Kings unveil 50th anniversary monument

The Los Angeles Kings are celebrating their golden anniversary, and they have revealed a monument that commemorates 50 years in the NHL.

The Kings unveiled the 50th Anniversary Monument outside Staples Center on Saturday, a 12-foot marble wall that features images of the most memorable moments from their existence.

Artists Itamar Amrany, Julie Amrany and Omri Amrany of the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany collaborated to create the monument, which features a combination of laser-etched images and statuesque properties that chronicle great moments in Kings history. Kings legends and Hockey Hall of Famers including Wayne Gretzky, Rogie Vachon, Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne and Rob Blake, are among the prominent former players featured.
"This project was really to focus on the history and the legacy of the Kings over the past 50 years," Itamar Amrany said in a video posted to the Kings website. "We really tried to create something that everyone could relate to."

The monument was dedicated to the Kings organization and its fans and supporters. Its most dramatic image is a slap shot, which starts with Dionne winding up and progresses through different Kings eras, culminating with present-day Kings forward Dustin Brown lifting the Stanley Cup after Los Angeles' first championship in 2012.
"The slap shot is one of the most intense aspects of the game," Amrany said.
Among the moments also encapsulated are the Kings' entrance into the NHL, Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller's first Kings game on Oct. 10, 1973, the team's famous comeback dubbed "The Miracle on Manchester" on April 10, 1982 and their acquisition of Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers on Aug. 9, 1988.