Kings Top Utah

Los Angeles Kings veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper had a first game back in goal after being on the shelf with an injury to start the season and got the win versus Utah, 3-2, stopping 24 of 26 shots.

This is Kuemper's second stint with the Kings organization. In 2017, he agreed to a one-year deal after playing for five years in Minnesota. Kuemper only lasted 19 games before being traded. Over this past summer, the Kings were fortunate to have traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to Washington for Kuemper. Dubois, last season, never seemed to gel with the Kings and now 34-year-old Kuemper gets a chance to revitalize his career as a netminder for the Kings. Goalie Jonathan Quick set the standard and raised the bar winning two Stanley Cups while with the Kings (2012, 2014) and creating a winning environment that inspires and motivates Kings goalies to carry the torch and sustain that level of play and greatness.

"I was so excited this summer by the trade to LA, where I'd been before," Kuemper said. "I loved my year there. Because of the circumstances at the time, it was a short stay, but it was a lot of fun. I've always felt comfortable with the Kings, and to be back brings back all those feelings."

So it made sense for the Kings to re-hire Kuemper because of his positive attitude about their organization and because he and Colorado won a Stanley Cup championship just a few years ago.

He knows what it takes to win.