2006–07	|	27	41	14	68	227	283	4th, Pacific	Did not qualify
	2007–08	|	32	43	7	71	231	266	5th, Pacific	Did not qualify
	2008–09	|	34	37	11	79	207	234	5th, Pacific	Did not qualify
	2009–10	|	46	27	9	101	241	219	3rd, Pacific	Vancouver Canucks>Canucks)
	2010-11	|	46	30	6	98	219	198	4th, Pacific	San Jose Sharks>Sharks)

Players

Current roster

Team captains

Rob Blake, 1996–2001

Mattias Norstrom, 2001–07

Rob Blake, 2007-08

Dustin Brown, 2008–''present''

Hall of Famers

Players

Paul Coffey, D, 1991–1993, inducted 2004

Marcel Dionne, C, 1975–1987, inducted 1992

Dick Duff, C, 1970, inducted 2006

Grant Fuhr, G, 1995, inducted 2003

Harry Howell, D, 1971–1973, inducted 1979

Wayne Gretzky, C, 1988–1996, inducted 1999

Jari Kurri, RW, 1991–1996, inducted 2001

Larry Murphy, D, 1980–1984, inducted 2004

Bob Pulford, LW, 1970–1972, inducted 1991

Larry Robinson, D, 1989–1992, inducted 1995

Luc Robitaille, LW, 1986–1994, 1997–2001, 2003–2006, inducted 2009

Terry Sawchuk, G, 1967–1968, inducted 1971

Steve Shutt, LW, 1984–1985, inducted 1993

Billy Smith, G, 1971–1972, inducted 1993

Builders

Roger Neilson, Head coach, 1984, inducted 2002

Jake Milford, GM, 1973–1977, inducted 1984

;Broadcasters (Foster Hewitt Memorial Award Recipients)

Jiggs McDonald, 1967–1973, inducted 1990

Bob Miller, 1973–''present'', inducted 2000

Retired numbers

16 Marcel Dionne, C, 1975–87, number retired November 8, 1990.

18 Dave Taylor, LW/RW, 1977–94, number retired April 3, 1995.

20 Luc Robitaille, LW, 1986–94, 1997–2001, and 2003–06, number retired January 20, 2007.

30 Rogatien "Rogie" Vachon, G, 1972–78, number retired February 14, 1985.

99 Wayne Gretzky, C, 1988–96, number retired by the league on February 6, 2000, and by the team on October 9, 2002.

All time Kings team

As voted by the media and fans, an all time Kings team was selected to celebrate the club's 40th anniversary in the NHL The first and second teams were as follows:

Goalies: first team – Rogatien "Rogie" Vachon, second team – Kelly HrudeyDefensemen: first team – Rob Blake and Steve Duchesne, second team – Larry Murphy and Bob MurdochCenters: first team – Wayne Gretzky, second team – Marcel DionneForwards: first team – Dave Taylor and Luc Robitaille, second team, Charlie Simmer and Mike MurphyCoach: first team – Bob Pulford, second team – Barry Melrose

First-round draft picks

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Kings player''

Pos C LW RW C C C RW LW D RW

style="text-align:left;"	Player	|	GP	G	A	Pts	P/G
style="text-align:left;"	Marcel Dionne	|	921	550	757	1307	1.42
style="text-align:left;"	Luc Robitaille	|	1079	557	597	1154	1.07
style="text-align:left;"	Dave Taylor	|	1111	431	638	1069	.96
style="text-align:left;"	Wayne Gretzky	|	539	246	672	918	1.70
style="text-align:left;"	Bernie Nicholls	|	602	327	431	758	1.26
style="text-align:left;"	Butch Goring	|	736	275	384	659	.90
style="text-align:left;"	Jim Fox	|	578	186	293	479	.83
style="text-align:left;"	Charlie Simmer	|	384	222	244	466	1.21
style="text-align:left;"	Rob Blake	|	734	152	311	463	.63
style="text-align:left;"	Mike Murphy	|	673	194	263	457	.68

NHL awards and trophies

Franchise individual records

Most goals in a season: Bernie Nicholls, 70 (1988–89)

Most assists in a season: Wayne Gretzky, 122 (1990–91)

Most points in a season: Wayne Gretzky, 168 (1988–89)

Most points in a game: Bernie Nicholls, 8 (1988–89)

Most penalty minutes in a season: Marty McSorley, 399 (1992–93)

