The Miracle in Minnesota: Mario Lessard's 65-Save Masterpiece

Adding to the awe of this tale is the fact that it unfolded under the watch of a goaltender boasting a career .875 save percentage in the NHL.

On the evening of March 24, 1981, Mario Lessard and the Los Angeles Kings descended upon the Met Center for an away fixture against the Minnesota North Stars. In terms of standings, the Kings held the advantage with 40 victories to Minnesota's 32.

The North Stars unleashed a barrage of 68 shots at Lessard, yet he managed to repel 65 of them. Minnesota surged to a 2-0 lead in the second period, only for Los Angeles to stage a remarkable comeback, tallying four unanswered goals. Ultimately, the Kings emerged triumphant with a narrow 4-3 victory.

Lessard's 65 saves remain unparalleled in a winning effort. While Ron Tugnutt later recorded a 70-save performance, it resulted in a tie. Notably, Lessard's feat eclipsed the NHL record of 64 saves, previously held by Joe Daley of the Buffalo Sabres in a 1970 contest against the Boston Bruins, which ended in an 8-2 defeat.

Larry Murphy and Jimmy Fox spearheaded the Kings' offensive charge, each contributing a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Bobby Smith notched a goal and two assists for the North Stars, with Dino Ciccarelli leading their offensive onslaught with eight shots.

On the opposing end, Don Beaupre had a relatively uneventful evening, facing only 19 shots on goal. However, this relaxation may have proven detrimental, as he conceded four goals.

Mario Lessard's tenure in the NHL spanned 240 regular-season games and 20 playoff appearances, all with the Kings, from 1978-79 to 1983-84.

Mario Lessard Los Angeles Kings 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee 389 [YouTube Shorts]

1979-80 NHL Goal Scoring Log Jam

1979-80 was the first year of the WHA expansion in the National Hockey League. When the World Hockey Association ceased operations after the 1978-79 season, the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL with depleted rosters.

It was the first year since Phil Esposito scored 55 goals in 1972-73 that the league leader finished the season with less than 60. It also marked the only time in NHL history that three players tied for the goal scoring lead, all with 56.

Charlie Simmer – Los Angeles Kings

Today, the Rocket Richard Trophy is awarded to the player in the NHL with the most goals during the regular season. Previous to 1998-99, the goal scoring leader was not honoured with any hardware. In 1979-80, the Rocket Richard Trophy would have went to Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings. Although there were three tied atop the NHL, Simmer scored his 56 in just 64 games.

Playing on the Triple Crown Line with the great MarcelDionne and Dave Taylor helped Simmer reach the same goal total in the following season. These were the only two 50 goal seasons in Simmer’s injury hampered career. Between 1974-75 and 1987-88 played just 712 of a possible 1,200 regular season games and scored 342 goals. Simmer was originally drafted by the California Seals. Although with the Seals and Kings, Charlie also played for the Cleveland Barons, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins during his career.

 

Danny Gare – Buffalo Sabres

Danny Gare of the Buffalo Sabres scored his 56 goals in 76 games. It was the second of two times that Gare would reach the 50 goal plateau over his 13 year NHL career, scoring exactly 50 for the Sabres in 1975-76. Danny finished his career with 354 goals in 827 regular season games. He was a second round pick of the Sabres in 1974 and also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers.

Blaine Stoughton – Hartford Whalers

Blaine Stoughton played the full 80 schedule for the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80. It was his first of two 50 goal seasons, scoring 52 for the Whalers in 1981-82. Stoughton was originally the seventh overall pick at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played just 34 of 526 NHL games with the Penguins.

Blaine played major league pro hockey from 1973-74 to 1983-84. In the NHL, he played for the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Whaler and New York Rangers. Stoughton had a three year stint in the WHA from 1976-77 to 1978-79, playing for the Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and New England Whalers. Blaine scored 52 goals for the Stingers in his first year in the World Hockey Association.

1st Stanley Cup Playoff Action For The 1967 NHL Expansion Teams

For the 1967-68 hockey season, the National Hockey League added six expansion teams to double the number of teams in the league. Although the six new franchises were dismal, their odds of reaching the post-season were quite good. The NHL, in all their wisdom, created two divisions, the East and West. In the East, they placed all the existing ‘Original 6’ teams. In the West were all the expansion clubs. No matter their record, the top four in each division qualified for the playoffs.

That said, four of the six expansion teams, despite none having a .500 record, saw their first playoff action in their first year of existence. Because of the odd division setup, one of these four teams would get a chance to play in the Stanley Cup finals.

Here’s a little history into each of the six 1967 expansion team’s first experience with the Stanley Cup post-season, in no particular order.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins were slow out of the gate and did not qualify for the playoffs until their third year in the NHL. In 1969-70, Pittsburgh placed second in the West Division with just 64 points in 76 games, 26 points behind the division leader, the St. Louis Blues. During the regular season, the team was led offensively by Dean Prentice with just 51 points in 75 games. The Penguins were coached by Red Kelly.

Pittsburgh came up against the Oakland Seals in the quarter-finals and swept the series in four games. Oakland had finished the regular season fourth with 58 points. The Seals were tied in points with the Philadelphia Flyers but were awarded the final playoff spot on more wins. Two games were decided by just one goal and the fourth game went into overtime. In the semi-finals, the Penguins fell to St. Louis in six games.

In the post-season, Pittsburgh was led by Michel Briere. The rookie had five goals and eight points in ten games and was said by many to be on his way to super-stardom. Unfortunately, in the off-season, Briere was involved in a car accident that placed him in a coma. He died a year later.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings finished their inaugural NHL season with 72 points, placing second in the West, one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers. Another Red Kelly coached team, Los Angeles was led by Eddie Joyal during the regular season, contributing 57 points in 74 games.

Los Angeles came up against the Minnesota North Stars in the quarter-finals and the series went the full seven games. The Kings held a 3-2 lead in the series but Minnesota won game six in overtime then blew out the Kings in game seven, 9-4. L.A. was led offensively in the series by Lowell MacDonald and Doug Robinson who totalled seven points each.

The Kings would win their first playoff series the following year. In the 1968-69 Stanley Cup quarter-finals, Los Angeles beat their California Rivals, the Oakland Seals, in seven games to advance.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers were the first of the six 1967 expansion teams to capture the Stanley Cup, but that wouldn’t come until 1973-74. In 1967-68, Philadelphia qualified for the post-season, finishing first in the West with just 73 points in 74 games. The team was led by Lou Angotti with just 49 points in 70 games.

Philadelphia met the Blues in the quarter-finals with the series going the full seven games before St. Louis came out victorious. The Flyers were led offensively by Forbes Kennedy and Andre Lacroix with five points each. Philly would not win their first playoff series until 1972-73 when they beat the North Stars 4-2 in the quarter-finals.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues were the top expansion franchise right out of the gate, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in their first three years of existence. As mentioned earlier, the Blues beat the Flyers in their first playoff series, a quarter-final meeting that went the full seven games. St. Louis then took out Minnesota in seven games to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup finals. The Montreal Canadiens swept the Blues in four.

During the 1967-68 regular season, the Blues finished third in the West with 70 points, just three points out of first place. In regular season play, it was Red Berenson leading the way with 51 points in 55 games. In the playoffs, a Hockey Hall of Famer had his last kick at the can. Dickie Moore led the team with 14 points over 18 games.

Oakland Seals

The Oakland Seals played in the Stanley Cup playoffs just twice in an NHL existence that lasted from 1967-68 to just 1975-76. After that, the franchise moved to Ohio, where they became the Cleveland Barons for two years. Somewhere in the Dallas Stars bloodlines lie this ill-fated California team.

