Ultimate Standings 2009: No. 95
Los Angeles Kings
Last Year's Rank: 107
Title Track: 96
Ownership: 96
Coaching: 72
Players: 75
Fan Relations: 64
Affordability: 105
Stadium Experience: 76
Bang for the Buck: 113
With young stars Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar up front and Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson patrolling the blue line, hope has finally lain roost in LA. The surprising club stayed in the playoff picture most of the season before fading in the last two weeks. It wasn't from a lack of support: Fans have filled Staples Center to 90.7% capacity over the last three seasons, even knocking down the NHL's most expensive brew ($7.75). As a stab at making amends, the club instituted all-you-can-eat Monday nights at $27 a pop this season. And mindful of the effects of the holidays on the family budget, January seats were put on sale for $11.50 (17,000 were sold in 36 hours). Prices for existing season ticket-holders have been frozen for 2009-10, while parking fees for most spots will be lowered. To further improve the fan experience, Staples management launched the Royal Treatment program, rewarding game-night staff, including ushers, concession workers, box office employees and others who aren't full-time Kings employees, with tickets and swag for superlative customer service. Taking care of the hands that take care of the fans: It's about time, considering hands and fans have paid a Kings' ransom in devotion without much payoff (hockey's third-worst B4B) or playoffs (six straight early summers). So maybe we should change "hope has finally lain roost in LA" in the first sentence to "cautious optimism subletting"?
