Dustin Brown is taking his place as one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Kings history. Prior to Saturday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Kings will retire Brown's No. 23 and unveil a statue in his likeness outside Crypto.com Arena.
Brown announced his retirement following the Kings' 2021-22 season, and he ended his career with a pair of Stanley Cup rings and the franchise record for games played with 1,296. Brown now becomes the seventh player in Kings history to have his number retired and the fourth member of the organization to get a statue, joining Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille and broadcaster Bob Miller.
The ceremony for Brown is set for 9:00 p.m. ET, and fans can watch on ESPN+ or NHL Center Ice.
The Kings drafted Brown No. 13 overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, and he became the team's 13th captain in 2008. Just a few years later, in 2012, Brown led the Kings to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Two years after that, Brown captained the Kings to yet another Stanley Cup in 2014.
Brown experienced the ultimate high for an NHL player, but he also displayed perseverance in the face of adversity. In 2016, after a few down years, Brown was stripped of his captaincy and replaced by Anze Kopitar.
Undeterred, Brown bounced back in the 2017-18 season and turned in a career year with 61 points. From there, Brown remained a key player for the Kings through the final season of his NHL career.
For Brown, having his number retired and getting a statue are great honors, but he is most proud of what the two Stanley Cup teams were able to accomplish.
"Having my number retired is something I never imagined and is a humbling honor," Brown told the official Kings website. "I am incredibly proud that I played for the LA Kings my entire career. With my number going to the rafters, I am honored to be amongst the King Greats, but it makes me think of the two banners already in the rafters, of which I am most proud.
"It took numerous people to raise those two banners; the same is true for this one. Thank you to all who have helped me achieve my dreams."
Brown retired at or near the top of every category in the Kings' franchise record books. Brown ranks sixth in goals scored (325), eighth in assists (387) and seventh in points (712).
