What's New at STAPLES Center this Season

Fans that have made it to an LA Kings game already this season have been privy to the plethora of new features that the Kings and STAPLES Center have debuted for the new year.
From new menu items, to new game presentation elements, to new personalities, there's no shortage of freshness at Kings games this season.

From a game presentation standpoint there are plenty of new elements to the fans' game experience this season, as was evidenced on opening night.
Tunnel Experience
There is a new enhanced player entry tunnel design, including custom lighting, set pieces, and special effects with a custom LED-lit entry doorway, custom LED-lit Kings logo piece, and custom, color-changing LED back-lit 'Go Kings Go' wall display.

The STAPLES Center sound system has been recalibrated, and 17 additional moving light fixtures have been added. New in-arena and event hosts, Danny Hoyt, Joey Finiguerra, Kayla Knierim, and Michael Alexander also made their Kings debuts on Opening Night.
Ice Crew Members
The Kings Ice Crew also has a new look this season, featuring new product from Adidas and a more athleisure style. This is the 10th anniversary of the Ice Crew and the first season since 2009 that the Crew members will not be featured in a swimsuit calendar; they will instead begin work on a new project with the primary goal continuing to be fundraising for the Kings Care Foundation.
Dasher Boards, Glass and Ice
The ice itself will also have a fresh look, as the NHL has approved four new in-ice ad spaces, which are essentially in the four corners of the rink, below the goal line and adjacent to the goalie trapezoid.
The dasherboards have been replaced with the Crystaplex 6A system, which meet the current safety standards of the NHL and offers more safety features than any other dasherboard system on the market. They provide a 96 percent more forgiving surface by compressing upon impact, which absorbs the force that would normally be on the player, thus reducing the potential for injury.
The rink glass has also been replayed with Glass Flex, a flexible seamless glass system that provides up to 55 percent increase impact absorption, while maximizing fan viewing. There is also a new acrylic shielding system that has been added to the glass that has proven to be virtually unbreakable during games and conversions, which means greater safety to players and staff.

AEG and the Kings have formed a joint venture with BluEco Technology Group to deliver a revolutionary new water and ice development technology, the BluEco Liquid Crystalline Turbex (LCT) system, that will produce clearer, harder and denser ice surfaces and provide greater efficiencies and cost reductions to hockey teams and arenas.
The LCT system produces pure water while cleaning indoor air and significantly reducing energy costs. It also strips moisture out of the air to create water, which dehumidifies the arena, therefore reducing air conditioner usage and energy consumption overall.
"Producing large quantities of high-quality water is the core of our business," BluEco President Scott Morris told the Los Angeles Times this past summer. "As long as we do that, the benefits for the players and the teams to the general managers to the arena owners and to the bottom line is tremendous."
LA Kings Audio Network
As part of a
digital partnership
, this season all Kings games will now stream live on the new official LA Kings Audio Network, a custom station available on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service.
Coverage on iHeartRadio will also include the broadcast's 30-minute pre-game show. Additionally, iHeartRadio will feature Kings Talk, the popular call-in radio show hosted by Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans, which will stream live after most home games inside the Impact Sports Bar and Grill inside STAPLES Center.

ESPN Deportes
For those wishing to listen to the game in Spanish, the LA Kings and ESPN Deportes will air
10 games this season
, beginning with last Thursday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers. The games will mark the club's first Spanish radio broadcasts since 1997-98. The broadcast team of Francisco X. Rivera and Nano Cortes will call all 10 games.
"We are all extremely excited here at KWKW - from programming, to sales, to management…everyone. To have an opportunity to be a part of something from the ground level and build it into something special in today's competitive sports landscape is truly amazing," said Thor Nelson, the station's General Sales Manager.
"The partnership with the Kings is equally amazing, and together we are going to invite and entertain the Hispanic community into the LA Kings Hockey world, through live on-air broadcasts as well as community outreach and activations. It's perfect. Go Kings Go!"

Theme Nights
There are at least four new
theme nights on the calendar
this season including Dia de los Muertos Night (11/1), WWE Night (11/8), LA Lakers Night (12/6), and 90s Night (1/5). These are in addition to existing theme nights such as Legends Nights (11/24, 12/4, 2/14), and Dodgers Night (2/28), among others.
Food & Beverage
Anyone wishing to seek out new culinary experiences at STAPLES Center has plenty to look forward to, including the following:

For allergy-conscious eaters, the number of locations offering gluten free products has doubled since last season, including the Luxury Suites and Events menus. Additionally, in an eco-friendly move, STAPLES Center has now eliminated single-use straws.

"Live events are the one showcase that remain unpredictable. We can't control the outcome of the game, but we can do everything in our power to ensure that our fans have a memorable experience that stimulates their senses and evokes emotion," says Mike Altieri, the Kings Sr. VP of Marketing, Communications and Content.
"Our team has done a tremendous job of staying true to our brand while seeking innovation and new methods of entertaining within the live game experience."