Former King Jari Kurri remembers L.A., and is fondly remembered here
Jari Kurri played his last game with the Kings during the 1995-96 season, so the Finland-born right wing wasn’t sure what kind of reception he would receive Saturday at Staples Center when he was recognized by the Kings as part of their Legends Night series.
Kurri, who scored 601 goals and 1,398 points in a career that led to his enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, need not have worried about being forgotten here. Kurri, who was reunited with former Edmonton teammate Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles for the 1991-92 season, received a generous ovation when he was honored at center ice Saturday before the Kings’ game against the Winnipeg Jets.
“I wasn’t sure what would happen because it’s 20 years ago but it was a very nice, warm welcome,” said Kurri, who spent five seasons with the Kings in two tours of duty and played one season with the Ducks. He’s now general manager of the Finnish team Jokerit, which plays in Russia’s KHL.
Asked what stands out in his mind about playing in Los Angeles, he responded quickly: “Playing with Wayne again after I was gone to Europe for one year,” said Kurri, who spent the 1990-91 season in Italy. “I knew after one year in Europe I wanted to come back to the NHL.”
He said hockey was getting “so big” in Los Angeles when he finished playing here and marveled at its continued growth over the decades since he first landed in Southern California. “It’s happening. Today, you come to the game, you look outside at the people wearing jerseys….and they’ve won two Stanley Cups and Anaheim one. That’s pretty amazing for hockey in California. There’s players playing in the NHL right now who grew up in California here or Phoenix.
“I can see it’s a global game. My team [Jokerit] played in China four days ago, in Beijing, so it’s getting big. Who could have believed that, that we would play hockey in China, in Beijing? But that’s the way it is. Hockey is big.”
Follow Helene Elliott on Twitter @helenenothelen
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