The social media team of the Los Angeles Kings have just released a wickedly funny video to notify fans about the new NHL regular season schedule.
The video trolls numerous other NHL teams from the Boston Bruins to the Vegas Golden Knights, while paying some respect to the Edmonton Oilers.
The premise of the video is that the Empty Netters podcast team of Dan and Chris Powers and Almost Friday TV sketch comedy team of Will Angus and Billy Langdon are asked by the Kings to come up with the perfect schedule for the team, minimizing travel and team expenses while maximizing chances to win the Pacific Division, even as the four know little about hockey.
The team enlists an A.I. console, Ram Open Intelligence (ROI), to do the work, with ROI’s first suggestion being 82 games against the Anaheim Ducks.
Dan Powers suggests, “Let’s make sure we get Vegas twice in April. Half their team will be on LTIR by then. Those are easy wins.”
Just then Billy Langdon asks, “When we do we play the Oilers?”
“We don’t talk about the Oilers,” says Dan Powers.
“Why not?” Will Angus asks.
“Hey!” says Chris Powers. “We don’t. Talk. About. The Oilers.”
One team member suggest playing the Bruins after the NHL trade deadline. “By then they’ll have traded their captain to another team to help them win the Cup. Much easier game for us.”
The video got a positive reaction around the hockey world:
Vancouver hockey writer Wyatt Arndt @TheStanchion
Thank you for showing NHL teams they’re allowed to have fun with things.
Hockey website BarDown @BarDown
10/10 schedule release video. 🤣🤣
New York hockey commentator Jonny Lazarus @JLazzy23
Nailed it Empty Netters Pod 😂
Spittin’ Chiclets podcaster Mike Grinnell @MikeGrinnell_
This is so good
Kings fan Triple Crown Kings @TripleCrownLAK
Content team never disappoints!
Former Edmonton Journal editor in chief Murdoch Davis @murdochdavis
Humour? Personality? Shots at other revenue-makers? Bet!man will fine the Kings, Kings will fire these guys, Oilers will have to send a draft pick to Calgary.
Hockey Royalty blogger Joe W. Patarino @JWPatarino
This is so good, very well done #GoKingsGo
New Jersey Devils fan account The Bratt Pack @TheBrattPack63
This legitimately might be the funniest video any NHL team has ever release. Holy sh*t, god tier work here from LA’s social media team.
My take
1. For the NHL, this video is a killer. No, it’s not Monty Python or SCTV, not Kids in the Hall or SNL, but for an NHL hockey team to openly take such nasty shots at other NHL teams is as hilarious as it is audacious.
In fact, it’s hilarious because it’s audacious.
Well done L.A. Kings social media team. This is how you get more attention in an increasingly crowded, noisy, super-saturated social media world.
2. When it comes to the Oilers, the video team plays it just right for a franchise that has four times in a row eliminated the Kings from the playoffs. Nothing funny about that in L.A.
At the Cult of Hockey
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