We recently mentioned plans are already underway for next season, despite the Kings not even starting the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs quite yet. There are prospects being signed to entry level contracts, a third-jersey (believed to be with a crown as the primary crest, as discussed here — we’ll get more into that topic down the road too)… and now we can start sharing some preliminary information about plans for the team’s 2025-26 preseason slate that will begin in September.
From what Mayor’s Manor has been able to gather over the past few weeks, plans call for the Kings to play a total of seven preseason games leading into the next regular season beginning on October 7.
Unlike the past two seasons, where the team has spent an extended portion of training camp outside of Los Angeles — namely, Australia (2023) and Quebec City (2024) — indications are the club currently plans to conduct a more ‘normal’ camp based out of their training facility in El Segundo, for the most part.
Three of the games are apparently locked in too. With the Empire Classic returning to Toyota Arena on Sept. 21, that will probably be the first preseason contest in September. The Kings hosted the Sharks in Ontario back in 2002 and 2009, while last year’s game vs. the Ducks was the first time SoCal’s two hockey teams had squared off in the Inland Empire.
LA won that initial meeting 3-2, powered by a pair of goals from Alex Laferriere. Kings captain Anze Kopitar also added a shorthanded goal.
That rematch won’t be the only time the Kings and Ducks will faceoff, though. One week later, on Saturday, Sept. 27, the two squads will meet up again in Bakersfield for another neutral site affair. It will be the first time Dignity Health Arena (formerly known as Mechanics Bank Arena) will host an NHL preseason game in 10 years. Back in 2015, LA played Phoenix (now Utah) in the Kern County building. This year’s game is expected to start at 3pm.
We’ll circle back to the Ducks more in just a second.
From what we’re hearing, talks are underway for another neutral site game in Boise. While the opponent remains unclear, we’d figure Utah would be a good opponent, considering the proximity to Idaho. That’s only about a four-hour drive. Could this possibly be the latest incarnation of Frozen Fury? However the details end up coming together, this won’t be the first time NHL hockey has come to the Idaho Central Arena. Back in 2022, the Golden Knights and Coyotes skated in a preseason game there.
And in a reversal from what the original plan appeared to be about six months ago, it looks like the third and final phase of construction at Crypto.com Arena will not interfere with the Kings preseason plans after all. Unlike the past two years, where the building largely wasn’t available to the Kings, plans now call for one preseason game to be played at their home arena. That event is tentatively slated as the last game on LA’s 2025-26 preseason schedule. We would peg that around Saturday, Oct. 4 — without any concrete information of a date quite yet. It will be interesting to see them pull that one off, as we’ve heard a few tidbits about needing to use temporary locker rooms for that game, as some work could still be going on around the building.
Putting all of this information together, four of the seven games are essentially accounted for. That would leave three other games to lock in. Based on history, those would most likely be three road games taken from this list: Anaheim, San Jose, Utah, and Vegas.
The Ducks and Golden Knights love hosting the Kings for preseason games, probably because LA fans travel well and help fill the building. With two games against the Ducks already confirmed, perhaps there isn’t a preseason game in Anaheim this year. We should know more over the next few weeks. However, one of the road games being played in Vegas seems like a good bet at this point.
OFFICIAL: Kings 2025-26 Preseason Schedule:
Sun. 9/21 vs. Anaheim Ducks
(Empire Classic in Ontario)
Tue. 9/23 at Vegas Golden Knights
Wed. 9/24 at Anaheim Ducks
Sat. 9/27 in Bakersfield, CA
(vs. Anaheim Ducks)
Tue. 9/30 in Boise, ID
(vs. Utah Mammoth)
Thu. 10/2 at Utah Mammoth
Sat. 10/4 at Crypto.com Arena
vs. Anaheim Ducks
Three other road games with dates TBD UPDATED: June 20: The three remaining games have now been officially announced and added to the above schedule. As originally speculated, the Kings will play a total of seven preseason games prior to beginning their 2025-26 NHL campaign.
(likely vs. Anaheim, San Jose, Vegas)
Additional Notes:
— What about a game in San Diego? It was wildly successful two years ago from everything we heard. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like that’s on the docket for this year (at least not involving the Kings). That was a game hosted by the Ducks, so it’s really a decision that’s more in their realm.
— We’ve also heard some chatter from various league sources about the Kings potentially opening their 2026-27 season in Europe. For now, just get your passports ready. More information on those plans likely won’t be available for at least another six-plus months.
— Prior to next season’s training camp opening, a bevy of Kings prospects will participate in the annual NHL Rookie Faceoff. We reported some major changes for that event via a recent article linked below.
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
REPORT: Major Changes to NHL Rookie Faceoff Event for 2025, Returning to SoCal
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Management needs to plan on firing Newell Brown. What a terrible hire from the outset.