In just his second NHL season (1987-88), Jimmy Carson notched 55 goals, including 5 hat tricks, establishing himself as one of the sport's top young players. He was sent to Edmonton as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles, but would later return to the Kings and play with Gretzky for parts of two seasons.

Charlie Simmer's shooting percentage of 32.75 in 1981 was, and remains, an NHL record. That same year, Simmer set a franchise record with 10 game-winning goals and almost accomplished one of hockey's most difficult feats: scoring 50 goals in 50 games. Simmer entered his 50th game with 46 goals and scored three times to finish just shy of the mark.

Left unprotected in the June 1967 expansion draft, Hall of Fame goaltender Terry Sawchuk was the first player selected, taken by the Los Angeles Kings where he played one season before being traded back to Detroit.

They left The Forum after 32 seasons and moved to the Staples Center, a state-of-the-art arena in downtown Los Angeles. The Stanley Cup Finals were held at the arena for the first time in 2012. The Kings hosted the New Jersey Devils in games 3, 4, and ultimately defeated the Devils in game 6 by a final score of 6-1, becoming the first team to win the Stanley Cup on home ice since 2007.

Luc Robitaille's first NHL season was in 1986-87, when he helped the Kings qualify for the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs despite a 31-41-8 record. He scored 45 goals and had 39 assists in 79 games, edging Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

Upon entering the league, Dionne was immediately dubbed "Little Beaver" because of his uncanny resemblance to a midget wrestler who used that stage name.

Before he spent 30 years as a coach/executive with the Chicago Blackhawks, Bob Pulford guided the Kings to their first playoff appearance in five years in 1974, and won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 1975 when the team amassed 105 points. He also led the Kings to their first playoff series wins since 1969, defeating the Atlanta Flames in the first round of both the 1976 and 1977 NHL playoffs.

In his first season with Los Angeles (1988-89), "The Great One" set a franchise record with 168 points (54 goals, 114 assists) and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player.

Rob Blake was selected in the 4th round, 70th overall, in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He would go on to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defensive player and serve as team captain for five seasons. In 2014, four years after his retirement, Blake was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 2011-12, Jonathan Quick led the League with ten shutouts (a Kings franchise record), had the NHL's second-lowest GAA (1.95) and posted a 35-21-13 final record.