Why do LA Kings celebrate Japanese Heritage Night?

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Feb 22, 2025 11:50 GMT

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The LA Kings celebrate Japanese Heritage Night to honor the Japanese American community in Los Angeles. The Southern California city has a large Japanese American population, especially in Little Tokyo. The Kings recognize their contributions and celebrate the night in their honor.

This NHL season, the Japanese Heritage Night will be celebrated on Feb. 24 at Crypto.com Arena when the Kings face off against the Vegas Golden Knights. The event celebrates the Japanese American athletes in hockey who have contributed to the LA Kings organization. It includes Japanese performances, special jerseys and themed activities.

The Kings have supported the growth of hockey in Japan, and for that, they have worked with Japanese players and teams. Fans can buy special ticket packs that include an exclusive LA Kings x Japanese Heritage beanie.

On Jan. 24, the Kings tweeted on X:

"Join us for Japanese Heritage Night on February 24! 🇯🇵"

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LA Kings players who have Japanese heritage

Jordan Spence is a defenseman for the LA Kings with Japanese heritage. He was born in Manly, New South Wales, Australia, but has Japanese roots. The Kings drafted him in 2019 (Round 4, Pick 95). This is his fourth season with the team.

This season, Spence has played 52 games, scoring three goals and 14 assists for 17 points. He has a +14 rating and averages 17:50 minutes on ice per game. His career stats include 153 games, seven goals and 43 assists for 50 points.

Another Kings player with Japanese heritage is Yutaka Fukufuji, a goaltender. The Kings drafted him in 2004 (Round 8, Pick 238). He was the first Japanese-born player to play in the NHL.

Fukufuji played four NHL games, recording zero wins, three losses and a 4.37 goals-against average. His save percentage was .837. His NHL career was short, but he helped promote hockey in Japan.

Previous Japanese Heritage Night celebrations by the LA Kings

Previously, the Kings celebrated Japanese Heritage Night on Dec. 30, 2023, while playing the Edmonton Oilers.

The team tweeted:

"Don't miss Japanese Heritage Night, coming up on December 30! 🇯🇵" to promote the event.

Before the game in December 2023, LA shared pictures of special jerseys for the night, tweeting:

"In honor of tonight’s Japanese Heritage Night presented by @OrigCupNoodles, we teamed up with @ViolentGents to create a few special pieces 🇯🇵".

Earlier, the Kings held another Japanese Heritage Night on Jan. 9, 2023, also against the Edmonton Oilers.