things that make me smile

Win number two in three years is now etched in silver. While the first time will always be the best, looking at these names is special because not only is the current team there, but three members of the LA Kings I learned to love hockey by watching in the late '80s / early '90s -- Luuuuuc, Blakey and part of the All-American line from our first Cup run, current scout Mike Donnelly. 

things that make me smile

With the appearance of a FedEx tag on my front door, today became my favorite day in September -- Season Ticket Box of Goodies Arrival Day!

Not only did I get another "Luc Robitaille-Authenticated" container of melted ice that the LA Kings won the Stanley Cup on, but I got my discount card and all my tickets, which are awesome!

The Kings went all out on the season ticket books this year! Not only is every player (not just the long-contracted stars) on a ticket (I guess that means no one is getting traded this year :p), but every ticket has a different photo of Stanley Cup Championship happiness on it and the special games have special tickets. 

This is my favorite ticket :) 

(Glad they used a photo of him sticking out his tongue! Haha)   

great day for a parade... the 2014 championship edition

Been a little busy at work since I played hooky on June 16th to go downtown and cheer on my TWO-time Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings, so here's a bunch of the photos I took two weeks ago on an awesome Southern California Monday-Funday :)

Ranger Hater Juanita and Me waiting for the Parade

Jeff Carter (77), Marion Gaborik (12) and Mike Richards (10)

Trevor Lewis (22), Drew Doughty (8) & Alec
Martinez (27) with the Campbell Bowl

Tanner Pearson (70), Tyler Toffoli (73), Martin Jones (31),
Jeff Schultz (55) and Dwigtht King (74)

Jarret Stoll (28), Matt Greene (2), Willie Mitchell (33) and Justin Williams (14)

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner Justin Williams (14)

Jonathan Quick (32), Dustin Brown (23), Anze Kopitar (11) and Lord Stanley's Cup

Jonathan Quick (32), Dustin Brown (23) and Anze Kopitar (11)... with confetti 

KOPI!

QUICKIE! 

The party bus... Alec Martinez (27), Drew Doughty (8) and Trevor Lewis (22)

Team photo with lots of trophies :) 

the morning after... things to save for posterity :)

Thanks to SI.com for this great wrap up of coverage of last night's win, including a 2 minute, 55 second video nicely summarizing what happened over 80 minutes and 28 seconds of play last night.

But here's the most important thing that happened:



Then this happened, which was the BEST thing:



I can't wait for the Kings "Stanley Cup Moments 2014" video series to start rolling out!

stanley cup champions ... again!

Approximately two years ago, I wrote a blog post here about the LA Kings first Stanley Cup Championship. As a long time Kings fan, that was a night I'd waited more than two decades for. It was unbelievable and amazing.

Tonight, on Friday the 13th, those same (for the most part) Kings did it again, becoming the 2014 Stanley Cup Champions.

This year, it was a lot harder. They were down 0-3 in the first round. They won in seven games, becoming only the fourth team in Stanley Cup history to come back and win from that deficit. They won rounds 2 and 3 in seven games too, with round 3 vs 2013 Champs Chicago being a double overtime win, courtesy of defensemen Alec Martinez.

In these Finals vs the New York Rangers, the Kings won Game 1 in OT. They won Game 2 in Double OT. They shut the Rangers out 3-0 in Game 3, and then lost Game 4, 1-2. The Rangers would not go down easily. Tonight, proved that point. Game 5 of the Finals went to Double OT too, with Alec Martinez once again scoring the double OT winner in what was the longest game in LA Kings history.

2012 was, after decades of trying, a remarkably easy playoff run.

2014 was hard!! And it proved you should never give up. And that if you #believe, anything is possible, even winning the most special trophy in all of sports.

Being present in the building for Double OT with that great trophy in the building... that close.. just waiting to be won... was mentally draining.

So rather than pontificate further about how special this win is (trust me, it is). Or how awesome this team is (cuz they are), I'm just going to post some photos and then go have a celebratory cocktail made from my legit Russian vodka I only break out on very special occasions... because being a Kings fan this year was awesome, but totally exhausting :)

Celebrating the double OT winner! (Well, the Kings and the crowd are. Lundqvist is likely not.)

Dad and Me. He's now 2-0 in Stanley Cup Championship games :)

The Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Winner as Playoff MVP, Justin Williams, is congratulated by Anze Kopitar (#11)

Here comes The Cup!

The Stanley Cup!

Kings Captain Dustin Brown raises the Cup for the second time in three seasons!

Gaborik raises the Cup!

2014 Stanley Cup Champions!

LUUUUUUUC

Jonathan Quick (#32, center holding his daughter) and Anze Kopitar (#11, background) celebrate with their families on the ice.