While the American state of California may not seem a natural setting as a hockey hotbed due to its warm weather and location on the west coast, the sport of ice hockey has had a long relationship with the area.
There are currently three NHL teams in California, which are the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks. Along with New York, California is the only state with three NHL franchises.
Are the California NHL Teams Rivals?
The three California franchises are natural rivals due to their close geographical location to each other and the fact that they all compete in the league’s Pacific Division on the Western Conference. Of course, the clubs play each other for bragging rights as to which team and city is the best in the state.
Los Angeles and Anaheim have met just once in the playoffs with the Kings edging the Ducks in the full seven games in the second round in 2013/14. Both teams are located in southern California and compete for the same local television market. Their home rinks are approximately 25 miles (40 kilometres) apart and are connected by the California freeway system. This has led to their rivalry being known as The Freeway Face-Off.
Los Angeles and San Jose, which is located in northern California and is about 340 miles (547 kilometres) away, met in the playoffs in 2010/11 with San Jose downing the Kings in six games in the first round. They met again in the 2012/13 Western Conference Semifinals with the Kings winning in seven games. The Kings won in seven games again in the first round in the 2013/14 after losing the first three contests. The Sharks then won the first-round meeting in five games in 2015/16.
San Jose and Anaheim, which are 365 miles (587 kilometres) apart, met in the postseason in 2008/09 with the Ducks winning the first round-set in six games. The Sharks then got revenge by sweeping the Ducks in the first round in 2017/18.
Which California NHL Team Has the Most Stanley Cups?
Los Angeles Kings have won two Stanley Cups, which came in 2011/12 and 2013/14 while Anaheim won the trophy in 2006/07. San Jose have yet to win it but are the only one of the three clubs to win a President’s Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team, which they achieved in 2008/09.
1. The Los Angeles Kings:
When Did the Los Angeles Kings Join the NHL?
The Los Angeles Kings played their first NHL season in 1967/68. The franchise’s current affiliate teams are the Ontario Reign of the AHL and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.
Where is the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Stadium?
The Kings play their home games at the Crypto.com Arena which has a capacity of 18,230 for ice hockey. The venue opened in 1999 and was known as the Staples Center until 2021. The team played out of the Forum in Inglewood, California for its first 32 years.
Who Are Some of The Most Notable Players from the Los Angeles Kings?
As of February, 2023 the following former Kings players had been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Rob Blake, Harry Howell, Larry Robinson, Paul Coffey, Jarome Iginla, Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, Terry Sawchuk, Dick Duff, Jari Kurri, Steve Shutt, Grant Fuhr, Larry Murphy, Billy Smith, Wayne Gretzky, Bob Pulford and Rogatein Vachon. In addition, Brian Kilrea, Jake Milford and Roger Neilson have been inducted in the Builder’s Category.
Other notable players in Kings history include: Anze Kopitar, Zigmund Palffy, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Justin Williams, Charlie Simmer, Alexander Frolov, Marty McSorley, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Dave Taylor, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tyler Toffoli, Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, Jamie Storr, Jozef Stumpel, Mathieu Garon, Jarret Stoll, Mike Murphy, Terry Harper, Bernie Nicholls, Michael Cammalleri, Tony Granato, Kelly Hrudey, Butch Goring, Ian Laperriere, Bob Berry, Ralph Backstrom, Mike Corrigan, Steve Duchesne, Bill Flett, Glenn Goldup, Jim Fox, Mark Hardy, Adrian Kempe, Don Kozak, Tomas Sandstrom, Juha Widing, Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams, Bob Murdoch, Mattias Norstrom and Jimmy Carson.
2. The San Jose Sharks:
When Did the San Jose Sharks Join the NHL?
The first NHL season for the San Jose Sharks came in 1991/92. The club’s current affiliate teams are the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.
Where is the San Jose Sharks Hockey Stadium?
The Sharks currently play their home games at the SAP Center which has capacity for 17,562 hockey fans and opened in 1993.The venue was known as the San Jose Arena from 1993 to 2001, the Compaq Center in 2001/2002 and the HP Pavilion from 2002 to 2013. Before moving to their new home the Sharks played their home games at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
Who Are Some of The Most Notable Players from The San Jose Sharks?
There are currently six former Sharks’ players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These are: Ed Belfour, Rob Blake, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Teemu Selanne and Doug Wilson.