Most points in a season, defenseman: Larry Murphy, 76 (1980–81)

Most points in a season, rookie: Luc Robitaille, 84 (1986–87)

Most wins in a season: Jonathan Quick, 39 (2009–10)

Most shutouts in a season: Rogie Vachon, 8 (1976–77)

Miscellaneous

General managers

Larry Regan: 1968–1973

Jake Milford: 1973–1977

George Maguire: 1977–84

Rogatien "Rogie" Vachon: 1984–92

Nick Beverley: 1992–94

Sam McMaster: 1994–97

Dave Taylor: 1997–2006

Dean Lombardi: 2006–''present''

See also

1967 NHL Expansion

List of NHL players

List of NHL seasons

Staples Center

References and footnotes

External links

Official website of the Los Angeles Kings

Category:Ice hockey teams in California Category:Pacific Division (NHL) Category:Bankruptcy in the United States Kings

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Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
team	Dallas Stars
league	NHL
position	Left wing
shot	Left
height ft	6
height in	0
weight lb	209
birth date	January 16, 1979
birth place	Carlyle, SK, CAN
draft	25th overall
draft year	1997
draft team	Dallas Stars
career start	1999
ntl team	CAN }}

Brenden Morrow (born January 16, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Morrow played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Portland Winter Hawks. During his junior career, he helped Portland win the Memorial Cup during the 1997–98 season. He was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the first round (25th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Morrow has represented Canada internationally at a number of different events. He won a silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships. He has represented Canada at the Ice Hockey World Championships four times, winning a gold medal in 2004 and a silver medal in 2005. He also played for Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, which Canada won. Morrow was named to Canada's team for the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he scored 2 goals and added an assist in the tournament as Canada won the gold medal.

Hockey career

Minor

Morrow played minor hockey in his hometown of Carlyle, Saskatchewan and in the nearby community of Estevan. Despite putting up impressive numbers in his final year of bantam hockey (117 goals, 72 assists in 60 games), Morrow was not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft, and instead walked-on with the Portland Winter Hawks.

Junior

Morrow spent his entire junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks. In his rookie WHL season, Morrow played in 65 games and recorded 25 points (13 goals and 12 assists). Later in his junior career, Morrow contributed more offensively and in his final 3 seasons in the WHL, he scored 88, 86 and 85 points respectively. After the 1996–97 WHL Season, Morrow was selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round (25th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. During the 1997–98 WHL Season, Morrow helped the Winter Hawks capture the Memorial Cup. During the Memorial Cup tournament, Morrow scored one goal and added two assists in four games. Morrow represented the Western Conference in the WHL's All-Star classic three times (1997, 1998, 1999). After the 1998–99 season, Morrow was named to the WHL's Western Conference First All-Star Team and also to the CHL Third All-Star Team.

Professional

Morrow started his professional career in 1999. He split the 1999–2000 season between the NHL's Dallas Stars and the Michigan K-Wings of the International Hockey League. He played his first game with the Stars on November 18, 1999 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and recorded his first points (a goal and an assist) on November 22, 1999 against the Colorado Avalanche. After this season, Morrow was named the team's Rookie of the Year.

After his rookie campaign with the Stars, Morrow became a fixture in the Dallas lineup, playing at least 70 games in each season until 2006–07, when he missed 33 games after suffering severed tendons in his wrist. He bounced back with a strong 2007–08 season, where he played in all 82 games, but a knee injury (ACL tear) limited him to just 18 games in the 2008–09 season. He has often played through injuries including returning to the ice with a broken bone in his ankle during the 1999–2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Morrow played in the NHL YoungStars game at the 2002 NHL All-Star Game which was held in Los Angeles, California, where he scored a goal and added an assist. During the 2001–02 NHL season, he recorded his 100th career NHL point against the San Jose Sharks. He recorded his 300th career NHL point against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2006–07 NHL season.

During the NHL lockout of 2004–05, Morrow signed a contract with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League and played in 19 games.

Prior to the 2006–07 NHL season, Morrow was named the captain of the Stars, after the team asked incumbent captain Mike Modano to step down from the position. The Stars wanted to reward Morrow for his commitment to the team, after he bypassed free agency to sign a long-term (6 year) contract with the team. The Stars also felt the need to shift some leadership responsibilities to younger members of the team. Morrow's teammates and coaches greatly admire his dedication to the team, and believe he is an ideal choice to fill the role.

