Kings to Host All-Stars

The Kings and Staples Center will play host to the 2002 NHL All-Star weekend and 52nd All-Star game, the last major hockey event before the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

The game was last played in Los Angeles in 1981, when the Kings’ Triple Crown line of Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer delighted their hometown fans by playing as a unit.

The game will be played Feb. 2, with a team of stars from North America facing a team from the rest of the world.

All-Star activities will begin Jan. 29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center with the NHL All-Star FANtasy, an interactive hockey theme park that will be open through Feb. 2. On Feb. 1, former players will participate in the “Heroes of Hockey” game, and NHL stars will participate in the SuperSkills competition at Staples Center.

The All-Star game is one in a series of championship sports events in the Los Angeles area in 2002, beginning with the bowl championship series’ national championship college football game at the Rose Bowl Jan. 3, and followed by the U.S. figure skating championships Jan. 6-13.