As the L.A. Kings drew closer to Staples Center, thousands of fans who had waited years for a championship parade ushered them along with chants of “Go Kings, go!”
Fans who had arrived early Thursday morning and waited hours for the parade to begin watched as the buses and an 18-wheeler came and went. As the team and its hardware passed, fans clapped and yelled and whipped out their camera phones to capture the moment.
Like Monday after the team’s 6-1 victory, many Kings faithful broke down into tears at the sight of the huge silver trophy.
“Oh, here's the Cup right there,” one fan yelled pointing. “The Cup!"
Even L.A. workers stopped to soak in the moment. Construction crews, firefighters and corporate-office workers snapped pictures as the team rolled by their workplaces.
As confetti rained down on the team, service workers followed behind cleaning up the scraps.
Becky Duran, 42, of Rancho Cucamonga, was at the parade with her husband, Benjamin. They left their home at 6:30 a.m., arriving downtown two hours later.
L.A. County sheriffs deputies Darren Robison, Mike Gelardo and Eric Williams were standing close, against a barrier, taking in the scene at Thursday’s Kings parade, but they weren't on duty.
They were there to see the Cup.
"It’s the most prestigious trophy in sports, the heaviest, and the toughest to win," Robison said. "We had to be here to see it."
The three men, who work out of the sheriff’s Antelope Valley Station, were decked out in Kings T-shirts, hats and jerseys. Gelardo even sported a large Kings tattoo on his left calf and said he planned to add a Stanley Cup to it later this week.
"The whole thing is surreal," Gelardo said of the Kings championship victory Monday. "That's really the word for it."
"You wake up the next day and say, 'Did that really just happen?' " Williams added.
The deputies, who all took days off Thursday, joined a large crowd of Kings diehards lined up along Figueroa Street, where vendors hawked championship shirts and pendants while LAPD officers patrolled in large numbers.
"No. 1, its a great day for L.A.," said Mark Meza, a 24-year-old from Eagle Rock. "The Kings didn't come from another city or state. This is an original L.A. team. To see everyone here, from all across the city, all the Kings fans, it’s amazing."
Some supporters said they were still in shock from the team's championship.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is in Florida until Saturday for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, isn't riding in the parade Thursday as the Los Angeles Kings celebrate their Stanley Cup victory.
Instead, City Council President Herb Wesson, who is acting mayor in Villaraigosa's absence, is taking part in the festivities.
Villaraigosa has spent considerable time out of the city and on the national stage in recent months.
As outgoing president of the Conference of Mayors, chairman of this summer's Democratic National Convention and a top surrogate of the Obama reelection campaign, he has traveled frequently to appear at conferences, conventions and on weekend talk shows.
Last month, he was in Washington, D.C., for a stint on MSNBC's "Meet the Press." Last weekend he was in Las Vegas to give the keynote speech at the Nevada State Democratic Party Convention. On Thursday morning, he fielded questions from Florida about partisan gridlock in Congress and the presidential election from CNN's Soledad O'Brien.
The new roles have allowed Villaraigosa, who terms out of office next spring, to carve out a larger national profile at a time when he is looking to his political future. But his heavy travel schedule has not sat well with all.
In April, city employee unions threatened with layoffs mocked the mayor as a jetsetter. They distributed postcards addressed to Villaraigosa that read: "Greetings from Los Angeles. Wish you were here."
Photo: Los Angeles Kings mascot Bailey acknowledges the fans outside Staples Center before a parade celebrating the team's Stanley Cup win in Los Angeles. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press
Based on the last several years, you would expect purple and gold to fill the streets of downtown Los Angeles, but it was mostly black and white Thursday.
It was Kings day.
"Lakers' fans are spoiled," said Roberto Castro, wearing a black shirt with a yellow symbol of Earth and the words "PEACE," a reference to Lakers player Metta World Peace.
"This actually takes away the mourning that the Lakers lost," Castro said. "It's good to see that the Kings earned it."
"It's good to see that shiny trophy here," Cabral added.
Further up the road, Jonathan Bareng, 38, stood behind white cardboard shaped to look like the Stanley Cup.
"I'm ecstatic," Bareng said. "We're so used to seeing the Lakers do their parade."
Bareng, a fan of the Kings' for 24 years, said he flew to New Jersey for Game 5 against the Devils. Of course, he was disappointed with the outcome, but he went Thursday to see the parade.
"It's been 45 years in the making," Bareng said. "It's kind of emotional."
Nearby, Chino resident Valerie Taylor held a homemade poster that read "Thank You Kings."
Three weeks ago, Taylor told her boss she would be taking the day off if the Kings won it all and held a parade. Taylor was born a Kings fan, as was her brother Jonathan, she said. Her mother, Betsy, went to a Kings game nearly 40 years ago.
"I'm thrilled," Taylor said. "I hope it happens again."
As the clock moved closer to noon Thursday, giddy Los Angeles Kings fans made their way downtown to celebrate the team's Stanley Cup win with a parade and rally.
Some followed the team’s advice and packed the Metro Red Line about 10:30 a.m.
"We almost never thought we'd see this happen," said Susan Guernsey, a 20-year season-ticket holder from La Crescenta. She was riding with her mother, best friend and best friend's daughter, who were all wearing in Kings jerseys.
Across the aisle, another die-hard Kings fan finished Guernsey's sentence.
"Now we can die in peace!" shouted Ralph Olivas, a law clerk from Duarte.
Olivas said he had been "in dreamland" since the Kings clinched their first-ever championship Monday night against the New Jersey Devils. He said he grew up playing hockey in Fresno and now coaches a youth roller hockey team. He took off work to make it downtown Thursday.
"This is the parade I've been waiting for my whole life," Olivas said. "As Kings fans we learned our lesson in the '90s ... there are no guarantees. We have to soak this in because you never know –- we might not see it again."
