Dustin Brown received a telephone call from Luc Robitaille on May 15, 2022, the day after his NHL job ended.The onward had revealed his choice to retire, the Los Angeles Kings had lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the Western Conference Preliminary, and the Kings head of state desired to see him.When Brown showed up at his workplace, Robitaille told him Los Angeles would retire his No. 23 and unveil a statuary of him before the arena.A statuary?" I go, like, 'Luc, who has statuaries available?'" Brown claimed. "And he's like, 'As a whole? Or, like, hockey players?' 'Let's just begin with hockey gamers.' He goes, 'Well, me and Wayne.'" Brown reminded Robitaille he was a legend. "Wayne" was Wayne Gretzky." I simply claimed, 'I'm not going to exist, '" Brown said. "' I'm a little unpleasant.'" Robitaille reminded Brown he had done something twice that Robitaille and Gretzky hadn't done when with the Kings: win the Stanley Cup." In that minute, " Brown claimed Tiger Williams Jersey, "it really felt good." Brown wasn't a generational skill. He was cut from a choose group representing the state of New York at age 15, and after a quick surge as a prospect, he found he required to make it in the pros with grit.Yet he invested his whole 18-season NHL job with one team and was Los Angeles' all-time leader in games played when he retired. He was captain from 2008-16, leading them to the Cup in 2012 and 2014. He obtained the Mark Messier Leadership Honor after the second championship.He rankings seventh amongst United States-born players in NHL video games played and was the 2nd American to captain a Mug champion, after defenseman Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars in 1999. He stood for the U.S. in the Olympics twice, the IIHF World Champion 4 times and the IIHF World Junior Champion twice, winning silver in 2010 and bronze in 2004. Therefore, he'll be sworn in right into the USA Hockey Hall of Popularity with Brian Burke, Katie King Crowley, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Murphy at a ceremony in Boston on Wednesday. © copy; Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty ImagesThe Kings retired Brown's number and unveiled his statue Feb. 11. The sculpture summarize his tradition. He is standing up the Cup in Los Angeles." I was a good player, " Brown stated. "I played my game. But I was just part of a truly unique team, and I was perhaps the face of the group during that really successful time, and Luc said it best: 'You did something we could not do.'" Speaking about it now, it still makes me really feel uneasy, yet I'm still really extremely happy with it." * * * * Brown learned exactly how to skate by pushing a chair around a covered outdoor rink at Cass Park in Ithaca, New York City. He additionally played baseball and lacrosse, yet there was simply something about the feeling of the ice." If it was a hockey method or a lacrosse technique, I was always intending to most likely to the hockey practice, " he claimed. "I assume inherently the skating makes hockey enjoyable, also when all you're doing is obtaining skated. I sort of fell crazy with the skating part of it." When he didn't make the pick group representing the state of New york city at age 15, Brown didn't go to a nationwide tournament and wasn't on the radar of the United States Hockey National Team Growth Program. He had no concept where he was headed." Individuals don't think me when I say this, " he said, "but I really did not even understand what the Ontario Hockey Organization was." After he had 53 points in 24 video games in his second season at Ithaca High, Brown was selected by Guelph in the second round of the 2000 OHL Top Priority Choice. He received a deal from the NTDP yet had currently authorized a jr contract.Back after that, he had not been physical. His very first video game for Guelph, he hadn't turned 16 yet, and an opponent had a complete beard. He set up huge offensive numbers in 3 periods in the OHL and stood for the USA two times worldwide Juniors." I went from deficient in New york city to being one of the most effective youngsters in the nation within a year, " he claimed, "so it sort of all happened very quick for me." Brown was picked by the Kings with the No. 13 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft. He played for Los Angeles as a newbie in 2003-04 Terry Sawchuk Jersey, after that invested a season with Manchester of the American Hockey Organization during the 2004-05 NHL lockout." It was horrible for hockey, " he said, "yet it was excellent for me." It permitted him to establish in the minors with no stress, and though he had 74 points in 79 games, it made him the gamer he would end up being when he went back to the NHL the adhering to period." I remember my initial few weeks in the AHL, " he said. "It occurred to me quite quick, like, 'Yeah, I'm not going to be able to rack up 40 here. What can I do to remain in the lineup?' You see my first couple of years. I'm a bowling ball around. That entered into my identification. It offered me area." * * * * It's not like Brown really did not have skill in the NHL. He had 60 points in 78 video games in 2007-08, and he scored a minimum of 20 objectives in a period 7 times. But this is a man who had 3, 632 hits, 3rd in NHL background." He had not been afraid of anything, " stated Stars defenseman Ryan Suter, that bet Brown in the NHL and with him for the U.S. "He would certainly run you via a wall whether you were teammates or buddies with him, and after that after, obviously, whatever was great. I think it took a toll on his body in time, just being as physical as he was." Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, Brown's roomie when traveling, said Brown required an unique board under his mattress to make the bed hard. Brown would stretch and ask Doughty to break his back. © copy; Adam Pantozzi/NHLI using Getty Images" I saw all the pain he experienced, " Doughty claimed. ". When you see your captain doing whatever it requires to play on the ice to aid his teammates, that trickles through. It's quite fantastic that he could play that physical with exactly how damaged he was, to be straightforward." Brown made respect from colleagues and challengers alike." Simply a high-character guy, " said Dallas forward Joe Pavelski, who Dion Phaneuf Jersey, like Suter, bet Brown in the NHL and with him for the united state "Led by instance. One credit to his video game is, you recognized what you were going to obtain from him. He played a tough video game. He was physical mosting likely to the web. He added that physicality from his game, and he likewise had that offensive touch to rack up along the method." He did it all." I believe there's a whole lot extra undoubtedly to 'Brownie' than simply hitting, " Kopitar said. "He had the flair to make a huge play when it truly matters the most, whether that was get in front of a puck, hit someone or make a play in the eleventh hour of the video game so we can win by one goal. He was on the ice in every situation, and truly so." Brown has few regrets.He never ever won gold for the United States. When the globe junior group won gold in 2004 in Finland, he was eligible to play but already in the NHL. He was an alternate captain for the Olympic team in 2010 for an overtime loss to Canada in the gold medal video game in Vancouver and in 2014 for a semifinal loss to Canada in the semifinals in Sochi.He stated that is among the important things he has contemplated in advance of his United States Hockey Hall of Fame induction. For many years, he really did not value his Olympic experiences due to the losses. And now, he understands it's a few of the ideal hockey he ever got to play." The opportunity to represent your nation momentarily like that, regardless of the result, it's something that I assume you appreciate extra with time, " he said.He claimed his mind often wanders to the loss in Vancouver. Yet if he's ever before really feeling down, all he needs to do is search for as his sculpture in Los Angeles." I indicate, you win 2 Stanley Cups, " he claimed, giggling, "your mind drifts there a great deal too."