Kings unveil statue for Brown, retire No. 23 in pregame ceremony

LOS ANGELES -- Dustin Brown has taken up permanent residence outside of Crypto.com Arena.
The former Los Angeles Kings captain was honored with the team not only retiring his No. 23 on Saturday, but with a statue of his likeness raising the Stanley Cup, something he realized the magnitude of after retiring following the 2021-22 season when he took on a better understanding how important that win was to fans.

"It's like the same story like every time I see them, and it's like a different person every time. … '2012, man, changed my life.' And that's a special thing that I shared with them, that we all share with them," said Brown, the first United States-born captain in Kings history and franchise leader in games played (1,296).
"Looking back at it, during that moment, that was my dream. I'm gonna be frank, like I wasn't thinking about the fans in that moment. I didn't think about the fans until you have 10 years to think about this stuff."
Brown was the first player to touch the Stanley Cup after the Kings won it by defeating the New Jersey Devils in six games on June 11, 2012, a moment captured in the statue made by sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany.

The Stanley Cup was brought onto the ice at the conclusion of the number retirement ceremony, which featured humorous recollections from former teammates Rob Scuderi and Matt Greene, and Brown was able to recreate the indelible image on the exact spot where he first raised it.
"When we lost in Game 7 [against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022 Western Conference First Round], I figured I'd never see that again," Brown said of the Stanley Cup. "I did not know about that. I think like five people knew about that. So when they brought that out and gave me one last moment with that unbelievable trophy, it was amazing."

Brown lifted the Stanley Cup a second time as a player on June 13, 2014, after the Kings defeated the New York Rangers in five games. He played in all 92 Stanley Cup Playoff games the Kings participated in during his 18 seasons in the NHL despite his physical approach to the game.
"Playing with that punishing style on both sides of the puck was inspiring and sometimes downright scary," Greene said. "He played through a lot and never said a word about it, never made excuses for his production or if his game was off. He just suited up and went out and gave it all again the next night."
Brown is the seventh player in Kings history to have his number retired, joining Rogie Vachon (30), Marcel Dionne (16), Dave Taylor (18), Wayne Gretzky (99), Luc Robitaille (20) and Rob Blake (4).
"Every number hanging up there has made a mark on this team's history and DNA. It's my honor to join them," Brown said.
Vachon, Taylor, team president Robitaille and Los Angeles general manager Blake attended the ceremony, along with the current Kings, who all wore No. 23. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin and Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford, former teammates of Brown, were also on the dais.
"I grew up playing hockey, wanting to be a hockey player," Brown said. "And you don't realize sports have impact far beyond that arena. I was luck enough to be part of a group that changed a lot of things around here."
Brown is the third Kings player to receive a statue, joining Gretzky and Robitaille. Bob Miller, the longtime Kings announcer, also has a statue outside the arena and a banner in the rafters.
Eleven honorees have statues outside the arena, which opened in 2000. The group includes Los Angeles Lakers stars Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal, and boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
Having a statue was the one part of the recognition that Brown initially felt underserving of, but a conversation with Robitaille changed his mind about having the same recognition as the Kings' all-time leader in goals and Gretzky, who became the NHL career leader in goals and points during his time with Los Angeles.
"'You did something we couldn't do here,'" Brown recalled Robitaille saying, referring to winning the Stanley Cup. "And that immediately made me feel better about the whole situation."