The Kings have been playing in Los Angeles since 1967. Yet on the eve of their series with New Jersey, the Los Angeles Daily News felt compelled to run a story with this headline:

Hockey 101: Tips for watching the L.A. Kings in the Stanley Cup Final

The piece was written by the Daily News’ fine long-time sports media columnist Tom Hoffarth. Yep, still explaining hockey after 45 years.

I tapped into Hoffarth’s expertise to see how the Kings are covered in Los Angeles. Again, it’s not exactly like Detroit for the Red Wings or Boston for the Bruins.

“Their games are sold out, and they have a real passionate following,” Hoffarth said. “Youth hockey is bigger than you’d think in Los Angeles. You see kids in Kings jerseys. But it’s not like the Lakers or the Dodgers.”

Indeed, while the Los Angeles Times has Hall of Fame hockey writer Helene Elliott, the paper didn’t staff all of their road games. That’s better than the other papers. The Daily News has used a free lancer to cover the team at home. The Orange County Register relies mostly on wires for the Kings. The paper, though, does staff its more local home team, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Jim Carlisle, who writes about sports media for the Ventura County Star, spoofed hockey in a column. He writes:

Mark this down somewhere. It’s a momentous occasion. It’s a column about  hockey.

I know! Amazing, isn’t it?

Next thing you know I’ll be saying something good about soccer. Well, let’s  not get too crazy now.

Of course, hockey and soccer are pretty much the same game; just in one of  them, they don’t know enough to come in out of the cold.

As for television, much was made of the embarrassing gaffe by a local TV report that used a Sacramento Kings logo for Kings story (pictured above). Easy to see how that would be confusing.

Again, all you need to know about hockey in LA.

“Very few of the TV reporters know much about hockey,” Hoffarth said. “It’s pretty humorous to see how they screw up the names. Jim Hill has been around here forever, and he still butchers the names.”

The best thing that happened to the Kings is that the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers both lost in the playoffs. Even then, hockey didn’t surge to the top headline right away.

“Instead of stories about the Kings going to the Final, the papers all led with obits on the Lakers,” Hoffarth said.

Ah, such is the reality for hockey in LA. If you live in LA and want to learn more about the game, check Hoffarth’s story. It includes this passage about the puck:

Tip No. 1: Don’t necessarily try to focus on the puck.

Said Bob Miller, the Kings’ play-by-play voice:

“I usually tell people who watch the game for the first time just to focus on the area in front of the net. That’s where the puck will end up sometime.”

Added Jim Fox, the Kings’ TV analyst: “The camera’s focus on the puck isn’t as important as its ability to provide close enough action to see as many skaters as possible at the same time. It’s just like watching a basketball game on ice. If you can tell who’s carrying the puck, you don’t need to focus on the puck and follow it pass to pass.”

Again, they aren’t writing this story in Boston.