Interview With Former LA King Chris Kontos

Picture this. The greatest player in the game gets traded before the next season starts from Edmonton to Los Angeles, and in an ironic twist of fate that only the Hockey Gods could creatively come up with, he is forced to play against his former team and friends in the first round of the playoffs at the end of that season. I am of course talking about Wayne Gretzky and when his LA Kings faced off against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers in the 1989 NHL playoffs. That in itself would be (and was), an incredible scenario to witness, especially after the Kings went on to win the epically entertaining (and nerve-wracking) series in 7 games after being down 3-1. When I tell people this true story, they automatically assume that the Kings came back because of the magical Gretzky, the talents of Luc Robitaille, Bernie Nicholls, Steve Duchesne and/or the heroics of goaltender Kelly Hrudey.  They would not be completely wrong, but I would always answer that even though they were five major players and factors that helped the Kings make that comeback, they were not the number one reason for that comeback. After asking me who that person was, I easily and confidently answer that distinction belongs to non other than Chris Kontos.

Born on December 10, 1963 in Toronto, ON and drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1982 entry draft, Kontos was the unstoppable force and secret weapon that the Los Angeles Kings unleashed on the unsuspecting Oilers. Though the Canadian Olympian’s time in LA was short and he finished his NHL career with 230 regular season games played, his impact was explosive and he will forever be enshrined in the mythology and lore of Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Recently I was fortunate enough to have the exciting honor of talking to the 1989 LA Kings’ playoff hero and now the President of Pros Marketing Chris Kontos over the phone and discuss with him his time playing for the Los Angeles Kings, the NHL and the Canadian National Olympic Team.

You were drafted 15^th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1982 NHL entry draft.  Can you tell us your initial thoughts and feelings when the Rangers selected you?

I was excited. As an 18-year-old to get a chance to go in the first round to a National Hockey League club, it was an exciting time. I remember being in Montreal at the Forum and having my name called out and shaking hands and making my way down to meet management, like you see today. It was fantastic.

I can’t imagine what type of pressure and expectations there would be or might be for someone who is drafted early in the first round. What advice would you have for players today that are facing or about to face that type of challenge?

Well, just that it takes a lot of commitment and hard work if that’s the path that you decide to go, you do everything in your power to make the best of it. If you look back at first rounders historically at the draft, there’s not a lot of young men that have a 15 or 20 year hockey career in the NHL. It’s few and far between because it’s a real low percentage. Even at that point, you’re going to get a signing bonus and a contract, you need to invest it and figure out what you’re going to do after hockey. I know at 18 you feel invincible, but you need to think about the rest of your life. That’s the advice that I would give them.

During the 1983-84 season, you played for the original Tulsa Oilers, which was coached by future LA Kings head coach Tom Webster in the Central Hockey League.  You and the Oilers ended up winning the Adams Cup that year despite the Oilers team suspending operations before the season was over. Therefore  you guys were forced to play the remaining season and playoffs all on the road. Could you take us back to that strange, yet glorious championship year and what do you remember the most about it?

Yeah, we were being called the “Orphan” Oilers and we had to now be based out of Denver, because the league put us up at a nice residence in there. Like you said, we played on the road and you know, it was a fun year to be around the guys. We put together a little string and went on to win the Championship. It was fun.

Now in the NHL, you played with Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1986-87 and part of the 1987-88 season.  How was your experience playing in Pittsburgh and with “Super” Mario?

Playing in Pittsburgh … I was there for parts of two seasons and I loved playing there. Mario was probably one of the most skilled and talented guys that I ever saw or played with and as you know, I’ve played with some other very good players as well, but he was kind of like a magician with his stick and with his skill.  And I was a skilled guy, but it just frustrated me to think, “How is this guy so much more better that me?” but it was such a treat. He’s had so much success after hockey too and I’m so happy for him.

Halfway through the 1987-1988 season, you were traded to the Los Angeles Kings.  What were your original thoughts and feelings when you learned that you were being traded to Los Angeles?

I really enjoyed playing in Pittsburgh and it’s funny that they ended up winning a couple of Cups right after and I would have loved to have stuck around for that, but you know sometimes it’s just the way hockey goes. Pittsburgh was just coming through all their years of never having really any success with Mario there, so it was a really exciting time there, because things were really starting to pop. I was asked to play a defensive role when I was in Pittsburgh, which I did and then I was told that I wasn’t producing enough points, so it was something that makes you give your head a shake, but they have to say something I guess? To get a chance to go to another team and to get to be offensive was a good opportunity for me. I was there actually during the last year in LA when they were still using the gold uniforms. Wayne Gretzky hadn’t arrived yet and I was only there for 6 games, but you know hockey wasn’t on the forefront, but then after I came back from Switzerland, it had totally changed after Gretzky arrived. There were celebrities walking through the dressing room. I remember Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks and John Candy were there a lot. There was just a parade of celebrities coming out to check out hockey and it was the in fashion thing to do.  So it was a very exciting time to be there playing hockey.

