The subway car felt like a gathering of eras. An assortment of jerseys with various designs were worn in tribute to the greatest hockey team this city has ever seen.  Each jersey links to a piece of this team's history and, in a way, to the wearer's history as a hockey fan.

There's Ray, a fan dressed in the silver-and-black jersey used during the "Gretzky Era" of the late 80s and early 90s. Sure enough, he's been a fan since 1988. On Monday night, he was together with his two friends Sal and Oliver in front of the TV, watching as Rob Scuderi took a brutal hit that would give his face a few stitches but would give his team a power play for the ages. Five minutes of hockey later, three goals had been scored, and Ray decided to begin the celebrations.

"I knew this was it," he said. "I wasn't thinking about a comeback. It wasn't going to happen. This was finally going to be the night."

Close by is another fan named David, and his jersey goes even farther back.  In a sea of black and white and silver, David is wearing the bright gold and royal purple sweater designed by Canadian millionaire Jack Cooke way back in 1967 for his new hockey team to wear at Long Beach Arena and later at Cooke's biggest contribution to L.A. sports, the Fabulous Forum. David's family has bought season tickets for years, and he fondly remembers spending many winters at the Forum cheering on his team despite disappointment and heartbreak.

But on Monday night, David was there in person to see all that pain come to an end. He was one of the 18,858 that became the loudest crowd in the 15-year history of the Staples Center. He stood and cheered as streamers fell, gloves and sticks and helmets were scattered across the ice, and for the first time ever, Lord Stanley's precious Cup was brought to the City of Angels.

"I have never heard anything that loud before," he recalls. "There was just so much emotion. We have all been waiting so long for this."

Outside, more jerseys can be found. Most of them are black and white and have the names of the men they have come to see: Kopitar, Quick, Brown, Doughty.  But others hold names from years gone by, and on this day, their impact on this team's history is being remembered as well. Names like Dionne, Lemieux, Joyal, Fox, Frolov, Robitaille, Taylor, Vachon, Palffy, Deadmarsh, and -- of course -- Gretzky, dot the crowds along Figueroa.  This is not just a celebration of a single season. This is a celebration of the 45 years that have built up to this moment.

Yes, one week after England celebrated the jubilee of their Queen, Los Angeles celebrated the coronation of their Kings.  

In the past twelve years, L.A. has seen five championship parades before this one, all of them coming from the Lakers. But this one feels vastly different and is likely one we may never see again. The Lakers have 16 championships and many, many years of success and tradition built upon them. A championship parade for them is certainly a major event, but it is more of a reaffirmation of the team's dominance and a sign they have satisfied the high expectations that come with such dominance. 

The differences extend to the other pro teams.  Should the Dodgers win the World Series, that parade would be a celebration of their return to the dominance they held in the 80s. The Dodgers also have a long list of achievements they have created in the five decades they have been here, and a return to the World Series would signify the resurrection of the team. Even a victory by the Clippers, who are now the only Los Angeles pro team without a championship banner, wouldn't be the same. An NBA championship for the Clippers would be a first for the franchise, but not for the city, which has seen many of those from the other, much more popular team.  

No, this Kings parade stands alone. This is a team that has had almost no success in a city where hockey takes a backseat to, well, pretty much everything else. But suddenly, the Kings have a long list of achievements that they built in just two months. First no. 8 seed to become champions, first team to win the first three games of all four series, first team to win ten playoff road games, defeated all the division champions in their conference to get to the final, second team with an American captain to win the Cup. The list just goes on.

In addition, everyone wants to see the Stanley Cup, and unlike other trophies, this one has a reputation for getting around.  \In the past three days, the Cup been filled with chocolate milk for two kids in Spiderman pajamas to blow bubbles into, pressed against the lips of Jimmy Kimmel, and sent to a kinky Hollywood nightclub to take pictures with Oompa Loompas in hockey gear. Imagine the wild summer that trophy is going to have in this city. TMZ might as well have dedicated paparazzi follow its every more.

But this day isn't about the celebrity status the Kings have gained or the fact that hockey is now in vogue around these parts. This day is for all these fans who never let their love for this team and this sport fade despite the frustration and setbacks. This is a celebration of L.A.'s first "Now I Can Die In Peace" sports moment. All the patience and dedication both in and out of this organization is finally being rewarded, and it is because of these 26 men who blasted through every opponent with quiet but fierce determination.

On the corner of 6th and Figueroa, a hawker carries around a duffel bag with Kings championship t-shirts inside. A young, thin man wearing a Lakers jersey and a Dodgers cap hands over a ten-dollar bill, grabs a shirt, and quickly puts in on before going to look for a good spot to watch the double-decker buses go by.  Sure, those shirts might be made of cheap cotton, and the silkscreen lettering will probably start chipping off after the first wash. But hey, it's not every day in L.A. that you get to celebrate being the best at hockey, right?

 

Reach reporter Jeremy Fuster here.