The 1993–94 Los Angeles Kings season was the Kings' 27th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a record of 27–45–12 for 66 points and missed the playoffs.
| 1993–94 Los Angeles Kings | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th Pacific |
| Conference | 10th Western |
| 1993–94 record | 27–45–12 |
| Home record | 18–19–5 |
| Road record | 9–26–7 |
| Goals for | 294 |
| Goals against | 322 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Nick Beverley |
| Coach | Barry Melrose |
| Captain | Wayne Gretzky |
| Alternate captains | Tony Granato Dave Taylor |
| Arena | Great Western Forum |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Luc Robitaille (44) |
| Assists | Wayne Gretzky (92) |
| Points | Wayne Gretzky (130) |
| Penalty minutes | Warren Rychel (322) |
| Plus/minus | John Druce (+16) |
| Wins | Kelly Hrudey (22) |
| Goals against average | Robb Stauber (3.41) |
This season saw Kings captain Wayne Gretzky become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. He also won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 130 points. Despite Gretzky's achievements, the defending conference champion Kings regressed on the ice. They finished in 10th place in the newly-rebranded Western Conference, 16 points behind the San Jose Sharks, who clinched the eighth and final playoff spot. Notably, the Kings also finished five points behind their new local rivals, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who were then in their first year of existence.
Offseason
NHL Draft
In the Entry Draft, the Kings first pick, in the second round, was used to choose Shayne Toporowski from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. Their first-round pick had been dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in the Wayne Gretzky trade.
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 42 | Shayne Toporowski | RW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 3 | 68 | Jeff Mitchell | RW | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 4 | 94 | Bob Wren | C | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 105 | Frederik Beaubien | G | ||||||
| 5 | 117 | Jason Saal | G | ||||||
| 5 | 120 | Tomas Vlasak | LW | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 6 | 146 | Jere Karalahti | D | 149 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 97 | |
| 7 | 172 | Justin Martin | RW | ||||||
| 8 | 198 | Travis Dillabough | LW | ||||||
| 9 | 224 | Martin Strbak | D | 49 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 46 | |
| 10 | 250 | Kimmo Timonen | D | 1108 | 117 | 454 | 571 | 654 | |
| 11 | 276 | Patrick Howald | LW |
Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record
- March 20, 1994 – At 19:11 of the third period in a game against the San Jose Sharks, Gretzky scored the 801st goal of his career.
- March 23, 1994 – At 14:47 of the second period in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, Gretzky scored the 802nd goal of his career against Canucks goaltender Kirk McLean to break Howe's career NHL goals record. The goal came on a Kings power play, with Marty McSorley and Luc Robitaille picking up assists. Unfortunately for the Kings, the record-breaking goal came in a losing effort, as Vancouver defeated Los Angeles, 6-3.[1]
Regular season
Final standings
| No. | CR | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Calgary Flames | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 302 | 256 | 97 |
| 2 | 7 | Vancouver Canucks | 84 | 41 | 40 | 3 | 279 | 276 | 85 |
| 3 | 8 | San Jose Sharks | 84 | 33 | 35 | 16 | 252 | 265 | 82 |
| 4 | 9 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 84 | 33 | 46 | 5 | 229 | 251 | 71 |
| 5 | 10 | Los Angeles Kings | 84 | 27 | 45 | 12 | 294 | 322 | 66 |
| 6 | 11 | Edmonton Oilers | 84 | 25 | 45 | 14 | 261 | 305 | 64 |
[2]
Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
| R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y- Detroit Red Wings * | CEN | 84 | 46 | 30 | 8 | 356 | 275 | 100 |
| 2 | x- Calgary Flames * | PAC | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 302 | 256 | 97 |
| 3 | Toronto Maple Leafs | CEN | 84 | 43 | 29 | 12 | 280 | 243 | 98 |
| 4 | Dallas Stars | CEN | 84 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 286 | 265 | 97 |
| 5 | St. Louis Blues | CEN | 84 | 40 | 33 | 11 | 270 | 283 | 91 |
| 6 | Chicago Blackhawks | CEN | 84 | 39 | 36 | 9 | 254 | 240 | 87 |
| 7 | Vancouver Canucks | PAC | 84 | 41 | 40 | 3 | 279 | 276 | 85 |
| 8 | San Jose Sharks | PAC | 84 | 33 | 35 | 16 | 252 | 265 | 82 |
| 9 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | PAC | 84 | 33 | 46 | 5 | 229 | 251 | 71 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Kings | PAC | 84 | 27 | 45 | 12 | 294 | 322 | 66 |
| 11 | Edmonton Oilers | PAC | 84 | 25 | 45 | 14 | 261 | 305 | 64 |
| 12 | Winnipeg Jets | CEN | 84 | 24 | 51 | 9 | 245 | 344 | 57 |
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific
bold – Qualified for playoffs; x – Won division; y – Won Conference (and division); * – Division leader
Schedule and results
| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | October 6, 1993 | 2–5 | Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 0–1–0 |
| 2 | W | October 9, 1993 | 10–3 | Detroit Red Wings (1993–94) | 1–1–0 |
| 3 | W | October 10, 1993 | 5–2 | San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 2–1–0 |
| 4 | W | October 12, 1993 | 7–5 | New York Islanders (1993–94) | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | T | October 14, 1993 | 4–4 OT | Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 3–1–1 |
| 6 | W | October 16, 1993 | 8–4 | Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 4–1–1 |
| 7 | T | October 19, 1993 | 2–2 OT | @ Florida Panthers (1993–94) | 4–1–2 |
| 8 | W | October 20, 1993 | 4–3 | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94) | 5–1–2 |
| 9 | L | October 22, 1993 | 3–6 | @ Washington Capitals (1993–94) | 5–2–2 |
| 10 | L | October 24, 1993 | 2–3 | @ New York Rangers (1993–94) | 5–3–2 |
| 11 | L | October 26, 1993 | 0–7 | @ New York Islanders (1993–94) | 5–4–2 |
| 12 | L | October 27, 1993 | 3–8 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1993–94) | 5–5–2 |
| 13 | W | October 29, 1993 | 4–3 OT | @ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94) | 6–5–2 |
| 14 | W | November 3, 1993 | 3–2 | New Jersey Devils (1993–94) | 7–5–2 |
| 15 | W | November 6, 1993 | 8–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94) | 8–5–2 |
| 16 | L | November 9, 1993 | 2–3 | @ Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 8–6–2 |
| 17 | L | November 10, 1993 | 0–4 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 8–7–2 |
| 18 | W | November 13, 1993 | 6–3 | St. Louis Blues (1993–94) | 9–7–2 |
| 19 | L | November 18, 1993 | 2–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94) | 9–8–2 |
| 20 | L | November 20, 1993 | 1–4 | @ St. Louis Blues (1993–94) | 9–9–2 |
| 21 | L | November 21, 1993 | 4–7 | @ Dallas Stars (1993–94) | 9–10–2 |
| 22 | L | November 25, 1993 | 6–8 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1993–94) | 9–11–2 |
| 23 | L | November 27, 1993 | 0–4 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1993–94) | 9–12–2 |
| 24 | L | November 30, 1993 | 6–8 | Winnipeg Jets (1993–94) | 9–13–2 |
| 25 | W | December 2, 1993 | 3–2 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 10–13–2 |
| 26 | L | December 4, 1993 | 4–5 | Tampa Bay Lightning (1993–94) | 10–14–2 |
| 27 | L | December 8, 1993 | 5–6 | Florida Panthers (1993–94) | 10–15–2 |
| 28 | W | December 11, 1993 | 9–1 | St. Louis Blues (1993–94) | 11–15–2 |
| 29 | L | December 13, 1993 | 2–5 | @ Ottawa Senators (1993–94) | 11–16–2 |
| 30 | L | December 14, 1993 | 2–4 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1993–94) | 11–17–2 |
| 31 | L | December 17, 1993 | 0–2 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1993–94) | 11–18–2 |
| 32 | L | December 18, 1993 | 1–4 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94) | 11–19–2 |
| 33 | W | December 20, 1993 | 5–4 OT | @ Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 12–19–2 |
| 34 | L | December 23, 1993 | 1–2 | Dallas Stars (1993–94) | 12–20–2 |
| 35 | W | December 26, 1993 | 3–2 | @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 13–20–2 |
| 36 | W | December 28, 1993 | 6–5 | Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 14–20–2 |
| 37 | T | December 31, 1993 | 4–4 OT | @ Detroit Red Wings (1993–94) | 14–20–3 |
| 38 | W | January 1, 1994 | 7–4 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94) | 15–20–3 |
| 39 | W | January 4, 1994 | 5–1 | Quebec Nordiques (1993–94) | 16–20–3 |
| 40 | L | January 8, 1994 | 3–6 | Detroit Red Wings (1993–94) | 16–21–3 |
| 41 | T | January 11, 1994 | 2–2 OT | @ San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 16–21–4 |
| 42 | W | January 12, 1994 | 6–4 | Hartford Whalers (1993–94) | 17–21–4 |
| 43 | W | January 15, 1994 | 5–3 | @ New Jersey Devils (1993–94) | 18–21–4 |
| 44 | L | January 16, 1994 | 2–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94) | 18–22–4 |
| 45 | L | January 18, 1994 | 3–5 | @ Dallas Stars (1993–94) | 18–23–4 |
| 46 | T | January 24, 1994 | 3–3 OT | @ Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 18–23–5 |
| 47 | T | January 25, 1994 | 4–4 OT | Winnipeg Jets (1993–94) | 18–23–6 |
| 48 | L | January 27, 1994 | 4–5 OT | New York Rangers (1993–94) | 18–24–6 |
