Battling through a midseason slump, the Los Angeles Kings are on the verge of getting one of their most important players back in the lineup. Star defenseman Drew Doughty, who has been out of the lineup since the preseason,

Drew Doughty ’s long-awaited return to the Los Angeles Kings became imminent this week. The anticipation of the future Hall of Fame defenseman’s first game this season was such that Jim Hiller brought some levity to end a downbeat media session after a one-sided loss to Pittsburgh on Monday.

The circumstances were particularly meaningful for Pittsburgh forward Blake Lizotte, who started his NHL career with the Kings and had 106 points (37 goals, 69 assists) in 320 games for them. This was his first game at Crypto.com Arena as a visitor, but the LAFD hat he wore after the morning skate reflected the larger circumstances.

The Los Angeles Kings and NHL will host a celebrity and NHL All-Star Alumni charity game to aid in the recovery of the Los Angeles wildfires. Actor Will Arnett and Kings president Luc Robitaille joined the NHL on TNT pregame show on Wednesday to announce the “Skate for LA Strong” event which will be held on Feb. 23 at Crypto.com Arena.

BOTTOM LINE: The Columbus Blue Jackets, on a four-game home winning streak, host the Los Angeles Kings. Columbus has a 23-19-7 record overall and a 16-5-3 record on its home ice. The Blue Jackets have a 3-3-6 record in games decided by a goal.

As Los Angeles gets to work rebuilding from the tragic wildfires that swept through numerous communities, everyone is rallying to do their part. The Los Angeles Kings announced a celebrity and NHL All Star Alumni hockey game benefiting the LA Fire Relief Fund.

At the end of the day, the Florida Panthers opened their road trip by playing a solid road back-to-back. After taking down the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night, Florida skated into downtown Los Angeles looking for a similar result against the Kings. For two periods, the game was trending in that direction.

The Los Angeles Kings return to the ice on Saturday night for their matchup against the Seattle Kraken. Players will hit the ice starting at 6:20 p.m., and you can follow along with every second on.

One of my first conversations with Kevin Hayes at training camp this season was about his support for first responders.

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings play the Florida Panthers in a non-conference matchup. Los Angeles has a 25-14-5 record overall and a 14-3-1 record in home games. The Kings have conceded 109 goals while scoring 129 for a +20 scoring differential.

The Los Angeles Kings honoured firefighters and first responders in the first game back in their downtown arena since the catastrophic wildfires that devastated large parts of Los Angeles.head of first puck drop.

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