Kings Ready to Honor Dionne, Their Sweet 16

The fact that the Kings have retired only one sweater number says something about their history, which at times has been forgettable.

Tonight, the Kings will retire their second number, the No. 16 that Marcel Dionne wore as their star center for 12 seasons.

The only other number the Kings have set aside is 30, which Rogie Vachon wore while setting several club goaltending records.

Dionne scored the most points in Kings history and the third-highest total in NHL history. Yet he could never elevate the struggling team into Stanley Cup contention.

A championship or two would have been nice, but Dionne said he gained something else from his playing days in Southern California, never known as a hockey hotbed.

“We always came close, and then (fell) back. . . . It made me better, and better experienced.

“I worked hard for everything I got. I think it made me a better person. The winning things are coming to me now,” said Dionne, 39, whose career ended when he was released by the New York Rangers just before the start of the 1989-90 season.

Dionne’s number will be retired before the Kings’ game against the Detroit Red Wings, who made Dionne their No. 1 draft pick in 1971. Dionne left the Red Wings after four seasons and signed with the Kings as a free agent.

“I think Marcel has done a great deal for this franchise,” said Vachon, now the Kings’ general manager. “Keep in mind that he is still the third-best scorer in NHL history. We were fairly successful in the ‘70s when he was here. He was on the ‘Triple Crown’ line that was one of the best in hockey for several years.”

Dionne scored 1,771 points in 18 seasons, 1,307 of them for the Kings. He was second behind Gordie Howe for several seasons, before the Kings’ current star center, Wayne Gretzky, eclipsed them both.

It was Vachon who traded Dionne, Jeff Crossman and a third-round draft pick to the New York Rangers on March 10, 1987. In return, the Kings got center Bobby Carpenter and defenseman Tom Laidlaw.

“We were coming to the (trading) deadline, and he came to me and asked if it was possible for me to move him,” Vachon said. “We were rebuilding, and he was getting up in age. When you’re rebuilding, you’re not going to win the Cup. I think he was getting frustrated.

“To move a big piece like Marcel was tough,” Vachon added. “We were desperate for defensemen.”

The Kings are still benefiting from the trade. Laidlaw is still with the team, although he’s recovering from a back injury and hasn’t played since late last season. The Kings dealt Carpenter to the Boston Bruins for center Steve Kasper and enforcer Jay Miller.

Bruce McNall, who became the Kings’ sole owner in March, 1988, had wanted to retire Dionne’s number sooner. But Dionne spent most of last season haggling with the Rangers over the final year on his contract.

“Last year was not the proper time,” Dionne said. “A lot of things were happening to me. I was trying to say it as nice as I could.

“It’s a real nice gesture; I didn’t play for this owner. It’s not only for me, but for the guys who fed me the puck, the coaches and the (general) managers.”

On the all-time NHL lists, Dionne is No. 2 with 731 goals and third with 1,040 assists.

Dionne said he tried to call Gretzky soon after McNall swung the huge 1988 trade with the Edmonton Oilers, but couldn’t get through.

“I really wanted to tell him that he would love L.A. I always believed that you could win here, but you’ve got to get the right people here. He came in with two more winning guys (Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski) and McNall turned it around.”