Stanley Cup Champions 2012: Los Angeles Kings (Blu-ray)

As a hockey nut, there is no more exciting time than seeing the Stanley Cup presented. As a hockey-nut living Los Angeles, it was pretty awesome to see this city embrace the sport I love and to watch the amazing run the Kings went on. As a die-hard Vancouver Canucks fan - this Blu-ray makes me angry as I am constantly reminded of what could of, and maybe should have been the past two playoffs. The LA Kings Stanley Cup Champs blu-ray is an excellent collection of the greatest moments from the Kings greatest season - and the added bonus of the extended parade features is a great reminder of what it was like to be there -and how awesome it was to be able to take my 5-year son (a budding hockey player in his own right) to see what can only be described as The Holy Grail.

It took 45 years, but the Stanley Cup® finally resides in the City of Angels! Now, after another great NHL® season, Warner Home Video (WHV) and the National Hockey League (NHL) are delivering an action-packed film commemorating the Kings’ road to the top with the release of the Stanley Cup® Champions 2012: Los Angeles Kings® DVD on July 24th, 2012.   This must-have DVD, released just a month after the Kings hoisted the Stanley Cup®, will have in-depth highlights from the memorable season and playoff run, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews with key players and coaches.

Filled with hours of non-stop action, the Stanley Cup® Champions 2012: Los Angeles Kings® DVD offers Los Angeles hockey fans a unique insight into the highs and lows of the 2011-12 season. The DVD follows the Kings throughout the 2011-12 season, starting with training camp, the slow start out of the gate and the firing of head coach Terry Murray in December. Under the tutelage of new coach Darryl Sutter and some savvy trade deadline deals, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty helped the Kings to eke their way into the Playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
 
The Kings finally became the unstoppable force that pre-season experts predicted them to be in the Stanley Cup® Playoffs.  In the first round, the Kings defeated the No. 1 seed and reigning Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks in five games.
 
Next up was the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, a team the Kings dominated and swept in four games. This propelled the Kings to the Western Conference Finals for only the second time in franchise history and in doing so, the Kings became the first 8th seed to eliminate the top two seeds in the Stanley Cup® Playoffs. The Conference Finals pitted the Kings against the No.3 seeded Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings eliminated the Coyotes in five games to become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the Stanley Cup® Finals. There awaited the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils, the final hurdle standing in the way of the Kings winning their first-ever Stanley Cup® Championship. After racing out to a 3-0 series lead, the Kings had to withstand superb efforts from Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and forward Zach Parise, in back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 5 to force a critical Game 6 at the Staples Center. The Kings would score three first period goals and never look back en route to a series-clinching 6-1 victory.