Their first series came in 1968-69 when they met the St. Louis Blues in the quarter-finals. The Seals extended the series to seven but couldn’t conquer the Blues. During the regular season, the Seals had their best year in their short history, finishing second in the West with 69 points. The team was led in the regular season by Ted Hampson with 75 points in 76 games. In the post season, it was Earl Ingarfield leading the way with ten points in seven games.

Oakland, later known as the California Golden Seals, would reach the post season on just one other occasion. In 1969-70, the Seals met the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarter-finals. The Penguins made haste with a four game sweep.

Minnesota North Stars

The direct descendant of the modern day Dallas Stars, Minnesota clung to the fourth and final playoff spot in their first year with 69 points in 74 games. The North Stars were led during the regular season by Wayne Connelly with 56 points in 74 games.

Minnesota faced off against the Los Angeles Kings in the quarter-finals and took the full seven games to eliminate their foes. The North Stars then went another full seven games in the semi-finals before falling to the St. Louis Blues. In the post season, it was Bill Goldsworthy leading the way with 15 points in 14 games.

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.

 

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Playoff History

The New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings will meet in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in NHL history. The Rangers entered the National Hockey League for the 1926-27 season and are four time Stanley Cup winners. The last time the Rangers won the championship was 1993-94. The Kings entered the NHL in 1967-68 and are one time winners of the Stanley Cup, last winning in 2011-12.

Not only have New York and Los Angeles not met in the Stanley Cup finals prior to 2013-14, the two have rarely met at all in the post season. In fact, the teams have played off against each other on just two occasions. Both times, it was in a preliminary round series. Both times, the Rangers were victorious.

Rangers vs. Kings 1978-79

New York and Los Angeles met in the preliminary round of the 1978-79 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Rangers sweeping the series in two games. New York easily won the first game 7-1 at Madison Square Garden while the second game was decide in overtime at The Forum in Los Angeles with the Rangers coming out on top 2-1.

Despite the offensive threat that the Triple Crown Line provided, the Kings only had goals from Charlie Simmer and Syl Apps on the series. Marcel Dionne was silenced after an outstanding regular season. Dionne’s 59 goals placed him second in the NHL behind Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders. His 71 assists placed him third behind Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders and Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens. Marcel was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with 130 points, four behind Bryan Trottier.

New York was led by Anders Hedberg, Phil Esposito and Pat Hickey during the regular season and it was Esposito that led the club with 20 points through the playoffs. New York went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the quarter-finals and the New York Islanders in the semi-finals to earn a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal came out on top in five games.

During the regular season, the Fred Shero coached Rangers placed third in the Patrick Division with 91 points. The Bob Berry coached Kings finished third in the Norris Division with 80 points.

Rangers vs. Kings 1980-81

Two years later, Los Angeles and New York met again in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This time, the series was a best of five affair. This time, it was the Rangers winning again with the series decided in four games. New York won game one by a score of 3-1, game three by a whopping 10-3 score and the deciding fourth game by a 6-3 count. The Kings won game two 5-4. On the series, New York outscored the Kings 22-8.

Through the 1980-81 playoffs, the Rangers were led by Ron Duguay, Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg. It had been Hedberg, Ed Johnstone and Ron Greschner that led the club offensively through the regular season. Playing the bulk of the playoffs in net was the forgettable Steve Baker. New York went on to the beat the St. Louis Blues in the second round before being swept by the Islanders in the semi-finals. The Rangers would muster just eight goals against their cross-town rivals.

The series was certainly a disappointment for the Kings with the Triple Crown Line at their pinnacle. During the regular season, Marcel Dionne scored 58 and assisted on 77 for 135 points, Dave Taylor scored 47 and assisted on 65 for 112 points and Charlie Simmer scored 56 and assisted on 49 for 105 points. Dionne once again finished second in the NHL for goals behind Mike Bossy. He also once again finished third for assists, this time behind Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and Kent Nilsson of the Calgary Flames. His 135 points was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind Gretzky’s 164.

