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1988–89 Los Angeles Kings season

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1988–89 Los Angeles Kings
Division2nd Smythe
Conference2nd Campbell
1988–89 record42–31–7
Home record25–12–3
Road record17–19–4
Goals for376
Goals against335
Team information
General managerRogatien Vachon
CoachRobbie Ftorek
CaptainDave Taylor
Alternate captainsWayne Gretzky
Unknown
ArenaGreat Western Forum
Team leaders
GoalsBernie Nicholls (70)
AssistsWayne Gretzky (114)
PointsWayne Gretzky (168)
Penalty minutesMarty McSorley (350)
Plus/minusSteve Duchesne (+31)
WinsGlenn Healy (25)
Goals against averageKelly Hrudey (2.90)

The 1988–89 Los Angeles Kings season saw the Kings finish second in the Smythe Division with a record of 42-31-7, for 91 points.

The 1988–89 season was the first for the great Wayne Gretzky in a Kings uniform. He had come over in a shocking trade with the Edmonton Oilers in the off-season (see below). Paced by Gretzky, Los Angeles led the league in goal scoring, with a total of 376 goals scored. In the playoffs, the Kings upset the Oilers, Gretzky's former team, in seven games in the Smythe Division Semi-finals before being swept in the Smythe Division Finals by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames in four straight games.

This was also the first season that the Kings wore their silver and black uniforms, which they would wear until the 1998–99 season. In the offseason, they had changed their team colours to silver and black from gold and purple, which were more associated with their co-tenants at the Great Western Forum, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. They had also unveiled a new logo that reflected the new team colours.

Offseason

NHL Draft

See also: 1988 NHL Entry Draft
Round Pick Player Nationality College/junior/club team
1 7 Martin Gelinas (LW)  Canada Hull Olympiques (QMJHL)
2 28 Paul Holden (D)  Canada London Knights (OHL)
3 49 John Van Kessel (RW)  Canada North Bay Centennials (OHL)
4 70 Rob Blake (D)  Canada Bowling Green State University (CCHA)
5 91 Jeff Robison (D)  United States Mount St. Charles Academy (USHS-RI)
6 109 Micah Aivazoff (RW)  Canada Victoria Cougars (WHL)
6 112 Robert Larsson (D)  Sweden Skelleftea AIK (Sweden)
7 133 Jeff Kruesel (RW)  United States John Marshall High School (USHS-MN)
8 154 Timo Peltomaa (RW)  Finland Ilves (Finland)
9 175 Jim Larkin (LW)  United States Mount Saint Joseph Academy (USHS-VT)
10 196 Brad Hyatt (D)  Canada Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
11 217 Doug Laprade (RW)  Canada Lake Superior State University (NCAA)
12 238 Joe Flanagan (C)  United States Canterbury School (USHS-CT)
S 12 Sean Fitzgerald (LW)  United States SUNY Oswego (SUNYAC)

Wayne Gretzky trade

On August 9, 1988, in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), and 1993 (Nick Stajduhar). "The Trade", as it came to be known,[1] upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it[2] and Peter Pocklington was burned in effigy. Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown, his home province, and his home country; his motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife's acting career.[3] Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, seeking to benefit personally from the transaction.

Regular season

On October 6, 1988, Wayne Gretzky made his debut as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in a game against the Detroit Red Wings. Gretzky scored on his first shot, and contributed 3 assists in an 8-2 victory.[4] In Gretzky's first season with the Kings, he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists, and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. He led the Kings to a second-place finish in the Smythe Division with a 42–31–7 record (91 points), and they ranked fourth in the NHL overall.

Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, named Gretzky their captain (a position he held until his trade to St. Louis in 1996) and boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 1989 playoffs.

  • December 1, 1988: Bernie Nicholls had an eight point game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Season standings

Smythe Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Calgary Flames 80 54 17 9 354 226 117
Los Angeles Kings 80 42 31 7 376 335 91
Edmonton Oilers 80 38 34 8 325 306 84
Vancouver Canucks 80 33 39 8 251 253 74
Winnipeg Jets 80 26 42 12 300 355 64

[5]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Schedule and results

October

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
1 October 6 Detroit 8 - 2 Los Angeles 1-0-0 2
2 October 8 Calgary 6 - 5 Los Angeles OT 2-0-0 4
3 October 9 N.Y. Islanders 6 - 5 Los Angeles OT 3-0-0 6
4 October 12 Boston 6 - 2 Los Angeles 4-0-0 8
5 October 15 Philadelphia 1 - 4 Los Angeles 4-1-0 8
6 October 17 Los Angeles 4 - 11 Calgary 4-2-0 8
7 October 19 Los Angeles 6 - 8 Edmonton 4-3-0 8
8 October 22 Minnesota 8 - 2 Los Angeles 5-3-0 10
9 October 25 Edmonton 4 - 5 Los Angeles 5-4-0 10
10 October 28 Los Angeles 7 - 4 Winnipeg 6-4-0 12
11 October 30 Los Angeles 4 - 8 Winnipeg 6-5-0 12

