The Los Angeles Kings were given the moniker “West Coast Flyers” during their Cups runs in 2012 and 2014 thanks to a roster consisting of a handful of players who previously played in Philadelphia. Other than that, as teams based completely across the country from one another, their paths rarely crossed from an on-ice perspective. Off the ice, the Flyers and Kings were common trade partners throughout their history, rarely going more than a few years between trades. In fact, their recent seven streak between deals from 2016 to 2023 is the longest stretch of radio silence in their history.
5/20/70 – Brent Hughes for Mike Byers
The first trade between the franchises was a swap of depth players. Brent Hughes was a defenseman who bounced between the NHL and AHL while apart of the Kings organization in the late 1960s. He would play 122 games with the Flyers over parts of the following three seasons before being traded to the Blues in 1973.
Mike Byers was a depth forward who spent one season in Philly before being traded to the Kings. He would only play one season in LA before another trade sent him to St. Louis.
6/13/71 – Larry Mickey for Larry Hillman
Larry Mickey was a long standing journeyman in the NHL. He was acquired by the Kings from the Canadiens in May of 1970, and 13 months later was flipped to the Philadelphia Flyers. He’d play 14 games in Philly before once again getting traded to the Buffalo Sabres in November, just five months after the Flyers picked him up.
Larry Hillman was a NHL/AHL tweener throughout the 1960’s, mainly for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was claimed by the Flyers in the 1969 Intra-League draft and would spend the next season-and-a-half with the club. He played 22 games for the Kings after this trade before he was sent to the Buffalo Sabres as part of a three player trade in December.
1/28/72 – Bill Flett, Ed Joyal, Ross Lonsberry and Jean Potvin for Serge Bernier, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Lesuk
Bill Flett had a strong start to his career with the Kings in the late 1960’s but his play dropped off and he was dealt to the Flyers. He had a renaissance in Philly, posting a career best 43 goals and 74 points during the 1972-73 season and was a part of the Cup team in 1974.
Eddie Joyal was a journeyman veteran forward who played five successful seasons in LA. He closed out the 1971-72 season with the Flyers playing 26 games before joining the WHA the following season.
Ross Lonsberry was a rising forward who had established himself with the Kings. He went on to become a staple in the Flyers’ lineup for seven years including both Cup wins in 1974 and 1975.
Jean Potvin played 64 games with the Flyers over parts of two seasons before he was shipped to the Islanders in March of 1973.
Serge Bernier was the Flyers’ fifth overall pick in 1967 and spent four seasons within the organization. He played a season-and-a-half with in LA before leaving for the WHA in 1973.
Jimmy Johnson was an expansion draft pick. He played with the Flyers from 1967 until this trade in 1972. He concluded the 1971-72 season with the Kings before he too left for the WHA.
Bill Lesuk was claimed from the Boston Bruins during the 1970 Intra-league draft and spent two seasons with the Flyers. He spent three relatively uneventful seasons with the Kings.
9/29/76 – 1977 fourth round pick (Yves Gaillemette), 1978 second round pick (Merlin Malinoski) (traded to COL) for Dave Schultz
Dave Schultz was a member of both Flyers Cup teams in the 1970s, racking up an astounding 472 penalty minutes during the 1974-75 season. He drifted around the league after, spending the 1976-77 season and eight games of 1977-78 with the Kings. He had 12 goals in 259 PIMs in 84 games in LA before being traded to Pittsburgh in November of 1977.
The Flyers drafted goaltender Yves Gaillemette 67th overall in 1977. He played just a single game for the Maine Mariners of the AHL, spending the rest of his career with various International Hockey League teams.
The Flyers traded the 1978 second round pick to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a 1979 second round pick. They would draft defenseman Blake Wesley 22nd overall and he’d play 52 games for the Flyers from 1979 to 1981.
6/17/77 – Paul Evans for Steve Short
Paul Evans was the Kings’ 84th overall pick in 1974 but never played for them. He was acquired by the Flyers and spent eight seasons within the organization, mostly with the Maine Mariners of the AHL, but did suit up for 103 NHL games with the Flyers.
Steve Short was drafted by the Flyers 142nd overall in 1974 and spent a season in the AHL. He would bounce around various minor leagues during his career, but did manage to play in five NHL games for the Kings before he was traded to the Red Wings in December of 1978.
10/11/85 – Steve Seguin and 1986 second round pick (Jukka-Pekka Seppo) for Paul Guay and 1986 fourth round pick (Sylvain Couturier)
Steve Seguin was the Kings’ 48th overall pick in 1982 but played just five games for the team, with the rest of his two year tenure with the organization coming in the AHL. He was acquired by the Flyers and spent 76 games with the Hershey Bears over two seasons but never suited up at the NHL level.
