The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division.

The league was reformatted into two conferences with two divisions each:

Luc Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. During his 19-season National Hockey League (NHL) career, Robitaille won a Stanley Cup in 2001–02 with the Detroit Red Wings, and played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, but is most known for his fourteen seasons, over three different stints, with the Los Angeles Kings. He served as Kings team captain during the 1992–93 and 2005–06 seasons. Robitaille retired after the 2005–06 season as the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history and the holder of several Kings franchise records, as well as numerous Kings playoff records.

Robitaille was drafted by the Kings in the ninth round (171st overall) of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Many hockey experts expected Robitaille to be drafted late in the draft due to his poor skating ability. Robitaille himself has stated that he had only had contact with one NHL team during his junior career - the Kings. He happened to be attending the '84 draft (in the stands), and later introduced himself to first year Kings general manager Rogie Vachon.

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player has points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. In addition to being its greatest scorer, Gretzky was the most gentlemanly superstar in the modern history of the NHL. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times, and he often spoke out against fighting in hockey.

Anthony Lewis Granato (born July 25, 1964 in Downers Grove, Illinois) is an American retired National Hockey League left winger and a former head coach and assistant coach of the Colorado Avalanche. He was named an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 5, 2009.

Following a college career at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Granato was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (120th overall) in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. He has played for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. In February 1994, Granato was suspended by the NHL for 15 games after he slashed Chicago's Neil Wilkinson in the head during a game in Los Angeles. As of 2005, this was the 7th longest suspension in NHL history. In 1997, while with the Sharks, Granato received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Granato joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach prior to the 2002–03 season. After a sub-par start to the season, the Avalanche fired head coach Bob Hartley on December 18, 2002, and Granato was subsequently promoted to permanent head coach. Despite the slow start under Hartley, the Avalanche went 32–11–8 under Granato and captured their ninth consecutive division title (including the one won as the Quebec Nordiques). However, they lost in the first round of the 2003 playoffs to the Minnesota Wild in 7 games after a 3-1 series lead. In his first full season behind the bench, Granato led Colorado to a 40–22–20 record, finishing second in their division. After defeating the Dallas Stars in 5 games, the Avalanche lost to the San Jose Sharks in 6.

Robert Bowlby Blake (born December 10, 1969) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, appearing in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and serving as team captain for five seasons in his initial 11 season-stint with the club. In 2001, Blake was traded to the Colorado Avalanche and won a Stanley Cup championship. After a two-season return to Los Angeles, Blake signed with the Sharks in 2008, retiring as its captain after the 2009-10 season.

Internationally, Blake has played for Team Canada in three consecutive Winter Olympics in 1998, 2002 and 2006, winning gold in 2002 and becoming the eleventh member of the Triple Gold Club.

Blake was selected 70th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He had completed his freshman year with Bowling Green State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) when he was drafted and went on to play three years total in the college ranks, earning CCHA and NCAA West First All-Star Team honours in 1990. Foregoing his final season of college eligibility, Blake joined the Kings for the final four games of the 1989–90 season before tallying 46 points in his NHL rookie campaign in 1990–91 to be named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.