The Los Angeles Kings are marking their 60th anniversary this week, reflecting on six decades of growth from modest beginnings to becoming a major franchise in the National Hockey League. The team’s home opener for the anniversary season, scheduled against the Florida Panthers, highlights the franchise’s evolution since its founding in 1967.

Alan Rothenberg, who was instrumental in launching the Kings and served as vice president and general counsel under original owner Jack Kent Cooke, remains a key figure in the team’s history. At 87, Rothenberg said he plans to watch the game from home, noting his diminished enthusiasm for attending in person. Still, he vividly recalls the Kings’ inaugural home opener, a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers held at the Long Beach Convention Center. The arena drew just over 7,000 spectators, with approximately 4,000 empty seats—a stark contrast to the packed arenas the Kings would come to fill in later decades.

Cooke, a Canadian businessman who brought professional hockey to Southern California, initially believed the region’s sizable expatriate Canadian population would easily embrace the sport. That assumption proved overly optimistic as early attendance struggled, and skepticism about hockey’s viability in warm climates persisted. Rothenberg, a native of Detroit and longtime hockey fan, was more optimistic. Drawing from his experience growing up in “Hockeytown,” home of the Detroit Red Wings, he believed the sport would eventually thrive. His forecast was accurate: today, the Kings are a cornerstone of a league that boasts significant expansion into southern and western U.S. markets.

Since those early years, the franchise has experienced substantial success both on and off the ice. The Kings have secured two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, and during that period sold out 297 consecutive games at the Staples Center. The team’s rise parallels the NHL’s broader geographic shift. Over one-third of NHL franchises now play in regions known for milder climates, including cities such as Anaheim, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Dallas. This transformation is underscored by recent competitive trends, with six of the last seven Stanley Cup champions and ten of the last fourteen finalists based in Sun Belt or desert locations. Meanwhile, Canadian teams have not claimed the title in over three decades.

The Kings initially split their home games between the Long Beach Arena, the Sports Arena, and the Forum during their debut season, attracting an average crowd of just over 8,000 per game. They qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota North Stars, a team which itself later relocated to Dallas. Ownership changes followed, with Cooke selling the team to Jerry Buss, who was later succeeded by Bruce McNall. McNall’s acquisition of Wayne Gretzky in 1988 marked a turning point, propelling the franchise into sustained prominence.

Currently owned by AEG, a global sports and entertainment company, the Kings are valued at $3.33 billion, ranking fourth among the NHL’s 32 teams. Notably, they stand as the highest-valued franchise outside the league’s Original Six and among teams based in warm-weather markets.

Beyond his work with the Kings, Rothenberg’s legacy extends across American sports. He played a central role in bringing legendary players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson to the Los Angeles Lakers, laying the groundwork for the franchise’s famed Showtime era. Additionally, he helped organize landmark international events including the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup. As president of U.S. Soccer, Rothenberg also contributed to the establishment of Major League Soccer, now one of the world’s largest professional leagues.

Despite these wide-ranging accomplishments, Rothenberg regards his involvement with the Kings as his proudest achievement. For him, the franchise’s journey from a modest start in southern California to a central figure in the NHL exemplifies the enduring passion and potential of hockey beyond traditional northern markets. “In terms of fandom, that was it,” Rothenberg said, reflecting on the team’s first season six decades ago. “It was great.”