Los Angeles Kings extend contract of Luc Robitaille
When Montreal, Quebec native Luc Robitaille retired from the National Hockey League at the end of the 2005-06 season, he went out on a high note.
The Los Angeles Kings, who had drafted him 171st overall in 1984, defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-0, and Robitaille was the recipient of a thunderous applause from the audience, and congratulations
from the players of both teams. Robitaille finished his career as the highest-scoring left-winger in the storied history of the NHL. It is a record that still stands to this day.
Shortly after his retirement, he signed on to work as the Kings’ president of business operations on May 25, 2007. On Monday night, the Kings announced that they had signed Robitaille
to a multi-year contract extension. Robitaille is currently in his fourth season in this position, and he often represents his former team on the business front. He has been known to make several public appearances as well.
Robitaille’s play made him a fan favourite in every city he played in. In addition to three separate stints in Los Angeles, Robitaille also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New
York Rangers, and the Detroit Red Wings. He won the only Stanley Cup of his career in the 2001-02 season while playing with the Red Wings.
The 2001-02 Stanley Cup championship wasn’t the only award that Robitaille won during his 20-year NHL career. He was the winner of the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1987,
and he also appeared in eight NHL All-Star Games.
Upon retiring from hockey, the Kings raised Robitaille’s number 20 to the rafters as their fifth retired jersey number in 2007. He was inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame in November
of 2009, along with Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Brian Leetch.
In a fantastic career that spanned 20 years and 1,431 games, Robitaille scored 668 goals and 726 assists for a total of 1,394 points.
Tags: