Los Angeles Kings Logo PNG
The greatness of the Los Angeles Kings logo is fully emphasized. The crown, clubs, and shield convey much of the imperial status. The team’s name also obliges, referring to the beginning of noble roots and the aspiration for the highest nobility. This demonstrates the athletes’ focus on victory.
Los Angeles Kings: Brand overview
The journey began in 1967 when the National Hockey League (NHL) expanded from six to twelve teams. Canadian businessman Jack Kent Cooke, who also owned the Los Angeles Lakers, acquired the Los Angeles franchise for $2 million, a significant sum at the time. Cooke chose the name “Kings” to project a regal image, with the original colors of purple and gold symbolizing royalty. The team played its inaugural NHL season in the fall of 1967 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, under head coach Red Kelly, a former Toronto Maple Leaf and Detroit Red Wings player. Despite being a new team, the franchise placed second in the Western Division in its first season.
The 1970s were a pivotal decade, with the team consistently making the playoffs, though they never achieved significant success. A notable moment came in 1975 when they acquired legendary defenseman Bobby Orr from the Boston Bruins, although Orr could not play due to injury. The organization experienced a surge in success and popularity in the 1980s, particularly during the 1982 playoffs when they staged the “Miracle on Manchester,” returning from a 5-0 deficit in the third period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers.
A turning point in the club’s history occurred in 1988 when Wayne Gretzky was acquired from the Oilers, transforming the team into one of the most talked-about in the NHL. Gretzky’s arrival elevated the team’s performance and significantly boosted hockey’s popularity in Southern California. Despite Gretzky’s leadership, they fell to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, but the playoff run remains one of the franchise’s most memorable periods.
After Gretzky’s departure in 1996, the organization began rebuilding, facing financial difficulties that led to bankruptcy in 1995. Edward Roski and Philip Anschutz eventually purchased the team for $113.25 million. The 2000s saw a gradual comeback, as they drafted key players like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty and made their first playoff appearance in eight years in 2009.
2012 was a historic year for the team, as they won their first Stanley Cup after finishing eighth in the Western Conference during the regular season. Jonathan Quick was named the postseason MVP. They repeated this success in 2014, winning their second Stanley Cup by defeating the New York Rangers in an exciting five-game championship series, solidifying their reputation as one of the league’s top teams.
Following these victories, the organization faced challenges, including missing the playoffs in 2015, which led to general manager Dean Lombardi firing and head coach Darryl Sutter in 2017. The team entered another rebuilding phase, focusing on draft picks and developing younger players while retaining key veterans like Doughty and Kopitar. The club returned to the postseason in 2018 but was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.
In 2019, the team began a major rebuild, trading away veterans like Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin. They made a high-profile draft selection in 2020, choosing Quinton Byfield as the second overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. In 2021, team captain Anze Kopitar signed a long-term contract, signaling stability amidst the ongoing rebuild.
Over their 50-year history, the Los Angeles team has evolved from an expansion franchise to two-time Stanley Cup champions. Despite the ups and downs, the team has remained a significant part of the Los Angeles sports landscape, contributing to the growth of hockey’s popularity in Southern California, an area with no strong hockey tradition before their arrival. The recent strategy reflects a balance between developing young talent and maintaining a core of experienced veterans as they work toward regaining consistent playoff success.
Meaning and History
The Los Angeles Kings have a standard approach to logo creation. It involves placing the full name of the city or its initials above the crown, a practice seen in nearly every version of the club’s emblem. The only exception was the 2002-2011 version, when designers removed all inscriptions.
What are Los Angeles Kings?
This is a hockey team that is part of the Western Conference. It plays in the NHL, representing the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Kings were formed in 1967 and are one of the six teams that began playing as part of the expansion of the National Hockey League. Its home stadium is the Staples Center.
1967 – 1975
The Los Angeles Kings logo, which debuted in the 1967-1968 season, became a true symbol of that era and remains recognizable today. During those years, the team wore purple and gold hockey jerseys with this iconic logo.
The emblem is designed as a rectangular shield with a pointed base, adding a sense of majesty and formality. Inside the shield is a crown composed of numerous small details: circles, ovals, crosses, and lines. This intricate crown symbolizes the team’s royal authority and status, highlighting its ambitions and drive for victory.