November

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
12 November 1 Los Angeles 3 - 1 Quebec 7-5-0 14
13 November 2 Los Angeles 3 - 5 Montreal 7-6-0 14
14 November 5 Los Angeles 6 - 4 Toronto 8-6-0 16
15 November 6 Los Angeles 5 - 3 Chicago 9-6-0 18
16 November 10 Hartford 7 - 2 Los Angeles 10-6-0 20
17 November 12 Pittsburgh 7 - 2 Los Angeles 11-6-0 22
18 November 15 Vancouver 6 - 4 Los Angeles 12-6-0 24
19 November 17 N.Y. Rangers 5 - 6 Los Angeles 12-7-0 24
20 November 19 Buffalo 5 - 4 Los Angeles 13-7-0 26
21 November 22 Los Angeles 6 - 1 Philadelphia 14-7-0 28
22 November 23 Los Angeles 8 - 3 Detroit 15-7-0 30
23 November 26 Los Angeles 1 - 4 Calgary 15-8-0 30
24 November 27 Los Angeles 2 - 5 Vancouver 15-9-0 30
25 November 29 New Jersey 9 - 3 Los Angeles 16-9-0 32

December

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
26 December 1 Toronto 9 - 3 Los Angeles 17-9-0 34
27 December 3 Chicago 6 - 4 Los Angeles 18-9-0 36
28 December 6 Winnipeg 4 - 5 Los Angeles OT 18-10-0 36
29 December 8 Winnipeg 5 - 5 Los Angeles OT 18-10-1 37
30 December 10 Los Angeles 4 - 3 N.Y. Islanders 19-10-1 39
31 December 12 Los Angeles 5 - 2 N.Y. Rangers 20-10-1 41
32 December 14 Los Angeles 4 - 5 Pittsburgh 20-11-1 41
33 December 16 Los Angeles 6 - 4 Detroit 21-11-1 43
34 December 17 Los Angeles 2 - 3 Minnesota 21-12-1 43
35 December 20 Calgary 7 - 3 Los Angeles 22-12-1 45
36 December 21 Minnesota 8 - 6 Los Angeles 23-12-1 47
37 December 23 Los Angeles 5 - 2 Vancouver 24-12-1 49
38 December 27 Montreal 2 - 3 Los Angeles 24-13-1 49
39 December 29 Vancouver 3 - 6 Los Angeles 24-14-1 49

January

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
40 January 5 Los Angeles 6 - 8 Calgary 24-15-1 49
41 January 6 Los Angeles 4 - 4 Winnipeg OT 24-15-2 50
42 January 8 Los Angeles 4 - 4 Winnipeg OT 24-15-3 51
43 January 10 Edmonton 5 - 4 Los Angeles OT 25-15-3 53
44 January 12 St. Louis 7 - 4 Los Angeles 26-15-3 55
45 January 14 Hartford 9 - 6 Los Angeles 27-15-3 57
46 January 17 Los Angeles 2 - 5 St. Louis 27-16-3 57
47 January 19 Los Angeles 2 - 4 N.Y. Islanders 27-17-3 57
48 January 21 Los Angeles 4 - 5 Hartford 27-18-3 57
49 January 24 Los Angeles 4 - 4 Washington OT 27-18-4 58
50 January 26 Vancouver 2 - 6 Los Angeles 27-19-4 58
51 January 28 Edmonton 6 - 7 Los Angeles 27-20-4 58
52 January 31 Calgary 5 - 8 Los Angeles 27-21-4 58

February

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
53 February 2 New Jersey 6 - 6 Los Angeles OT 27-21-5 59
54 February 4 Buffalo 5 - 3 Los Angeles 28-21-5 61
55 February 9 Los Angeles 1 - 4 Boston 28-22-5 61
56 February 10 Los Angeles 7 - 6 Washington OT 29-22-5 63
57 February 12 Los Angeles 6 - 2 Chicago 30-22-5 65
58 February 15 Boston 3 - 7 Los Angeles 30-23-5 65
59 February 18 Quebec 11 - 3 Los Angeles 31-23-5 67
60 February 20 Toronto 5 - 4 Los Angeles 32-23-5 69
61 February 22 Washington 2 - 7 Los Angeles 32-24-5 69
62 February 24 Los Angeles 1 - 4 Edmonton 32-25-5 69
63 February 26 Los Angeles 1 - 1 New Jersey 32-25-6 70
64 February 27 Los Angeles 4 - 6 N.Y. Rangers 32-26-6 70

