The Most (and Least) Fashionable LA Kings

When it comes to fashion, there is no shortage of style in the LA Kings dressing room.
Between the age range and the cultural differences of the players, what they wear off the ice spans a wide spectrum. Forwards Trevor Lewis and Tyler Toffoli both handily admit to having 50 pairs of shoes while goalie Jack Campbell proudly concedes to owning three.
But one thing most of the players can agree on is that the most fashion-conscious member of the team is Dion Phaneuf.
"That's the first I've heard of it and that's a nice compliment from the guys. It's something I've always really enjoyed," Phaneuf said. "I enjoy the design aspect, whether it's suits or shirts, little details, buttons, having some fun with different colors."
"I've always liked shopping and fashion and for the guys to say that I take it as a compliment," explains the 33-year-old.

Phaneuf has been fortunate enough to be able to design a lot of his wardrobe. He uses Lipson, a Canadian company, for a lot of his dress shirts, and his suits are made by John Mathidakis as well as Don Belini from Hugo Boss in Canada.
Funny enough, his ties are from DION Neckware, which the name is purely a coincidence.
"All my ties, funny enough have my name on it. I've been lucky to be able to design my ties, I go to the factory there and pick stuff out in Toronto. I've been lucky with Lipson too, I go to their factory and go in the back and play around with a lot of different fabrics and choose what I want," explains the defenseman.
"It's something I enjoy, something I have fun with and something to do on the side away from the game."
Flipping through magazines is one way Phaneuf generates ideas for his wardrobe, but he doesn't really follow any fashion icons on social media. He wears what he likes and what he thinks looks good, regardless of what others think, but if other people like it, that's a bonus.
For a home game, he typically goes into his closet before his pre-game nap and picks something he feels good about, and usually sticks with that, but once in a while he'll change his mind last-minute.
When asked how he packs for a road trip, his answer was direct and matter-of-fact. "Heavy," declares the Edmonton native.

"I like to have different options. I try to have a different shirt and suit combination depending on how long the trip is. If it's realistic to have a different amount of sport coats or suits I try to mix and match. I like variety."
Phaneuf appreciates the traditional aspect of the National Hockey League, where players have always worn suits to and from games. "I think everyone looks good when they come to work, it's a professional way to arrive. You're here to work and do your job."
Sport coats are a wardrobe piece that Phaneuf has become particularly fond of, and credits teammate Alec Martinez as having a particularly nice collection of them.

"As I've gotten a little bit older I enjoy that look a little bit more than a full suit, you can kind of have a little more fun with it whether it be patterns or different colors, it gives your look a bit of variety," Phaneuf said.
He names the New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist and the San Jose Sharks' Erik Karlsson as two of the more fashionable players in the NHL.
Forward Adrian Kempe is also known as a pretty sharp dresser amongst his teammates. Kempe's interest in fashion started with his brother, Mario, who plays for the Arizona Coyotes. The two began collecting sneakers together when they were younger, and Adrian estimates he has about 40 pairs of shoes, not counting the ones he has back home in Sweden.
"I'm kind of into style and fashion a little bit. It's a little hobby of mine," says the 22-year-old.

Unlike Phaneuf, Kempe is most interested in casual fashion and names brands like Fear of God, Off-White, and Amiri amongst his favorites. He uses Instagram to follow fashion icons and brands like Jerry Lorenzo.
Before home games, Kempe checks the weather to see how warm it is and uses that as a gauge to decide whether he'll wear a dark or light-colored suit.
When Kempe packs for a road trip, his bag is a perhaps a bit lighter than Phaneuf's: sweatpants for the hotel, a pair of sneakers, and one suit with a couple different dress shirts and ties.

Kempe's roommate, forward Jonny Brodzinski, is someone Kempe is particularly proud of when it comes to fashion.
"I've been living with him for three years now. He's gotten a lot better than when I first met him. I think in our first year in Ontario he was wearing his Grandpa's suit jacket, but he's come a long way, he's got pretty good style now," explains Kempe. However, he still won't let Brodzinski raid his closet.
Goalie Cal Petersen wears his fashion on his mask, so to speak, which carries references to the brand Off-White and OVO, which is Drake's company, an icon Petersen is a big fan of.

"I like to look good, I don't like to just roll out of bed and throw on sweats or whatever. I think early in your career you have to be a bit more conservative and I like to try and fly under the radar a little more, but hopefully I'll progress longer and I'll have more confidence to go out of the box," the 24-year-old said.
But not everyone on the team has the same fashion-forward thinking as Phaneuf and Kempe. A guy who's taken some heat for his style choices is forward Matt Luff. Paul Bissonnette poked fun at Luff's Gucci and Louis Vuitton belts on the Spittin Chiclets podcast and it's no secret that teammate Drew Doughty doesn't exactly think highly of the 21-year-old's idea of fashion.
"I don't think it's the worst," Luff said, trying to defend himseld. "I took some heat from [Doughty], but he's a little older, so he's all about the longer pants, no ankles showing. If [he] wants to take me shopping for some clothes I wouldn't mind that."
Petersen, who was with Luff on the Spittin Chiclets podcast, has his own opinion of his teammate and his belts.

"He's a confident kid and he kind of likes that kind of stuff, so he's definitely the one to have the designer belt and not afraid to show it off a little bit. If there's anything he spends some money on, it's his belts," says Petersen.
Luff did admit that Doughty inspired him to buy some longer pants just for the team trips, but on an average day you can find the Oakville native in a pair of joggers with no-show socks, or perhaps Lululemon for beachwear. He is also a fan of Off-White and has some Saint Laurent hoodies that Phaneuf has complimented.

"I think everyone has their own senses of fashion and I don't think there's a right or a wrong way," states Phaneuf. However, Luff does admit to discarding some hats that Phaneuf wasn't a fan of.
"Dion's a big style guy. If you're getting props from Dion, you're on your game," reports Luff.
Luff is confident that one day the tables will turn for him.
"I'm sure when I'm their age, when the young guys come in they're going to have their style and I'm going to say 'I don't know about that.' Maybe one day Dewy will be on my side. I'll get him there."