Kings to retire Blake's No. 4 prior to Jan. 17 game

Former Los Angeles Kings defenseman and current vice president/assistant general manager Rob Blake will have his No. 4 retired by the team on Jan. 17 in a ceremony at Staples Center prior to a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Blake, who is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2014, will be the sixth Kings player to have his number retired. He joins Luc Robitaille (20), Wayne Gretzky (99), Dave Taylor (18), Marcel Dionne (16) and Rogie Vachon (30).

"It is an honor to be included with the former great L.A. King players who have their jerseys retired," Blake said. "I have always felt L.A. was a special place to play, and it was and is a tremendous privilege to put on an L.A. Kings jersey."

Blake is the Kings' all-time leader among defensemen in games played (805), goals (161), assists (333), points (494), power-play goals (92), game-winning goals (29) and shots (2,468). He played 14 seasons over two stints with the Kings (1989-2001, 2006-08). He was their captain from 1996-2001 and in the 2007-08 season.

Blake's accolades in a Kings uniform include winning the Norris Trophy in 1998 and helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1993. He represented the Kings in four NHL All-Star Games.

Blake returned to the Kings last season as a vice president and assistant general manager after working in the NHL's Department of Player Safety.