No surprise here. Luc Robitaille is headed for the NHL Hall of Fame. He joins a stellar 2009 class that includes Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman and Brian Leetch. Luc's 668 goals are the most ever by a left winger.
Robitaille was drafted by the Kings in the 9th round of the 1984 draft. (That same season, the Kings drafted future MLB Hall of Famer and 300-game winner Tom Glavine in the 4th round, but Glavine opted to pitch in the Major Leagues for the Atlanta Braves). He won the Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1987, where he recorded 45 goals and 84 points, and quickly became synonymous with the Kings, becoming a fan favorite. Luc played his first eight seasons with the Kings, his best season coming in 1992-93, where he scored 62 goals and 125 total points. That same year, Luc helped lead an all-star roster that included Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Rob Blake, as the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first and only time in franchise history. The Kings lost to Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
Luc was then traded to Pittsburgh after the 1994 season, and played there for one season before being traded to the Rangers for two years. The Rangers then traded him back to the Kings after the 1997 season, and Luc played for the Kings for four more seasons. As a free agent after the 2001 season, Luc signed with Detroit for two seasons, where he helped the Red Wings win a Stanley Cup in 2002, along with Yzerman and Leetch. Luc then returned to L.A. for his third and final stint with the Kings, which lasted two seasons.
Along the way, Luc broke the all-time records for goals and points (1,394) by a left-winger, and in his last season in the league, he set the Kings franchise record for goals and points. On the night he surpassed former Kings great Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading scorer in frachise history, he fittingly recorded the 15th hat trick of his career. On April 11, 2006, he officially announced his retirement from the game, and retired from the game following the 2006 season after 19 stellar seasons in the NHL. Luc retired as the most popular player in Kings history, and his sweater No. 20 was retired and raised to the rafters of Staples Center on January 20, 2007. His jersey is one of five retired by the Kings, along with Dionne's No. 16, Dave Taylor's No. 18, Rogie Vachon's No. 30, and Gretzky's No. 99.
Congratulations Luc, on a well-deserved honor for your hard work and dedication to being one of the greatest hockey players ever, and one of the nicest and humble people I have met.
Robitaille was drafted by the Kings in the 9th round of the 1984 draft. (That same season, the Kings drafted future MLB Hall of Famer and 300-game winner Tom Glavine in the 4th round, but Glavine opted to pitch in the Major Leagues for the Atlanta Braves). He won the Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1987, where he recorded 45 goals and 84 points, and quickly became synonymous with the Kings, becoming a fan favorite. Luc played his first eight seasons with the Kings, his best season coming in 1992-93, where he scored 62 goals and 125 total points. That same year, Luc helped lead an all-star roster that included Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Rob Blake, as the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first and only time in franchise history. The Kings lost to Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
Luc was then traded to Pittsburgh after the 1994 season, and played there for one season before being traded to the Rangers for two years. The Rangers then traded him back to the Kings after the 1997 season, and Luc played for the Kings for four more seasons. As a free agent after the 2001 season, Luc signed with Detroit for two seasons, where he helped the Red Wings win a Stanley Cup in 2002, along with Yzerman and Leetch. Luc then returned to L.A. for his third and final stint with the Kings, which lasted two seasons.
Along the way, Luc broke the all-time records for goals and points (1,394) by a left-winger, and in his last season in the league, he set the Kings franchise record for goals and points. On the night he surpassed former Kings great Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading scorer in frachise history, he fittingly recorded the 15th hat trick of his career. On April 11, 2006, he officially announced his retirement from the game, and retired from the game following the 2006 season after 19 stellar seasons in the NHL. Luc retired as the most popular player in Kings history, and his sweater No. 20 was retired and raised to the rafters of Staples Center on January 20, 2007. His jersey is one of five retired by the Kings, along with Dionne's No. 16, Dave Taylor's No. 18, Rogie Vachon's No. 30, and Gretzky's No. 99.
Congratulations Luc, on a well-deserved honor for your hard work and dedication to being one of the greatest hockey players ever, and one of the nicest and humble people I have met.
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