By 11 a.m., a large crowd had gathered at 7th and Figueroa streets for the start of the parade.
Barricades and police kept a growing crowd off Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles, where fans waited anxiously Thursday for the start of a parade celebrating the Kings' Stanley Cup win.
Esteban Gudino, 34, flew from Las Vegas to celebrate his favorite team's win. He arrived with his wife and two sons at 9 a.m., hours before the parade's scheduled start at noon.
"It's pretty special," Gudino said. "it's nice to see them win."
Brittany Maldonado, 20, of Santa Clarita, arrived at 7 a.m. with two friends. She painted the numbers 32 and 7 on her face to show her love for players Jonathan Quick and Rob Scuderi.
"It's huge to see them come from so close to the bottom and then rise to the top," Maldonado said.
But not all were impressed. Terry Stobie, 50, of Soups, pushed a cart packed with blow horns, American flags and $4 popcorn confetti, watching the crowd as he sold his wares.
"This is much slower than the Lakers parade," he said. "The business is much better when the Lakers win."
"But we're here," he continued, "loving the Kings."
Are you at the parade or headed to the rally? Tweet pictures and comments to @lanow and we may feature them in our coverage -- or comment on our Local News Facebook page. Tell us what you're doing today to celebrate.
Hundreds of determined Los Angeles Kings fans fought traffic, found parking and arrived at L.A. Live hours before the Kings Stanley Cup parade was set to begin at noon Thursday.
Many said they had waited 45 years for the Cup and if they endured that long, they were more than willing to wait another few hours if it meant a good seat along the parade route.
“It’s a dream that I’ve had since I was little,” said Erica Dill, a 25-year-old fan who said she started crying when the Kings won Monday. “You think they’re going to win the Cup every year.”
About 9 a.m. Thursday, fans who had tickets to the rally at Staples Center streamed into the plaza at L.A. Live, hoping to soak in the excitement before their favorite team arrived.
Andrew Erskine, 43, drove in from Las Vegas and said he wouldn’t miss the parade “for the world.”
The Los Angeles Kings will celebrate their first Stanley Cup championship with their fans Thursday in a championship rally and parade in downtown Los Angeles. The L.A. Times will be tracking the events live.
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Players, coaches and other team officials will ride double-decker buses down a one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street, city officials said, beginning at noon at 5th Street. The procession is expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, and end between L.A. Live and Staples Center. A ticket-only rally is to be held at 2:30 p.m., officials said.
Plan ahead and take Metro to avoid some of the downtown street closures that are expected.
Photo: Kings fan Brian Mantooth, 6, of Norwalk, held by his mother, Kelly Mantooth, cheers on the Kings as they join large crowds near the Staples Center as they get in spirit for the parade honoring the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
As Kings fans gear up for Thursday's parade and rally honoring the Stanley Cup champions in downtown Los Angeles, NHL officials are warning them to watch out for fake merchandise sold on the streets.
Counterfeit merchandise has been a problem for the NHL in the past, and the games in Los Angeles have been no exception, said Tom Prochnow, the NHL's vice president of legal and business affairs.
"We want to protect Kings fans who are obviously extremely excited about the Stanley Cup championship to make sure they don't get stuck with poor quality, inferior merchandise — T-shirts that are going to fall apart after the first wash, clothes with misspelled words," Prochnow told The Times.
During the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, authorities in Boston and Vancouver, B.C., seized more than $500,000 of fake merchandise, Prochnow said. When the Bruins celebrated their championship with a parade in Boston, more than about $20,000 worth of counterfeit items was found.
"Obviously it's an exciting time for fans, and counterfeiters realize that," Prochnow said. "It really depends on the city — some cities obviously have more [counterfeiting activity] — but Los Angeles has certainly been more busy."
Fans looking for authentic Kings souvenirs should keep an eye out for a hologram sticker or tag, Prochnow said. Price is also a good indication.
"If the price seems too good to be true," he said, "it probably is."
The celebrations begin with a noon parade down Figueroa Street followed by a 2:30 p.m. ticket-only rally at Staples Center.
Planning on attending the festivities? Share your photos and feedback with us by tweeting @LANow or responding on the Los Angeles Times Local Facebook page.
Photo: Robin Stawisky, left, looks at a Kings hat with Byat Schaer at L.A. Live this month. NHL officials warned fans to watch out for fake gear, advising people to make their purchases from official vendors. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
Some streets in downtown Los Angeles were already closed early Thursday morning in preparation for the afternoon's parade and rally for the Stanley Cup champion Kings.
Players, coaches and other team officials will ride double-decker buses down a one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street, city officials said, beginning at noon at 5th Street.
The procession is expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, and end between L.A. Live and Staples Center.
A ticket-only rally is to be held at 2:30 p.m., officials said. The 18,000 tickets to the event were free and were quickly snapped up Tuesday. Some were being sold for more than $600 on Ebay the next day.
Some streets within L.A. Live near Staples Center were scheduled to begin closing about 4 a.m., the team announced Wednesday. Figueroa between 3rd Street and Pico Boulevard is to be closed later.
Twenty-three Metro bus lines that typically run on Figueroa will be rerouted to nearby streets beginning at 10 a.m., officials said. A list of affected routes can be found online or posted at bus stops.
Metro is encouraging those planning to attend Thursday's events to take public transit downtown, and said trains will be added to the Blue, Expo and Gold lines depending on demand.
Planning on attending the festivities? Share your photos and feedback with us by tweeting @LANow or responding on the Los Angeles Times Local Facebook page.
Photo: Center Anze Kopitar gives Los Angeles Kings fans a look at the Stanley Cup after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 at Staples Center on Monday. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
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