Kings announce ’15-16 Legends Night details

The Los Angeles Kings will honor Nick Nickson, Mike Donnelly and Jimmy Carson at STAPLES Center as part of this season’s popular Legends Night Series presented by McDonald’s.

The Kings will also wear their Vintage Jerseys as part of these special evenings — it will mark the only time the Kings will wear these sweaters during the 2015-16 season – and Kings fans in attendance each night will receive a commemorative poster as provided by McDonald’s.

Nickson, who is entering his 35th season with the Kings, will be honored on November 10 before the Kings-Arizona game at STAPLES Center. That pre-game ceremony comes just one night after Nickson will be recognized in Toronto when he receives the 2015 Foster Hewitt Award as part of Induction Weekend festivities at the Hockey Hall of Fame. As selected by the NHL Professional Broadcasters’ Association that award recognizes those members of the radio and television industry who have made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their hockey broadcasting careers.

The radio “Voice-of-the-Kings,” Nickson is a veteran with 40 years of hockey broadcasting experience totaling more than 3,500 games (including over 3,000 with the Kings). He calls the action of every pre-season, regular season and postseason playoff game on KABC 790 and along the Kings Radio Network.

Donnelly played five seasons with the Kings from 1990-95 and will be honored on February 23 when the Kings host Calgary. During his time with the Kings as a player he was a part of the Kings team that made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1993 and he was a member of the popular “All-American” forward line with Tony Granato and Corey Millen.

With the Kings he scored 29 goals on two occasions and at least 21 goals on three occasions. In 1991-92 he had 28 even-strength goals, sixth most in the NHL, as he finished fifth overall in team scoring that season. In 1992-93 he finished third on the Kings in goals scored and in 1993-94 he finished fourth.

Donnelly – the first NHL player in history to play for all three New York teams (Rangers, Islanders and Sabres) — currently plays a key role in the Kings scouting and player development departments.

Carson, one of the game’s first U.S. born stars, will receive his recognition from the Kings on March 7 as part of the Kings-Vancouver contest. He was a part of the Kings team from 1986-88 and again from 1992-94 and he too was a part of the Kings team that made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1993.

With the Kings his individual highlights include winning the club’s Most Popular Player award in 1986-87 and in 1987-88 Carson was named the club’s Most Valuable Player. At the end of his rookie season, he was named an NHL All-Rookie Selection along with teammates Luc Robitaille and Steve Duchesne, and he was a Calder Trophy finalist (he was third in final voting).

Carson — in terms of statistics and rankings — scored 37 goals as a rookie in 1986-87 (fifth most ever scored a Kings rookie). In his second season he scored 55 goals making him one of six Kings players to score that many in a single campaign; his 55 goals were the third most in the NHL that season; his 107 points were eighth overall; he had seven game-winning goals (sixth most in the league); and he led the NHL with five hat tricks (a Kings record). Overall he ranks seventh all-time in Kings history in goals scored by a center, and in 1992-93 he set an NHL record in 1992-93 by playing in 86 regular season games (due to trade).

Carson in August of 1988 was one of the principle players who went from the Kings to Edmonton as part of the Wayne Gretzky mega-trade. Among hockey players born in the U.S., Carson was the first to get 20-plus goals in each of his first six (and then seven) seasons in the league; was only the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season before turning 20 years old (Gretzky was the first); and he was the first player in NHL history to collect 50 goals and 50 assists in one season;

As part of this series the Kings to date have recognized Rogie Vachon, Bob Berry, Bob Pulford, Bernie Nicholls, Daryl Evans, Charlie Simmer, Kelly Hrudey, Ian Laperriere, Jay Wells, Jim Fox, Larry Murphy, Barry Melrose, Granato and Robitaille.