Luc Robitaille

Robitaille's first NHL season was in 1986–87, where he helped the Kings qualify for the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs despite a 31–41–8 record.[8] He scored 45 goals and had 39 assists in 79 games,[3] edging Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall for the Calder Memorial Trophy for the NHL's top rookie,[9] the only Los Angeles player to ever win the award.[10] He also earned a spot on the Second All-Star Team.[10]

Robitaille scored more than 40 goals in each of his first eight seasons, including three 50 or more goal seasons, with a career-high 63 in 1992–93.[3] That year, Robitaille set NHL records for most goals and points (125) in a season by a left winger.[11] Robitaille's 63-goal record amongst left wingers was eclipsed by Alexander Ovechkin during the 2007–08 season, although Robitaille still holds the record for most points in a season by a left winger. With captain and superstar Wayne Gretzky sidelined by injury for much of 1992–93, Robitaille assumed the captaincy and led the team in scoring, playing a key role in helping his struggling team to make the playoffs. In 1993, the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.[12][13] However, they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.[13] Robitaille had 9 goals and 13 assists in 24 playoff games.[3]

During the 1993–94 season, Robitaille's scoring totals remained respectable but considerably lower than his previous seasons, while Gretzky had returned from injury to win the NHL scoring title. The Kings failed to make the 1994 playoffs.

On July 29, 1994, Robitaille was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Rick Tocchet and the Penguins' second-round pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft (used to select Pavel Rosa).[14] With Pittsburgh, Robitaille set then-career lows in goals and assists during the strike-shortened 1994–95 season.[3]

After one season, Robitaille was traded to the New York Rangers (alongside Ulf Samuelsson) in exchange for Petr Nedvěd and Sergei Zubov.[15] Robitaille had below-average numbers in two seasons with the Rangers, and for the first time in his career, had more penalty minutes (80) than points (69) in 1995–96.[3]

On August 28, 1997, in new general manager (GM) Dave Taylor's first move, the Kings re-acquired Robitaille from the Rangers in exchange for Kevin Stevens.[16]

Robitaille struggled in his first season back in Los Angeles, scoring only 16 goals in an injury-shortened 1997–98 season.[3] However, Robitaille returned to his All-Star form, scoring no fewer than 36 goals and had the best stats of his career after his first stint with the Kings during those three seasons.[3] On January 7, 1999, he scored his 500th career goal in a 4–2 victory at the Great Western Forum against the Buffalo Sabres.[5][17]

During the 2000–01 season, Robitaille scored 37 goals and 88 points to help lead the Kings to their first playoff appearance since 1998. During the 2000–01 playoffs, Robitaille helped the seventh-seeded Kings to a first-round upset of the Detroit Red Wings, and his team took the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche to seven games in the conference semifinals. Robitaille was named a second team all-star, his first post-season team honour since 1993. Robitaille turned down a one-year deal with a substantial pay cut by Kings GM Dave Taylor.

Robitaille signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings beginning in the 2001–02 season, accepting less compensation than what other teams offered because the Red Wings represented his best chance at winning the Stanley Cup, particularly after their recent acquisition of goaltender Dominik Hašek.

In his first season with the Red Wings, Robitaille scored 30 goals and 50 points,[3] helping them win the Presidents' Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular season record.[18] Due to the tremendous depth of scorers among Detroit's roster, Robitaille had less playoff ice time, although he still scored four playoff goals. The Red Wings defeated the Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals in seven games, meaning that Robitaille was going to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in his career. With the Red Wings' 3–1 victory in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Robitaille's quest for an elusive Stanley Cup championship finally came to an end. At the direction of Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, all of the teammates who had never previously won the Cup would hoist it after Yzerman, with Robitaille being the third Red Wing to skate the Cup around Joe Louis Arena, after Yzerman and Hašek.

Robitaille had the lowest goal total in his career in 2002–03, due partially to limited ice time, and the Red Wings were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in a four-game sweep.

Robitaille returned to Kings as a free agent for the 2003–04 season.[3] Although his scoring totals (22 goals and 29 assists) were below his previous levels as a King, he did lead the team in both goals and points, and the Kings stayed in playoff contention until a shocking 11-game losing streak to finish the season. On March 9, 2004, Robitaille scored the 650th goal of his professional career in a 3–2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center.[5][19] He played his 1,000th game as a King a few days later, on March 13, 2004, in a 3–1 loss to the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion at San Jose.[5][19]

On January 19, 2006, during a game against the Atlanta Thrashers, Robitaille scored a hat-trick, tying and passing Marcel Dionne's then-franchise record of 550 goals.[20] His record-breaking goal was met with several minutes of standing ovations and a video-congratulation reel on the scoreboard. On April 10, the Kings announced Robitaille's intention to retire at the conclusion of the 2005–06 NHL season. Robitaille officially confirmed this the next day in a press conference held at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. Robitaille's final goal and point was scored in typical Luc Robitaille fashion: one-timing a pass from Jeremy Roenick while at the centre of the right wing face-off circle past goaltender Curtis Joseph during a power play in a March 14, 2006, 6–2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Robitaille played his final NHL home game as a Los Angeles King against the Calgary Flames on April 15, 2006. He also wore the captain's "C" that normally belonged to defenceman Mattias Norström. Although he was held without a point in the game, he logged 18:37 of ice time and had four shots on goal.[21] He was also the second shooter in the shootout, but his shot towards the upper-right corner of the net was stopped by the glove of goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, despite being given an open five hole.[21][22] The Kings ultimately won the game 2–1 off of a shootout goal by Pavol Demitra and three shootout saves by Kings goaltender Jason LaBarbera. The Kings held a curtain call for Robitaille after the game, where he was given a standing ovation by the sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans in attendance. After chants of his name died down, he gave a short speech and did one final lap of the rink at Staples Center.

Robitaille finished his playing career on April 17, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in a game against the San Jose Sharks. The Kings won 4–0.[23] He received applause and chants of "Luuuc, Luuuc!" throughout the night by the 17,496 fans in attendance, as well as good wishes from many of the opposing players of the Sharks. After the game ended, the Kings players came out and gathered around him first, rather than the traditional congratulation of the goaltender. The Sharks players also came onto the ice to shake hands with Robitaille before they headed off into their locker room.