“I can’t imagine not being a Kings fan”
From the day she was born to today, hockey has been a significant piece of senior Sabrina Robertson’s life.
January 27, 2023
My experience with hockey started the day I was born when I was given a small hockey stick with the date of my birth on it. Some of my fondest and earliest memories are watching the Los Angeles Kings play on my family’s big box TV
I remember sitting with my dad and trying to learn the rules while the game was happening. Hockey is fast, the puck is small and my dad was talking so fast I couldn’t really keep up. But now I can proudly say I know most of the rules, even though it took 18 years. My dad always says he’s proud that he’s raised me right.
The National Hockey League season starts in October and each team has 82 games. There are 32 teams spanning from the West Coast to the East Coast and of course Canada. The teams normally play four games a week. The Stanley Cup Playoffs start in April and the Kings are currently in the running to make the playoffs. In the past couple of years, the Kings have not been able to make the playoffs but now with up and coming players the Kings are ready to shine.
While watching hockey on the TV is great, going to games is some of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Waiting outside to get your ticket checked was always my favorite. My stomach would feel like butterflies. I couldn’t wait to get into our seats. You could hear everything from the pucks hitting the sticks, players getting slammed into the boards and cheering on the fans.
Nothing beats when the Kings won their first Stanley Cup in 2012. The Stanley Cup is the trophy given to the winning team after the playoffs. When they won, my dad jumped up and cried. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life. I remember being so excited and jumping around with my sister.
After they won, there was a parade in Downtown L.A. that my family went to. My sister and I got out of school early and headed to the Orange Line. On our first bus, there were only a couple of Kings fans, but every stop gathered more and more fans. It was such a crazy feeling being surrounded by all these fans. When we finally got downtown all the players were on party buses waving and taking turns holding up the Stanley Cup. I swear that the then alternative captain Anže Kopitar waved to me!
Hockey has been a huge part of my life. I know I would be a different person if my parents weren’t huge hockey fans and I can’t imagine not being a Kings fan.