Some other notable San Jose players include: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov, Jonathan Cheechoo, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Ryane Clowe, Dan Boyle, Devin Setoguchi, Jeff Friesen, Scott Hannan, Erik Karlsson, Vincent Damphousse, Timo Meier,
Sandis Ozoliņsh, Marcus Ragnarsson, Alexander Korolyuk, Evander Kane, Marco Sturm, Mike Ricci, Bryan Marchment, Martin Jones, Kelly Kisio, Tony Granato, Arturs Irbe, Matt Nieto, Ulf Dahlen, Douglas Murray, Dany Heatley, Milan Michalek, Joonas Donskoi, Nils Ekman, Stephane Matteau, Johan Garpenlov, Mike Rathje, Ray Whitney, Jason Demers, Christian Ehrhoff, Pat Falloon and Melker Karlsson.
3. The Anaheim Ducks:
When Did the Anaheim Ducks Join the NHL?
The Anaheim Ducks franchise was founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1993 with the club entering the NHL in 1993/94. The team’s original name was the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, which was based on a popular 1992 movie named The Mighty Ducks. Disney sold the club in 2005 and its name was changed to the Anaheim Ducks a year later.
Where is the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Stadium?
The Ducks play their home games at the Honda Center which has a capacity for 17,174 for ice hockey and opened in June, 1993. The venue was known as the Anaheim Arena/Pond of Anaheim when it was first built and then the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1993 to 2006.
Who Are Some of The Most Notable Players from The Anaheim Ducks?
There are currently three former Ducks’ players in the Hockey Hall of Fame; Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Teemu Selanne.
Some other notable Ducks’ players include: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Paul Kariya, Chris Kunitz, Saku Koivu, Steve Rucchin, Rob Niedermayer, Matt Cullen, Bobby Ryan, Oleg Tverdovsky, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Todd Ewen, Jonas Hiller, George Parros, Andy McDonald, Vitaly Vishnevskiy, Hampus Lindholm, Ruslan Salei, Fredrik Olausson, François Beauchemin, Josh Manson, Andrew Cogliano, Joffrey Lupul, Rickard Rakell, Nick Bonino, Todd Marchant, Matt Beleskey, Samuel Pahlsson, Jakob Silfverberg, Dustin Penner, Kyle Palmieri, Petr Sykora, Cam Fowler, Stu Grimson, Niclas Havelid, Guy Hebert, Adam Henrique and Michael Del Zotto.
Why Does California Have 3 NHL Hockey Teams?
The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are in southern California while the San Jose Sharks are in the north of the state. The clubs have strong fan bases as the market is large enough to support all three of them and the greater Los Angeles Area is the second biggest metropolitan region in America.
There are many hockey fans in the state as well as frequent visitors from Canada and other areas of the USA who come to support visiting teams. The move to place three teams in California seems to have worked out well for the NHL as the clubs have won three Stanley Cups and one President’s Trophy between them.
Not all California-based NHL clubs were successful though as the California Golden Seals entered the league in 1967/68 as an expansion team at the same time the Los Angeles Kings were admitted. The franchise was based in the city of Oakland, and played their home contests at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena.
The NHL club originated as the California Seals, changed its name to the Oakland Seals in 1967/68, became the Bay Area Seals in 1970 and then settled on the California Golden Seals later in 1970. The team relocated to Ohio in 1976 and became the Cleveland Barons but folded two years later.
Who Are Some Famous NHL Players Born in California?
There have been approximately 50 California-born players in the NHL as of 2023 with some of the most notable being: Auston Matthews, Thatcher Demko, Jason Zucker, Matt Nieto, Trevor Moore, Jason Robertson, Collin Delia, Cameron York, Brooks Orpik, Rocco Grimaldi, Kevan Miller, Kerby Rychel, Ryan Hollweg, Rik Wilson, Craig Coxe, David Roberts, Beau Bennett, Lee Norwood, Emerson Etem, Scott Parker, Jonathon Blum, and Nick Robertson.
What AHL Teams are in California?
The Bakersfield Condors currently play in the Pacific division of the Western Conference in the AHL (American Hockey League) and are affiliated with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. The team plays its home games at the Mechanics Bank Arena in the city of Bakersfield, with a capacity of 8,751 for ice hockey.
The franchise originated as the Nova Scotia Oilers in 1984 and became the Cape Breton Oilers from 1988 to 1996 when they became the Hamilton Bulldogs until 2003. The team was known as the Toronto Roadrunners in 2003/04 and the Edmonton Road Runners in 2004/05. The franchise then went dormant and emerged as the Oklahoma City Barons in 2010 and relocated to Bakersfield in 2015.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds play in Thousand Palms, California and compete in the Pacific Division. The franchise originated in 2022/23 and is an affiliate of the Seattle Kraken of the NHL. The team plays its home games at the Acrisure Arena which has a capacity of 9,918 for ice hockey.
