Hey, remember this?
It’s been more than six months since the Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, momentarily becoming the biggest sports story in a city with a lot of sports stories to choose from.
But hockey isn’t the hot topic anymore in L.A. That would be the slumping Lakers. Or maybe the streaking Clippers. Or perhaps it’s the Angels, who just signed Josh Hamilton.
Definitely not hockey though.
Naturally, Kings captain Dustin Brown is worried the NHL may be blowing a great opportunity.
“At the end of the day, it’s unfortunate timing for a lockout,” Brown told ESPN.com. “I mean, lockouts are always unfortunate but, considering our market in California, it’s really hard to get momentum. And to lose that momentum due to a lockout is frustrating.”
Nobody can say for certain how the lockout will affect business in markets where hockey isn’t No. 1 (or even No. 5 or No. 6). If the season can be saved, the damage may be minimal.
In the meantime, Steve Nash is hoping to practice next week.