LA Kings Announce Legends Night Series for 2017-18 Season
See the upcoming LA Kings Legends Nights for the 2017-18 season
by LA Kings @LAKings / LAKings.comThree former LA Kings and National Hockey League standouts will be honored at STAPLES Center this season as part of the club's popular Legends Night Series, presented by McDonald's.
Kings Team Ambassador Bob Miller will MC each pregame ceremony which, over the years, has recognized Tomas Sandstrom, Jari Kurri, Rogie Vachon, Bob Berry, Bob Pulford, Bernie Nicholls, Daryl Evans, Charlie Simmer, Kelly Hrudey, Ian Laperriere, Jay Wells, Jim Fox, Larry Murphy, Barry Melrose, Tony Granato, Luc Robitaille, Mike Donnelly, Jimmy Carson, Nick Nickson, and the "Miracle on Manchester" goal scorers.
To ensure that Kings fans have the best opportunity to enjoy this celebration of the team's heritage, the team released a new 4-Game Mini Plan that will include the same seat to all three Legends Night games as well as Bob Miller Celebration Day, which was announced today, starting at just $210.
About the Legend - Mark Hardy
Born in Switzerland, Mark Hardy enjoyed a 15-year NHL career, playing eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. Selected in the second round, 30th overall by the Kings at the 1979 Entry Draft, he currently ranks 20th on the all-time Kings scoring list with 303 points. Among Kings defenseman all-time, he ranks third in assists (250), fourth in games played (616), fifth in penalty minutes (858) and sixth in goals (53).
The son of Olympic figure skater Barbara Wyatt, Hardy played 915 career NHL games, scoring 62 goals and adding 306 assists for 368 points while racking up 1,293 penalty minutes. His first stint with the Kings started in 1979-80, when he appeared in 15 games as a rookie. He would appear in at least 74 games during each of the next five seasons, and set career highs with 14 goals and 53 points during the 1984-85 campaign. Hardy stayed in LA into the 1987-88 season, when he was traded to the New York Rangers.
After several seasons on Broadway and a short stint with the Minnesota North Stars, Hardy returned to Los Angeles for 11 games during the 1992-93 season. That season, the Kings made their first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals but lost the series to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Hardy finished out his NHL career by playing 16 games in Los Angeles the following season.
Hardy played a significant role in the "Miracle on Manchester," a playoff game between the Kings and Oilers that took place on April 10, 1982, at The Forum. The contest was the third of a five-game playoff series between the teams, with Edmonton heavily favored as the first seed. After splitting the first two games, the Kings trailed the Oilers 5-0 in the third period. But Jay Wells, Doug Smith and Charlie Simmer each scored for LA to cut the deficit to 5-3. With just over four minutes to play, Hardy found the back of the net to make it a 5-4 game. Steve Bozek scored a power play goal with just five seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Daryl Evans then completed the largest comeback in NHL playoff history as he scored 2:35 into the extra frame to lift the Kings to a 6-5 victory. Hardy also had two assists in the game and the Kings would eventually go on to win the first-round series.
Video: 50 Greatest Moments - Miracle on Manchester
Following his playing career, Hardy returned to Los Angeles as an assistant coach starting in 1999-00. After six years behind the bench with the Kings he joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant for the 2006-08 seasons, then came back to LA once again as an assistant coach from 2008-10. Hardy also served as an assistant with the ECHL's Ontario Reign from 2011-14, the AHL's Chicago Wolves from 2014-16 and the Tucson Roadrunners from 2016-17. He currently serves as a special assistant coach with the new Jacksonville Hitmen (ECHL)