Bob Berry was still the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. However, Fred Shero was replaced midseason behind the New York bench by Craig Patrick. Phil Esposito was still with the Rangers but now behind the bench as an assistant coach. During the regular season, Los Angeles finished second in the Norris Division with 99 points while the Rangers placed fourth in the Patrick Division with just 74 points.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Los Angeles Kings Retired Numbers

In the 40+ year history of the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings, five jersey numbers have been retired by the club. The Los Angeles Kings retired numbers feature some of hockey’s greatest players of the past four decades and all are well deserving of the honour.

Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of the Los Angeles Kings and the numbers that the NHL club has retired with the following four questions.

Q. Number 16 is retired by the Los Angeles Kings in honour of what player?

A. Marcel Dionne played for the Kings from 1975-76 until 1986-87. In that time, he won an Art Ross Trophy, Lady Byng Trophy and two Lester B. Pearson Trophies. He remains the all-time team leader in assists with 757 and points with 1307.

After dominating the OHA with the St. Catherines Black Hawks for three years from 1968-69 to 1970-71, Dionne’s National Hockey League career started with the Detroit Red Wings in 1971-72 after the Wings took him second overall at the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft. Marcel played four years with Detroit before moving to Los Angeles, where he played the bulk of his career. Dionne finished his Hockey Hall of Fame career with the New York Rangers, after being traded from Los Angeles near the end of the 1986-87 season.

Q. Who is the only goaltender to have his number retired by the Los Angeles Kings?

A. Rogatien ‘Rogie’ Vachon’s number 30 was retired by the Kings in 1985. Vachon played between the pipes for Los Angeles from 1971-72 to 1977-78. Rogatien remains the all-time leader amongst Los Angeles Kings goalies for games played, minutes played, wins, losses, ties and shutouts.

Vachon’s NHL career started with the Montreal Canadiens in 1966-67, leading the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 1968-69.After playing 70 of 80 games for the Kings in 1977-78, he was shipped off to Detroit for the following season. Rogie played two years with the Red Wings and two years with the Boston Bruins before retiring. For some unknown reason, Rogie Vachon is still not a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Q. Number 20 is retired by the Kings for what ‘lucky’ player?

A. Luc Robitaille wore number 20 for the Kings over three different tenures during his NHL career. He first was a King from 1986 until 1994. He returned for 1997 until 2001 then finished off his career with Los Angeles from 2003-04 to 2005-06. Robitaille was the first and only Calder Trophy winner for the Kings. Luc was a lowly ninth round pick at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 171^st overall, after just his first of three years as a star in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques. With Hull, Robitaille would total 148 points in his second year and an amazing 191 points in his final season.

Q. Drafted 210^th overall by the Kings in 1975, what player overcame the odds and had his number 18 retired by the team?

A. Dave Taylor is the lowest drafted player in National Hockey League history to record more than 1,000 points in a career. The Los Angeles Kings were the only team Taylor played for during a career that stretched from 1977-78 to 1993-94. He served as team captain for the Kings from 1985-86 to 1988-89 before relinquishing the ‘C’ to Wayne Gretzky. Taylor was part of the Triple Crown Line that consisted of himself, Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Oakland Seals and California Golden Seals

The California Golden Seals existed in the National Hockey League for nine years from 1967-68 to 1975-76. The team was one of six expansion teams in 1967-68 that doubled the league in size from the ‘Original Six’.

Test and expand your knowledge of the California Golden Seals with the following four hockey trivia questions.

Q. The Golden Seals franchise originally entered the NHL under what name?

A. For the first three years that the franchise existed, they were dubbed the Oakland Seals. Originally, the plan was to be called the San Francisco Seals. They became the California Golden Seals and then the California Seals.

The ‘Seals’ nickname originated in 1961-62 with the San Francisco Seals of the WHL. That franchise played in the minor pro league from 1961-62 until 1966-67.

