How Long Have You Been On The Bandwagon?

[Dropdapuck]

I remember Eddy Joyal and Cowboy Flett (67).

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Since 88. I was 11 years old and knew almost nothing about hockey or the Kings, the Gretzky trade changed that. I rode the Gretzky bandwagon 26 years ago, and never left

 

[JBernierFan]

I've been a die hard Kings fan since I was 11...the 1990-91 season. In the 24 years, I've probably only missed watching in person or on tv, 30 games. We've all sat through some terrible hockey, which makes right now amazing.

 

[eleventy]

I was 5 years old when I was hitched on to the Gretzky bandwagon in 1988. Like Ukyo, never got off haha.

 

[takk]

Hmm, my first exposure to Nhl was Nhl 99. And I didn't know about LA Kings' existence till.. April 2012, yeah.

I was watching some fights from time to time since about 2-3 years by then, and around February 2012 I thought maybe I should be interested in hockey more, so I watched Slap Shot Then not much happened till the playoffs started. I saw that hilarious tweet, I think it was like "Apologize in advance if this tweet hurts anyone, Kings are up 2-0". I always had a soft spot for underdogs, I checked Yahoo sports everyday to see how Kings fared against Vancouver and watched the highlights regularly.

Then the first Kings game I watched live was the gm 1 against the Blues, in which Quick performed incredibly during the first ten minutes. Blues striked first, then I guess Voynov tied it, and the rest is.. history, yup. After two years I can now proudly say that the Kings are my #1 sports team.

 

[ZJames]

2001 playoff series against Detroit. I have been a die-hard ever since. It is a rare occasion when I miss a game. I have even converted my best friend and fiance into hockey nuts, and my fiances mom has started to watch the games as well. Quacker fans are just bitter that we beat them en route to the Cup and that we had a bigger and more loyal fan base EVEN when we sucked.

 

[BigBrown]

1994 so you could say I'm a bandwagoner but of a different era. I watched my first game in 2007 so that's a long gap but I'll explain.

I was always a big hockey fan, international hockey especially and I was in fourth grade when hockey cards became a hugely popular here. And as you do when you're a kid, you pick a team and start collecting players from that team. Not sure why I chose the Kings but there definitely had plenty of appeal with Gretzky, the black/silver jerseys and just coming off a Stanley Cup final. The same year Sweden won Olympic Gold in hockey and I got a copy of NHL 93 on the Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis to our NA friends), needless to say hockey became THE sport for me. I had a bunch of Kings merchandise like jerseys, t-shirts, posters and so on but there was no way to watch the games.

But every year after that I bought the new NHL game and played a full 82 game season as the Kings, it was my way of keeping up with the roster. I could see the scores from the night before in the sport section of the newspaper, rarely anything but a box of matches sized score sheet listing only the final score and points by Swedes (of which the Kings never had many). I remember being super excited about waking up and opening the paper to find out the final score of game 7 versus the Avs in 2001. Ouch.

After that my interest faded, while I kept playing the new NHL games as the Kings I kinda shut off the rest of the stuff and got rid of all my Kings gear. I mean I still hadn't watched a game yet so I don't blame myself for losing interest. Until 2007 when I found out the Kings and Ducks would be playing two games in Europe and Yahoo would be streaming them for free. I hadn't even realized that games were being streamed online. So I watched the games, loved it, bought a subscription and have watched most games ever since

 

[Quattro]

1972

 

[kingscups]

Since 1990, when I started playing hockey here in California.

 

[Moses Doughty]

Early 90s, physically impossible to have for any longer, I always love talking to people who think I'm bandwagon, then I know more about there team than they do

 

[ibleedkings]

26 years.

 

[chesed]

2008-2009. I'm pretty new. I've been a fan of hockey since elementary school (early 80s). But I only went to a game once in my youth (Kings). My 6th grade teacher was a giant Kings fan and it rubbed off on me. I bought the first hockey beckett whem it came out with Gretzky on the cover. Still have it. I played the computer/video games a LOT, so even tho I never watched games, I knew all the players on the teams.

Finally, in 2008, I was play the game with my friend and we just said... Why not go to a Kings game? So we did. Ice level. And it was just an amazing experience. I've been watching every game since.

Guess I jumped in at the right time. A few years later, I see them raise the cup.

I have a lot of respect for those of you that have been fans for so long. For sticking through it cupless, and staying true to the team through thick and thin. I don't have much to say when people pull the bandwagon card because I'm so new. But I've enjoyed hockey for a long time (in my own way) and I wouldn't trade it for any other sport.

 

[LAKings88]

88-89 season as a ten year old. Didn't know Gretzky or hockey. Flipping channels and was intrigued. Had a lot of catching up to do.

Glad my love of professional indoor soccer and professional lacrosse was trumped by hockey.

 

[GKJ]

The Kings have been my second favorite team since acquiring Ziggy Palffy in 1999.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

1987

 

[theMajor]

since the Rob Blake trade

 

[KingsHockey24]

2006.

 

[21Dog]

I remember Eddy Joyal and Cowboy Flett (67).

Me, too.

Add Real Lemieux to that list.

Remember Jiggs McDonald doing the play by play in the early years.

 

[The Butcher]

The first time I stepped foot into the fabulous forum I couldn't have been older than 6 or 7. I'm 35 now.

That said, I've been following the Kings pretty closely for the better part of 25 years.

 

[Twin]

My dad and older brother were long time fans and I used to watch it with them and root for the kings but i didn't really become a diehard until about 5 years ago.

 

[TKFAN]

Since 2001, that's the first season the Monarchs were in Manch.

 

[Ron*]

If you are ever in Niagara Falls you should stop by his sports store. He is usually in and will take time out to talk with you.

I have been there a few times and chatted with him. He has some good stories. He also has a book out that is a pretty good read.

Damn it! I wish I knew this two seasons ago when I went through there to visit the HHOF!

Well thanks for the info now I have to go back lol.

 

[Ron*]

I remember Eddy Joyal and Cowboy Flett (67).

Me too.

 

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

2001 playoff series against Detroit.

Me too, so 13 years now.

I had 'given up' on the NHL after having been a North Stars fan since childhood. That series, and specifically Deadmarsh, lured me back. And I stayed thru the Eloranta years.

 

[cyclones22]

Just prior to our awesome nucleus of Robitaille, Carson and Duchesne. Channel 9 y'all.