The Los Angeles Kings are poised to add a seventh member to their list of retired numbers. On February 11, 2023, the team will retire winger Dustin Brown’s no. 23, unveiling a statue of him as well prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, per the team.
He’ll be the team’s third winger to have his number retired, joining Dave Taylor (18) and Luc Robitaille (20). Defenseman Rob Blake (4), center Marcel Dionne (16), goalie Rogie Vachon (30), and Wayne Gretzky’s no. 99, which the team had a separate ceremony for in addition to its league-wide retirement.
Brown announced his retirement late in the 2021-22 season, saying he’d retire after the culmination of the Kings’ playoff run, which ended in seven games against the Edmonton Oilers in the First Round. He finished his career as the team’s all-time leader in games played with 1,296, although Anze Kopitar is set to surpass that mark shortly as well. Captaining the team to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, he’s remembered as one of, if not the best, power forwards the team’s had in their history.
While his production dipped mid-career, Brown never gave up on playing meaningful minutes, and his work ethic led to a late-career resurgence that included 61-point and 51-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Brown will be just the third individual to have a statue in his honor in LA, joining Robitaille and Gretzky.
Congratulations Dustin, your a King among Kings!
Congrats on a nice career, but jersey retirement and statue?!?
A statue?
Of Dustin Brown?
Do they mean a bust that will line a hall in the arena? Or a legit statue outside the building?
If it’s the former, OK whatever makes you happy. If it’s the latter, that’s a real low bar. Real low.
I assume Kopitar, Doughty, Gaborik, Carter, etc. are all getting statues, too? Simon Gagne? Tyler Toffoli?
17 seasons as a King, Captain for a majority of them, captain for their 1st Stanley Cup in franchise history…never a Superstar but in terms of giving a franchise everything you had he fit the bill.
Great player for the Kings, no doubt.
A statue?
It’s always interesting the caliber of player that gets the retired number/statue treatment for teams with limited history. Good loyal player during a peak time for the Kings but teams like Montreal, Boston, Detroit would run out of room if they gave every Dustin Brown type player a statue.
So you guys came on to a post about another team just to show us that you don’t actually know anything about this team?
Dustin Brown may not have been a superstar, but he was and is the most important player the Kings have ever had. He’s the face of the most successful period in the history of the franchise. I’m not going to sit here and argue that the Kings are on the same level as some of the more storied franchises; they obviously aren’t. But Brown was the captain, and at times actually the best player on the ice, for a really important era for Kings’ fans. Just watch clips of that 2012 series against the Canucks. Players like that get statues for their franchise. It’s as much about that period of time as it is about Brown, but make no mistake, Brown deserves this. And all Kings fans would agree, so why does it matter to you at all?
I have never been a fan of retiring numbers, A ring of honor of numbers inside the arena would be more appropriate and of course eventually you run out of jersey numbers, The dumbest ever retirement number was Gretzky being retired by all NHL teams. STUPID! A Dustin Brown statue Is out of control unnecessary! Wow!
Unfortunately for you, your opinion is irrelevant. The Kings feel otherwise.
Good thing is no one cares what you think Duck fan
Retiring Gretzky’s number league-wide would be dumb if he had a typical number like #16, but considering his number was #99 and synonymous with the Great One it makes sense. No one should wear #99 again.
Doesn’t deserve a statue to be honest. Trying to create something that wasn’t there. Kopitar or doughty both make sense or even quick (who’s on pace to be the greatest American goalie) bizarre and lowers the requirements to be a banner type player.
Nobody cares what you think.
Obviously you did because you responded
The standard is just so low. Now anyone can captian a team for 8 years and lead a franchise to their first two championships to get a statue
get it, Brownie! well deserved.. #GoKings
All-time franchise leader in games played and hits. Top 8 in goals, assists, and points. Was the captain for both Cup wins! Everyone who is saying he doesn’t deserve the number retirement and statue clearly are experiencing recency effect!
Nice move by the kings in this economy. Jersey retirements sell tickets
This is for the Kings franchise, not the NHL Hall of Fame. Good for Brownie!
Brown is a classy guy and was a great King. He will always be a Los Angeles King.
He’s Dave Taylor 20 years later…
Nothing close. Almost half the points and not productive for half his career. Great guy but come on
…….And Kopi should just now be getting the “C”. In a perfect world at least. Congrats Brownie! Well deserved.
what’s w/the pushback for Brownie getting a statue? did Luc win ANY Cups in a Kings jersey? Dustin won 2…
I know why Luc & Wayne are so popular, but different eras equal different stats, etc.. Brownie played his tail off for the team, NEVER left, and was integral to both Championships..
maybe lay off him a little for not being a 100+ point player… not like they’re retiring #23 or giving a statue to Craig Johnson… ~O_o~
People who are complaining about this are clearly not Kings fans. It’s okay for fans of other teams to feel however they feel; this statue is not for them, it’s for fans of the team who go the arena and who are all completely on board with this. We know what Brown means to this franchise, and to us.
Sorry bud I have been a kings fan since the 90’s he’s a great player but not worthy of retirement or a statue. Your homerism clouds your judgment for what it takes to be a hall of famer. Also an angels fan talking about loyalty? Go support the ducks
It’s not the hall of fame! It’s a statue outside of Staples Center! It’s for the Kings and their fans, not the entire NHL. Give your head a shake, man.
Still not worthy of a statue. When was he ever the best player on one of his squads? Never he got c patch because kings were bad at the time, it should have been kopitars. Even as a kings fan he’s not statue worthy
He was on the team before Kopitar, and any actual fan that has watched the Kings knows he was the best player on that 2012 team in the playoffs outside of Quick. Just check the stats, and watch the clips. He did it all for them.
Wearing the C doesn’t mean you are the best player on the team, or at least it shouldn’t. It’s about being a leader
Brown was a great player and quite a warrior but probably won’t be In the HOF. A statue? Really? Dustin Brown Is getting a statue? Awkward!!!!!
He rarely spoke his first two years in the league. He’s come a long way. One of the toughest players to play against in his prime.
He had a speech impediment that Sean Avery made fun of him for. In case anyone was unclear on what a huge a**hole Avery was.