I've always said the crowds at Staples/Crypto were way better before the team won a Stanley Cup.
I'm not sure why, but I guess winning cups makes the fanbase less hungry/passionate.
Kings got cool. If you became a Kings fan when 99 arrived but stuck around during all of the suck that came after he left, you are pretty diehard. I think the place was still rocking through 2016 but we are 10 years removed from the last Cup. STH'ers from before the Cups age out. COVID pause probably opened some eyes to a life of not trekking up/down to see the Kings play CBJ on a Monday.
All of that to say that those are still mostly ancillary reasons compared to the real driver: the product on the ice. I know I'm part of the Caveman Crew on here, but crowds react to violence. High intensity, bad-blood fueled hockey gets a crowd going. The Kings system is poison to a fun, in-person hockey experience.
I've said it before, but one of the loudest moments from the time I had seats in 2001 until the Cup runs was against the Flyers when a hit knocked out a pane of glass, Kip Brennan then put a beating on Chris MacAllister followed by Norton v. Brashear off the ensuing faceoff. Place was electric.
The Kings do absolutely nothing to pull you into a game. It is literally sit, watch and wait for a goal or a save to cheer.
I think you'll be able to follow my thought process here....
You know how in anti-terrorism they talk about killing the head of the snake?
Robitaille is the head of the snake. He staged the coup that got Lombardi fired. He put Blake in charge. I've heard rumors that he is behind most of the dumb in game entertainment including the stupid drummers. (Apparently Luc wanted more of a soccer / La Galaxy environment at Kings games)
and I will always blame Luc from the PLD trade. He was WAY Too much of a cheerleader to not be pulling the strings on the acquiistion
Can't believe I forgot to mention the drummers. Holy shit is it embarrassing. They still bring them in from time to time and, usually, their attempts to get a "Go, Kings Go!" chant becomes the visiting team's fanbase starting a chant.
If you haven't been on twitter lately, the sentiment there basically mirrors the sentiment here/the recent front office confidence poll on the Athletic. If there are enthusiastic fans out there, they are not the terminally online ones like us.
Have Hoven's loyal listeners turned on the regime? I know some of the main official or unofficial official posters on X aren't drinking the masterclass Kool-Aid anymore, but my comment was more about the Bark Madness part of the fanbase...the part that just loves every player and wants to add a "y" or an "ie" to the end of everyone's name. "The new Mikey Anderson wallpaper is out!!".
Those of us on this board are a minority, hence the good attendance haha. I'm one of the few on here that is still part of the problem when it comes to giving them money, although that would change in an instant without the Die Hard pricing.