Los Angeles Kings Pull Off The Best Jersey Reveal Ever, And Not Just Because Of The Iron Maiden Flavor

There's no reason to think that the Los Angeles Kings will be in the playoff picture come the end of the season, even if their 2025-26 campaign got off to a rough start with a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

However, they still had something for their fans more shocking than giving up four goals on 23 shots at home: a brand new, completely unannounced third jersey.

And they unveiled it in a way I don't think I've ever seen another team do it.

The Kings overhauled their uniforms last season, ditching the look from their Cup-winning years through the 2010s and early 2020s, and going with a modernized version of the Gretzky-era logo and jerseys.

It's a great look, and that's what they hit the ice in for warmups… albeit with some unusual-looking socks.

However, when it came time to hit the ice for the game and player introductions, the team was wearing a uniform no one had ever seen before.

That's right, they went full-Elton John and had a wardrobe change.

Those look to be recolored versions of the Kings' original purple and yellow getups, complete with matching crest and some eye-popping silver buckets.

Better yet, the official announcement video featured the Iron Maiden classic "Fear of the Dark" (a live version, because all fans know any live version of this song is better than the studio version).

And even better yet, Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson sang the anthem to kick off the season.

Maiden and hockey?! I may need to lie down for a minute to calm down. If the Flyers did this, the excitement would probably put me in the hospital after some cardiac episode.

Also, whoever gave Bruce a No. 58 jersey is a genius. He was born in 1958 and has a song on his first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire, called "Born in ‘58." There’s a huge fan in that Kings' office. 

I see you, and I salute you.

The new jerseys are phenomenal, and they join one of the best batches of new NHL third jerseys I can remember in years.

So, Fanatics, I sincerely apologize for my apprehensions when you took over. You folks are killing it.

This has to be the best jersey reveal I've ever seen, though there was one big clue aside from the unusual socks the Kings warmed up in.

Last month, pictures made the rounds of center ice at Crypto.com Arena, and they featured that recolored version of that original crest.

I think some people may have been able to pick up on the fact that this might be tied to a new sweater, but there's no way they saw it getting unveiled like this.