The two-time Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings are returning to broadcast television — albeit for just a half-dozen games.
That said, it is a sort of homecoming for the National Hockey League team, which aired its games on the CBS News & Stations-owned free-to-air TV station during the 1998-99 season and from 1967-1985 aired their games on what was then-called KHJ-TV.
The L.A. Kings are coming back to KCAL-9 for the 2023-24 season.
The team announced late last week that the station would be a broadcast partner, airing six of the team’s regular season games. KCAL will also produce several half-hour specials over the course of the season.
“Everyone at KCAL and CBS Los Angeles is honored to be reunited with the LA Kings,” said Joel Vilmenay, President and General Manager of KCBS-2 and KCAL-9. “We are excited to enter into this mutually beneficial relationship with the team, which includes helping the Kings expand their reach on television and in the community, and also establishing a new marketing relationship that benefits the team and also adds value to our stations.”
Three of the games airing on KCAL will be played at Crypto.com Arena; one will have the Kings facing off the Anaheim Ducks.
In addition to the games airing on KCAL, the schedule includes 63 regular season games on Bally Sports West, with 13 additional games nationally televised; this resolves the question of what would happen to Diamond Sports Group’s contract with the Kings, as DSG seeks to resolve its bankruptcy woes.
In a statement, the Kings said of the KCAL-9 agreement, “We believe this deal helps accomplish a significant goal of the Kings, which is to provide a high-quality broadcast to serve our fans well while expanding our audience.”
Hall of Famer Nick Nickson will serves as play-by-play announcer, alongside analysts Jim Fox and Daryl Evans.
LOS ANGELES KINGS HOCKEY ON KCAL-9:
Sat. Nov. 18 at 7:30 PM: St. Louis at Los Angeles
Sat. Dec. 16 at 7:00 PM: Los Angeles at Seattle
Sat. Jan. 20 at 7:30 PM: N.Y. Rangers at Los Angeles
Sat. Mar. 9 at 7:30 PM: Dallas at Los Angeles
Sat Mar. 30 at 7:00 PM: Los Angeles at Calgary
Tue. Apr. 9 at 7:00 PM: Los Angeles at Anaheim
