Kings will honor Dustin Brown and retire number 23 on February 11

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February 11: save the date!

The LA Kings announced today that the organization will retire the number 23 in honor of legendary captain Dustin Brown on February 11, when the Kings host Pittsburgh at Crypto.com Arena. Brown’s night will include many things, with the banner in the rafters and a statue outside the building being the highlights of the night.

Brown’s No. 23 is the seventh number in franchise history to hit the rafters, joining Rob Blake (4), Marcel Dionne (16), Dave Taylor (18), Luc Robitaille (20), Rogie Vachon ( 30) and Wayne Gretzky (99). Brown’s statue will be only the third in franchise history for a single player, joining Robitaille and Gretzky, plus announcer Bob Miller. A special night in the cards for all involved.

“Retiring my number is something I never imagined and it’s a humbling honor,” said Brown. “I am incredibly proud to have played for the LA Kings my entire career. With my number going to the rafters, I am honored to be among the Three Wise Men, but it makes me think of the two flags already on the rafters, of which I am very proud. It took a lot of people to raise those two flags; the same is true for this one. Thank you to everyone who has helped me achieve my dreams.”

Naturally, the organization didn’t hesitate in this particular instance: Brown was the first King to lift the Stanley Cup and played a franchise-record 1,296 regular-season games with the organization, not to mention 92 in the playoffs, including a pair of games that clinched the championship in 2012 and 2014.

For many reasons, this was an honor Brown always received after he decided to end his playing career at the end of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“What he has done for this franchise has never been done before,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said. “He was drafted here, he became the captain and with all of his accomplishments (goals, points, hits, number of games played) and what he’s done for the franchise. He was the first captain to lift the Stanley Cup for the franchise and that alone was enough for him to retire his jersey. But when you add everything else and everything he’s meant to this franchise, it’s the ultimate no-brainer.”

A no-brainer, in fact!

Brown’s resume is long and ornate, starting with two Stanley Cups as captain of the LA Kings. Brown is also the all-time leader in games played with the Kings franchise and among NHL players who have spent their entire careers with a franchise, Brown ranks sixth all-time in games played. With the Kings, Brown ranks inside the Top-10 in goals (sixth), assists (eighth) and points (seventh) and is one of only six players all-time with 100 or more power-play goals, ranking fourth place in that category.

For a player with such a long list of accomplishments, Robitaille noted that there was no hesitation in not only retiring Brown’s number, but during his first season out of the NHL. When asked, the answer was simple: why wait?

“The guy deserves it, we have to do it immediately, we don’t have to wait and that’s the reason for me,” he said. “This guy has done a lot for our franchise and we need to honor him right away, because he deserves it.”

When it comes to jersey recalls, as noted, Robitaille is someone who knows a thing or two. Robitaille’s number 20 is one of six currently out of circulation for the franchise, a result of him topping just about every scoring chart you can think of.

He recalled his own jersey retirement to give an idea of ​​what Brown might be feeling. It’s never something you really think about as a kid, nor is it an individual achievement or honor for that matter. But, once it happens, it’s a moment you can embrace for what it is, even though you never really set out to achieve it.

“Seeing your jersey retired is a strange thing, because when you’re a kid playing hockey, you just want to play in the NHL, then you want to win the Stanley Cup,” he recalled. “You never think about awards or merits, only about a player, you always think about the team. So when you retire and a team retires your jersey, it’s like ‘wow’. You never played for that reason, but you never realize the impact you had on the community and the team etc. For me, I never realized that I would retire my shirt. It’s kind of a strange feeling and it’s a very humiliating feeling.”

As noted, Brown’s impact on the community and the Kings organization was enormous. Brown was recognized in 2011 with the NHL Foundation Player Award for his involvement and community efforts, and in 2014 he received the Mark Messier Leadership Award for his leadership on and off the ice. Within the Kings organization, Brown was named Bill Libby Memorial Award MVP twice (2008-09, 2018-19), Most Popular Player five times (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2012-13, 2017-18), Most Inspirational Player three times (2007-08, 2017-18, 2018-19), winner of the Jim Fox Community Service Award in four different seasons (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010 -11, 2021-22), and the Daryl Evans Junior Hockey Service Award in 2021-22.

As we look ahead to the 2022-23 season, February 11 has just become one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar. It was already an exciting day as the first game back from the All-Star break, as well as the only visit of the season for Jeff Carter and the Pittsburgh Penguins, an additional first that will bring one more teammate into the building. for a special night.

The only way to guarantee a ticket to that game will be through a ticket package. Tickets to this game can be secured with a season ticket membership, group package, or event suite plan. For more information on these packages, CLICK HERE. Individual tickets for the game will be released at a later date.

“It’s going to be special,” Robitaille added. “Jersey retirements are always very special for the fans, because you appreciate what they have done. There is never a last thank you, because we will have more opportunities with the years, because it is a real thank you, it is a way of thanking you and appreciating what you have done. For him, it’s a great thing for his whole family. I really want to do it.”

EL SEGUNDO, CA – APRIL 29: Los Angeles Kings Dustin Brown poses for a photo after announcing that he will retire after the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs on April 29, 2022 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)

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