2014: A Year Of Infamy For The Los Angeles Kings

2 – The Sochi Winter Olympics

Nothing can get me as excited (and stressed) as a Los Angeles Kings playoff run but if something could come extremely close, it would be an international “Best on Best in the World” competition!  Whether it’s the old Canada/World Cup of hockey tournaments or a battle for the Gold medal at the Winter Olympics (or on a junior level, the World Junior Championships), hockey fans from around the world gather to watch some of the best quality of hockey by the best hockey players in the world today.

Six LA Kings players made the cut to their respected National teams.  Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick for Team USA, Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter for Team Canada, Anze Kopitar for Team Slovenia and Slava Voynov for Team Russia.  All six players played to the top of their ability and represented the Los Angeles Kings with skill, dignity and pride.  Both Doughty and Carter were instrumental in Canada winning the Gold Medal.  Jonathan Quick showed the world (again) why he is the best goaltender in hockey today with his epic performances against both Canada and Russia.  Kings Captain Dustin Brown, who had been in a funk thus far in the season, finally came out of his shell and started scoring again (Brown ended up with more goals overall than Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Team USA & Minnesota Wild Captain Zach Praise but with a lot less playing time than they did due to some unfair and poor decision making (in my opinion) by USA coach Dan Blysma).  Kopitar and Team Slovenia became the darlings of the hockey world as their little National engine that could became the feel good story of the tournament.  Upsetting both Slovakia and Austria, Slovenia qualified to the quarter-finals in its first ever trip to the Olympics!  Voynov played very strong and steady defensively for a Russian team who’s strong suit wasn’t its defense.  The LA Kings nation couldn’t have been any prouder of our 6 Olympians!

Check out the Kings players in the Olympics, here.