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A SoCal Hockey Christmas - Part 2 |
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One hundred years ago today, in the midst of World War I, British and German soldiers put down their weapons and called a truce for Christmas. We may sometimes think of sports as a distant cousin of war, but it isn't. In the spirit of the holiday, the Ducks and Kings have called for a truce of our own on HockeyBuzz. Instead of arguing or bickering (or worse) we come together to celebrate hockey in Southern California.
Yesterday, my friend and colleague Jason Lewis handled part one on his Kings page. I found it amusing to read some of the funny gifts and pardons handed out by our readers. Additionally, the naughty and nice lists were a good touch. If you haven't read the blog you can find it here:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jason-Lewis/A-SoCal-Hockey-Christmas-Pt-1/179/65067
We turn the page from jocularity yesterday to history today. It is my distinct pleasure to reveal our Top-10 Most Important People of SoCal Hockey and the First and Second All-Star teams from SoCal.
The Top 10
I'd like to offer a bit of an introduction. Jason and I worked hard on this list and one of the first things we realized is that there are more people deserving to be honored than 10. We got input from people such as Patrick O'Neal of FoxSports and HockeyBuzz's own Scoop Cooper. After some deliberation the top 10 was born. So without further adieu, here we go.
Honorable Mentions
Paul Kariya, Jerry Buss, Willie O'Ree (thanks to Scoop on this one), Randy Carlyle, Luc Robitaille, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere
#10 Legendary Broadcasters (Bob Miller and Jim Fox of the Kings; Steve Carroll and Bryan Hayward of the Ducks)
"Working with Bob Miller and Jim Fox has raised my broadcasting game to another level. These guys really care about every single detail, and if I don't show up totally prepared it will be obvious I don't belong on the same telecast. They are just so damn good. NHL hockey is so fast, and it amazes me how easy they call the game. I know it's not easy, trust me. I have been honored to work alongside these two gents for 10 seasons now, and really got to know them well by traveling with the team the past 3 seasons.
Bob has always been incredibly kind to me and for that I will be forever grateful. I admire his strength and stamina, because often I feel fatigue after a game, but Bob is already preparing for the next game. He always has every stat and note about the Kings and the opponent as well. Every pronunciation and every detail is studied, and I have really learned about preparation from the great Bob Miller. And he has great jokes.
Jim Fox is a perfectionist. We are very much alike this way. Jim and I have worked together quite a bit on pre-games, post-games, intermissions, pre-season and post-season specials and victory parades. But I really appreciate how Jim is always there for me during a broadcast when I throw a hit back to him. Even if has only 3 seconds, he really is a genius as an analyst. Plus, another generous and kind person. Another example of how preparation is key to everything, and Jim will never be out worked by anyone." - Patrick O'Neal
Now in his 16th season with the Ducks, Steve Carroll is one of my all-time favorite broadcasters. There is something familiar and comfortable about listening to Steve call a game. There is an old adage in broadcasting that radio creates a theater in the mind. Steve Carroll brings the sights, the sounds and the feel of the game to life in my imagination. - Ed Stein
The original television analyst for the Anaheim Ducks, Brian Hayward is in the midst of his 22nd season with the club. He has called 1,236 regular-season Ducks games since joining the team and worked his 1,000th Ducks broadcast on Jan. 16, 2011 vs. Edmonton. Over the past 21 years, he has earned a reputation as one of hockey’s most articulate and informative analysts. He has also been an active member of the Orange County community since joining the Ducks, participating in numerous charitable events on behalf of the club.
#9 Jack Kent Cooke
The Rams, Dodgers and Lakers arrived in Los Angeles as established franchises. When Jack Kent Cooke made a bid for an NHL expansion franchise in 1967, he was starting from scratch. Hockey in Southern California, is Cooke crazy? As it turns out he wasn't crazy. Due to his vision and belief that hockey could work in a non-traditional market, we have two teams in Southern California, another in San Jose and one in Phoenix.
#8 Brian Burke
Burke was the Architect of the Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup winning team of 2006-07. The task of putting together a championship team in a city that had never won a hockey championship in a sport that was easily fourth in the fans pecking order was no small affair. The job requirements included visionary, talent evaluator, salesman and chemist to name a few. He left the Ducks a little over a year after the Ducks Cup winning season, but his contributions live on.
#7 Scott Niedermayer
Niedermayer was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category on July 9, 2013 (inducted on Nov. 11, 2013), becoming the third Anaheim Duck player to be elected and the first to play more than a single season (Jari Kurri and Adam Oates are the other Ducks to be inducted). Signed as a free agent by Anaheim on Aug. 4, 2005 and named the sixth captain in club history on Oct. 3, 2005, Niedermayer helped the Ducks become the first team from California to win hockey’s ultimate prize in 2007. He was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Niedermayer appeared in his final 371 regular season NHL contests in an Anaheim uniform, scoring 60-204=264 points with 306 penalty minutes. Niedermayer is the Ducks’ all-time leader in goals, assists, points and power-play goals (39) among club defensemen. - Ducks Media Guide
#6 Rogie Vachon
Known for his great reflexes and quick glove hand, Vachon was considered one of the premier one-on-one goaltenders of his era. It was with the Kings that Vachon had his finest moments of his NHL career including runner up for the 1975 Vezina Trophy. Vachon was named the team MVP four times between 1973 and 1977. Even when the Kings were bad, Vachon was good. He was the first LA King to have his jersey hung from the rafters. After his retirement as a player, Vachon served as general manager of the Kings from 1984 to 1992. He also served as interim head coach of the Kings on three separate occasions. He currently serves as a Royal Ambassador for the Kings organization.