Heading into the 2009–10 NHL season, Morrow ranked 14th on the all-time scoring list for the Stars' franchise. He has a knack for scoring big goals, as evidenced by his scoring 3 of the team's last 4 overtime winning goals in the playoffs.

International

}}

Morrow's first international experience with Hockey Canada was at the 1995 World U17 Hockey Challenge in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he played for Team West and finished 4th. He was selected to Canada's team at the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. During the tournament, Morrow scored 1 goal and recorded 7 assists in 7 games. During this tournament, Morrow set a Canadian World Junior record, with 5 assists in a game against Kazakhstan. Canada finished the tournament with the silver medal after losing to Russia in overtime during the gold medal game.

Morrow has also represented Canada at the senior men's level, playing in the World Championships four times (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005) after his NHL season was over. In these four tournaments, he did not score a goal for Canada, but chipped in with 5 assists. In 2004, Morrow helped Canada to a gold medal and in 2005 they captured the silver medal. Morrow played in a single game for Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where Canada captured the championship.

Morrow was invited to Canada's summer evaluation camp prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, but was not selected for the final squad. In August 2009, Morrow participated in Hockey Canada's summer orientation camp prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. After a strong start to the 2009–10 NHL season, Morrow was selected as a member of Canada's Olympic Men's Hockey Team. Morrow was selected to the team to provide toughness and grit. As the tournament progressed, Morrow found himself playing a larger role on a physical line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks. Morrow finished the tournament with 2 goals and an assist, as Canada captured the gold medal with an overtime victory against the United States.

Personal

Morrow is the son-in-law of former Montreal Canadiens coach and former Dallas Stars teammate Guy Carbonneau, having married Carbonneau's daughter Anne-Marie on 20 July 2002. They have three children, a daughter, Bryelle, and twins; son Brody, and daughter Mallory, born May 11, 2008.

Awards

Named to WHL West First All-Star Team (1999)

2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships gold medal

Gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics (Team Canada)

Career statistics

				! colspan="5"		Playoffs
Season (sports)>Season	! Team	! League		! GP		Goal (ice hockey)>G	Assist (ice hockey)>A	Point (ice hockey)>Pts	Penalty (ice hockey)>PIM	! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
	Portland Winter Hawks			65		13	12	25	61	7	0	0	0	8
	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		71		39	49	88	178	6	2	1	3	4
	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		68		34	52	86	184	16	10	8	18	65
	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		61		41	44	85	248	4	0	4	4	18
1999–00	Michigan K-Wings			9		2	0	2	18	—	—	—	—	—
	Dallas Stars	NHL		64		14	19	33	81	21	2	4	6	22
	Dallas Stars	NHL		82		20	24	44	128	10	0	3	3	12
	Dallas Stars	NHL		72		17	18	35	109	—	—	—	—	—
	Dallas Stars	NHL		71		21	22	43	134	12	3	5	8	16
	Dallas Stars	NHL		81		25	24	49	121	5	0	1	1	4
2004–05	Oklahoma City Blazers			19		8	14	22	31	—	—	—	—	—
	Dallas Stars	NHL		81		23	42	65	183	5	1	5	6	6
	Dallas Stars	NHL		40		16	15	31	33	7	2	1	3	18
	Dallas Stars	NHL		82		32	42	74	105	18	9	6	15	22
	Dallas Stars	NHL		18		5	10	15	49	—	—	—	—	—
	Dallas Stars	NHL		76		20	26	46	69	—	—	—	—	—
	Dallas Stars	NHL		82		33	23	56	76	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				! 749		! 226	! 265	! 491	! 1088	! 78	! 17	! 25	! 42	! 100

International play

International statistics

! Year	! Team	! Comp		! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
1999	Canada	WJC		7	1	7	8	4
2001	Canada	WC		1	0	0	0	0
2002	Canada	WC		7	0	1	1	2
2004	Canada	WC		9	0	3	3	12
2004	Canada	WCH		1	0	0	0	4
2005	Canada	WC		9	0	1	1	6
2010	Canada	OG		7	2	1	3	2

On December 30, 2009, Morrow was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

References

2005 NHL Official Guide & Record Book ISBN 0-920445-91-8

http://starsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/05/the-brenden-morrow-hat-trick.html

