Kings honor firefighters, first responders throughout 1st dwelling sport again after wildfires – NBC Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Kings honored firefighters and first responders within the first sport again of their downtown area for the reason that catastrophic wildfires that devastated giant components of Los Angeles.

The Kings have been scheduled to face Calgary on Jan. 8, however that sport was postponed because of the fires. Los Angeles then performed its subsequent 5 video games on the highway earlier than returning dwelling.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Kings wore LAFD caps throughout pregame warmups. Firefighters and first responders from numerous departments within the area have been honored at heart ice earlier than the sport.

The Kings changed their conventional emblem at heart ice with a graphic paying tribute to the Los Angeles Hearth Division.

“To see the fellows on the market and the gals, it was humbling. I don’t know. I simply felt that manner,” Kings coach Jim Hiller mentioned concerning the ceremony. “I felt slightly emotional. I simply felt like these folks have been on the market doing a little fairly wonderful issues that we simply noticed slightly bit from a protracted distance. And we’re in our personal little bubble doing what we’ve got to do. It introduced it to life for me, fairly private, and it’s simply disappointing we couldn’t do extra with it.”

Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby then did a ceremonial face off with Hearth Engineer Chien Yu.

The Kings have been trying to prolong their dwelling profitable streak, however performed one among their worst video games of the yr as they misplaced to the Penguins 5-1.

“These guys, you understand, threat their lives for the neighborhood, for town, and we will’t thank them sufficient,” Kopitar mentioned. “The town’s been going by way of some powerful instances, and, clearly, in conditions like this, I’m positive town goes to return collectively and assist and pull their weight in each which manner attainable to the those who have misplaced every thing and, once more, attempt to assist them out, get them on their ft and primarily rebuild.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris flew into Southern California to go to Altadena, the place she pledged to assist the neighborhood rebuild after the Eaton Hearth. Robert Kovacik stories for the NBC4 Information at 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan knew his workforce was coming into an emotionally-charged constructing, and knew it was necessary to handle the primary 10 minutes of the sport.

“We knew it was going to be an emotional night time within the constructing for all the proper causes,” Sullivan mentioned. “Our workforce is supportive of the endeavor with the Kings and acknowledging and recognizing the heroism of the hearth division and all these first responders which might be placing themselves in hurt’s method to attempt to assist folks. That’s larger than any hockey sport.”

Pittsburgh goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who made 25 saves within the win and was carrying an LAFD shirt after the sport, appreciated seeing the quantity of recognition the firefighters and first responders obtained all through the night time.

“It means loads to them and their households. For them to get some recognition, I’m positive it goes a good distance for them as a result of they’re simply doing it out of the kindness of their hearts and attempting to assist different folks and be good folks. We’re very grateful to have folks like that in our world,” he mentioned.