The Flyers drafted forward Jukka-Pekka Seppo 23rd overall in 1986 but he never played professionally in North America.
Paul Guay was a forward who spent two seasons with the Flyers organization, mostly in the AHL. He played 93 NHL games over four seasons with the Kings organization after this trade and was traded to Boston in November of 1998.
The Kings drafted Sylvain Couturier, who’s the father of Sean Couturier, 65th overall in 1986. He played 33 games with the Kings over four seasons with the franchise, though was mainly a journeyman minor leaguer for most of his career.
12/6/85 – cash for Len Hachborn
Len Hachborn had spent three seasons with the Flyers after being drafted in 1981. He played just 24 games for the Kings before being re-assigned to the AHL. He’d play in various junior leagues in North America and Europe until 2001, though never saw NHL action again.
12/18/85 – 1986 fourth round pick (Mark Bar) for Joe Paterson
Joe Paterson was an enforcer who played two seasons with the Flyers’ organization, mainly in the AHL. He’d see regular playing time with the Kings in the NHL from 1986 to 1988, scoring 34 points in 124 contests, managing to rack up 424 penalty minutes in that time.
Mark Bar was a defenseman who was drafted by the Flyers 83rd overall in 1986 but never signed with the team. He never pursued a professional career after his time in juniors ended.
9/29/88 – Jay Wells for Doug Crossman
Jay Wells was the Kings’ first round pick in 1979 and spent eight seasons with the team. He spent parts of two seasons with the Flyers, leaning harder into the enforcer role than he did during most of his time with the Kings. Wells was traded to the Sabres in March of 1990.
Doug Crossman was a Flyer for five seasons. He only played the 1988-89 season with the Kings before he was dealt to the Islanders as the “future consideration” to a different trade three months prior.
5/30/91 – Steve Duchesne, Steve Kasper and 1991 fourth round pick (Aris Brimanis) for Jeff Chychrun and rights to Jari Kurri
Steve Duchesne was an undrafted defenseman that signed with the Kings in October of 1984. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a top offensive defenseman in LA for five years. Duchesne played 78 games for the Flyers before being famously involved in the Eric Lindros trade that sent him to Quebec the following season.
Steve Kasper was a long-time Boston Bruin and Selke winner in 1982. He was acquired by the Kings at the 1989 trade deadline and spent the next two seasons with them. Kasper would play just 36 games with the Flyers over the following 19 months in a very limited role before a trade sent him to Tampa where he’d retire shortly after.
The Flyers drafted defenseman Aris Brimanis 86th overall in 1991. He played 51 games for the club over the following five seasons, though mainly played in the AHL.
Jeff Chychrun was the Flyers’ 37th overall pick in 1984 and racked up a whopping 606 penalty minutes in 199 games in Philly. He suited up for just 26 games with the Kings and was flipped to the Penguins in February of 1992.
Forward Jari Kurri was in a contract dispute with the Oilers that started back in 1990. He played a season in Italy before his rights were finally trade to the Flyers by the Oilers. Later the same day, this deal occured, sending Kurri to LA to reunite with his longtime teammate in Edmonton, Wayne Gretzky.
3/19/96 – John Druce and 1997 seventh round pick (Todd Fedoruk) for 1996 fourth round pick (Mikael Simons)
John Druce is best remembered as the playoff hero for the Washington Capitals in 1990, but he had played for both the Jets and Kings after his days as a Cap. He played parts of three seasons with the Flyers then two seasons in Germany before retiring in 2000.
The Flyers drafted forward Todd Fedoruk 164th overall in 1997. He’d serve as an enforcer within the organization for six seasons.
The Kings drafted 84th overall in 1996. He never left his native Sweden during his career, which spanned until 2012.
3/23/99 Steve Duchesne for Dave Babych and 2000 fifth round pick (Nathan Marsters)
This was the second time the Flyers would acquire Duchesne in a trade with the Kings. He was famously sent to Quebec as part of the Eric Lindros trade in 1992 and also played for the Blues and Senators before re-signing with the Kings in the summer of 1998. He’d play 11 games with the Flyers to close out the 1998-99 season and signed with the Detroit Red Wings during the offseason.
Babych was a depth defenseman who only played 39 games for the club. He played just eight games for the Kings after the trade and retired shortly thereafter. He’s later sue the Flyers and their orthopedic surgeon Arthur Bartolozzi for misdiagnosing a broken foot that he claimed ended his career prematurely.
Nathan Marsters was a goaltender who never signed with the Kings after the draft.
