LA Kings Get Recognition Despite Playoff Absence, Earns Team Of The Year
By Keith Rivas
Despite not being part of this year’s edition of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the LA Kings find themselves in the headlines again after being named ‘Sports Team of the Year’ by the Sports Business Journal, per the Kings home site.
The Kings have never won this award, but it was accepted with open arms by Luc Robitaille, Kings President of Business Operations, at the ceremony that was ceremony that was held in Times Square.
No, the @LAKings did not win another Stanley Cup. But they did win the next-best thing... #sbjsba pic.twitter.com/pNpkxRrONg
— Charlie Frankel (@Charlie_Frankel) May 21, 2015
Being the ‘Best Sports Team of the Year’ means that the team is being recognized for going above and beyond between Mar. 1, 2014 – Feb. 28, 2015.
LA was given this award, as reported last week by the Kings, but their efforts clearly are not bound by any timetable.
One of their most notable achievements in the time period the award notices was a comeback in the first round against the San Jose Sharks from an 0-3 series deficit.
That’s something that is, simply put, as impossible as it gets.
More from LA Sports Hub
- Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
- LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
- LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
- Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
- LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month
It just doesn’t happen.
This series win was one of the milestones that the Kings can now put under their belt en route to the second Stanley Cup in franchise history and the second in three years (the Chicago Blackhawks won a Cup in between the two).
The LA Galaxy were also considered for the award and made it as far as to be one of the finalists — others included the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Cardinals, Team Penske, and the Charlotte Hornets.
Staples Center, the building where the Kings, Lakers, and Clippers call home, was also one of the handful of nominees for other awards.
The hatred for the Anaheim Ducks hasn’t stopped from Kings fans across the state and across the country. As evident in one fan’s tweet, some people are taking their hatred of the SoCal hockey rival to root for the Chicago Blackhaws, of all teams.
That’s just cold.
https://twitter.com/LittlePandaExpr/status/603009362693521409
Others had a more polite way to recognize good hockey when they see it:
This reporter even felt that the bias of NBC required more of a celebration during Game 4’s 2 OT victory than the Blackhawks themselves:
Celebration for the game-winner was bigger from the NBC execs than the Blackhawks.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) May 24, 2015
These epic commentaries only go to show us that there are still plenty of things we can enjoy from LA sports, even if our team isn’t in the running in any particular season.
I mean the Lakers had just as much fun with the Clippers. Really, they did.
I thought the Spurs taught the Clippers how to win after a tough 7 game series. I was wrong. The Clippers are still the Clippers.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 17, 2015
What we love to hate just keeps popping up in our social media feeds — and it’s starting to become more or less of a habit.
Nonetheless, this award gives Kings fans another thing to rub in the face of the Ducks’ fan base and other teams around the league because they found a way to get a prestigious award that no one else has.
The Kings of the 21st Century just can’t get enough of victory.
And I’m all for it.
Cheers to next season. LA will be back soon, just wait and see.