Bark Madness 2016: Elite 8

Wow, what a truly amazing first week of Bark Madness 2016 powered by The Royal Half™! We had over 14,000 votes in the Sweet 16 Bracket as we began to narrow down the competition to find the best LA Kings dog... and award them the Stanley Pup trophy! 

The Sweet 16 was full of HUGE upsets and all of the dogs in this tournament are in a state of shock right now.

First, let's take a look at the winners that will advance on to compete in the Bark Madness Elite 8!

#1 GUSTL KOPITAR vs #16 PRINCE ENROTH

No surprise here, the defending champion, Gustl Kopitar, lit up Prince Enroth like he was a backup goalie.

#8 BOO LUCIC  vs #9 HARLEY CLIFFORD

After years of being the toughest dog for the LA Kings... Harley Clifford finally lost a fight... to Boo Lucic!

#5 SUNNY LOMBARDI  vs #9 ENZO LECAVALIER

Only 8 votes separated Enzo Lecavalier from Sunny Lombardi! This was the closest matchup in Bark Madness history!

#4 MACK CARTER vs #13 LILY MUZZIN

All 3 of the Carter Family dogs were upset in the 1st Round of Bark Madness. And two of the Carter dogs were beaten by Muzzin dogs! First, Lily Muzzin out-possessed Mack Carter.

#3 MILEY CARTER  vs #14 LULU MUZZIN

Then Lulu Muzzin shut down Miley Carter.

#6 MILO BROWN vs #11 MEEKA DOUGHTY

Milo Brown came into this tournament in the best shape of his dog career. And it paid off as Milo took down Meeka Doughty.

#7 HANK MARTINEZ  vs #10 HABS KINGS

Hank Martinez has a serious case of "Jazz Paws" as he eliminated Habs King. (No really, Hank should get that looked at by a vet ASAP)

#2 BO CARTER vs #15 EMMA PEARSON

And our final matchup from the Sweet 16 was also our biggest upset. In a shocking turn of events, the #15 Seed, Emma Pearson, took down the #2 Seed, Bo Carter. I can't even begin to imagine how Emma Pearson is feeling right now.

Now, let's take a look at the matchups for the 2016 Bark Madness Elite 8!

ELITE 8

#1 GUSTL KOPITAR vs #8 BOO LUCIC

Wow, this might end up being the toughest Elite 8 matchup in Bark Madness history. Goldendoodle Gustl Kopitar is a veteran of this tournament and seems as cool as a rubber cucumber toy right now.

But there is a new pup in town, Maltipoo Boo Lucic, and she's ready to sniff some butt and take some names.

#12 ENZO LECAVALIER vs #13 LILY MUZZIN

Labradoodle Enzo Lecavalier, much like his father, isn't ready to call it quits. And he would love to end his career with one more drink from the championship trophy.

And while both Enzo Lecavalier and Chow Chow mix, Lily Muzzin, each have one Stanley Cup Ring...

I think Lilly is just as excited as we are. @J_muzzz pic.twitter.com/5leFfRH7h0

— Courtney Fischer (@courtfisch) December 27, 2015

Lily helped Jake give out the ultimate ring this past Christmas.

Lily is on the left.

#6 MILO BROWN vs #14 LULU MUZZIN

Goldendoodle Milo Brown's owner might have led the LA Kings underdogs to victory in 2012...

But Shiba Inu Mix, Lulu Muzzin (along with her sister), has toppled down the Carter Dog Dynasty, and is laughing all the way to the Elite 8!

Lulu is on the right.

#7 HANK MARTINEZ vs #15 EMMA PEARSON

This my friends, is the Game 7 of Bark Madness matchups. Fan favorite against fan favorite. Cutie against cutie. And don't even get me started about the dogs! As Blue Heeler/Beagle mix, Hank...

Happy 3rd Birthday to this little guy!! pic.twitter.com/6oi8ToUb8G

— Alec Martinez (@amartinez_27) April 15, 2015

... takes on German Shepard/Border Collie mix, Emma Pearson. I haven't seen this many mixes on the LA Kings since Dustin Penner was around!!

Well, there you have it. The Elite 8 for Bark Madness 2016 have been set and it's time to bust your bracket! Make sure you vote above in each matchup. Polls close Sunday, March 27th!

But more importantly, make sure you give back by purchasing one of the "We Are All K9s" calendars that are currently on a Bark Madness special at only $10! Buy them here! The purchase benefits the Kings Care Foundation! You can check out a behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the LA Kings Calendar from Kings Weekly here!

Also, Jeff and Megan Carter work tirelessly to help promote all the wonderful dogs that are available for rescue throughout Los Angeles with the Wags and Walks organization. And on April 15th, Jeff and Megan are being honored at the "Muttin' But Love Gala." It's a great event for a great charity. You can purchase tickets here. And if you can't make the gala, you can always support Wags and Walks by fostering, rescuing or donating.

And special thanks to @LAQueenofMeme for all her amazing Bark Madness graphics!