External links

Category:1979 births Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers Category:Dallas Stars draft picks Category:Dallas Stars players Category:Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Living people Category:Memorial Cup winners Category:Kalamazoo Wings (1974–2000) players Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:Oklahoma City Blazers (1992–present) players Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Canada Category:Portland Winterhawks alumni Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey

de:Brenden Morrow fr:Brenden Morrow it:Brenden Morrow hu:Brenden Morrow ru:Морроу, Бренден sk:Brenden Morrow fi:Brenden Morrow sv:Brenden Morrow

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
position	Right wing
shoots	Right
height ft	6
height in	4
weight lb	220
team	Calgary Flames
league	NHL
former teams	Columbus Blue JacketsPhoenix CoyotesLos Angeles KingsNew York Islanders
birth date	November 14, 1981
birth place	Minot, ND, USA
career start	2002
draft	38th overall
draft year	2001
draft team	Columbus Blue Jackets }}

Tim Jackman (born November 14, 1981) is an American professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first player from Minnesota State University, Mankato to be drafted after becoming the Columbus Blue Jackets' second round selection, 38th overall, at the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Jackman made his NHL debut during the 2003–04 season with Columbus, and has also played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders.

Playing career

Jackman attended Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where he earned all-conference honors in 1998–99 and 1999–00, also earning all-state honors in the latter season. He then attended Minnesota State University, Mankato for two seasons between 2000 and 2002. A second-round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets, 38th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Jackman became the first player from MSU-Mankato to be drafted by an NHL team. Jackman chose to forgo his final two years of college eligibility, signing a contract with the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2002, and went on to become the school's first alumnus to play in the NHL.

Jackman was assigned to Columbus' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch for the 2002–03 season. He appeared in 77 games for the Crunch, scoring 9 goals and 16 points. He spent the majority of the 2003–04 season with Syracuse, scoring 23 goals in 64 games, but spent some time with Columbus. He made his NHL debut on December 20, 2003, in a game against the Minnesota Wild, and scored his first goal, assist and points on February 27, 2004, in a 4–3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Following a third season with Columbus in 2004–05, Jackman was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes on October 8, 2005. He went to Phoenix with Geoff Sanderson in exchange for Cale Hulse, Jason Chimera and Mike Rupp. He appeared in eight games with the Coyotes, but spent the majority of the 2005–06 season with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. Late that same season, on March 9, 2006, he was again traded, to the Los Angeles Kings for Yanick Lehoux. Jackman finished the season in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs.

Jackman played most of the 2006–07 AHL season in Manchester, appearing in only five games with Los Angeles. He left the Kings organization following the season as a free agent, signing a contract with the New York Islanders. He split time between the Islanders and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring 1 goal in 36 NHL games and 15 in 44 AHL games. Jackman finally established himself as an NHL regular in 2008–09, appearing in 69 games with New York, scoring 5 goals and 12 points. He led the team in penalty minutes and hits with 155 and 151 respectively, and was named the recipient of the Bob Nystrom Award, and Islanders team award given to the player who beset demonstrates leadership, hustle and dedication. Jackman again led the Islanders in penalty minutes in 2009–10 with 98, and celebrated his birthday on November 14, 2009, by scoring a goal 16 seconds into the contest against the Florida Panthers. According to the Elias Sports Bureau it was the fastest goal in NHL history by a player on his birthday.

Jackman left the Islanders after the season, signing with the Calgary Flames. He was brought in to bring a physical presence to the Flames lineup, but added an offensive presence for the Flames while playing in a limited role. He scored a career-high 10 goals during the 2010–11 NHL season, only one shy of his career total entering the season. He was named recipient of the J. R. "Bud" McCaig Award, given to the Flames player who exhibit respect, courtesy and compassion.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season (sports)>Season	! Team	! League		! GP	Goal (ice hockey)>G	Assist (ice hockey)>A	Point (ice hockey)>Pts	Penalty (ice hockey)>PIM		! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
1999–00	Twin City Vulcans	USHL		23	9	8	17	58		13	8	5	13	12
2000–01				37	11	14	25	92		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Minnesota State U.	WCHA		36	14	14	28	86		—	—	—	—	—
	Syracuse Crunch			77	9	7	16	48		—	—	—	—	—
	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		64	23	13	36	61		7	2	3	5	12
	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		19	1	2	3	16		—	—	—	—	—
	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		73	14	21	35	98		—	—	—	—	—
	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		50	7	13	20	127		—	—	—	—	—
	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		8	0	0	0	21		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		18	2	3	5	33		7	0	3	3	20
	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		69	19	14	33	143		16	3	3	6	26
	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		5	0	0	0	10		—	—	—	—	—
	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		44	15	21	36	67		—	—	—	—	—
	New York Islanders	NHL		36	1	3	4	57		—	—	—	—	—
	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		12	6	1	7	35		—	—	—	—	—
	New York Islanders	NHL		69	5	7	12	155		—	—	—	—	—
	New York Islanders	NHL		54	4	5	9	98		—	—	—	—	—
	Calgary Flames	NHL		82	10	13	23	86		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				! 273	! 21	! 30	! 51	! 443		! 0	! 0	! 0	! 0	! 0