As you mentioned, in LA you got to play with “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky. Having played with both legends Gretzky and Lemieux, could you tell us about what was similar and different about playing with them and their styles?

They were similar for the fact that both of them were … let’s call them “phenoms” as far as their ability to make plays and do things on the ice. “Gretz” just had an uncanny vision. He could draw opponents away and then make passes that were just perfect to open areas. Obviously the people who got to see him for all those years in Edmonton were very fortunate to see a guy like that game in and game out. And obviously Mario, he was just so phenomenal and so decent with his stick and the things that he could do with his 6’5 wing span. He could just undress somebody and make it look so easy.

With the Kings in the 1989 playoffs, you exploded with 9 goals in 11 playoff games, 8 of them against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers and 6 of them on the power-play which is still an NHL record to this day, contributing strongly in defeating them in seven games, after being down in that series 3-1.  You were just so clutch! Could you take us back to that memorable series and comeback and tell us what you remember and cherish most about it?

Well it was just a great time because the hockey world was watching even though we were in the west coast, but Wayne Gretzky was playing against his former club in the playoffs and I just happened to have come back from Switzerland at that time. I kind of got on a roll just before the playoffs, and they allowed me to keep playing during the playoffs and it was just fantastic. It was an epic series. Being down 3 games to 1 like you were saying, somehow we managed to claw our way back to win the series while the hockey world was watching to see what happens with Gretzky against his former teammates. It was great.

How was your relationship with the LA Kings’ head coach at the time, Robbie Ftorek?

Robbie was a mentor and a long time teammate of mine when I started with the Rangers back in ’82 and he was my centerman and set me up for my first goal. Eventually he retired and went down to New Haven to start coaching with the Nighthawks and if you do some studying, you’ll see a lot of the first rounder’s from the Rangers were shipped back and forth to the minors quite a bit. You know they kind of break your spirit by sending you down, but he was a mentor and he’d help you get back on your horse and help you prove yourself to get back up to the show. So I had a long time relationship with him and he was instrumental in me coming back from Switzerland to sign there in LA at the deadline.

Later you went on to play with the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning in their inaugural season. You scored 4 goals during Tampa’s first ever game in the NHL, which was against the Chicago Blackhawks, lighting up future Hockey Hall of Famer goaltender Ed Belfour. You were clutch once again as that is still a Lightning record to this day and an NHL expansion team record as well! Could you take us back to that magical opening game and tell us about your experience in it?

This was after I didn’t make the Olympic team in ’92 and Terry Crisp was an assistant coach there and he was coaching in Tampa and they gave me a chance to go play there because he knew my abilities. I had a really good training camp and I was able to get into the opening line-up and the rest was history. I remember in that opening game when I scored my third goal and after my fourth goal, hats were being thrown on the ice and ushers were trying to throw people out for throwing things on the ice because they had no idea what a hat trick was. It was such a new thing for Tampa and most Floridians didn’t know what hockey was, but they enjoyed the excitement of it and they had to learn the rules.

You mentioned that you didn’t make the Canadian National Olympic team in 1992, but you did get to play for them at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway and won the Silver Medal.  Could you tell us about your experience playing in the Olympic Games and what it meant to you personally to represent your country?

I’m of Greek descent and I actually lived in Greece as a kid and the Olympics originated in Greece obviously, so it was something that was on my bucket list that I wanted to do. After not making it in ’92, actually getting cut while on to way from Sweden to Albertville was a sore spot for me. I had a small contract problem with the Lightning after my year there after scoring 27 goals and I just said, “No, I’d rather go and finish what I set out to do in ’92,” so I was offered a guaranteed position to go play in the Olympics and I took it.

What was it like to play in the Gold Medal game at the Olympics?

It was great … well other than the shoot-out. *Laughs* I mean we were up 2-1 with a minute and a half to go and Sweden tied it. We play a 10 minute overtime and then it goes to a shoot-out in that type of international event and unfortunately we were on the wrong side. I really wish that I had been able to shoot, but that’s another story. *Laughs*

The World Cup of Hockey is returning this month for the first time since 2004.  Do you think the World Cup/old Canada Cup format can finally take off and successfully be a possible replacement for best on best hockey, instead of the Olympic Games?

I don’t know, that’s a really good question. They have it in the right market in Toronto so I think that it’ll get a lot of support, but it’s hard to say.  The [Toronto Blue] Jays are doing really well locally here so they’re gonna be fighting for eyeballs at that time of the year, but I think hockey will prevail and it will be a success.

Well Chris, on behalf of CaliSports News and for myself, a long time LA Kings fan, thank you so much for granting me this interview today and thank you so much for kicking the Oilers butt back in 1989! 

*Laughs*  My pleasure, anytime. You got my number.

*Special thanks to Chris Kontos, Theresa Walsh Duarte, Mario Hicks and Ryan Cowley for their help with this article.

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!

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