March

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
65 March 1 Los Angeles 5 - 4 Buffalo 33-26-6 72
66 March 2 Los Angeles 4 - 6 St. Louis 33-27-6 72
67 March 4 Philadelphia 6 - 2 Los Angeles 34-27-6 74
68 March 7 Pittsburgh 3 - 2 Los Angeles OT 35-27-6 76
69 March 10 Los Angeles 2 - 4 Vancouver 35-28-6 76
70 March 12 Los Angeles 6 - 3 Edmonton 36-28-6 78
71 March 14 Los Angeles 4 - 0 Quebec 37-28-6 80
72 March 15 Los Angeles 2 - 5 Montreal 37-29-6 80
73 March 18 Calgary 3 - 9 Los Angeles 37-30-6 80
74 March 21 Los Angeles 4 - 3 Edmonton 38-30-6 82
75 March 23 Los Angeles 2 - 4 Calgary 38-31-6 82
76 March 25 Edmonton 4 - 2 Los Angeles 39-31-6 84
77 March 28 Winnipeg 3 - 3 Los Angeles OT 39-31-7 85
78 March 29 Winnipeg 2 - 1 Los Angeles OT 40-31-7 87

April

Game # Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Points
79 April 1 Vancouver 6 - 4 Los Angeles 41-31-7 89
80 April 2 Los Angeles 5 - 4 Vancouver 42-31-7 91

Player statistics

Forwards

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Wayne Gretzky 78 54 114 168 26
Bernie Nicholls 79 70 80 150 96
Luc Robitaille 78 46 52 98 65
John Tonelli 77 31 33 64 110
Dave Taylor 70 26 37 63 80
Mike Krushelnyski 78 26 36 62 110
Mike Allison 55 14 22 36 122
Bob Carpenter 39 11 15 26 16
Steve Kasper 29 9 15 24 14
Igor Liba 27 5 13 18 21
Jay Miller 29 5 3 8 133
Paul Fenton 21 2 3 5 6
Sylvain Couturier 16 1 3 4 2
Bob Kudelski 14 1 3 4 17
Ken Baumgartner 49 1 3 4 288
Tim Tookey 7 2 1 3 4
Chris Kontos 7 2 1 3 2
Phil Sykes 23 0 1 1 8
Hubie McDonough 4 0 1 1 0
Gilles Hamel 11 0 1 1 2
Brian Wilks 2 0 0 0 2
Paul Guay 2 0 0 0 2
Dave Pasin 5 0 0 0 0
Craig Duncanson 5 0 0 0 0
Robert Logan 4 0 0 0 0

Defencemen

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Steve Duchesne 79 25 50 75 92
Dale DeGray 63 6 22 28 97
Marty McSorley 66 10 17 27 350
Doug Crossman 74 10 15 25 53
Tim Watters 76 3 18 21 168
Tom Laidlaw 70 3 17 20 63
Dean Kennedy 51 3 8 11 63
Jim Wiemer 9 2 3 5 20
Wayne McBean 33 0 5 5 23
Larry Playfair 6 0 3 3 16
Petr Prajsler 2 0 3 3 0
Steve Richmond 9 0 2 2 26
Jim Hofford 1 0 0 0 2

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player GP W L T SO GAA
Glenn Healy 48 25 19 2 0 4.27
Kelly Hrudey 16 10 4 2 1 2.90

Playoffs

Smythe Division Semi-finals

The Kings faced Gretzky's old team, the Oilers, in the first round of the 1989 playoffs. They fell behind 3 games to 1, but rallied to take the series in seven games, helped in no small part by nine goals from Chris Kontos, a little-known player who had just recently been called up from the minor leagues. However, the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames.

  • Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Date Away Score Home Score
April 5 Edmonton Oilers 4 Los Angeles Kings 3
April 6 Edmonton Oilers 2 Los Angeles Kings 5
April 8 Los Angeles Kings 0 Edmonton Oilers 4
April 9 Los Angeles Kings 3 Edmonton Oilers 4
April 11 Edmonton Oilers 2 Los Angeles Kings 4
April 13 Los Angeles Kings 4 Edmonton Oilers 1
April 15 Edmonton Oilers 3 Los Angeles Kings 6

Los Angeles wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Smythe Division Finals

Los Angeles Kings vs. Calgary Flames

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 18 Los Angeles Kings 3 Calgary Flames 4 (OT)
April 20 Los Angeles Kings 3 Calgary Flames 8
April 22 Calgary Flames 5 Los Angeles Kings 2
April 24 Calgary Flames 5 Los Angeles Kings 3

Calgary wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ oilersheritage.com, After the Trade, OilersHeritage.com, Accessed July 13, 2006
  2. ^ Scott Morrison, Wayne Gretzky traded... ...California here he comes[permanent dead link‍], Toronto Sun, August 10, 1988
  3. ^ Terry Jones, Telling it like it is Archived 2003-09-10 at archive.today, Edmonton Sun, August 12, 1988
  4. ^ Gretzky's Tears, Stephen Brunt, pp.182-183, Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, Toronto, Canada, 2009, ISBN 978-0-307-39729-4
  5. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
  6. ^ National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 219, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
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