References

External links

Category:1981 births Category:American ice hockey right wingers Category:Bridgeport Sound Tigers players Category:Calgary Flames players Category:Columbus Blue Jackets draft picks Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players Category:Living people Category:Los Angeles Kings players Category:Manchester Monarchs players Category:New York Islanders players Category:People from Minot, North Dakota Category:Phoenix Coyotes players Category:San Antonio Rampage players Category:Syracuse Crunch players

de:Tim Jackman fr:Tim Jackman sv:Tim Jackman

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
team	Los Angeles Kings
former teams	Philadelphia Flyers
league	NHL
position	Centre
shoots	Left
height ft	5
height in	11
weight lb	195
ntl team	Canada
birth date	February 11, 1985
birth place	Kenora, ON, CAN
draft	24th overall
draft year	2003
draft team	Philadelphia Flyers
career start	2005 }}

Michael Richards (born February 11, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for and was team captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Playing career

Early years

Richards grew up playing minor league hockey in his hometown of Kenora, Ontario. He played level A rep hockey for the Kenora Thistles until being drafted fourth overall in the 2001 OHL Priority Selection by the Kitchener Rangers. Richards was not a noted prospect prior to the selection. After receiving a tip from a friend in Kenora, Rangers general manager Jamie MacDonald traveled to see Richards play on two occasions.

Richards began his major junior career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2001–02. He was a member of a dominant 2003 Kitchener team that captured the Memorial Cup and led the team in scoring during the regular season with 87 points. Following the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) championship victory, Richards was chosen as team captain. That summer, the Philadelphia Flyers selected him 24th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft with the second of the team's first round picks that season.

Upon being drafted, Richards returned to the Rangers for two more seasons. In his last season of junior, 2004–05, he embarked on another Memorial Cup run with Kitchener, but despite a remarkable 28-point performance from Richards in just 15 playoff games, the Rangers were eliminated by the London Knights in the OHL semi-finals. As soon as Kitchener was eliminated, the Flyers assigned Richards to the Philadelphia Phantoms, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for their playoff run. Averaging over a point per game, he became a key part of the Phantoms' 2005 Calder Cup championship.

NHL beginnings

Richards made his NHL debut with the Flyers the following season and scored a goal in his first game on October 5, 2005, against the New York Rangers. Later in the season, he scored his first career NHL hat trick, which included two shorthanded goals, against the New York Islanders on February 8, 2006. His hat trick was the first by a Flyers rookie since Mikael Renberg on February 15, 1994. Richards finished his NHL rookie season with 34 points in 79 games, third among Flyers rookies to Jeff Carter (drafted the same year as Richards, 11th overall) and R.J. Umberger.

Following an injury shortened sophomore season – Richards was kept to 32 points in 59 games due to stomach surgery – Richards emerged as a star with the Flyers in 2007–08 and topped the team in scoring with 75 points. Recognizing his ascent as a leader on the team, Richards was named one of the Flyers' alternate captains at the outset of the season and was signed to a lengthy 12-year contract extension worth $69 million on December 13, 2007. Shortly after signing the deal, Richards was selected to represent the Eastern Conference at the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. In the first NHL All-Star Game of his career, Richards registered an assist.

As the Flyers entered the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the third-seeded Washington Capitals, Richards scored his first playoff goal on a penalty shot against Washington goaltender Cristobal Huet in game three. In doing so, he became just the second player in NHL history to score his first playoff goal on a penalty shot (the first was Wayne Connolly who did so with the Minnesota North Stars in 1968). The Flyers defeated the Capitals in seven games and then upset the Montreal Canadiens before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Richards finished his 2008 playoff run with 14 points in 17 games.

