OH MY GOURD: Ranking the Top 10 LA Kings Halloween Pumpkins
A breakdown of the best pumpkins designed by Kings players and their significant others
by PumperNicholl @PumperNicholl / LAKings.com
Today is the spookiest day of the year. And not just because we live in a universe where the LA Kings lost to the St. Louis Blues or because the LA Dodgers may watch the Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series at Dodger Stadium tonight.
No, today is spooky because it's the last day of the month and I haven't fulfilled my monthly quota of articles for LAKings.com.
So, here we are.
Each season, Kings' players and their significant others design their own pumpkins for Halloween and then auction them off to fans, with all proceeds going to the Kings Care Foundation.
It's a wonderful initiative and allows fans to a see a different side of the players.
I scrambled all night trying to track down any and all photos of Kings' player-designed pumpkins from the past few seasons. ...the results were less than ideal. Coincidentally, I am now starting a petition that the Kings begin cataloging all pumpkins from this day forward. We can't let history go undocumented, people.
Still, I was able to find a lot of great ones. And since this is a fun, charitable initiative, I figured we should pit these artistic gourds against one another and figure out which player has reigned supreme, and who needs to add "arts and crafts" to their offseason regimen.
10. Nic Dowd and Derek Forbort
In 2016, the two rookies went with a green theme.
Kings management was impressed Dowd kept in line with the organization's culture by selecting Leonardo, who the front office views as the the most serious, most spiritual, most disciplined, and most in-line with Splinter's Mike Futa's teachings out of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Meanwhile, Forbort went with "Nauseated Kyle Clifford."
9. Anze Kopitar
Kopitar debuts his "Trevor Lewis on a Breakaway" pumpkin, complete with no hands.
8. Drew Doughty
Doughty perfectly captured the reaction of all hockey fans in Ottawa when the 2016 Norris Trophy winner was announced.
7. Kyle Clifford
This season, the Kings created a Clifford Zombie Bobblehead, and everyone loved it.
So, of course, Clifford went with a great deep-pull by designing the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, the fabled character who only wanted a brain.
6. Jake Muzzin
This took Muzzin 36 hours to design, so we put it up higher on the list to reward his time and effort.
5. Nic Dowd
Cartman trolling opposing fans forever <3
4. Alex Faust, Jim Fox, Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans
The biggest shame is that the behind the scenes footage of the Kings broadcasters all hanging out at Jim Fox's house working on this pumpkin was tragically lost.
3. Tanner Pearson
The run of #Those70sPumpkins begins!
2. Jeff Carter
Great to see a veteran leader respecting the Burger King logo
How could an adorable dog design that would easily win "Jack-o'-Lantern Madness" somehow not come out on top in this list?!
1. Tyler Toffoli
Toffoli's teenage rebellious streak against his father is clearly visible in pumpkin-form as he showcases his normal, light-hearted self in 2015 (left) before unveiling his brooding emo side in 2016 (right).
The cupcake-consuming Toffoli who we all know and love on display.
Nothing can possibly top this pumpk--
Oh. My. Sweet. Heaven.