Apparently they play hockey in Chaves Ravine now? Insane or ingenious? It’s up to personal interpretation. For years the Los Angeles Kings have played second hand to the large market sports organizations like the Dodgers, Lakers and Clippers. But—and there is a but—there has been a resurgence, or emergence, of the Los Angeles hockey fan in recent years.

Call it band-wagoning if you must, but I do not. Sports trends are shifting, and people are becoming interested in sports that never got a second look in the past. So what if it took a 2012 Stanley Cup win to get more fans involved? It’s a great accomplishment for not only the organization itself for winning the title, but an opportunity well acted upon by the franchise for getting and keeping fans.

Fast forward to the NHL Stadium Series debuting at Dodger Stadium, where the LA Kings faced the Anaheim Ducks in front of a sold out crowd. Though the Kings were shut out by the Ducks 3-0, the sight of the hockey rink on the field was “surreal” according to Ned Colletti quoted by MLB.com.

Colletti was only one among many others like Yasiel Puig and Wayne Gretzky that attended the first outdoor hockey game held in California. However, Dodger announcing legend Vin Scully stole the show yet again, as he teamed with Kings’ announcer Bob Miller to open the game with “it’s time for NHL hockey.”

I have to say that whomever the Kings hired as their PR agent should be put on a pedestal. But, on the opposing end of this statement, whomever the Dodgers hired to run their social media accounts should be fired.

As with most things of this magnitude, social media support is essential in creating an Internet “buzz” about the event, and getting more people interested, but sadly, this act went terribly wrong for the Dodger twitter account holder.

The LA Dodger twitter handle tweeted “’It’s a perfect day for hockey.’ –said no one in Los Angeles, ever. #StadiumSeries” in accompaniment with a picture of the ice rink on the field.

Of course, this was bound to create negative feedback, because it is rather offensive. Though all in joking intentions, the backlash was indeed apparent, and it is an understatement to say that the tweet wasn’t up for very long. Drawing responses like “no one has ever confused L.A. with being a good sports town. So you’re probably right.” According to Yahoo! Sports.

Regardless of this poorly worded tweet, the overall benefit that this Stadium Series had on the public view of hockey was positive, and hopefully this new emergence of the hockey era will lead to a wider variety of popular sports in the future.

 

 

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