LOS ANGELES — Dustin Brown wasn't the first person to arrive in Los Angeles with more hope than life experience, a shy teenager with a dream of becoming a star in a city that often humbles kids who were the best at whatever talent they'd developed in their hometown.
The twist on this classic Hollywood story is that Brown's dream didn't play out on a soundstage or in a recording studio. It unfolded on icy hockey rinks, where he became the top hitmaker in NHL history and set the tone for the two Stanley Cup championships that forever changed the Kings' previously lamentable playoff saga.
The man who spoke confidently Friday about his decision to retire after the playoffs was light-years removed from the boy who was drafted by the Kings in 2003 and spoke with a mild speech impediment when he spoke at all.
