Jack Kent Cooke

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Lore & Background

Cooke's journey to owning the Kings began with a bold threat. When the NHL announced six new franchises in 1966, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission supported a rival bid led by Dan Reeves and actor Bob Hope, leaving Cooke outmaneuvered in the bidding process for a lease at the Memorial Sports Arena. Cooke responded by declaring he would build his own arena in Inglewood, a move he later recalled was met with laughter by one official. He won the franchise anyway, paying the NHL a $2 million expansion fee for the new club he named the Kings. To prove his point, Cooke constructed The Forum, which opened on December 30, 1967, to rave reviews; he called it "The Fabulous Forum" and claimed it would be "the most beautiful arena in the world." However, the team faced immediate challenges. Despite being told that over 300,000 former Canadians lived within a three-hour drive of Los Angeles, Cooke lamented, "Now I know why they left Canada: They hate hockey!" The Kings played their inaugural game on October 14, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena while construction finished. In May 1979, Cooke sold the Kings and the Forum to Jerry Buss.

In Their Own Story

The path to the Kings was paved with defiance and concrete. After securing the franchise in 1966, Cooke found himself locked out of the city's primary sports venue by the Coliseum Commission. Undeterred, he bet on his own vision, promising a new arena in Inglewood if denied access to the Sports Arena. Nearly three decades later, he remembered an official laughing at this warning. That gamble materialized as The Forum, a facility Cooke touted as the most beautiful arena in the world upon its December 30, 1967 opening. While the Kings played their first game on October 14, 1967, at Long Beach Arena during construction, the venue quickly became a landmark. Yet, the hockey reality was harsh. Cooke had been promised a massive Canadian fanbase in Southern California, but attendance lagged. He famously quipped about those Canadians leaving because "they hate hockey!" despite his best efforts to make the Kings a success alongside his other teams.

Reader's Guide

The Jack Kent Cooke era (1967–1982) defined the Los Angeles Kings' existence through sheer force of will. It began with a $2 million purchase and a confrontation with the Coliseum Commission that forced Cooke to build The Forum in Inglewood rather than use the existing Sports Arena. This period is characterized by Cooke's high-profile ambition; he called his new arena "The Fabulous Forum" and declared it would be the best in the world. However, the early years were difficult. The Kings struggled on the ice and at the gate, with Cooke noting the surprising lack of local interest despite a large Canadian population nearby. His tenure ended when he sold the Forum in May 1979, leaving behind a franchise that had survived its rocky introduction to prove hockey could exist in Los Angeles.

Did You Know?

• Cooke sold the Kings and the Forum to Jerry Buss in May 1979 after nearly 12 years of ownership.
• He was turned down for a TV license in Toronto in 1960, which prompted him to move to the U.S. and become a citizen via a special congressional waiver.
• Cooke claimed The Forum would be "the most beautiful arena in the world" when it opened on December 30, 1967.
• Despite being told over 300,000 former Canadians lived near Los Angeles, Cooke remarked that he finally understood why they left: "They hate hockey!"
• The Kings played their inaugural game on October 14, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Early Life and Sales Acumen

Jack Kent Cooke was born on October 25, 1912, in Hamilton, Ontario, moving with his family to The Beaches area of Toronto in 1921. His entrepreneurial career began at age 14 selling encyclopedias; he took home over $20 on his first day, a moment he later called "the proudest moment of my life." He worked as a runner on the Toronto Stock Exchange floor and sold soap for Colgate-Palmolive in Northern Ontario in 1936. It was during this time that he met Roy Thomson, who hired him to run radio station CJCS in Stratford, Ontario. The two became partners in 1941, building a network of radio stations and newspapers across Ontario and Quebec.

Pioneering Integration and Entertainment in Baseball

In 1951, Cooke acquired the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club, immediately integrating the team by signing second baseman Charlie White and pitcher-outfielder Leon Day within two weeks. Day, a future Hall of Famer, pitched 14 games that season before moving on. Cooke transformed the game into an entertainment spectacle with celebrity appearances and promotions, drawing comparisons to Bill Veeck. He was named minor league executive of the year by The Sporting News in 1952. Although he failed to bring a major league team to Toronto due to venue issues and the collapse of the Continental League, his Maple Leafs were an International League powerhouse, finishing first four times and winning the 1960 Governors' Cup.

Strategic Relocation and U.S. Broadcasting Empire

After losing a bid for a private TV station license in Toronto in 1960, Cooke moved to the United States. With support from Representative Francis E. Walter, he became a U.S. citizen via a congressional waiver of the five-year waiting period during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration. He entered the U.S. broadcasting market in August 1959 by acquiring Pasadena radio station KRLA 1110 through his brother Donald, a U.S. citizen. Cooke formed American Cablevision, acquired TelePrompTer cable TV, and sold it in the late 1970s for $646 million. He also acquired the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1979 and the Los Angeles Daily News in 1985.

Championship Ownership and Stadium Development

Cooke owned a vast array of sports franchises, including the Washington Redskins (NFL), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Wolves (United Soccer), and Toronto Maple Leafs (IL). Under his ownership, the Lakers won the 1972 NBA Finals, moving to The Forum and changing their colors to Purple and Gold. The Redskins won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987, and 1991 under head coach Joe Gibbs. Cooke developed The Forum in Inglewood, California, and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (Northwest Stadium) in Landover, Maryland. He sold the Washington Redskins to Daniel Snyder for $800 million in 1999 after his death.