LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings played at home Monday for the first time since wildfires devastated the region, killing at least 27 people and destroying thousands of structures.
They honored firefighters and first responders during a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Crypto.com Arena, wearing special patches on their jerseys and replacing the team logo at center ice with a new graphic honoring the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“I don’t think we can thank the first responders enough, so just for the rink to have that and to come out and skate on it will be pretty special,” forward Trevor Lewis said following a morning skate.
There was a pregame ceremony featuring members of the LAFD, West Covina Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Pasadena Fire Department, who lined up around the center circle during a tribute video, moment of silence, and singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby then participated in a ceremonial face-off. The puck was dropped by a Pasadena firefighter whose family lost their home in the Eaton Fire.
“Those guys, you know, risk their lives for the community, for the city, and we can’t thank them enough,” Kopitar said.
Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said being so close to the firefighters was “humbling” and gave him a better sense of what they have been doing the past two weeks.
“I just felt like those people have been out there doing some pretty amazing things that we just saw a little bit from a long distance, and we’re in our own little bubble doing what we have to do,” Hiller said after the game. “It brought it to life for me, pretty personal, and it’s just disappointing we couldn’t do more with it.”
Hiller had expected an emotional but rewarding night that would continue to emphasize the importance of togetherness during a crisis. That message would come to pass, with both the Kings and Penguins wearing LAFD hats during warmups.
“There’s no greater feeling than being part of a team, and we’re part of a team in our dressing room,” Hiller said after the morning skate. “But the beauty of it is it extends beyond the dressing room. It extends to the organization, and then beyond that, it extends to the fans, to everybody who’s fighting the fires, to the people that lost. And so, it starts small, but you can encapsulate the whole city. You can grab everybody, and it feels like we’re all part of one team right now.”
Los Angeles was scheduled to host the Calgary Flames on Jan. 8, but that game was postponed because of the fires and eventually rescheduled to April 17. The team then left on a five-game road trip, which left it feeling “far away” from the disaster and community response to it, forward Trevor Moore said.
“When we left, the fires were still going, and it was pretty emotional,” said Moore, a native of Thousand Oaks, California. “We didn’t know what was going to happen, how much devastation was going to happen, so a little more clarity now.”
While the team was on the road, the organization found ways to help. The Kings started a donation drive at Toyota Sports Performance Center, set up a relief fund to collect monetary donations, and partnered with other Los Angeles teams to pledge to donate more than $8 million to charitable organizations. They are currently auctioning off game-worn jerseys and helmets, with the Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets and Flames also contributing items.
Moore said they appreciate the donations from other teams around the NHL, as well as the special recognition Los Angeles received during the road trip, which started with an emotional 2-1 overtime win at Winnipeg on Jan. 10.
“The hockey world’s small, and we really appreciate all their support throughout that time, giving to the families and everyone that lost their homes,” Moore said.
The visiting Penguins, who will remain in the greater Los Angeles area this week before facing the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday as part of a seven-game road trip, were happy to do their part in helping the community.
“People have been through a lot here, and anything we can do to show our support, it’s inspiring to us,” Crosby said.
The circumstances were particularly meaningful for Pittsburgh forward Blake Lizotte, who started his NHL career with the Kings and had 106 points (37 goals, 69 assists) in 320 games for them. This was his first game at Crypto.com Arena as a visitor, but the LAFD hat he wore after the morning skate reflected the larger circumstances.
“You kind of put hockey aside for a second and look around and realize what this city has gone through in the last two weeks or so, it kind of puts into perspective what’s really important, and that’s your family and health and safety,” Lizotte said.
