NHL Hockey Trivia: Los Angeles Kings Retired Numbers

The Los Angeles Kings were one of the six new franchises that began play in the 1967-68 NHL season, doubling the size of the league. The Kings went four decades without a Stanley Cup championship but have made up for it with two victories in the last handful of years.

Los Angeles has been home to a number of great hockey players over the past four plus decades. Here’s your chance to test and broaden your hockey knowledge with four trivia questions regarding numbers that have been retired by the Kings.

Q. In 1985, who was the first player to have their number retired by the Los Angeles Kings?

A. Goaltender Rogatien Vachon’s number 30 was the first to be raised to the rafters at the Forum in Los Angeles. Vachon played seven of his sixteen NHL season with the Kings from 1971-72 to 1977-78. Rogie’s NHL career started with the Montreal Canadiens in 1966-67. In just his second season, 1967-68, he shared the Vezina Trophy with Gump Worsley.

Following his stint with the Kings, Vachon played four more years in the National Hockey League, two with the Detroit Red Wings and two with the Boston Bruins. A major injustice, Rogatien Vachon still remains on the outside of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Q. The number 16 was retired by the Los Angeles Kings in honour of what Hockey Hall of Fame player?

A. Marcel Dionne played twelve seasons with the Kings from 1975-76 to 1986-87. Six times, Dionne surpassed the 50 goal plateau and seven times topped 100 points as a member of the Kings. His number was retired by the Kings in 1990 and Marcel was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Dionne’s NHL career started in 1971-72 with the Detroit Red Wings after the Wings selected him second overall at the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, behind Guy Lafleur who went to the Montreal Canadiens. After four years with the Wings, Dionne was shipped to the Kings. In his last year in Detroit, Marcel scored 47 and totalled 121 points.

Marcel finished out his NHL career with the New York Rangers after a trade sent him across the continent during the 1986-87 season. He played his last games during 1988-89.

Q. Who is the number 18 retired by the Los Angeles Kings for?

A. Dave Taylor played seventeen seasons with the Kings from 1977-78 to 1993-94. It was the only NHL team he played for during his career. In his early days he was featured on the Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer. Taylor’s number was retired in 1995.

Q. What ‘lucky’ fellow has his number 20 retired by the Los Angeles Kings?

A. ‘Lucky’ Luc Robitaille is a Hockey Hall of Fame member who played a total of fourteen seasons with the Kings over three different periods. Robitaille surpassed the 50 goals plateau three times and topped 100 points on four occasions with the team. His highlight season was 1992-93 when he scored 63 goals and totalled 125 points while leading the Kings to the one and only visit to the Stanley Cup finals.

Luc’s number is the last to be retired by the Kings, raised to the roof in 2007. Two years later, in 2009, Robitaille was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Along with the Kings, he also played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings over a NHL career that spanned from 1986-87 to 2005-06.