LA Kings Black History Celebration

Saturday, February 22, 2024

The LA Kings are proud to host their annual Black History Celebration to recognize the contributions and culture of Black Americans, as well as the historical systemic barriers this community faces. Throughout the year, the Kings are committed to hosting community programming and events with the goal of serving Black Angelenos and growing the Black hockey community under a common sentiment: We Are All Kings.

The Kings started the night with two pregame events: Game Changer and a Black History Community Mixer.

Game Changer brought together community members from the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and local law enforcement to become better educated about one another, with the end goal of creating a change in behavior and a change in outcomes. Following the session, all participants stayed to watch the Kings take on the Nashville Predators.

Kings community partners were invited to a pregame Black History Community Mixer to meet other members of the Kings family and Black hockey community. The mixer included food, music, games and a chalk talk from Analyst Daryl Evans and Scout Blake Bolden. The Kings are proud to work with impactful organizations that serve the Black community including 24 Degrees of Color, Brotherhood Crusade, Black Girl Hockey Club, The Empowerment Effect and Power Project.

Youth served by these organizations were also featured throughout the night in dedicated jumbotron videos, Blue Line Buddies, Tunnel Team and live group spotlights.

For the second year, the Kings were excited to have Ontario Reign Center and co-founder of ZALE Apparel, Akil Thomas, design the Black History Specialty Jerseys and Merchandise. Kings players signed the jerseys and wore them for arrival shots before they were auctioned off by the Kings Care Foundation, raising almost $20,000.

Merchandise was available in-store at the arena and online through TeamLA, with designs nodding to Black royalty. Proceeds from the jersey and merchandise will benefit 24 Degrees of Color, whose mission is to diversify ice skating and ice hockey in LA County by making these sports more accessible financially, ensuring diverse representation at the rink, introducing young people to recreational ice sports, and providing resources for them to compete competitively, if interested.

The Kings were also thrilled to celebrate youth players from the Black, Silver & Bold program throughout the night. Black, Silver & Bold is a new program this season led by Blake Bolden that fosters community for underrepresented elite youth hockey players and their families in Los Angeles.

Two players from the program, Quinn Albrecht and Romi Amu, performed the night’s ceremonial puck drop alongside Blake to highlight the program. All Black, Silver & Bold participants were also invited to a special postgame meet and greet with Quinton Byfield, the highest drafted Black NHL player ever!