 | | Luc Robitaille | | Alternate Governor | | Luc Robitaille -- the highest scoring left wing in NHL history, the all-time Kings leader in goals scored and a future member of the Hockey Hall of Fame – is in his second season as Kings President, Business Operations, after being appointed to the position on May 25, 2007.
In his role, Robitaille oversees the day-to-day business operations of the Kings. Primarily his efforts focus directly on all business initiatives as it relates to the Kings and the integration of all communication vehicles to the Kings fan base that includes game experience, fan/player relations, community outreach, broadcasting, fan development, LAKings.com, team events and player appearances. He also oversees and influences all Kings business relations and partnerships including season-ticket members, media partners, corporate partners and community organizations. Additionally, he works closely with President/General Manager Dean Lombardi on Kings player initiatives and also in helping to instill a sense of passion and pride throughout the Kings organization.
Robitaille, who had his popular No. 20 jersey retired by the Kings on January 20, 2007, is one of the greatest players in NHL history. He played 19 seasons in the NHL – including 14 with the Kings -- and in 1,431 career regular season games with the Kings, Detroit Red Wings (where he won a Stanley Cup in 2002), New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, had 1,394 points (668-726=1,394). In 159 playoff games, he had 127 points (58-69=127).
Robitaille as a player was honored with several awards and he set numerous records throughout his long and distinguished career. In addition to being the highest scoring left wing in NHL history, a mark he set in a Kings uniform with an assist on March 22, 2004, with his 1,370th point to pass Hall of Famer John Bucyk, Robitaille holds the NHL record for left wingers for goals (668). He is also 10th in overall NHL goal scoring with 668 goals (he was second among active players at the time of his retirement to former Red Wings teammate Steve Yzerman), 19th in overall NHL scoring with 1,394 points and he is the only left wing in NHL history to record eight consecutive 40-goal seasons (all with the Kings).
With the Kings, Robitaille ranks second all-time in games played (1,077), second in points (1,154) and fourth in assists (597). On January 19, 2006, Robitaille set the Kings all-time record for goals when his 551st goal as a King surpassed former teammate, long-time friend and Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne. In 1,077 total regular season games as a King, Robitaille had 557 goals and 1,154 points.
Robitaille, 42 (2/17/66), joined the Kings in 1984 when the club selected him in the ninth-round (171st overall) in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. As a rookie, the Montreal-born Robitaille became the first King to win the Calder Cup Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year and he was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. Joined later by the legendary Wayne Gretzky, the pair helped lead the Kings to the club’s first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. That season Robitaille, who served as captain, set NHL records for the most goals (63) by a left wing -- a mark that was eclipsed by Alexander Ovechkin in 2007-08 -- and for most points (125) by a left wing, a mark that still stands.
Robitaille would go on to reach other milestones in a Kings uniform, including his 500th career goal on January 7, 1999, and he played in his 1,000th game as a King on March 13, 2004. When Robitaille had his jersey retired by the Kings, he became just the fifth player to be so honored (joining Gretzky, Dave Taylor, Dionne and Rogie Vachon) by the club and he was also inducted into the Kings Hall of Fame that night.
An eight-time All Star, Robitaille has also immersed himself into the Southern California community. Always one of hockey’s most active and accessible players, Luc and his wife Stacia are the co-founders of two charitable organizations, Shelter for Serenity and Echoes of Hope. Shelter for Serenity is a disaster relief project that benefits victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes (www.shelterforserenity.org). Echoes of Hope, founded in 2007, strives to awaken the spirit of hope in the lives of at-risk foster and emancipated foster to help them reach their full potential (www.echoesofhope.org).
Luc and Stacia, have two sons, Steven and Jesse. They reside in Santa Monica.
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