Wayne Gretzky is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player of all time. During his illustrious 20-year NHL career, he set dozens of scoring records that may never be broken. However, despite all of his individual accomplishments, the one achievement that eluded Gretzky was winning a Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.
Gretzky was traded to the Kings in 1988 after spending the first 9 seasons of his career with the Edmonton Oilers. During his time in Edmonton, Gretzky led the Oilers to 4 Stanley Cup championships. When he arrived in Los Angeles, expectations were high that Gretzky could bring a championship to the Kings. However, in his 8 seasons with the franchise, the Kings never managed to lift the Cup.
So did Wayne Gretzky win a Stanley Cup with the LA Kings? Let’s take a deeper look at Gretzky’s tenure in Los Angeles and analyze how close the team came during his time there.
Gretzky’s Early Years with the Kings (1988-1993)
After the blockbuster trade that sent Gretzky to LA in 1988, he instantly transformed the Kings from league doormats into contenders. In his first season with the team, Gretzky led the Kings to a 24 point improvement in the standings. They advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the franchise entered the league in 1967. However, they were swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the eventual champion Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky’s former team.
In Gretzky’s next four seasons with the Kings, the team continued to make the playoffs each year. However, they failed to make it past the second round, losing twice in the first round and twice in the second. Gretzky led the Kings in scoring each of these seasons, but the team lacked the depth and defensive strength to truly compete for a Cup.
The 1992-93 Playoff Run
In the 1992-93 season, it appeared that Gretzky and the Kings would finally break through. Led by Gretzky’s team-high 130 points, Los Angeles finished with their best regular season record since entering the league. In the first round of the playoffs, the Kings pulled off a huge upset by eliminating the heavily favored Calgary Flames in 6 games.
The second round pitted LA against the Vancouver Canucks. The Kings fell behind 3 games to 1, but Gretzky spearheaded an impressive comeback by the team. He scored a hat trick in Game 5 and added 2 more goals in Game 6 to force a deciding 7th game. In Game 7, the Kings prevailed in overtime to complete the series comeback and advance to the conference finals.
In the conference finals, Los Angeles faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Kings took control early by winning the first two games at home. With the series shifting to Toronto for the next two games, it appeared the Kings were on their way to finally clinching a Stanley Cup Finals berth. However, the Leafs would not go quietly, winning both games in Toronto to tie the series 2-2.
Back in LA for Game 5, the Kings had a chance to move within one game of the Finals. Tied 5-5 late in the 3rd period, Gretzky had an opportunity to give the Kings a 6-5 lead. But he failed to convert on a breakaway chance, hitting the post. Moments later, the Leafs scored to take a 6-5 lead, ultimately winning the game.
The missed opportunity by Gretzky proved costly, as Toronto would go on to win the series in 7 games. The Kings had their best chance yet at a Stanley Cup, but fell just short of reaching the Finals with Gretzky.
The Later Years (1993-1996)
The heartbreaking 1993 conference finals loss ended up being the Kings’ best playoff run with Gretzky on the roster. Over the next 3 seasons, the team failed to win another playoff series with him.
The 1993-94 season started late due to a lockout. When play resumed in January 1994, the Kings struggled to find their rhythm. They snuck into the playoffs as the 8th seed, but were quickly eliminated in the first round by the Canucks. Gretzky led the team in scoring, but posted the lowest point total of his career (excluding the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season). It was becoming evident that while he was still a star, Gretzky’s days of dominating the NHL were in the past.
In 1994-95 and 1995-96, Gretzky and the Kings had back-to-back disappointing first round playoff exits. An aging Gretzky was no longer capable of carrying the franchise on his back, while other stars like Luc Robitaille also entering the decline phases of their careers. With an influx of younger talent in the mid-90s like Vlade Divac, Alexei Zhitnik, and Jamie Storr, the Kings remained competitive. But they lacked the firepower and experience to make a Stanley Cup run.
Conclusion
Wayne Gretzky never fulfilled the dream of bringing a Stanley Cup to Los Angeles during his 8 seasons with the Kings. However, he came extremely close in 1993 when the team made a surprising run to the conference finals. The Kings ultimately fell just short, losing a tight 7-game series to Toronto with a trip to the Finals on the line.
Gretzky’s early years with the team saw some playoff victories, but no deep runs. And his later years saw diminished production along with early playoff exits. While Gretzky kept the Kings competitive throughout his tenure, they could never fully get over the hump to win that elusive championship.
So in the end, despite Wayne Gretzky recording incredible numbers and turning the Kings into contenders, he was unable to lead the franchise to the Promised Land and win a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles. It remains one of the few glaring omissions on the resume of The Great One.
Gretzky’s Playoff Statistics with the Kings
Here is a summary table of Wayne Gretzky’s playoff statistics during his 8 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings:
| Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-89 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 32 | Lost in 2nd round |
| 1989-90 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | Lost in 1st round |
| 1990-91 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 37 | Lost in 2nd round |
| 1991-92 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 16 | Lost in 1st round |
| 1992-93 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 40 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| 1993-94 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | Lost in 1st round |
| 1994-95 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Lost in 1st round |
| 1995-96 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Lost in 1st round |
Gretzky was at his best in the 1993 playoff run, racking up a postseason-high 40 points in 24 games before the Kings ultimately fell in the conference finals. But in his final 4 playoff appearances, his production tailed off significantly as age started to take its toll.
Factors That Prevented a Kings Stanley Cup Win
While Wayne Gretzky’s presence turned the Kings into a contender, there were several factors that prevented him from bringing a Stanley Cup win to Los Angeles:
- Lack of scoring depth – Beyond Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Jari Kurri, the Kings did not have the elite goal scorers to match up with other contenders.
- Weak defense – The Kings allowed over 300 goals in 4 of Gretzky’s 8 seasons. Their defense lacked shutdown players beyond Rob Blake.
- Inconsistent goaltending – The Kings lacked elite goaltending, rotating through average netminders like Kelly Hrudey and Robb Stauber.
- Tough competition – Gretzky’s Kings frequently ran into powerhouse teams like the Oilers, Flames, and Canucks in the playoffs.
- Front office dysfunction – Ownership instability and poor drafting hampered the Kings’ roster depth.
Addressing these factors may have allowed Gretzky to guide Los Angeles to greater playoff success and a Stanley Cup breakthrough during his tenure.
Would Things Have Been Different with More Supporting Talent?
One big “what if” from Gretzky’s time with the Kings is whether better roster support could have led to a championship. While impossible to rewrite history, its fair to say a stronger supporting cast around Gretzky could have put the Kings over the top.
Just look at the success he had in Edmonton playing alongside Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey. Surrounded by that much talent, Gretzky lifted the Oilers to 4 Cup wins in 5 seasons. In Los Angeles, he never had that same caliber of teammates across the entire roster to help bear the load.
Ultimately, Wayne Gretzky did just about all he could during his 8 seasons to try and end the Kings’ Stanley Cup drought. But despite his individual greatness, factors from depth to defense to goaltending prevented the Kings from winning it all with The Great One.