3/1/03 – Dimitri Yushkevich for 2003 fourth round pick (Patrik Valcak) and 2004 seventh round pick (Danny Taylor)
Yushkevich was originally drafted by the Flyers back in 1991. He played two seasons in Philly before a trade sent him to Toronto where he’d develop into on of the better defenseman in the league. Fast forward to 2002 and he’d start the 2002-03 season with the Florida Panthers thanks to a trade out of Toronto in July. In November, he was dealt from Florida to LA, and in March he was dealt from LA to Philly. He played 18 more games with the Flyers to close out the 2002-03 season and left for his native Russia during the summer.
The Kings would trade the 2003 fourth round pick to Boston for Jozef Stumpel.
They also drafted goaltender Danny Taylor 221st overall in 2004. He’d never play for the Kings but became a journeyman across various minor leagues, Europe and Russia until 2022.
5/28/03 – 2004 second round pick (Bryan Bickell) (traded to CHI) for Roman Cechmanek
Roman Cechmanek was a goaltender who was famously known for his awesome regular seasons followed by postseason collapses with the Flyers. He was shipped to LA where he would only play one season, leaving the country during the lockout and never came back.
The Flyers later sent this pick in a package to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Alexei Zhamnov. Chicago would take forward Bryan Bickell with the 41st pick in 2004. He’d later win two Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015 with the Blackhawks.
8/4/05 – Futures for Jeremy Roenick and 2006 third round pick (Bud Holloway)
After the 2005 lockout, the Flyers had signed Peter Forsberg to a two-year contract and they ended up dealing Roenick the next day to clear cap space to accommodate the signing.
Roenick, a 16-year veteran at the time of the trade, had the worst statical season of his career in 2005-06, scoring just nine goals and 22 points in 58 games. He was not re-signed by the Kings during the 2006 offseason, instead opting to return to the Phoenix Coyotes.
The Kings drafted forward Bud Holloway 86th overall in 2006. He spent three seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, but never played in the NHL.
4/19/06 – 2006 second round pick (Michael Ratchuk) for Dean Lombardi
Dean Lombardi had served as a scout for the Flyers after he was fired from his general manager position with the Sharks in March of 2003. This trade was compensation for the Kings signing him to be their next general manager.
The Flyers used their second round pick on defenseman Michael Ratchuk. He’d spend three seasons in the AHL but never made it to the NHL level. He was a journeyman ECHLer until he retired in 2018.
2/19/08 – Jaroslav Modry for 2008 third round pick (Geordie Wudrick)
Jaroslav Modry spent 454 of his 725 NHL games with the Kings. He was 37 years old at the time of this trade and played 19 games to finish out the season with the Flyers before retiring in the summer.
The Kings selected forward Geordie Wudrick 88th overall in 2008 but he’d never sign with the club.
7/1/08 – Patrick Hersley and Ned Lukacevic for Denis Gauthier and 2010 second round pick (Jason Zucker)
Patrick Hersley was a Swedish defenseman who played just half a season with the Kings’ AHL affiliate before this trade. He played a season and a half, mainly in the ECHL, for the Flyers’ organization before heading back to his native Sweden in 2009.
Ned Lukacevic was a fellow minor leaguer who also spent most of his time in the ECHL.
Denis Gauthier was a veteran defenseman who had spent two seasons with the Flyers, though strictly in the AHL during the 2007-08 season. He played the 2008-09 season with the Kings and retired the following summer.
The Kings would package the 2010 second round pick with their own 19th overall pick in 2010 to move up to the 15th overall pick with the Florida Panthers and select Derek Forbert. The Panthers would later trade that pick to the Minnesota Wild who would draft forward Jason Zucker 59th overall.
6/23/11 – Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and 2012 second round pick (Devin Shore)(traded to DAL) for Mike Richards and Rob Bordson
Mike Richards was the captain of the Flyers and their best player for much of his tenure with the team. He was dealt to LA in a blockbuster move to clear room for Ilya Bryzgalov’s contract and to end his partying ways and ongoing feud with the Philly media. He helped the Kings secure two Stanley Cups before his contract was terminated after a string of personal problems leading to an arrest with possession of oxycodone at the U.S.-Canada boarder.
Rob Bordson was not tendered a contract by the Kings and returned to the Flyers organization by signing with their ECHL affiliate the Trenton Titans, eventually ending up back with the Phantoms later in the season.
Wayne Simmonds established himself as a fan favorite in Philly, becoming one of the better power forwards in the league during his eight years with the club. He racked up 378 points and 784 penalty minutes in 584 games.
Brayden Schenn, the former fifth overall pick in 2009, struggled to find consistency with the Flyers, but still carved out a niche as a gritty forward who eclipsed the 20-goal plateau in three of his six seasons with them. He was later traded to the Blues at the 2017 draft for a pair of first round picks that became Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
The Flyers traded the 2012 second round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Nick Grossmann.
