Living in Los Angeles, where the average high temperature from December through March is 67 degrees, might seem different then where medical student applicants and students come from. That's why the LA Kings hockey team can make it feel like home to students missing the four seasons. While it's sunny and warm outside, inside the arena, there's a winter sport happening on the ice like in colder regions.
LA Kings hockey, which started in 1967, are in the Pacific Division of the NHL's Western Conference. The team won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, long after NHL legend Wayne Gretzky put the team on the map as the star player in the early 1990s.
At a Kings home game, you'll listen to announcer Dave Joseph, a veteran sports radio personality with ESPN, ABC and NBC. Music director Dieter Ruehle is the man behind the goal horn, who also entertains the crowd playing organ and DJ music. In addition to working both of the Kings' Stanley Cups wins, he also performed at the last four Winter Olympic Games for men's and women's hockey. Fans can request music they want to hear at the game, and listen to the playlist when the game is over.
Cold-weather fun to a warm-weather location.
Just as most David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA students live on or near campus, Kings players almost exclusively live in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, according to The New York Times. Head to those local restaurants and bars, and one might even bump into one of them.
Home games convene at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, about a 30-minute drive at off-peak times from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. (You might shave off a few minutes by taking surface streets, during rush hour.) There are about five home games a month. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA students can get 50 percent off single-seat tickets, or last-minute ticket specials on game days after 1 pm. Get into the Kings spirit by checking out the official fan community before going to the game.
Students can round up friends from campus at the last minute to get a feel of home at the hockey game, while still experiencing LA culture.
By Deborah Abrams Kaplan