2008-2011: Team captain

Before the start of the 2008–09 season, on September 17, 2008, Richards was named the 17th captain in Flyers history, succeeding previous captain Jason Smith, who had signed with the Ottawa Senators in the off-season. On February 15, 2009, Richards became the first player in NHL history to score three career 3-on-5 shorthanded goals when he beat New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in a 5–2 win. Six days later, on February 21, Richards became the first Flyer in team history to score a shorthanded goal in three consecutive games and the first NHL player to do so since Joe Sakic in 1998. He finished the season second in team scoring to Jeff Carter with 80 points to go with a league-leading 7 shorthanded goals.

Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second consecutive year in the 2009 playoffs, Richards added 5 points in 6 games, but could not help the Flyers from being eliminated. After Richards' season ended, he was announced as a finalist for the Selke Trophy, along with Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks. The next day, on April 29, 2009, it was revealed that Richards required surgery on both shoulders. He had reportedly felt discomfort since training camp and was on anti-inflammatory medication throughout the season. Richards narrowly missed out on the Selke, which could have been Philadelphia's first individual player trophy since Eric Lindros won the Hart in 1995. Datsyuk won the vote 945-942 in the closest Selke Trophy race since its inception.

The 2009-10 season started successfully for Richards, scoring five goals in his first three games including his second career hat trick in the second period of the Flyers' home opener against the Washington Capitals on October 6, 2009. Against the Florida Panthers on October 24, Richards delivered a shoulder hit to David Booth's head. Knocked unconscious, Booth fell awkwardly on his head and neck and had to be carried of the ice on a stretcher. Richards was given a game misconduct, but was not suspended by the NHL.

From the outset of the season, Richards was involved in an ongoing feud with the Philadelphia media. He issued a verbal boycott against the media in October 2009 after he was asked if the trade of forward Joffrey Lupul to the Anaheim Ducks was the result of a partying lifestyle that many players on the team were accused of sharing. Accusations of team players drinking and partying excessively continued throughout the season, specifically with Richards and Carter. As the team began to lose, Richards criticized the local media in an interview with ''The Hockey News'' for "throwing the team under the bus." He also told the ''Philadelphia Daily News'' that the drinking accusations were fabricated. Following a loss to the Washington Capitals on January 17, 2010, Richards reportedly got into a verbal exchange with reporters outside the Flyers' locker room, telling them he was unhappy with how the team was being covered in the media. On February 1, 2010, Richards scored his 100th career NHL goal. The Flyers barely scraped into the playoffs, winning in a shootout in their last game of the season to secure their place. However, they then embarked on a remarkable run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, a run in which Richards cemented his captaincy and scored some important goals leading to renewed comparisons to Bobby Clarke, which eventually ended in the Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost 4-3 in OT of game 6 to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Richards scored 23 goals to go along with 43 assists during the 2010-11 NHL season as the Flyers earned the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference, and played the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After eliminating the Sabres in 7 games, Richards and the Flyers were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in a 4 game sweep. Richards recorded one goal and six assists during the playoffs.

Los Angeles Kings

Richards and Flyers prospect Rob Bordson were traded to the Los Angeles Kings on June 23, 2011. In return, the Flyers received Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and Los Angeles' 2012 second round pick. Richards reacted to the major deal by saying, "“I was very shocked. At first I was shocked and then excited – I’m excited to move out to L.A. and be a part of a team that has a ton of great players. I’m just looking forward to helping them out.” A Dan Gross article suggested that Richards' "hard-partying ways" influenced the Flyers' decision to trade Richards. However, Flyers' General manager Paul Holmgren stated that it was "preposterous" that partying had anything to do with the trade.

International play

}}

Richards made his international debut with Team Canada at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Finland. Despite a third period lead in the gold medal game, Canada lost to the United States 4-3.

The following year, Richards returned to the World Juniors as team captain and led Canada to its first gold medal at the tournament since 1997. Richards tallied 5 points in 6 games.

After Richards' rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers, he was chosen to his first senior tournament with Team Canada at the 2006 World Championships. Richards scored 5 points in 9 games, but Canada was defeated by Finland in the bronze medal game, failing to medal.

On December 30, 2009, Richards was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Richards helped lead Team Canada to an 8-0 victory over Norway in the first game of the 2010 Olympic tournament by scoring one goal on February 17, 2010. He would go on to score a total of 2 goals and 3 assists in 7 games with a +5 rating. This includes an important assist on the first goal by the Canadians in the Gold Medal game where he forced a turnover, fired a shot and the rebound was put into the net by Jonathan Toews. The Canadians would win that game 3-2 in overtime giving Richards an Olympic gold medal.