Above the crown is the word “KINGS,” rendered in a serif font that adds sophistication. The lower diagonal line of the letter “K” is particularly notable, curving smoothly to give the font a dynamic and unique character. Directly above the “KINGS” inscription is the city name “LOS ANGELES,” set in a standard block font. This makes the visual mark concise and clear, emphasizing its connection to the city and fostering a sense of unity and pride in the team.
The official team colors—purple, gold, and white—add richness and brightness, underscoring the royal character and making the logo stand out among other emblems of the time.
1975 – 1987
Eight seasons after a successful start, the team updated its logo for the first time. The main changes concerned the word “KINGS”: designers enlarged it, moved it to the center, made the letters italic, and surrounded them with numerous horizontal strokes to create a sense of motion. They also worked on the font for the phrase “Los Angeles,” reduced the crown, and thickened both contours of the shield – yellow (inner) and purple (outer).
1987 – 1988
In the twenty-first season, the hockey club introduced an entirely new emblem, which coincided with the acquisition of Wayne Gretzky. Designers changed the logo’s color palette to match the color scheme of another NHL team—the “Los Angeles Raiders.” As a result, the shield became dark gray, while the inscriptions and contours turned black. The only element not modernized was the crown: it remained purple-yellow, as before.
1988 – 1998
The purple-yellow crown didn’t last long – just a year later, it was made black and white. Changes also affected the shield: developers chose a lighter shade of gray and added a wide white line along the entire contour. In addition, they expanded the shield in the middle, giving it a cross-like shape so that the word “KINGS” didn’t hang in space.
1998 – 2002
Ten years later, the team introduced a new logo featuring a triangular shield, symbolizing renewal and a new chapter in the club’s history. In the upper left corner of the emblem, a new crown appears, representing the team’s royal status and drive for leadership. The crown continues the theme of grandeur and ambition established in previous emblems.
In the upper right corner of the shield, a sun is depicted, represented as a circle with rays of varying lengths. This adds dynamism to the emblem and symbolizes the light, warmth, and energy necessary for victories and new achievements on the ice.
The lower part of the shield is occupied by an image of a lion with a hockey stick, emphasizing the team’s power and strength. Like the crown, the lion symbolizes royal authority and might but now embodies readiness for battle and persistence on the hockey rink.
Two crossed hockey sticks on the shield symbolize the team’s hockey essence and readiness for competition, highlighting the players’ unity and fighting spirit.
Above and below the shield, inside two inverted trapezoids, are the inscriptions “LA” and “KINGS.” These words are rendered in a strict and clear font, adding confidence to the visual mark and reinforcing the team’s status.
This logo features less gray but more black and blue than in previous years. Black symbolizes strength and stability, while blue represents confidence and determination.
2002 – 2011
In 2002, the Los Angeles Kings logo radically transformed, reflecting a new era in the team’s history. Instead of the traditional shield, inscriptions, and numerous details, the logo became more streamlined and powerful. The main and only element now is a large crown with two crossed hockey sticks at its pointed top.
As a symbol of royal authority, the crown emphasizes the team’s leadership ambitions and drive to be at the top. It appears massive and imposing, giving the emblem a sense of seriousness and significance. In the center of the crown, several circular elements and geometric shapes can be noticed, adding detail and making the design more recognizable.
The crossed sticks at the top of the crown symbolize the team’s hockey identity and readiness for competition. This element underscores the athletic nature of the visual mark and the strong connection to hockey.
The team’s color palette has changed but remains true to its traditions. The combination of silver, blue, and black creates a sense of strength, confidence, and stability. Silver highlights elegance and high standards, while blue adds dynamism and energy.
The move away from unnecessary details and the shift toward a simpler, more powerful image reflects the changes happening within the team at that time. The new logo symbolized a new era, highlighting their readiness for new challenges and victories.
2011 – 2019
In 2011, the traditional shield initially owned by the club returned. Designers divided it into two parts: the upper part contained the abbreviated name of the city, and the lower part – the crown. This time, they abandoned the blue color, focusing on black, gray, and white.
2019 – 2024
In the latest version of the emblem, the colors have changed slightly: black has become more saturated, and an additional silver border has appeared around the shield’s perimeter. As a result of expanding the border, the elements decreased slightly in size.
2024 – today
The logo resembles the one used from 1988 to 1998 but has undergone several significant changes, making it more modern and expressive. The new version has altered the word “Kings” typography, and a small white shadow has been added, giving it depth and dynamism.
House Industries developed the font used in the logo. This typography masterfully recreated the logo, incorporating elements from the entire history of the hockey team. The primary colors remain the same: black, silver, and white—still associated with strength, elegance, and purity, reflecting the team’s spirit.
