Frozen Fury was an annual pre-season ice hockey game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL), which was held in Salt Lake City from 2021 to 2023. A previous incarnation of the series was held between the Kings and the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas from 1997 to 2016. On four occasions, the Kings faced different teams instead of the Avalanche; once each against the Arizona Coyotes, the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, and the Dallas Stars.[1][2][3] The 15th Frozen Fury was originally supposed to take place on September 29, 2012, but was cancelled due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout.[4] It resumed September 27–28, 2013, with the New York Rangers making their debut in the series.

The first game to be played in Las Vegas was also the first outdoor game in the league's history: 14,000 fans came to a rink set up outside Caesars Palace to see the Kings defeat the New York Rangers 5–2 on September 28, 1991. The air temperature was 85 °F (29 °C) during the game. The game served as a predecessor to both the Frozen Fury series (which was played indoors) and the NHL Winter Classic, the annual regular season game held on New Year's Day that began in 2008.

From 1997 to 2015, these games were played at MGM Grand Garden Arena; in 2016, they were played at T-Mobile Arena.[5] The 2016 games were the end of the original tradition, due to the launch of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017–18 season.[6]

In 2021, a new Frozen Fury series was launched at the then-Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City between the Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights;[7] the Sharks then rejoined the series in 2023.[8] This series was concluded following the 2023–24 season, with Salt Lake City receiving the expansion Utah Mammoth.[9]

The games

Frozen Fury I (1997)

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stCOLJosef MarhaBrent Severyn, Eric Messier13:131–0 COL
2ndLAKRoman Vopat (PP)Brad Smyth, Rob Blake2:061–1
COLEric MessierJari Kurri, Joe Sakic14:512–1 COL
3rdLAKOlli Jokinen (PP)Luc Robitaille, Ray Ferraro4:122–2
LAKCraig JohnsonRob Blake12:273–2 LAK
COLJoe SakicPeter Forsberg, Claude Lemieux19:203–3
OTLAKDonald MacLeanDoug Zmolek, Jan Vopat2:514–3 LAK

Frozen Fury XV (2013)

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stLAKAnze KopitarDrew Doughty, Justin Williams0:151–0 LAK
LAKJeff Carter (PP)Mike Richards, Matt Frattin11:392–0 LAK
NYRJ. T. MillerAnton Stralman, Oscar Lindberg14:062–1 LAK
LAKMike Richards (PP)Unassisted17:273–1 LAK
2ndLAKTrevor LewisJarret Stoll, Robyn Regehr16:154–1 LAK
3rdNo scoring this period
Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stLAKMike Richards (PP)Unassisted16:381–0 LAK
2ndLAKMike Richards (2) (PP)Matt Frattin, Jarret Stoll0:142–0 LAK
COLRyan O'ReillySteve Downie, Matt Duchene8:112–1 LAK
COLGabriel LandeskogAlex Tanguay, Andre Benoit12:582–2
COLGabriel Landeskog (2) (PP)Andre Benoit, Paul Stastny16:063–2 COL
3rdNo scoring this period

Frozen Fury SLC I (2021)

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stLAKBrendan LemieuxAustin Strand1:451–0 LAK
2ndLAKLias AnderssonGabriel Vilardi, Vladimir Tkachev1:482–0 LAK
3rdVGKDaniil MiromanovNicolas Roy4:302–1 LAK
LAKArthur Kaliyev (PP)Quinton Byfield, Vladimir Tkachev9:353–1 LAK

Frozen Fury SLC II (2022)

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stLAKKevin FialaAdrian Kempe, Sean Durzi1:521–0 LAK
LAKGabriel VilardiTrevor Moore, Brandt Clarke6:092–0 LAK
VGKReilly SmithBrayden McNabb, Jack Eichel16:362–1 LAK
2ndVGKBrayden McNabbJack Eichel5:142–2
VGKChandler StephensonMark Stone, Reilly Smith11:153–2 VGK
VGKJonathan MarchessaultShea Theodore17:434–2 VGK
3rdLAKTrevor Moore (PP)Arthur Kaliyev, Sean Durzi2:214–3 VGK
VGKReilly Smith (2) (PP)Mark Stone, Chandler Stephenson8:375–3 VGK
LAKSean Durzi (PP)Arthur Kaliyev, Phillip Danault15:515–4 VGK
VGKAlex Pietrangelo (EN)Unassisted18:526–4 VGK

Frozen Fury SLC III (2023)

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stLAKPierre-Luc DuboisKevin Fiala, Vladislav Gavrikov8:271–0 LAK
SJSAlexander Barabanov (PP)Mikael Granlund, Anthony Duclair8:271–1
2ndLAKAnze KopitarDrew Doughty8:162–1 LAK
SJSMike HoffmanTomas Hertl, Mackenzie Blackwood14:452–2
3rdLAKTrevor MooreViktor Arvidsson, Phillip Danault3:283–2 LAK
SJSThomas BordeleauWilliam Eklund14:153–3
OTLAKAdrian KempeAnze Kopitar, Drew Doughty0:174–3 LAK

Frozen Fury SLC IV (2024)

Intended to be the third meeting between Los Angeles and Vegas, the game was originally scheduled for September 23, 2024. However, it was officially cancelled on June 20, 2024, due to the Salt Lake City-based Utah Hockey Club entering the NHL.[9] The game was replaced by a matchup between the Kings and the Utah Hockey Club (later the Utah Mammoth) on the same date, without the Frozen Fury branding.[9]

Records

TeamGamesWinsLossesWin %
Los Angeles Kings241410
Colorado Avalanche1679
Vegas Golden Knights211
San Jose Sharks02
Dallas Stars110
Arizona Coyotes01
New York Rangers

References

  1. ^ "Kings History in Las Vegas"
  2. ^ "Los Angeles reclaims Frozen Fury crown at MGM Grand - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". 26 September 2009.
  3. ^ http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=4954
  4. ^ "2012 Preseason Schedule Unveiled"
  5. ^ Carp, Steve (April 3, 2016). "T-Mobile Arena is built for hockey". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  6. ^ Carp, Steve (October 8, 2016). "Avalanche edge Kings in overtime in Frozen Fury finale". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  7. ^ "LA Kings to Play Frozen Fury Preseason Game in Salt Lake City". NHL.com. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  8. ^ Larsen, Andy (October 6, 2023). "The NHL's only Utahn thinks the state is ready for hockey's best. Is a major league team ready for Salt Lake?". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "Utah Hockey Club Announces 2024 Preseason Schedule for Inaugural Season". Utah Hockey Club. June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.