Playing style

Mike Richards is considered to be one of the top two-way centers in the league today. Because of his shot and vision, Richards is able to quarterback the power play, being a threat to the opposition due to his ability to shoot and pass. Richards is also a terrific penalty killer because of his willingness to block shots, his vision to read the play and position himself appropriately, and his ability to win key faceoffs in the defensive zone. Along with his defensive ability on the penalty kill, he is also an offensive threat, having 23 shorthanded goals over 6 seasons. He also currently holds the NHL record for most 5-on-3 shorthanded goals.

Richards is also unique because of his ability to play a Power forward style of game, which is usually reserved for players with a much bigger physical stature.

Personal life

Richards was born in Kenora, Ontario to Norm and Irene. He has two brothers, Mark and Matt. His cousin, Jeff Richards, is also an OHL graduate who plays in Germany. He recently appeared on Making the Cut, a Canadian reality show about aspiring hockey players.

Growing up, he attended Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora, until being drafted to the Kitchener Rangers at which point he attended Eastwood Collegiate Institute. He also played soccer in high school with Beaver Brae.

Awards

Junior

Memorial Cup championship (with the Kitchener Rangers) - 2003

Memorial Cup All-Star Team - 2003

OHL Second All-Star Team - 2005

Professional

Calder Cup championship (with the Philadelphia Phantoms) - 2004–05

NHL All-Star Game - 2008

Bobby Clarke Trophy (Philadelphia Flyers' MVP) - 2007–08, 2008–09

Gene Hart Memorial Award (Philadelphia Flyers' fan favorite) - 2007–08

International

World Junior gold medal - 2005

Winter Olympic Gold Medal - Vancouver 2010

Records

NHL record; most 5-on-3 shorthanded goals, career - 3

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="75%" style="text-align:center" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2000–01 | Kenora Thistles | HNO | 85 | 76 | 73 | 149 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2001–02 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 65 | 20 | 38 | 58 | 52 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2002–03 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 67 | 37 | 50 | 87 | 99 | 21 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 24 |- ALIGN="center" | 2003–04 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 58 | 36 | 53 | 89 | 82 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004–05 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 43 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 75 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 36 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004–05 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 28 |- ALIGN="center" | 2005–06 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 79 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 65 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006–07 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 59 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2007–08 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 73 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 76 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008–09 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 79 | 30 | 50 | 80 | 63 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 |- ALIGN="center" | 2009–10 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 82 | 31 | 31 | 62 | 79 | 23 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 18 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010–11 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 81 | 23 | 43 | 66 | 62 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 15 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 453 ! 133 ! 216 ! 349 ! 397 ! 63 ! 16 ! 34 ! 50 ! 49 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | OHL totals ! 233 ! 115 ! 177 ! 292 ! 308 ! 41 ! 20 ! 36 ! 56 ! 66 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | AHL totals ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — ! 14 ! 7 ! 8 ! 15 ! 28 |}

International

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" width="75%" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! ALIGN="center" rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- ALIGN="center" | 2004 | Canada | WJC | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005 | Canada | WJC | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |- ALIGN="center" | 2006 | Canada | WC | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010 | Canada | OG | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | Junior int'l totals ! 12 ! 3 ! 7 ! 10 ! 4 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | Senior int'l totals ! 16 ! 5 ! 5 ! 10 ! 10 |}

All-Star Games

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" width="45%" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Location ! ALIGN="center" rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! G ! A ! P |- ALIGN="center" | 2008 | Atlanta | 0 | 1 | 1 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | All-Star totals ! 0 ! 1 ! 1 |}

References

External links

Category:1985 births Category:Calder Cup champions Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Kitchener Rangers alumni Category:Living people Category:Memorial Cup winners Category:National Hockey League All-Stars Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Canada Category:People from Kenora Category:Philadelphia Flyers captains Category:Philadelphia Flyers draft picks Category:Philadelphia Flyers players Category:Philadelphia Phantoms players Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey

cs:Mike Richards de:Mike Richards fr:Mike Richards pl:Mike Richards ru:Ричардс, Майк sk:Michael Richards fi:Mike Richards sv:Mike Richards uk:Майк Річардс