How Koreatown seniors have become Kings’ playoff good luck charm with harmonica national anthem
This weekend, the Kings will face off against the Oilers in Edmonton, holding the opportunity to eliminate them and secure their initial playoff series victory since their Stanley Cup title run back in 2014.
Hopefully the Kings didn’t forget any of the essentials while packing for such a big trip.
After their victorious 6-2 game against the Oilers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, the Kings’ X team announced, “It’s time to prepare your harmonicas! We’re hitting the road and continuing our performance elsewhere.
Indeed, it’s true! Harmonicas have unexpectedly emerged as the Kings’ symbol of good fortune in the 2025 playoffs. This is all thanks to some captivating renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed at pregame events by a musical group affiliated with the Koreatown Senior and Community Center.
Kings
In the game played on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings currently maintain a 2-0 advantage over the Edmonton Oilers, with Andrei Kuzmenko, newly acquired at the trade deadline, playing a crucial role in their success.
The center, situated roughly 2.5 miles west of the Kings’ home stadium, hosts around 1,500 individuals weekly across its 47 programs, as stated by Gloria Y. Kim, the public relations manager. A harmonica class was initiated here seven years ago, and since 2021, this group has been rehearsing the U.S. national anthem regularly.
On June 7th, 2023, multiple attendees initiated a Los Angeles City Council gathering at City Hall by performing the anthem.
On that particular day, we were met with a prolonged applause by the LA City Council members and more than 100 attendees, boosting our morale significantly,” Kim shared via email on Thursday.
In January, Kim shared that the center received a contact from the Kings, who were preparing for their K-Town Night scheduled on March 23 when they faced off against the Boston Bruins. Kwanil Park, the executive director of the center, proposed that the harmonica group repeat their rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the match.
Kim mentioned that the Kings were fond of the concept. As a result, thirteen women and one man, all members of the harmonica class, donned traditional Korean hanboks and performed the anthem “to great applause” at the game.
Podcasts
For several decades, “Trot” has been a popular genre of Korean music. However, in more recent times, its fanbase has significantly expanded, particularly in Southern California. Notably, the most ardent supporters tend to be elderly immigrants.
Kim announced that the harmonica class would be returning for Game 1 against the Oilers on Monday. Notably, this time the ensemble consisted exclusively of women, all wearing their customary attire.
Kim expressed that it was incredibly emotional as the audience joined us in singing the national anthem, while we played the harmonica.
Following their thrilling 6-5 victory, the team’s social media X shared a collection of game images, accompanied by the caption, “The strength of our harmonica section.
The harmonica group’s anthem performance on Wednesday was them donning Kings jerseys for the occasion, following their victory. The team’s X account announced, “With another win, the HarmoniKings now stand at 2-0.
Kings
The Kings boast a compact team of backstage experts, such as a combat trainer, who have significantly contributed to the team’s victories.
In simpler terms, the series shifts to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 this week, but the Kings will return home at some point during the playoffs, either for potential Games 5 and 7 against the Oilers or in the next round. So, is it possible that fans in our city won’t have seen the last of those veteran Korean-American players from the Kings during pregame warm-ups?
“We are currently discussing it with the LA Kings,” Kim said.
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2025-04-25 19:31