| 49 | W | January 29, 1994 | 5–1 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 19–24–6 |
| 50 | L | January 31, 1994 | 1–3 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 19–25–6 |
| 51 | L | February 2, 1994 | 4–6 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 19–26–6 |
| 52 | L | February 5, 1994 | 4–5 OT | Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 19–27–6 |
| 53 | W | February 9, 1994 | 4–2 | Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94) | 20–27–6 |
| 54 | W | February 11, 1994 | 5–3 | @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 21–27–6 |
| 55 | L | February 12, 1994 | 1–6 | Washington Capitals (1993–94) | 21–28–6 |
| 56 | L | February 14, 1994 | 2–3 OT | Boston Bruins (1993–94) | 21–29–6 |
| 57 | L | February 18, 1994 | 3–4 | Philadelphia Flyers (1993–94) | 21–30–6 |
| 58 | L | February 19, 1994 | 3–4 | @ San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 21–31–6 |
| 59 | L | February 21, 1994 | 4–6 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1993–94) | 21–32–6 |
| 60 | T | February 23, 1994 | 0–0 OT | Dallas Stars (1993–94) | 21–32–7 |
| 61 | T | February 25, 1994 | 5–5 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 21–32–8 |
| 62 | L | February 26, 1994 | 2–4 | @ Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 21–33–8 |
| 63 | T | February 28, 1994 | 3–3 OT | Montreal Canadiens (1993–94) | 21–33–9 |
| 64 | W | March 2, 1994 | 4–1 | @ Hartford Whalers (1993–94) | 22–33–9 |
| 65 | L | March 3, 1994 | 4–6 | @ Boston Bruins (1993–94) | 22–34–9 |
| 66 | T | March 6, 1994 | 3–3 OT | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94) | 22–34–10 |
| 67 | L | March 9, 1994 | 0–4 | Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94) | 22–35–10 |
| 68 | L | March 12, 1994 | 3–5 | Buffalo Sabres (1993–94) | 22–36–10 |
| 69 | W | March 15, 1994 | 7–0 | Ottawa Senators (1993–94) | 23–36–10 |
| 70 | L | March 16, 1994 | 2–5 | @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 23–37–10 |
| 71 | W | March 19, 1994 | 2–1 | San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 24–37–10 |
| 72 | T | March 20, 1994 | 6–6 OT | @ San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 24–37–11 |
| 73 | L | March 23, 1994 | 3–6 | Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 24–38–11 |
| 74 | W | March 25, 1994 | 4–3 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 25–38–11 |
| 75 | L | March 27, 1994 | 3–4 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1993–94) | 25–39–11 |
| 76 | L | March 30, 1994 | 2–5 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–94) | 25–40–11 |
| 77 | L | April 2, 1994 | 3–5 | Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 25–41–11 |
| 78 | W | April 3, 1994 | 6–1 | Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 26–41–11 |
| 79 | L | April 5, 1994 | 1–2 | San Jose Sharks (1993–94) | 26–42–11 |
| 80 | L | April 7, 1994 | 2–6 | @ St. Louis Blues (1993–94) | 26–43–11 |
| 81 | L | April 9, 1994 | 3–4 | @ Winnipeg Jets (1993–94) | 26–44–11 |
| 82 | L | April 10, 1994 | 1–2 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1993–94) | 26–45–11 |
| 83 | W | April 13, 1994 | 6–4 | Calgary Flames (1993–94) | 27–45–11 |
| 84 | T | April 14, 1994 | 2–2 OT | Edmonton Oilers (1993–94) | 27–45–12 |
Player statistics
Regular season
- Scoring
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 81 | 38 | 92 | 130 | 20 |
| Luc Robitaille | 83 | 44 | 42 | 86 | 86 |
| Jari Kurri | 81 | 31 | 46 | 77 | 48 |
| Rob Blake | 84 | 20 | 48 | 68 | 137 |
| Alexei Zhitnik | 81 | 12 | 40 | 52 | 101 |
| Mike Donnelly | 81 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 34 |
| Tomas Sandstrom | 51 | 17 | 24 | 41 | 59 |
| Darryl Sydor | 84 | 8 | 27 | 35 | 94 |
| John Druce | 55 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 50 |
| Pat Conacher | 77 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 71 |
| Shawn McEachern | 49 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 24 |
| Tony Granato | 50 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 150 |
| Warren Rychel | 80 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 322 |
| Robert Lang | 32 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 10 |
| Charlie Huddy | 79 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 71 |
| Jimmy Carson | 25 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 |
| Kevin Todd | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
| Marty McSorley | 18 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 55 |
| Tim Watters | 60 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 67 |
| Dixon Ward | 34 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 45 |
| Doug Houda | 54 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 165 |