10/12/11 – Futures for Stefan Legein and 2012 sixth round pick (Tomas Hyka)
Stefan Legein was once a highly touted prospect who retired from the game before his professional career started. He’d ultimately return to hockey, but was never the same caliber of player. He spent two uneventful season with the Adirondack Phantoms before this trade, and two more uneventful seasons with the Manchester Monarchs after this trade.
Forward Tomas Hyka was drafted 171st overall by the Kings but never signed with them. He later had a short run with the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017-2019.
The future considerations are unknown.
2/26/13 – Simon Gagne for 2013 fourth round pick (Justin Auger)
The 2012-13 season was not kind to the Flyers when it came to the injury bug, and they were forced to find reinforcements on both forward and defense to ice a full roster. They re-acquired forward, Simon Gagne, whom they dealt away three years prior. He played 27 games to close out the 2012-13 season and did not re-sign with the team. He retired in 2015 after a year off from hockey and a two dozen game tenure with the Bruins.
The Kings drafted forward Justin Auger 103rd overall in 2013. He played just two NHL games, both with the Kings.
6/27/15 – 2015 fourth round pick (Mikhail Vorobyev) and 2016 sixth round pick (Anthony Salinitri) for 2015 fourth round pick (Austin Wagner)
This deal was the Kings moving up four spots in the fourth round of the 2015 draft from 104 to 99 to select Austin Wagner. He played six seasons in the Kings’ organization, including 171 NHL games.
The Flyers selected forward Mikhail Vorobyev 104th overall. He’d spend three seasons with the franchise, mainly in the AHL. They would also take forward Anthony Salinitri 172nd overall in 2016 but ultimately would not sign with the team.
1/6/16 – Jordan Weal and 2016 third round pick (Carsen Twarynski) for Luke Schenn and Vinny Lecavalier
Jordan Weal was the Kings’ 70th overall pick in 2010. He played five seasons within the Kings organization, all but 10 games occurring in the AHL. He was acquired as a rehab project by the Flyers. He did play 124 games over the course of four years for them, but scored just 19 goals and 42 points in that time. He was dealt to the Coyotes when Chuck Fletcher arrived in January of 2019.
The Flyers drafted forward Carsen Twarynski 82nd overall in 2016. He played 22 games for the Flyers over the course of three years before being lost to the Seattle Kraken during the 2021 expansion draft.
Schenn and Lecavalier both played out the remainder of the season with the Kings, but neither were re-signed during the summer as Schenn left for the Coyotes and Lecavalier retired.
3/3/23 – Brendan Lemieux and 2024 fifth round pick (Luke Misa) for Zack MacEwen
The Flyers sent depth forward Zack MacEwen to the Kings at the 2023 trade deadline for a 2024 fifth round pick and fellow depth forward Brendan Lemieux
Neither Lemieux or MacEwen were retained by their new teams during the offseason.
The Flyers later traded that fifth round pick (along with a 2024 sixth round pick) to the Flames in exchange for 2024 fourth where they selected forward Heikki Ruohonen.
6/6/23 – Cal Petersen, Sean Walker, Helge Grans and a 2024 second round pick (traded to CHI) for Hayden Hodgson and Kevin Connauton
These deals were part of a three team trade with Columbus.
Cal Petersen was a cap dump. He had two years left on his deal at a $5 million cap hit. He played five games for the Flyers during the 2023-24 season with a measly .864 save percentage.
Sean Walker was a 28-year-old right-handed defenseman who ended up having a career resurgence with the Flyers. He was flipped at the 2024 trade deadline to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a first round pick and Ryan Johansen.
Helge Grans was 21-year-old right-handed defense prospect who was originally drafted by the Kings 35th overall in 2020. He did not play a game with the Flyers during the 2023-24 season.
The Flyers would trade the 2024 second round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks to move up and select goalie Carson Bjarnason 51st overall in 2023.
Hayden Hodgson and Kevin Connauton were AHLers who Chuck Fletcher had signed to multi-year extensions during the 2022 offseason (two years, $1.6mil / two years, $1.53 respectively). They were both moved is deal to clear roster spots for the three incoming players. Neither played a game in the NHL for the Kings.
3/7/25 – 2027 third round pick for Andrei Kuzmenko 2025 seventh round pick (Brendan McMorrow)
The Flyers acquired Kuzmenko about six weeks earlier from the Calgary Flames as part of the Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee trade.
The flipped him to the Kings (along with a 2025 seventh round pick the Kings used to select forward Brendan McMorrow.) in exchange for a 2027 third round pick. He posted 17 points in 22 games to close out the 2024-25 season.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 