Q. What defenseman from the inaugural Seals team starred with the Toronto Maple Leafs the year before?

A. Bob Baun played one season with the Oakland Seals in 1967-68. The long time Toronto Maple Leafs blue liner played a major role as Toronto won the 1966-67 Stanley Cup with a victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Baun would eventually return to the Maple Leafs to finish his career but the Stanley Cup has yet to return to Toronto.

Other Original 6 castaways that played for Oakland in that first season include: Bill Hicke, Charlie Burns and Bert Marshall. The team’s goaltending duo was quite decent with Charlie Hodge doing the bulk of the work with Gary Smith as his backup. Another member of that 1967-68 Oakland team was Alain Caron. It was the only full NHL season for Caron but a few years later, he would score an amazing 78 goals in the North American Hockey League.

Q. After the 1975-76 season, to what city did the California Seals move to?

A. For the 1976-77 season, the California Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio and became the Cleveland Barons. The Barons lasted just two seasons in the National Hockey League before merging with the Minnesota North Stars.

The North Stars were a struggling franchise at the time and were also one of the six 1967 expansion teams. In their second year after the Cleveland Barons ceased to exist, Minnesota reached the Stanley Cup semi-finals before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers. The following year, the North Stars marched right to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the New York Islanders.

Minnesota would reach the Stanley Cup finals one more time in 1990-91, losing to Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. After 1992-93, the franchise moved to Dallas to become the Dallas Stars. With Dallas, the franchise finally won a championship in 1998-99 over the Buffalo Sabres.

Q. Who did the Oakland Seals meet in their first Stanley Cup playoffs series?

A. In their second season, the Seals faced off against the Los Angeles Kings in the quarter-finals, losing in seven games to their California rivals. 1968-69 was the team’s best season in their short history with 29 wins and 69 points to finish second in the weak West Division. The team would make the playoffs just one more time, losing in the first round the following season to the Pittsburgh Penguins in four straight games.

Hockey Trivia: Los Angeles Kings Individual Single Season Records

The Los Angeles Kings entered the National Hockey League for the 1967-68 season in what was the first of several rounds of expansion. The Kings have been host to several players with a talent for offence. The team’s individual single season scoring records can be considered unsurpassable in today’s defensive minded NHL game.

Test and expand your hockey knowledge of the Los Angeles Kings with these four trivia questions focused on the team’s individual single season records.

Q. What player holds the Los Angeles Kings record for most points in a single regular season?

A. Wayne Gretzky became a Los Angeles King for the 1988-89 season and he impressed his new fans with a 168 point season. The second highest point total in history also belongs to Gretzky when he contributed 163 in 1990-91. The highest non-Gretzky single season point total in Los Angeles history is the 150 of Bernie Nicholls in 1988-89.

Q. Who holds the Los Angeles Kings single season record for most goals?

A. With the influence of Wayne Gretzky in 1988-89, Bernie Nicholls went over and above his talents and scored 70 goals. The next best goal scoring output by a King was Luc Robitaille with 63 in 1992-93. Nicholls and Robitaille are the only two L.A. players to top the 60 goal plateau. When it comes to scoring 50 goals, just Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer, Jimmy Carson and Gretzky can be added to the list.

Q. Two Los Angeles Kings players have led the team in goals scored on eight occasions. Who was the latest to accomplish this feat?

A. Luc Robitaille first led the team with 45 goals in 1986-87. The last occasion was the 1999-00 season when he scored 36. His best was 63 in 1992-93 and he surpassed the 50 goal plateau on two other occasions. Marcel Dionne is the other Los Angeles King to lead the team in goals on eight occasions.

Q. What Los Angeles King holds the team record for most penalty minutes in a single regular season?

A. Marty McSorley surpassed Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams’ team record of 358 PIM with 399 of his own during the 1992-93 season. McSorley came to Los Angeles from the Edmonton Oilers along with Wayne Gretzky for the 1988-89 season and led the Kings in PIM a total of five times.

