Lucky Luc: A King Among Men
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Lucky Luc: A King Among Men
Drafted 171st overall in the 1984 Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, Robitaille burst onto the NHL scene in 1986.
Robitaille won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the 1986-87 rookie of the year after scoring 45 goals and 39 assists.
"Lucky" Luc scored 44 goals or more in each of his first eight seasons with the Kings.
Robitaille's 63 goals and 123 points -- the most ever by a left winger, powered the Kings into the 1993 playoffs where they reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Kings traded Robitaille to Pittsburgh after the 1993-94 season for Rick Tocchet and a second-round draft pick.
After just one strike-shortened season with the Penguins, Robitaille was traded to the New York Rangers where he spent two seasons -- the second one spent reunited with his former Kings teammate, Wayne Gretzky.
Robitaille made eight All-Star appearances during his 16-season career.
In 1997, Robitaille returned to the Kings for four more seasons, but was still unable to attain the coveted Stanley Cup.
After signing with the star-studded Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 2001, Luc finally got what he hoped for.
Robitaille signed with Los Angeles in 2003 and became the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history (1,394 points). The Kings honored him with a ceremony that included his wife Stacia and sons Steven and Jesse.
During the final season of his career, Robitaille broke the Kings' all-time franchise scoring record of 550 goals set by Marcel Dionne.
On April 15, 2006, Luc Robitaille received a standing ovation by a sell-out crowd after playing his final home game.