L.A. Kings really come home with South Bay victory parade

Two days after a blowout party in downtown Los Angeles, the L.A. Kings will make a triumphant return to their actual home Wednesday, with a four-mile Stanley Cup parade through the South Bay.

The beach cities there are home to die-hard Kings fans – and all but one of the players, who have been known to hold postgame celebrations at local bars and often mingle at community events. The team trains at a facility in El Segundo.

The parade, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., kicks off in Redondo Beach, taking a beachside victory lap along The Strand in Hermosa Beach before ending up at the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Officials are advising spectators to arrive early, and cross onto the beach side of the Strand boardwalk before it’s closed for the procession. Street closures will be in effect, and motorists should be prepared for delays. Some streets may not open until after 6 p.m., police said.

The 90-minute celebration is the culmination of several days of South Bay partying for the newly crowned champions; within a few hours of the team’s double-overtime victory Friday, the trophy was spotted at the North End Bar & Grill in Hermosa Beach.

On Saturday afternoon, several players took the Cup to the beach, snapping photos with lifeguards and delighted fans on the sand.

“They live and play, raise their families and hang out with their friends in the beach cities,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Michael DiVirgilio.

“They’re part of our hometown community and we are proud and honored that they choose to live here and share their success with us.”

The waterfront parade will be twice as long as Monday’s event with plenty of hometown pride to be certain, but is unlikely to make as big of a splash.

DiVirgilio, for one, has no plans to drop any f-bombs (a la Eric Garcetti) when he joins the Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach mayors to congratulate the Kings.

“No headline-grabbing quotes from me today.”

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