Gretzky Joins the 1988-89 LA Kings

Gretzky Joins the 1988-89 LA Kings

1988-1989 Los Angeles Kings: Gretzky Goes Hollywood

Wayne Gretzky had long been an ambassador for the game of hockey, representing his home country of Canada with class. From 1979 to 1988, the Edmonton Oilers were fortunate enough to witness a great career unfold as Gretzky helped lead the Oilers to multiple Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s. However, when August 9, 1988 arrived, everything changed. Gretzky had gone to Hollywood in what most hockey fans refer to as “The Trade.”

Along with right winger Marty McSorley and left winger Mike Krushelnski, the star center would be sent to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for center Jimmy Carson, left winger Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash, and rights to first-round NHL draft picks in 1989 (left winger Jason Miller), 1991 (left winger Martin Rucinsky), and 1993 (defenseman Nick Stajduhar). At least in terms of game attendance, the Kings benefited greatly from Gretzky’s services, expanding interest in hockey in Southern California.

A Strong Regular Season

The 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings went 42-31-7 with 91 points, finishing in second place in the Smythe Division. The Kings finished 13 games and 26 points behind the Calgary Flames. Against most other teams in the NHL, the Kings fared well in head-to-head play. They went 4-4 against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, 3-0 against the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1 against the Hartford Whalers, Minnesota North Stars, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-2-4 against the Winnipeg Jets and 1-1-1 against the Washington Capitals.

The Great Western Forum in Inglewood was a fortress for the Kings, who went 25-12-3 there. During the regular season, the Kings had a 5-game winning streak that began on November 5 with a 6-4 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it ended on November 15 with a 6-4 home win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Standout Performances

Scoring Leaders

Center Bernie Nicholls scored the most goals for the Kings with 70 along with 80 assists for 150 points with 21 power play goals, 28 power play assists, 8 short-handed goals, 6 short-handed assists and 6 game-winning goals off 385 shots. Wayne Gretzky had 54 goals and 114 assists, setting a franchise record for most points in a single season with 168. Gretzky had 11 power play goals, 42 power play assists, 5 short-handed goals, 10 short-handed assists and 5 game-winning goals off 303 shots.

Left winger Luc Robitaille had 46 goals and 52 assists for 98 points with 10 power play goals, 14 power play assists and 4 game-winning goals off 237 shots. Left winger John Tonelli had 31 goals and 33 assists for 64 points with 7 power play assists off 156 shots. Right winger Dave Taylor had 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points with 7 power play goals, 8 power play assists and 4 game-winning goals off 141 shots. Mike Krushelnski had 26 goals and 36 assists for 62 points with 5 power play goals, 5 power play assists and 8 game-winning goals off 143 shots.

Steve Duchesne had 25 goals and 50 assists for 75 points with 8 power play goals, 16 power play assists and 5 short-handed goals off 215 shots. Right winger Mike Allison had 14 goals and 22 assists with 6 power play goals and 5 power play assists in 55 games. Left winger Bob Carpenter had 11 goals and 15 assists in 39 games. Marty McSorley had 10 goals and 17 assists in 66 games. Defenseman Doug Crossman had 10 goals and 15 assists off 137 shots.

Goaltending

Two goaltenders shared the workload of protecting the Los Angeles net. Glenn Healy went 25-19-2, allowing 192 goals off 1,509 shots in 2,677 minutes, recording 1,317 saves, an .873 save percentage and a 4.27 goals-against average. Kelly Hrudey went 10-4-2, allowing 47 goals off 491 shots in 974 minutes, recording 444 saves, a .904 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average and 1 shutout.

Postseason Awards

It was no surprise that the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings’ biggest star, Wayne Gretzky, swept the postseason honors. Gretzky won the Hart Trophy, the NHL’s Most Valuable Player award, and also took home the All-Star Game MVP award. Gretzky was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, while Luc Robitaille was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

The Playoffs: A Classic Battle with Edmonton

The Smythe Division Semifinals was certainly an emotional ride for Gretzky, as he had to return to Edmonton to play against his former team. The Kings and the Oilers played a classic seven-game series. In Game 1 on April 5 at the Great Western Forum, the Oilers stunned the Kings 4-3. Steve Duchesne had 1 goal and 1 assist in a losing effort.

In Game 2 on April 6, the Kings beat the Oilers 5-2. Gretzky had 1 goal and 1 assist, Bernie Nicholls had 1 goal and 2 assists, but left winger and center Chris Kontos was the star of the show as he scored 3 goals. In Game 3 on April 8 at the Northlands Coliseum, the Oilers shut out the Kings 4-0, and then in Game 4 on April 9, the Oilers narrowly beat the Kings 4-3 to take a 3-games-to-1 series lead. Along with Duchesne and Kontos, defenseman Tom Laidlaw scored 1 goal in a losing effort.

In Game 5 on April 11, Wayne Gretzky knew he had to come up big back in Inglewood, and he delivered. Scoring 1 goal and 2 assists, Gretzky led the charge for Los Angeles. Robitaille had 1 goal and 1 assist, and Kontos and Nicholls each added 1 goal. In Game 6 on April 13 in Edmonton, the Kings won 4-1 to even the series at 3 games apiece. The combination of Allison, Kontos, Robitaille and defenseman Jim Wiemer, another former Oiler, each scored 1 goal.

Finally, in Game 7 on April 15 at the Great Western Forum, the Kings beat the Oilers 6-3 to advance to the next round. Kontos and defenseman Dale DeGray had 1 goal each, while Nicholls had 2 goals and 2 assists. Gretzky had 2 goals and 1 assist in the key victory.

However, the Kings’ bid for the Stanley Cup was halted in the Smythe Division Finals by the Calgary Flames, who defeated them 4 games to 3. Despite this outcome, the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings and Wayne Gretzky had firmly established a new era of hockey in Southern California.