Watching this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs and seeing the usual parade of ex-Kings and ex-Ducks perform, I was once again struck by how similar the feelings for ex-Kings and ex-girlfriends can be;(1) There she goes breaking another suckers heart.
(2) Oh Man!, Why wasn’t she like that with me!?
(3) I dumped her for who? (Don't know what you got 'till it's gone)
This year many SoCal ex's made it to Lord Stanley’s final four. Carolina’s heading for a heartbreak ‘cause they feature 3 ex-Kings as their D: Corvo (1), Kaberle (3) and Gleason (3). Detroit is solid with Brad Stuart (2) Pittsburgh has depth with Phillip Boucher (3), and Chicago has Huet (1). Unlike the ex-Kings, the ex-Ducks in the final four fall into the win-win trade category. Sammy Pahlsson & Chris Kunitz have helped the Hawks & Pens defensively and offensively (as did Wiesnewski and Ryan Whitney). Matt Cullen is still an asset to Carolina.
And even though the Kings were really my special first love, they’ve disappointed me more than my worst passive aggressive co-dependent ex-girlfriend ever did. Meanwhile, the Ducks have progressed from the mighty hot babe I once only fantasized about to the (SC) trophy wife I am now totally loyal to. Although I can now accept the fact that my ex-team is still light years away from trophydom, I can still look fondly at all the ex-Kings whose names appear on the Stanley Cup and get that same perverse feeling of driving by my ex’s house and wondering what might’ve been.
And even though the Kings were really my special first love, they’ve disappointed me more than my worst passive aggressive co-dependent ex-girlfriend ever did. Meanwhile, the Ducks have progressed from the mighty hot babe I once only fantasized about to the (SC) trophy wife I am now totally loyal to. Although I can now accept the fact that my ex-team is still light years away from trophydom, I can still look fondly at all the ex-Kings whose names appear on the Stanley Cup and get that same perverse feeling of driving by my ex’s house and wondering what might’ve been.
Here’s a dizzying factoid; In the last 20 years 17 Cup winners have had an ex-King on board. Only the 2003 Devils, the 2005 strike and the 1993 Canadiens were missing a cup winning ex-King.
2009 Brad Stuart?/Philipe Boucher? (2&3)
2008 Brad Stuart (2&3) - Red Wings
2008 Brad Stuart (2&3) - Red Wings
2007 Sean O'Donnell (2) - Ducks,
2006 Frantisek Kaberle (3) - Canes
2005 STRIKE – (Kings finish tied for first!)
2005 STRIKE – (Kings finish tied for first!)
2004 Darryl Sydor (3) – Lightning
2003 Devils (boring but winning)
2002 Luc Robitaille (3) Steve Duchesne (3) - Red Wings
2001 Rob Blake (3) - Avalanche
2000 Larry Robinson (Coach) - Devils
1999 Darryl Sydor (3) - Penguins
2003 Devils (boring but winning)
2002 Luc Robitaille (3) Steve Duchesne (3) - Red Wings
2001 Rob Blake (3) - Avalanche
2000 Larry Robinson (Coach) - Devils
1999 Darryl Sydor (3) - Penguins
1998 Larry Murphy (3) - Wings
1997 Larry Murphy (3) Wings
1996 Warren Rychel (3) - Avs
1997 Larry Murphy (3) Wings
1996 Warren Rychel (3) - Avs
1995 Bobby Carpenter (2&3) - Devils
1994 Glenn Healy (1) - Oilers
1994 Glenn Healy (1) - Oilers
1993 Canadiens - No ex-Kings just future ex-Kings
1992 Shawn McEachern (3), Larry Murphy - Penguins
1991 Larry Murphy - Penguins
1990 Martin Gelinas (2) - Oilers
1989 Brian MacLellan (3)– Flames
1989 Brian MacLellan (3)– Flames
The most in your face ex-King cup winner was Luc Robitaille who brought the cup back to L.A. and paraded it around at various SoCal tourist spots.
3 ex-Kings won 4 cups elsewhere; Larry Murphy 2 as a Penguin, 2 as a Red Wing and even more confounding, the 4 Islanders Cups that Butch Goring and Billy Smith helped win.