For Tiger, 1987-88 was his second last season in the NHL and his final full season, playing just 28 games in 1988-89. His 358 PIM placed him second in the NHL in 1987-88, three minutes behind leader Tim Hunter of the Calgary Flames.

McSorley’s 399 PIM led the NHL in 1992-93, 29 more than second place Gino Odjick of the Vancouver Canucks. In over 961 regular season NHL games between 1983-84 and 1999-00, Marty sat 3,381 minutes in the penalty box. This total ranks him fourth all-time, behind Tiger Williams, Dale Hunter and Tie Domi. The group are part of an exclusive nine NHL players to accumulate more than 3,000 PIM in a career.

The 1967-68 Los Angeles Kings: In the Beginning...

It all began for the Los Angeles Kings in 1967-68. The team was one of six to be admitted into the National Hockey League, doubling the league in size. It was the first time the NHL had consisted of more than six teams since the Brooklyn Americans folded after the 1941-42 season.

Like the other five expansion teams, the Kings were a rag-tag bunch of career AHL veterans, untested rookies and NHL players in the twilight of their careers. The six new teams were packed in the Western Division. The difference between first and fifth in the West was just six points. The Oakland Seals fell away from the pack, finishing with just 15 wins and 47 points.

Los Angeles finished second in the West in that first season with 72 points over 74 games, just one point behind the first place Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings lost their first ever playoff round to the Minnesota North Stars. The series went seven games with the North Stars romping 9-4 to oust the Kings at the Forum in L.A. Los Angeles held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the series but could not hold on for the victory.

Eddie Joyal led the club in assists and points during the regular season with 34 and 57 while playing the full 74 game schedule. Joyal played his first NHL game in 1962-63 with the Detroit Red Wings and appeared sparingly through the years with Detroit and the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming a regular with the Kings. He also played half a season with the Philadelphia Flyers before ending his pro career in the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers.

Bill Flett had been stuck in the minors since turning pro in 1963-64. 1967-68 was his first season in the NHL and he led the Kings in goals with 26. Flett went on to play nearly 900 major league games between the NHL and WHA. He left the Kings midway through the 1971-72 season for the Philadelphia Flyers. He also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

In goal, the Kings platooned a rookie and one of the greatest goaltenders to play the game. Wayne Rutledge played in 45 games in his first NHL season, while Terry Sawchuk played in 36. Rutledge was relegated to a backup role over the next two seasons with Los Angeles and eventually became a WHA mainstay, playing with the Houston Aeros during their entire history. Sawchuk, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was on the downside of his great career and would play just 22 games over the next two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers.

Brian Kilrea is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but for what he accomplished as a builder in the Ontario Hockey League. Previous to 1967-68, Killer had played just one NHL game, with the Red Wings in 1957-58. He played just 25 games with Los Angeles but one of his three goals with the club was the first ever scored for the franchise. Kilrea went on to coach the Ottawa 67’s from 1974 to 2009.

There was one other Hall of Famer on the team but he stood behind the bench. Head Coach Red Kelly had just come off a Stanley Cup victory as a player with the Toronto Maple Leafs the year before. After a career that spanned from 1947-48, Kelly retired after hoisting the Cup and took a different direction within the game. He coached the Kings for two seasons and went on to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1970’s.

Anchoring the defense was one of many long time American Hockey League veterans getting their first start in the NHL. Bill White played in the AHL as early as 1959-60, while still a junior with the OHA’s Toronto Marlboros. He went on to play over 600 regular season games and nearly 100 playoff games in the NHL with Los Angeles and the Chicago Black Hawks.

Bill also ended up behind the bench after his playing career was over. He spent one year as head coach of Chicago in 1976-77 before two years in the OHA. In his first season behind the bench with the Oshawa Generals, he was named coach of the year.