It’s finally here.
After all the waiting and a summer of changes, Kings hockey is officially back as the organization kicks off their 60th season — in Colorado for a quasi-rematch months in the making.
Not only is tonight an opportunity for the group to get some revenge on an Avalanche team that handed them a disappointing playoff exit last spring, it’s also a chance to start fresh. With a new captain, a new coaching staff, and several new pieces in the lineup, LA will attempt to use these first five games to make some sort of an impact; a new beginning of sorts.
One of the biggest stories coming into Opening Night is who will be playing alongside Brandt Clarke. With Joel Edmundson potentially sitting out due to injury, Erik Gustafsson could step in alongside the Kings young phenom. The latter has played under new head coach Peter Laviolette before, providing puck movement and speed — two things LA’s bench boss is requiring from all his rearguards this season.
The expectation is an up-tempo pace of play with added creativity in the offensive zone without forfeiting any success on the defensive side of the puck. That style will translate to special teams, as well, where the Kings should feature movement on the power play that has not been present in Los Angeles for quite some time.
Up front, Corey Perry missed most of training camp while attending to a personal matter. Although he returned for the team’s practice on Tuesday, there is still a question of whether he’ll play tonight or Laviolette will prefer to go with Andre Lee — who was impressive during preseason, suiting up in all four games.
Then there’s the goaltending. For a second consecutive season, Los Angeles has a tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. That starter spot is up for grabs. With Kuemper coming off a down year, and Forsberg not playing a whole lot over the course of an 84-game season, both will have to win the trust of Laviolette in the early going.
Altogether, it’s a season filled with a whole new set of challenges. How will this team look coming off a shortened camp? There’s only one way to find out. It’s time to drop the puck.
Must Read Article of the Day
In our new series for the 2026-27 season, we’re breaking down different elements of Laviolette’s system and general approach to hockey. For a sneak preview of what the power play is set to bring, read this before tonight’s game:
Quoting and Noting
Today’s question is about facing Colorado. Does the room have a bit of a chip on its shoulder, or is it more about starting with a clean slate: new coach, new system, new season?
Brian Dumoulin: A little bit of both. Obviously I remember that series pretty well. They have a lot of the same players too, so we should feel confident in knowing their game plan. I feel like maybe we know theirs better than they know ours, obviously with a new coach. But at the end, it can all be about game plan, but it’s just winning puck battles and handling momentum, handling your own emotions. Both teams are gonna be ready to go. So it’s gonna be a fun game to play in, and just being able to stay poised and confident and handle the swings of the game.
Scott Laughton: I think you always do. I think you get swept by a team and it’s still pretty fresh in your mind. I think you want to get off to a good start, go play a simple road game against a really good hockey team — and I believe we’re a really good hockey team too, so it’s going to be fun to kind of get in the action right away and get going here.
Statistically Speaking
— Wednesday’s game marks just the third regular-season contest played during the month of September in Kings franchise history, following back-to-back games against the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL Premiere Series on Sept. 29 & 30, 2007, in London, England.
— Captain Drew Doughty begins the 2026-27 campaign just 17 games away from tying Dustin Brown (1,296 GP) for the second-most games played in franchise history.
— Newly signed forwards Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula are set to make their Kings debut in Denver on Wednesday. Zuccarello, who signed a one-year contract on July 1, is set to become the first Norwegian-born player to play for the Kings.
Kings Projected Lineup
Below is a projected alignment. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Panarin – Byfield – Kempe
Zuccarello – Turcotte – Laferriere
Moore – Haula – Laughton
Lee – Helenius – Armia
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Doughty
Anderson – Ceci
Kuemper
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Perry (D) Gustafsson
Injured Reserve: Fiala
Across the Ice
Colorado are coming off a 55-16-11 record last season but were swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Finals. Here’s how they are projected to line up tonight:
Lehkonen – MacKinnon – Necas
Landeskog – Nelson – Kadri
Schwartz – Svechkov – Hughes
Kelly – Roy – T. Makar
Toews – Makar
Kulak – Malinski
Manson – Burns
Blackwood
How to Watch the Game
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and the game can be viewed nationally on TNT.
Further details on LA’s broadcast and streaming plans for 2026-27 can be found here:
UPDATED: Kings Regular Season Streaming Options, Plus Preseason TV Plans
On This Day in Kings History
On September 30, 2008, the @LAKings acquired Sean O’Donnell from the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional draft pick. In his second stint with the #LAKings, O’Donnell recorded 27 points, 165 hits, and 183 blocked shots in 160 games.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/G44uY9gFOs
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) September 30, 2026
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
(Nearly) Every Word Said by Doughty, Holland, and Laviolette about the Kings New Captain
Byfield – Laviolette Has Talked a lot About Family and Attitude, Made Systems Clearer
Clarke Ready for More Responsibility, Praises New Coaching Staff and Changes
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