This Date in Stanley Cup Final History:
June 11, 2012 -
“The long wait is over! After 45 years…the Kings can wear their crown!” - Nick Nickson
“This is for you, Kings fans, wherever you may be! All the frustration and disappointment of the past…is gone! The 45 year drought…is over! The Los Angeles Kings are INDEED…the Kings of the National Hockey League!” - Bob Miller
On that Monday night at then-named STAPLES Center, one of the first six expansion teams won its first
#StanleyCup, as
#GoKingsGo defeated the
#NJDevils 6-1 in Game 6 of that Final.
A key moment in the game was a 5 minute major for checking from behind on New Jersey’s Steve Bernier (and a game misconduct) against the Kings’ Rob Scuderi. On the ensuing major, the Kings’ struggling powerplay broke the game wide open, with goals by captain Dustin Brown (pictured), Jeff Carter (his was the game winner), and Trevor Lewis.
Early in the second, Carter scored again, this time at even strength, to make it 4-0 Kings, and at that point, future
@HockeyHallFame PxP
#NickNickson later said it was then that he felt the Kings would win, because no one was getting 4 on eventual
#ConnSmythe winner
@JonathanQuick32…much less 5.
The win punctuated a 16-4 postseason, where 3 of their 4 losses were on home ice, and the Kings had started the postseason with 3-0 series leads in every round…and a 10 game road winning streak.
Tonight - Game 5 of the 2026 Cup Final, from
@LenovoCenter…
#SoundTheSiren and
#ForgedInGold are tied at 2.
In the last two postseasons, the winner of Game 5 (in a series tied at 2) has won every game. And as this pivotal Game 5 approaches - maybe I’ve missed it in coverage - the loser of tonight’s game will on Sunday face an elimination in a game for the first time this postseason.
5pm PT/8pm ET on
@abc and
@espn; national radio coverage
@SportsUSALive.
Game 6 is Sunday back at
@TMobileArena in Vegas…and the Cup will be in the building.
#CARvsVGK @JimFox19 @DarylEvans15 @bigbrotherjake @JohnForslund @BJaffe @robertbrender @espnSteveLevy @emilymkaplan @PKSubban1 @ESPNRefNHL @DennisTFP @TheFourthPeriod @mikemaniscalco @TrippTracy @Dan_DUva @garylawless @PA_Bruce @VegasHockeyPod @drophockeyshow