Top 10 Best Los Angeles Kings Players of All Time

The Los Angeles Kings have been around as an NHL franchise since 1967. The Kings have won two Stanley Cups to date and have appeared in another final as well. With that, L.A. has had some terrific players. Read below to learn about the greatest Kings players ever.

Who Are the Best LA Kings Hockey Players of All Time?

1. Wayne Gretzky
2. Marcel Dionne
3. Anze Kopitar
4. Luc Robitaille
5. Jonathan Quick
6. Drew Doughty
7. Rob Blake
8. Rogie Vachon
9. Dave Taylor
10. Dustin Brown

1. Wayne Gretzky

• 1988-89 Hart Trophy winner
• Kings all-time points-per-game leader (1.70)
• Three-time Art Ross Trophy winner (1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94)

The Kings pulled off what’s known as the “Trade of the Century” in the summer of 1988 when they acquired Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for two players, three first-round picks, and $15 million. Gretzky was, at the time, far and away the best player in the world, having just won the Stanley Cup and received the Conn Smythe Trophy the previous season. The trade seemed to work for Los Angeles.

In eight years, the Great One tallied 918 points and captained the club to the playoffs five times. Gretzky’s greatest moment with the Kings came during the 1993 Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With his team trailing 3-2 in the series, the captain scored the overtime winner in game six to force a deciding contest in Toronto. In game seven, Gretzky recorded a hat trick en route to a 5-4 win, sending the Kings to the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance. But L.A. was bested by Montreal in five games.

2. Marcel Dionne

• Kings all-time points leader (1,307)
• Kings all-time assist leader (757)
• 1979-80 Art Ross Trophy winner

Another player that didn’t start his career with the Kings is Marcel Dionne. The center was traded from the Red Wings after a 121-point season in 1974-75. Dionne didn’t disappoint, spending 12 seasons with Los Angeles, and is one of two Kings players to record at least 500 goals with the organization.

His finest moment came during the 1982 Smythe Division Semifinals against Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers in what’s known as the “Miracle on Manchester.” L.A. had just 63 points during the regular season and were matched up against the team with the second most points in the NHL. The Kings shockingly won game one, and in game three, Los Angeles came back from a 5-0 deficit in the third period to win 6-5 in overtime. L.A. won the series in five games back when the first round was a best-of-five format completing one of the biggest playoff upsets in the league’s history. In the series, Dionne had seven points, the second most on the team.

3. Anze Kopitar

• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (2011-12, 2013-14)
• Two-time Selke Trophy winner (2015-16, 2017-18)
• 2021-22 Messier Leadership Award winner

Anze Kopitar has played over 1,000 regular season games with the Kings, and he’s one of the main reasons the franchise has two Stanley Cups. Kopitar was the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The center made his debut in 2006-07 and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting. In his fourth season, Kopitar finally helped his team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

In 2012, L.A. was in tenth place with just a month left in the regular season but managed to sneak into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the West. From there, the Kings went on a magical run and captured their first-ever Stanley Cup. Two years later, Los Angeles faced a 3-0 deficit in the first round and became the fourth team ever to overcome that feat. The Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup again that season. In both playoff runs, Kopitar led the entire NHL in postseason points, getting 46 points in 46 total games.

4. Luc Robitaille

• Kings all-time goals leader (557)
• 1986-87 Calder Trophy winner
• Eight-time All-Star

Aside from Gretzky, one of the main catalysts of the 1992-93 Kings team was Luc Robitaille. The Great One was hurt for nearly half of the regular season, so it was left up to Robitaille to carry the offensive load. The winger posted a career-high 63 goals and 125 points, which was top ten in the league that season.

In 14 years with L.A., Robitaille had four seasons with at least 100 points, and his career 1.07 points per game during the regular season is seventh in franchise history. His 557 goals with the Kings is number one in the organization's history. It’s a record that’s stood since 2006. Overall, the Canadian scored 688 goals in his career, which is top 15 all-time in NHL history. Robitaille is one of the greatest to play for the Kings, but his only Stanley Cup came with the Detroit Red Wings in 2001-02.

5. Jonathan Quick

• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (2011-12, 2013-14)
• 2011-12 Conn Smythe Trophy winner
• Kings all-time goalie wins leader (370)

The Kings had a few core players during their cup runs in the early-to-mid 2010s. One of which was goaltender Jonathan Quick. 2011-12 might’ve been the goalie’s best season ever. That year, Quick set career highs with a .929 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against-average en route to a second-place Vezina Trophy finish, also the highest of his career. But, the true test came during the postseason, and Quick was the leader of the team. The netminder elevated his game with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average, and three shutouts. He was promptly named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

In 2013-14, the goalie won his first of two Jennings Trophies and helped lead Los Angeles to another Stanley Cup win, outdueling New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the finals. Quick is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins by a wide margin and is one of the biggest reasons for the organization's two Stanley Cups.

