Las Vegas Weekly

June 16, 2012 · 4:59 PM

Photos: Stanley Cup champions L.A. Kings trade jerseys for board shorts

By Robin Leach

The L.A. Kings celebrate their first Stanley Cup victory at Wet Republic in MGM Grand on Friday, June 15, 2012.

Photo: Al Powers/Powers Imagery

The Los Angeles Kings are celebrating their NHL championship with stops all over Las Vegas, and their headquarters are at the Palms with their 35-pound Stanley Cub. The Kings, among them Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis and Jarret Stoll, are Stanley Cup winners for the first time, and several of the players said a Las Vegas visit is the perfect celebration 45 years in the making.

On Thursday night, their Stanley Cup was feted like a celebrity at The Venetian, where the players paraded the cup into Tao, and each member of the team sipped champagne from it before confetti guns were fired in the nightclub.

On Friday, the guys enjoyed beers while sitting poolside 50 stories in the air in the Palms Fantasy Tower Sky Villa looking east over the Strip. Their party weekend also included a stop at Wet Republic at MGM Grand on Friday, where hundreds of fans and daytime revelers lined up to cheer them on as they made their way to VIP bungalows.

At a luxury cabana, center Stoll picked up the Stanley Cup for everyone to see to a big roar of cheers. The Stanley Cup was then placed front and center from the bungalows while the players spent the afternoon having fun in the sun.

The celebration continued at the Bellagio. After dining at nearby Sensi, the team, including Brad Richardson, Jonathan Bernier, Alec Martinez, Drew Doughty, Stoll, Carter and Lewis, among others, was greeted by Hyde Bellagio cocktail servers in L.A. Kings tank tops and referee skirts carrying giant letters spelling “K-I-N-G-S.”

The team made their way into the club with the spectacular views of the Bellagio Fountains as Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” blasted and black-and-white LED lights emblazoned the hotspot with Kings colors. DJ G-Squared announced to the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give it up for the L.A. Kings! That’s the Stanley Cup right there!”

At their VIP booth, the group enjoyed champagne and cigars while players took turns hoisting the Cup. The group posed for photographs with fans and shared swigs of beer from the top of the Cup.

Later in the night, Hyde presented the team with a replica Stanley Cup cake so large that it had to be wheeled to the table. The players continued partying at Hyde into the wee hours of the morning -- long after the Cup headed home for its 1 a.m. curfew.

The 2012 NHL Awards pre-party is set for Tuesday night at Surrender Nightclub in Steve Wynn’s Encore, and the awards airing on NBC Sports is at nearby Encore Theater in the Wynn with Hollywood stars as presenters and performances by Nickelback -- check out the rundown of stars posted Thursday.

The champions return here for “Frozen Fury 15: Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche” on Saturday, Sept. 29, at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Thanks to Al Powers of Powers Imagery and the Palms for their photographs.

Vegas DeLuxe Editor Don Chareunsy contributed to this report.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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