The LA Kings have had quite the offseason, making some big roster changes to shake things up and hopefully break their playoff rut against the Edmonton Oilers. With Ken Holland stepping in as the new general manager, the team has really focused on building depth and enhancing special teams. They brought in veterans like Corey Perry and Joel Armia to boost their offensive game and improve their penalty-killing efforts.

Bringing in defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin really helped shore up the defense, especially as they will look forward to supporting Drew Doughty in getting back to full health after a tough season with injuries. With all the changes happening on the ice, the organization also made a big off-ice move that really got the fans buzzing.

On September 11, 2025, the LA Kings shared some exciting news on X about their FanDuel Sports Network West broadcast team for the upcoming 2025-26 season. They introduced John Kelly as the new lead play-by-play announcer, stepping in after the retirement of Hall of Famer Nick Nickson.

Kelly’s hiring is like a homecoming for the veteran broadcaster, who has had an impressive career spanning over three decades. He’s had some legendary stints with teams like the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Colorado Avalanche. He kicked off his NHL broadcasting journey in 1989 with the Blues, following in the footsteps of his father, Hall of Fame announcer Dan Kelly.

For almost twenty years, he was a key part of the team’s identity. His signature calls, like the enthusiastic “UN-BEEEELIEVEABLE” during those highlight moments, really helped him build a loyal fanbase throughout the league. Aside from his time in St. Louis, Kelly really showed off his versatility with the Lightning and Avalanche. He proved he could adapt to different teams while still keeping up a high standard of storytelling and game-calling excellence. The fans are really excited to have him on the team.

LA Kings fans are delighted with this offseason update

LA Kings fans were really bummed about how their playoffs wrapped up. But you know, as the hockey organization has been making decisions during the offseason, it’s definitely brightened some spirits. Announcing John Kelly as the play-by-play announcer was definitely a pleasant surprise. One comment read, “LA just got insanely blessed.” This fan said, “This may be the biggest W in the entire LA Kings offseason. John Kelly is an absolute rocket on the call.” Someone simply said, “Kings got the best play-by-play guy in the biz.”

Kelly kicked things off by sharing his genuine excitement and humility about becoming part of the Kings’ broadcast legacy. He made sure to recognize the incredible contributions of his predecessors, like Bob Miller and Nick Nickson.

He highlighted how important preparation and player-driven storytelling are to him, saying, “I try to be as prepared as I can and I’m really big about talking to the coaches and trying to get the insights of what they’re thinking and not necessarily the game plan, but the trends their looking for. I also like getting anecdotes from the players and personalizing the players to the fans, talking about their families or their parents or how they got into hockey. I leave the X’s and O’s to the experts, the color analyst, and I like to try to get those stories integrated into the broadcast.”

Yeah, he’s definitely the best in hockey, but you know what? He’s really down to earth about it. Some St. Louis Blues fans jumped on the hype train too! One fan even said, “May JK give you as many ‘UN- BEEEELIEVEABLE’ memories for you guys as he did for us Blues fans.” Another Blues fan shared, “This hurts, as a Blues fan you guys got an absolutely great one in JK. Glad he landed on his feet. Thank you for allowing him to enhance your game broadcast.”

With the season coming up, Kelly’s voice is set to be the backdrop for a year filled with big hopes—both for a team aiming for the Stanley Cup and a broadcast crew celebrating a legacy of greatness.