Top 10 LA Kings Forwards of All-Time

By Jeff Duarte
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Updated: November 9, 2017

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5 – Dave Taylor – 1977-1994

The only time (so far) that I have ever been fortunate enough to meet Dave Taylor was at last year’s Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony in Toronto. I was covering the event with my good friend and colleague, Ryan Cowley, and we just spotted the Kings’ legend walking up the red carpet and I stepped up and asked him if we could ask him some questions? He just walked right past us without any acknowledgment and we were heartbroken. Two minutes later, as we were still feeling disappointed and still talking about it, Ryan gave me a strange look. It was the “turn around NOW!” look, so I did and right behind me, was DAVE TAYLOR! He came back! He smiled at us and asked, “So you wanted to ask me some questions?” I wish someone took a photo of our stunned expressions! We did a quick interview and even got a picture with him. After he left, we were just blown away by how cool it was that he had done that. While I was talking about that, Ryan gave me that ‘look’ again, so I turned around and BOOM! There was Dave Taylor again, but this time he brought Hall of Fame inductee and former LA Kings’ equipment manager Mark O’Neill with him! We were stunned again! After interviewing O’Neill and taking pictures of all of us together, they left and Ryan and I were so amazed at not only how cool Taylor was, but how generous as well. And as I was saying that to Ryan, he gave me that look again! I asked, “Are you serious?” and turned around and there was Dave Taylor right in front of me for a third time, now asking me if we needed to talk to Marcel Dionne, who was also there. If we did then he would go get him for us. I wanted to hug him. We had already talked to Dionne earlier, so it wasn’t necessary and he left after shaking our hands again, but now we were just speechless. Taylor didn’t come back for the fourth time, and neither did he need to, but the fact he went out of his way to come back to us three times, sometimes with friends so we can interview them as well, was just priceless for two long time, die-hard Kings’ fans. He is such a class act! (Ryan and I even joked afterward that imagine if Taylor had kept returning all night to us, but each time with a different hockey celebrity with him, whether they wanted to come or not. He would briefly kidnap them during the ceremony and fire carry them to us on the red carpet to interview! That would have been hilarious! Well until the Cops came of course). Meeting Taylor in that manner is one of my all-time favorite experiences when meeting a Kings’ legend. And speaking of legend, what is there more to say about the Los Angeles Kings’ lifer (as a player). He still holds the Kings’ all-time record of 1,111 regular season games played and a plus-minus of plus-181. (I repeat, plus – 1 hundred and eighty-one!) He achieved 431 career goals, 638 career assists, and 1,069 career points in the regular season! He was a member of the “Triple Crown Line” along with Dionne and Charlie Simmer and played alongside Gretzky, Robitaille and Rob Blake, meaning he was heavily involved in both the “Miracle on Manchester” AND the 1993 Stanley Cup Final run! He also was the Captain of the team from 1985 to 1989. Post-career, he was Kings’ general manager from 1997 to 2006, and built a Kings’ team that twice was one game 7 away from possibly making another run to Cup Final (if it wasn’t for those pesky Colorado avalanches!) Taylor is legend indeed! Oh, and by the way, as GM, Taylor drafted some dudes named Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar and some goalie guy by the name of Jonathan Quick. Hmm, I wonder how they turned out???

(photo credit to Ryan Cowley)

Best Regular Season with the Kings – 1980-81

72 games, 47 goals, 65 assists, 112 points and a plus-47.

Best Playoffs with the Kings – 1982

10 games, 4 goals, 6 assists and 10 points.

Career Totals with the Kings

Regular Season – 1,111 games, 431 goals, 638 assists, 1,069 points, plus-181 and 1,589 penalty minutes.
Playoffs – 92 games, 26 goals, 33 assists, 59 points and 145 penalty minutes.

Awards and Achievements with the Kings