#5 Triple Crown Line (Charlie Simmer, Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor)
Before Gretzky it was the Triple Crown Line. Simmer, Dionne, Taylor. Apart they didn't seem like much, but together they formed one of the fiercest lines in hockey. The combination of size, speed, skill, and grit is something that teams still strive for today. I'd even go as far as saying that if the Triple Crown line was transplanted to today's NHL it would STILL be one of the toughest and best lines in the game. There was something incredibly special about their chemistry when they took the ice together. They were the perfect embodiment of working as a unit. They, like Gretzky, ushered in a new era of excitement to hockey fans all over in the late 70's and early 80's. Even though they didn't win a cup or have too much team success when the line was thrashing the league, they left their mark on the NHL and Southern California. - Jason Lewis
#4 Dean Lombardi
What Brian Burke was to the Ducks, Dean Lombardi is to the Kings. He took the reigns of the Kings organization in April of 2006 and has built a perennial contender with two Stanley Cup championships in the last three seasons. Under his watch, the Kings have drafted NHL stalwarts Alec Martinez, Drew Doughty, Dwight King, Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Wayne Simmonds and Jonathan Bernier. Most NHL executives would call their career successful if they retired after accomplishing half of what Lombardi has done. The amazing thing is that even with all Lombardi has done, he may stick around for another decade and build on his legacy.
#3 Bruce McNall
You could write a book about the impact Bruce McNall had on hockey in the region. He was the guy that took advantage of Peter Pocklington's financial problems in Edmonton to bring Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles in 1988. Being able to make the deal is one thing, convincing Gretzky to come was another. With McNall the good is often balanced by the bad. Five years after turning the hockey world upside down by acquiring Gretzky, McNall was forced to sell the Kings and was sentenced to almost six years in prison for fraud. One of the now overlooked impacts of McNall's tenure was the change of team colors from purple and gold to silver and black.
#2 Teemu Selanne
The accolades for Teemu Selanne have been numerous since he hung up his skates in the off-season. Anaheim has already scheduled his jersey retirement. At the announcement of Forever Teemu night, Ducks owner Henri Samueli said, "Teemu is our franchise icon and deserves to be the first player in club history to have his jersey retired. His dedication to this franchise and our community is unmatched. We eagerly anticipate Jan. 11, when we pay tribute to a world-class player, ambassador and champion, our own Teemu Selanne."
Selanne is Anaheim's all-time leader in almost every offensive category, including goals (457), assists (531), points (988), plus/minus (plus-120), games (966), power-play goals (182), game-winning goals (77), overtime goals (6) and shots (2,964). He is the franchise leader in Stanley Cup Playoff goals (35), power-play goals (15), game-winning goals (8), shots (274) and games (96).
#1 Wayne Gretzky
Personally, growing up in the Gretzky era there was no greater thing than having the best player in the world on the LA Kings. He was a magical player to watch. Just like all the greats, like Lemieux, Messier, or even Crosby or Ovechkin, there was just something special about watching The Great One play. I felt almost spoiled being able to tune in for 82 games of Wayne Gretzky every winter. This is just him on the ice also, what he has meant to Southern California hockey is almost incalculable. He put Los Angeles and Southern California on the map as a hockey destination. It was no longer a Lakers town only. The greatest player in the world was coming to a "non-hockey market." It was a blockbuster trade for the sport in so many ways. It opened up new avenues for the league and it brought in a whole new era of fans. Even if you weren't a hockey fan, it was something you HAD to see. It was like watching Michael Jordan play when the Bulls came to town. It was a sight to behold. Still to this day you see Gretzky jerseys and middle aged men walking around with the classic Chevy logo proudly displayed on them. It was a time when the energy and interest in Southern California hit an all-time high and got the area buzzing for much more of the sport. - Jason Lewis
All SoCal 1st and 2nd Teams
1st Team
LW - Luc Robitaille
C – Wayne Gretzky
RW – Teemu Selanne
D - Rob Blake
D – Scott Niedermayer
G – Rogie Vachon
2nd Team
LW – Charlie Simmer
C – Marcel Dionne
RW – Corey Perry
D – Drew Doughty
D – Larry Murphy
G – Jean-Sebastian Giguere
The SoCal hockey Christmas is a wrap. I hope your holiday season is filled with joy and love.
-Ed
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
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