1988–89 Los Angeles Kings season

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1988–89 Los Angeles Kings
Division 2nd Smythe
Conference 2nd Clarence Campbell
1988–89 record 42–31–7
Home record 25–12–3
Road record 17–19–4
Goals for 376
Goals against 335
General Manager Rogatien Vachon
Coach Robbie Ftorek
Captain Dave Taylor
Alternate captains Wayne Gretzky
Arena Great Western Forum
Team leaders
Goals Bernie Nicholls (70)
Assists Wayne Gretzky (114)
Points Wayne Gretzky (168)
Penalties in minutes Marty McSorley (350)
Wins Glenn Healy (25)
Goals against average Kelly Hrudey (2.90)

The Los Angeles Kings season involved the acquisition of Wayne Gretzky. The Kings finished first in scoring during the regular season with 376 goals.

Contents:
Regular season – Playoffs – Player stats – Awards and records - Transactions
Draft picks – Farm teams – See also – References


[edit] Offseason

[edit] NHL Draft

See also: 1988 NHL Entry Draft
Round Pick Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team
1 7 Martin Gelinas (LW) Flag of Canada Canada Hull Olympiques (QMJHL)
2 28 Paul Holden Flag of Canada Canada London Knights (OHL)

[edit] Wayne Gretzky Trade

On August 9, 1988, in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (Jason Soules), 1991 (Tyler Wright), and 1993 (Jason Arnott). "The Trade", as it came to be known,[1] upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it[2] and Pocklington was burned in effigy. Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown, his home province, and his home country; his motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife's acting career.[3] Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, seeking to benefit personally from the transaction.

[edit] Regular season

LA Kings new logo.
LA Kings new logo.

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.

Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, named Gretzky their captain (a position he held until his trade to St. Louis in 1996) and boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 1989 playoffs.

[edit] Season standings

Smythe Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Calgary Flames 80 54 17 9 117 354 226 2444
Los Angeles Kings 80 42 31 7 91 376 335 2215
Edmonton Oilers 80 38 34 8 84 325 306 1931
Vancouver Canucks 80 33 39 8 74 251 253 1569
Winnipeg Jets 80 26 42 12 64 300 355 1843

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM
Wayne Gretzky 78 54 114 168 26
Bernie Nicholls 79 70 80 150 96
Luc Robitaille 78 46 52 98 65
John Tonelli 77 31 33 64 110
Dave Taylor 70 26 37 63 80
Mike Krushelnyski 78 26 36 62 110

[edit] Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player GP G AST PTS PIM
Steve Duchesne 79 25 50 75 92

[edit] Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against

Player GP W L T SO GAA

[edit] Playoffs

[edit] Smythe Division Semis

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 Calgary Flames.

  • Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Date Away Score Home Score
April 5 Edmonton Oilers 4 Los Angeles Kings 3
April 6 Edmonton Oilers 2 Los Angeles Kings 5
April 8 Los Angeles Kings 0 Edmonton Oilers 4
April 9 Los Angeles Kings 3 Edmonton Oilers 4
April 11 Edmonton Oilers 2 Los Angeles Kings 4
April 13 Los Angeles Kings 4 Edmonton Oilers 1
April 15 Edmonton Oilers 3 Los Angeles Kings 6

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

[edit] Smythe Division Finals

Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 18 Los Angeles Kings 3 Calgary Flames 4 (OT)
April 20 Los Angeles Kings 3 Calgary Flames 8
April 22 Calgary Flames 5 Los Angeles Kings 2
April 24 Calgary Flames 5 Los Angeles Kings 3

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

[edit] Awards and records

[edit] References

  1. ^ oilersheritage.com, After the Trade, OilersHeritage.com, Accessed July 13, 2006
  2. ^ Scott Morrison, Wayne Gretzky traded... ...California here he comes, Toronto Sun, August 10, 1988
  3. ^ Terry Jones, Telling it like it is, Edmonton Sun, August 12, 1988
v • d • e
Los Angeles Kings
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Los Angeles Kings seasons
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v • d • e
1988–89 NHL season by team
Patrick
New Jersey • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Washington
Adams
Boston • Buffalo • Hartford • Montreal • Québec
Norris
Smythe
Calgary • Edmonton • Los Angeles • Winnipeg • Vancouver
See also