Meetings total 138 Regular season series 62–58–11 (ANA) | All-time series 65-62-11 (ANA) | |
First meeting December 2, 1993(Great Western Forum) Latest meeting February 25, 2017(Staples Center) Next meeting April 9, 2017(Honda Center) |
The Freeway Face-Off is a series of ice hockey games played between the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. The series takes its name from the massive freeway system in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, the home of both teams; one could travel from one team's arena to the other simply by traveling along Interstate 5. The term is akin to the Freeway Series, which refers to meetings between the Los Angeles metropolitan area's Major League Baseball teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Contents
History
The Kings and Ducks are rivals due to geographic proximity. The two teams are situated in the same metropolitan area and share a television market. The rivalry started with the Ducks' inaugural season in 1993–94 and has since continued.
The Kings' first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals came in 1993. They have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs 26 times in franchise history (seven appearance since the Ducks joined the NHL), most recently their appearance and victory in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. The Ducks have made the playoffs ten times in franchise history, also reaching the Stanley Cup Finals twice: in 2003 and winning in 2007. The Kings and the Ducks did not meet in the playoffs until the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals.
For regular and pre-season games, Kings fans have typically attended away games at the Ducks' home ice, Honda Center, in high numbers. Ducks fans have done the same for away games at the Kings' home ice, Staples Center. Games between the two teams are often very physical, typically including multiple fights and penalties. The rivalry was showcased for the NHL premiere in London at the start of the 2007–08 season with two games between the teams. It was also showcased as part of a 2014 NHL Stadium Series match at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where Anaheim reigned victorious in a 3–0 shutout.
The rivalry was further heated during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, which was hosted by the Kings at Staples Center. When the Ducks took the stage to announce Cam Fowler as their first-round, 12th overall pick, the audience predominantly consisting of Kings fans, let out boos.
Prior to 2007, there was no official name for the regular season meetings between the Ducks and Kings. The "Freeway Face-off" name was chosen by a poll of 12,000 local hockey fans. Other names being considered were "Freeze-way Series" and "Ice-5 Series."
Common players
Several players have played for both teams, including: (boldface indicates Stanley Cup win with both teams)
Regular season
Post-season series
As division rivals, the Ducks and Kings could theoretically meet in either the first or second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They could also meet in the conference finals, provided that either or both teams qualify for wild card spots. However, neither team can meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. This differs from the similar Freeway Series between MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in separate conferences (the American League and National League, respectively), so they can only meet in the final round of the MLB post-season, the World Series.
The Ducks and the Kings met in the playoffs for the first time 2014 in the Western Conference Second Round. Anaheim held home ice advantage as a result of winning the Western Conference title. The series began on May 3 at the Honda Center and ended on May 16.[1][2][3]
Fan reaction
While the Freeway Face-off is not as renowned as other NHL rivalries, Western Conference hockey fans know the rivalry to be intense. The Kings were the first NHL team in Southern California, brought in by the six-team expansion of 1967–68. The Kings' success of the late 1980s and early 1990s, largely due to the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in 1988, helped spike interest in hockey in Los Angeles, also spawning the growth of inline hockey in the area. The Ducks, formerly known the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, came into the League for the 1993–94 season along with the Florida Panthers. With the Kings having been in existence for 26 years before the Ducks arrived, many saw the Ducks as taking away from the Kings' fanbase and attention in the local market. The Ducks' arrival in nearby Orange County brought new fans to the Southern California hockey scene, creating rivalry between the two teams and their fans. Many Kings fans who were disillusioned with the team's troubles after their 1993 Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and later with the imprisonment of former owner Bruce McNall, became Ducks fans. However, both teams have large, loyal fanbases.
The rivalry is also known for local bragging rights, pitting big-city Los Angeles against its southern neighbor Orange County, which is more suburban. Staples Center and Honda Center are less than an hour apart via local freeways; many Kings fans fill Honda Center in great numbers, but numerous Ducks fans also make the short trip up the freeway to Staples Center as well. In recent years, crowds at both venues are quite diverse due to both teams' recent successes.