On Feb. 10th, the LA Kings brought shoes and a hockey clinic to 100 kids at Longfellow Elementary in Compton. The kids enjoyed getting new Adidas sneakers, a Kings tee and lunch bag, and the chance to learn how to play ball hockey!
The King's mascot, Bailey, got the kids hyped up. These Southern California kids thoroughly enjoyed learning a new winter sport (though on pavement rather than ice), and even the principal got out and played!
Events like the Longfellow visit are part of a broader community investment program the Kings have expanded in recent years. Across the NHL, teams have grown their outreach budgets as league-wide revenue has climbed, driven by new broadcast agreements, merchandise licensing, and the rollout of legalized wagering in state after state.
Markets that have come online recently, from online sports betting Florida launched under the Seminole Compact to newly regulated platforms in Ohio and Massachusetts, have added measurable revenue to league coffers. A portion of that growth flows back to teams in the form of larger community development funds, which is how programs like the Kings' equipment drives and youth clinics continue to reach schools that might otherwise have no exposure to hockey.
For the kids at Longfellow, the funding source is invisible. What they see is a mascot, a pair of new sneakers, and a street hockey stick in their hands for the first time. But behind every clinic is a budget line, and the expansion of the league's commercial partnerships has made it possible to run more of these events, in more neighborhoods, more often.