| Dave Taylor | 33 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 28 |
| Gary Shuchuk | 56 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30 |
| Dominic Lavoie | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Brian McReynolds | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Mark Hardy | 16 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| Dan Currie | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Jim Paek | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| Phil Crowe | 31 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 77 |
| Keith Redmond | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| Brent Thompson | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 81 |
| Kelly Hrudey | 64 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Bob Jay | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Guy Leveque | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Rob Murphy | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| Donald Dufresne | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| David Goverde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Hocking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rick Knickle | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marc Potvin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Robb Stauber | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Dave Thomlinson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
- Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Hrudey | 3713 | 64 | 22 | 31 | 7 | 228 | 3.68 | 2219 | 1991 | .897 | 1 |
| Robb Stauber | 1144 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 65 | 3.41 | 706 | 641 | .908 | 1 |
| Rick Knickle | 174 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3.10 | 71 | 62 | .873 | 0 |
| David Goverde | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7.00 | 37 | 30 | .811 | 0 |
| Team: | 5091 | 84 | 27 | 45 | 12 | 309 | 3.64 | 3033 | 2724 | .898 | 2 |
Playoffs
The Kings missed the playoffs for the first time since 1986, despite making it to the Stanley Cup Finals the previous year.
Awards and honors
- Wayne Gretzky, Art Ross Trophy
- Wayne Gretzky, Lester Patrick Trophy[5]
Transactions
The Kings were involved in the following transactions during the 1993–94 season.[6]
Trades
| June 26, 1993 | To Los Angeles Kings 5th round pick in 1993 - Jason Saal |
To New Jersey Devils Corey Millen |
| August 27, 1993 | To Los Angeles Kings Shawn McEachern |
To Pittsburgh Penguins Marty McSorley |
| November 2, 1993 | To Los Angeles Kings Future considerations |
To Edmonton Oilers Jeff Chychrun |
| November 3, 1993 | To Los Angeles Kings Doug Houda |
To Hartford Whalers Marc Potvin |
| January 8, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings Dixon Ward |
To Vancouver Canucks Jimmy Carson |
| January 28, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings Brad Tiley |
To New York Rangers 11th round pick in 1994 - Jamie Butt |
| February 15, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings Marty McSorley Jim Paek |
To Pittsburgh Penguins Shawn McEachern Tomas Sandstrom |
| March 19, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings Donald Dufresne |
To Tampa Bay Lightning 6th round pick in 1994 - Dan Juden |
| March 21, 1994 | To Los Angeles Kings Kevin Todd |
To Chicago Blackhawks 4th round pick in 1994 - Steve McLaren |
Free agent signings
| July 15, 1993 | From Hartford Whalers Brian Chapman |
| July 16, 1993 | From Fort Wayne Komets (IHL) Bob Jay |
| July 16, 1993 | From Edmonton Oilers Dan Currie |
| July 16, 1993 | From Boston Bruins Dominic Lavoie |
| July 22, 1993 | From New York Rangers Dave Thomlinson |
| July 29, 1993 | From New York Rangers Brian McReynolds |
| August 2, 1993 | From Winnipeg Jets John Druce |
| August 2, 1993 | From Ottawa Senators Rob Murphy |
| October 13, 1993 | From Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) Eric Lavigne |
| November 8, 1993 | From Fort Wayne Komets (IHL) Phil Crowe |
Lost in expansion draft
| June 24, 1993 | To Anaheim Mighty Ducks Jim Thomson |
| June 24, 1993 | To Anaheim Mighty Ducks Lonnie Loach |
References
- Sources
- Notes
- ^ Dillman, Lisa (March 24, 1994). "No. 99 Gets Goal No. 802 -- Now He's No. 1 on List: Hockey: The Great One Passes Gordie Howe in the second period, but the Kings lose again, 6-3". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
- ^ "NHL Hockey Standings". NHL.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "1993-94 Los Angeles Kings Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
- ^ Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.425, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
- ^ "Hockey Transactions Search Results".