How to Build a King

If anyone’s ever looking for ‘proof’ of the value of leagues such as the AHL, WHL or college hockey – look no further than the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Champions, the Los Angeles Kings.

Twenty-six players were listed on the Kings’ Cup roster, so from this point on, that’s the number these statistics are based on. Keep in mind that not all of these players have spent their entire careers with Los Angeles, as well.

Twenty-two of the players have played at least one AHL game in their career; Anze Kopitar, Simon Gagne, Justin Williams and Drew Doughty are the exceptions.

Kopitar played in his hometown Slovenia before joining the Swedish Elite League; he continued to play in the SEL for one year after being drafted, then came straight to Los Angeles. He’s the only player on the Cup-winning roster, in fact, who hasn’t played in any of the minor North American leagues.

Gagne had a successful QMJHL career and made the Philadelphia Flyers team in 1999, just after being drafted. Justin Williams followed a similar path – after playing for the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, he joined the Flyers immediately after his draft in 2000. (He has now won two Stanley Cups – Carolina, Los Angeles).

Finally, Doughty also made the Kings just after being drafted in 2008.

The Ontario Hockey League has also lent its hand to the Kings, as 10 players on the team spent time there: Richards, Richardson, Lewis, Loktionov, Nolan, Carter, Clifford, Williams, Brown and Doughty.

Three players (Fraser, Stoll, King) have WHL experience, and two (Bernier, Gagne) played in the QMJHL, rounding out the Canadian Hockey League group.

College hockey has also played its part in building the Kings. Jonathan Quick, Alec Martinez and Matt Greene are just a few of the eight players on the squad who played at least some college hockey in their careers.

Other major leagues: the ECHL has four alums on the team, and the USHL has three.

Kopitar, who led the Kings in goals, points and assists, spent no time in any of the aforementioned leagues, but he’s the only one.

Justin Williams, who had 59 points last season (second on the team), has experience with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. Captain Dustin Brown (54 points) has played in both the OHL and AHL.

Most valuable player Jonathan Quick is perhaps one of the best examples on the team of how important the minor leagues are. After playing high school hockey, Quick played college hockey in the NCAA for UMass-Amherst. He played for the ECHL’s Reading Royals before joining the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) – and now, he’s a true champion.

Twenty-two year old Andrei Loktionov is another player on the Kings’ team with a bounty of minor league experience. Still a young, developing player, he has experience backing up his NHL career – with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and AHL’s Manchester Monarchs.

Another developing player who could be a face for the importance of minor league hockey? Twenty-five year old defenseman Alec Martinez, who had six goals and six assists last season, spent time in the USHL in 2004-05. He proceeded to play three years of college hockey in the CCHA at Miami University (Ohio) before joining Manchester and now, Los Angeles.

Never doubt the value of experience.