The Passion Of The Los Angeles Kings Fan-Base

After a rough road trip, which has been the norm this season, the Los Angeles Kings have bounced back to win 2 straight games against Tampa Bay and Columbus and have increased the hope that the defending Stanley Cup Champions could in fact still make the playoffs this season. In what my mind justifies as me helping the team out from their current struggle, I start looking around my room to make sure that all my superstitious rituals are completed or are in the right place.

– Wearing my lucky 2011-12 home jersey? – CHECK!

– The remote controls are bundled together and carefully placed in the holder? – CHECK!

– Start playing my LA Kings playlist on the stereo – CHECK!

– Kiss my beautiful wife and then my adorable cat before chanting, “GO KINGS GO!” – CHECK!

– Have my King’s family name list ready for the traditional (and unrelenting) game day morning roll call on twitter? (which is loved by some and annoying to others) – CHECK!

As I conduct my rituals I stop and chuckle. It truly is a silly thing to do in the grand scheme of life. How can one person’s superstitious nature, especially one who lives far away in Eastern Canada have any effect on a hockey team that plays all the way in Southern California? In reality, it doesn’t but it does calm down my stress levels before the game by giving me the illusion of some sort of control.

Does what I superstitiously do actually help the Los Angeles Kings secure a victory? It sure does feel that way at times. As someone who I can truly say is NOT superstitious by nature or in life and is NOT superstitious about the other teams I follow and love in other sports (though I probably should be), I am extremely superstitious when it comes to the Kings.

I found the idea of being a superstitious fan and what it brings amusing and was curious to ask my fellow LA Kings family and friends if they have or have had similar superstitious reactions, rituals and feelings? What resulted turned out to be a stimulating and inspiring conversation that started about superstitions but got to a deeper level about passion, loyalty, pride, determination and why we all love the Los Angeles Kings to begin with.