The Ontario Reign compete in the Pacific Division and play their home games at the 9,736-capacity Toyota Arena in the city of Ontario. The club began play in the AHL in 2015/16 and is affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. The franchise originated as the Manchester Monarchs in 2001 and moved to California in 2015.
The San Diego Gulls are affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and also play in the league’s Pacific Division. The team plays its home games at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, which has a capacity of 12,920 for ice hockey. The franchise originated as the Norfolk Admirals in 2000 and was relocated to San Diego in 2015.
The San Jose Barracuda compete in the Pacific Division as an affiliate of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and play their home games at the Technology Credit Union Arena which holds 4,200 fans for ice hockey. The Barracuda franchise originated as the Kentucky Thoroughblades in 1996 and then became the Cleveland Barons from 2001 to 2006. The team moved again and became the Worcester Sharks from 2006 to 2015 before settling in San Jose in 2015.
In addition, the Stockton Heat was a former AHL franchise which played in the league from 2015 to 2022 with its home games at Stockton Arena in the city of Stockton. Just prior to moving to California the franchise was known as the Adirondack Flames.
Does California Have Any ECHL Teams?
There are currently no ECHL teams based in California. However there have been teams based in the state in the past.
There was a Bakersfield Condors team in the league between 1995 and 2015 with their home games being played at Rabobank Arena. The franchise was originally named the Bakersfield Fog and it replaced the Bakersfield Oilers of the Pacific Southwest Hockey League in the city when that club folded in 1994. The team’s name was changed to the Condors” in 1998 and it joined the ECHL in 2003 from the West Coast Hockey League. The Condors relocated in 2015 and became the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL).
The Fresno Falcons played in several west coast leagues and were members of the ECHL from 2003 to 2008 and played their home games at the Save Mart Center and then the Selland Arena in the city of Fresno. The club was originally named founded in 1946 as the Fresno Flyers and folded in December, 2008 during the 2008/09 season.
The Long Beach Ice Dogs played their home games at the Long Beach Sports Arena and played in the ECHL from 2003 to 2007. The team originated in 1990 as the San Diego Gulls of the IHL (International Hockey League) and moved Los Angeles in 1995 where they played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. After one season the franchise relocated to Long Beach and competed in the IHL and then the WCHL (West Coast Hockey League) before joining the ECHL. The franchise folded in 2007.
A second team ECHL known as the San Diego Gulls played in the league from 2003 to 2006 with their home games being held at the San Diego Sports Arena. The franchise originated in 1995, played until 2003 in the WCHL and folded in June, 2006.
The San Francisco Bulls were based in Daly City, California and played their home games at the Cow Palace. The club played in the ECHL in 2012/13 and folded in January 2014, midway through the 2013/14 season.
The Ontario Reign played in the ECHL from 2008 to 2015 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena, now known as the Toyota Center. The franchise began as the Huntington Blizzard in 1993 before becoming the Texas Wildcatters in 2008 and moving to California in 2015. The club left the city of Ontario in 2015 and relocated to New Hampshire where they played as the Manchester Monarchs until 2019.
The Stockton Thunder played their home games at the Stockton Arena in the city of Stockton and played in the ECHL from 2005 to 2015 before relocating to New York where they became the Adirondack Thunder.
The franchise was founded in 1990 as the Cincinnati Cyclones and then became the Birmingham Bulls from 1992 to 2001 and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies from 2001 to 2005. The team moved to Stockton in 2005, became the Thunder and led the ECHL in attendance four seasons in a row from 2005/06 to 2008/09.
Does California Have NCAA Hockey?
There are several colleges with ice hockey programs in California but the majority of them are in the lower divisions of the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association).
Some of the colleges with hockey include:
- California Lutheran University
- California State University – Long Beach
- California State University – Fullerton
- California State University – Northridge
- Chapman University
- Loyola Marymount University
- San Diego State University – San Diego
- San Jose State University
- Santa Clara University
- Santa Rosa Junior College
- Stanford University
- University of California – Davis
- University of California – Los Angeles
- University of California – San Diego
- University of California – Santa Barbara
- University of California – Santa Cruz
- University of Southern California
Is Hockey Popular in California?
Compared to the other major North American sports such as football, baseball and basketball, it could be fair to say that hockey trails them in terms of overall popularity. However the state has produced several NHL stars, has three NHL teams and several others in the AHL.
There are also several college teams in action and the sport is well supported throughout the state.
Hockey at the grassroots level has also grown in popularity since the 1990s due to the presence of the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks and the fact that Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, spent several seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.
Final Thoughts
California is home to numerous pro hockey teams and in general the sport has been very well received and supported in the state. Fans have been treated to some excellent hockey over the years and there’s no reason to believe the first-rate, on-ice entertainment in California is going to stop anytime soon.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