6. Drew Doughty

• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (2011-12, 2013-14)
• 2015-16 Norris Trophy winner
• Four-time All-Star

The leader of the back end for the Kings’ two Stanley Cups was Drew Doughty. The defenseman is the Kings’ all-time leader in points by a defenseman, surpassing Robb Blake in 2020. Like Kopitar, Doughty has time to climb up this still, as his contract with the club isn’t over until after the 2026-27 season. However, what he’s done so far has placed him among the franchise’s greats.

Doughty is one of two Kings players to win the Norris Trophy, and he currently has eight career top-ten finishes to date. During the 2011-12 playoffs, Doughty led the league with 12 assists en route to the Stanley Cup. Two years later, Doughty recorded 18 points to lead all defensemen in the postseason. He’s undoubtedly one of the Kings’ all-time greatest players, as his two-way play helped lead the organization to two championships.

7. Rob Blake

• 1997-98 Norris Trophy winner
• Second all-time in career points by a Kings defenseman (494)
• Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014

Before Doughty, Robb Blake was without question the best defenseman in Kings franchise history. The two-way, physical defenseman spent 14 years with the organization, retiring with the most points by a player on the back end for Los Angeles at the time. Blake helped lead the franchise to six playoff appearances, and he contributed to the 1992-93 squad with ten points in 23 postseason games.

Blake’s best season came in 1997-98 when he led all defensemen with 23 goals en route to his only career Norris Trophy award. Like many former great Kings players, Blake didn’t win a Stanley Cup with the organization, as his only championship came with the Colorado Avalanche in 2000-01. Still, Blake was as sturdy on the back end as it gets. He was promptly inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

8. Rogie Vachon

• Second in Hart Trophy voting in 1974-75
• Third in Hart Trophy voting in 1976-77
• Second all-time in wins by a Kings goalie (171)

One of the Kings organization’s earliest building blocks was goaltender Rogie Vachon. The goalie was one of the game’s brightest stars in the 1970s as he came to Los Angeles already having won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and a Vezina Trophy in 1967-68. The goaltender ended up retiring with the most wins and games played in franchise history before being surpassed by Quick.

While Vachon never won the Vezina Trophy with Los Angeles, he still produced some spectacular seasons. In 1974-75, the netminder led the entire NHL with a .927 save percentage. That was a Kings franchise record up until 2011-12, also bested by Quick. A couple of years later, Vachon finished third in Hart Trophy voting. Overall, Vachon helped establish organization respectability, leading the team to the playoffs In five of his seven seasons with the club.

9. Dave Taylor

• Two 100-plus point seasons
• Highest plus/minus in Kings history (+186)
• Fourth all-time in points by a Kings player (1,069)

The sidekick to Marcel Dionne during the late 1970s and 1980s was Dave Taylor. The winger spent all 17 seasons of his career with the Kings, retiring in 1994 as one of the top 20 in NHL history in goals, assists, and points. Despite this fact, Taylor has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1990-91, Taylor became the first player in league history to receive the Masterton Trophy and the Clancy Trophy in the same season.

He also contributed to one of hockey’s greatest upsets in postseason history in the 1982 Smythe Division Semifinals. That series, Taylor scored all four of his points in game one which led to a 10-8 Kings victory. Taylor was also a part of the 1992-93 Kings team that made the Stanley Cup Finals, however the winger was well past his prime years with just 15 points in 46 regular season games that year. Taylor is perhaps overshadowed in Kings history, but he was a fantastic player in his own right.

10. Dustin Brown

• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (2011-12, 2013-14)
• 2013-14 Messier Leadership Award winner
• Retired with most games played in Kings history (1,296)

The captain of the two Kings Stanley Cups in the early 2010s was Dustin Brown. The winger wasn’t the most talented player on the club, but he was one of the main building blocks of the organization. Brown was the 13th overall pick by the Kings during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, and he made his debut that incoming season. Brown, along with Kopitar, Doughty, and Quick, formed one of the league’s best quartet of players.

In 17 seasons, Brown helped lead the Kings to the playoffs eight times, including the two Stanley Cup runs. If not for Quick’s outstanding play during the 2011-12 playoffs, Brown would’ve most likely been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He led the entire playoffs in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus during that run. In the clinching game six against the New Jersey Devils in the finals, Brown recorded three points and his only goal of the series.

Honorable Mentions

• Alec Martinez
• Bernie Nicholls
• Butch Goring
• Charlie Simmer
• Jari Kurri
• Jeff Carter
• Justin Williams
• Kelly Hrudey
• Steve Duchesne
• Ziggy Palffy

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