The logo’s overall shape has been expanded by increasing the vertical section. This allowed for larger “LOS ANGELES” text and made the crown more noticeable. In the new version of the emblem, this crown has become more prominent, emphasizing the team’s royal status and drive for leadership.
The horizontal part of the logo has been raised, creating space for the “KINGS” text, which is rendered in a bolder font with added speed lines. Though their number has decreased, these lines have become thicker, and their shapes and lengths now vary, enhancing the sense of movement and speed.
The fonts for “LOS ANGELES” and “KINGS” have been changed to improve readability, and the white shadow on the “KINGS” text now falls from the left, creating an impression of movement from left to right. This element adds dynamism to the logo and underscores the energy and power that the team is known for.
Los Angeles Kings: Interesting Facts
The Los Angeles Kings, an ice hockey team from Los Angeles, California, has significantly impacted the National Hockey League (NHL) since its inception.
- Formation: The team was established on February 9, 1966, when the NHL expanded by adding six new teams, including this Los Angeles franchise.
- First Stanley Cup Win: It took some time, but in 2012, they secured their first Stanley Cup by defeating the New Jersey Devils, marking a historic moment for the organization and its supporters.
- Second Championship: Just two years later, in 2014, the team clinched another Stanley Cup by overcoming the New York Rangers, proving their dominance in the league during that period.
- Miracle on Manchester: One of the most memorable games in their history occurred in 1982 when they staged an incredible comeback from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers. This game remains one of the greatest comebacks in NHL history.
- Acquiring Gretzky: In 1988, the franchise made headlines by trading for Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest players in hockey history. This acquisition not only elevated the team’s performance but also significantly boosted the popularity of ice hockey in non-traditional markets.
- Iconic Jerseys: Over the years, their jerseys have evolved from the original purple and gold to the black and silver introduced during Gretzky’s era, with each color scheme representing different periods in the team’s history.
- Home Arena: The team calls the Crypto.com Arena, a major sports and entertainment venue in downtown Los Angeles, its home. They share this arena with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.
- Legendary Players: Several of their players, including Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille, have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, reflecting the high caliber of talent associated with the franchise.
- Broadcasting Innovation: The organization has led in bringing its games to fans, utilizing online streaming early on and featuring celebrated broadcasters like Bob Miller.
- Community Involvement: Beyond the rink, the team is heavily involved in community projects, focusing on youth, education, and environmental initiatives. Their Kings Care Foundation plays a crucial role in these efforts.
Font and Colors
Over half a century, the Los Angeles Kings logo has undergone significant changes, although designers tried to adhere to the classic concept. They retained the quadrangular shield with a sharp base and crown, albeit in a modernized form. They also considered the arrangement of elements: the inscription is traditionally located in the upper part, and the symbol of royal power occupies the lower half of the emblem.
In the modern version of the logo, only the abbreviation “LA” remains from the phrase “Los Angeles Kings.” It is written in an unusual font and was introduced as early as the 1998-1999 season, making it noticeable and self-sufficient. The letters feature an original design: the absence of serifs is compensated for by pointed and flared edges.
The original palette includes gold and purple colors. In 1987, black and gray were added, and in 1988, they were completely replaced. However, the chosen combination of shades became associated with gangster culture, so in 1998, it was supplemented with dark blue. However, the redesign of 2011 returned to the familiar silver-black palette.
FAQ
What does the “Los Angeles Kings” logo represent?
The Los Angeles Kings logo is a pentagonal shield with a black background and a triple contour. It is divided into two parts and resembles a downward arrow. Inside are two large letters (L and A, denoting the team’s location) and a classic-style imperial crown.
Have the “Los Angeles Kings” changed their logo?
Yes, the LA Kings have changed their logo several times. The latest adjustments were made in 2019. They only concerned the frame, which now consists of three stripes: white, purple-silver, and black. However, the most radical changes occurred in 2011, when the design transitioned to a minimalist design with a shield, crown, and abbreviation.
Where did the “Los Angeles Kings” get their name?
Cooke chose this name after a contest held among the team’s fans. He aimed for his club to attain “royal status.”
Why do the “Los Angeles Kings” wear purple?
The LA Kings logo uses noble and restrained colors, confirming the royal status of the club, including the shade of Forum Blue. That’s why the hockey players are dressed in light-purple uniforms.