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Being the 171st player drafted in any particular year doesn't exactly give a big vote of confidence to a player's abilities. But then again, just getting drafted in the first place could bring all the confidence a player needs to succeed at the NHL level.

That seems to have been the case for Luc Robitaille, a stringy, French-Canadian left winger who was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. The Kings chose Robitaille after selecting seven other players that never made a name for themselves in the big leagues and one who made the big leagues, but in another sport.

Players such as Craig Redmond, selected sixth overall by the Kings in 1984, never panned out in the NHL. Tom Glavine, selected by the Kings with the 69th pick of the draft, went on to win a Cy Young Award in Major League Baseball. It wasn't until the Kings chose Robitaille in the ninth round that they found themselves a keeper.

Robitaille, now 32, recently became the 27th player in NHL history, and the third from the 1984 draft, to score 500 career goals. Other members from the Class of 1984 are Mario Lemieux (drafted No. 1 overall) and Brett Hull (No. 117). Not bad company for a guy whose skating skills were enamored at the draft table as much as a Claude Lemieux goal is in Joe Louis Arena.

Goal No. 500 came in the Great Western Forum against the Buffalo Sabres. After scoring No. 499 earlier in the game against Buffalo backup Dwayne Roloson, Robitaille took a pass from rookie Pavel Rosa and flipped a shot over the sprawled goaltender. The goal sealed a 4-2 win for the Kings and brought the crowd of 10,821 to its feet for a loud chorus of "Luuuuuc"s in honor of their hero. The fun-loving Robitaille enjoyed the moment by pumping his arms in the air and skating into the arms of his teammates.

Robitaille has made a name for himself in the NHL because of his smile and charm, his amazing shot, and...well, his name. Come on, try and tell me you don't have fun saying his name. Luc (pause) Robitaille... It just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it. Aww, those Frenchies know how to name a kid, eh?

I Love L.A.

The city of Los Angeles has seen most of Lucky Luc's goals over the years. Robitaille spent the first eight seasons of his career in L.A., winning over the fans' hearts with his goal-scoring prowess and his great attitude. Robitaille always seems to have a smile on his face. And for those first eight seasons in L.A., it was easy for him to show those pearly whites. Robitaille never scored less than 44 goals during his first stint in the City of Angels. His best season came in 1992-93 when he scored 63 goals and 125 points in 84 regular season games, then scored 22 points in 24 playoff games as the Kings nearly upset the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals.

Just two seasons later, however, the love affair between Robitaille and Los Angeles ended. The heart and soul of the Kings franchise was dealt to Pittsburgh for Rick Tocchet and a second-round pick (who, ironically, turned out to be Pavel Rosa). Robitaille, perhaps stunned to find out how boring a city Pittsburgh was, failed to produce like the Penguins imagined he would. After scoring 23 goals and 42 points in 46 games during the strike-shortened 1994-95 season, Robitaille was on the move again, this time to the Big Apple.

More excitement in a bigger city failed to produce bigger numbers. Robitaille scored a combined 47 goals in two seasons in New York. Disappointment brought about another change. Robitaille was heading home.

Ya Know, I REALLY Love L.A.

In 1997, Robitaille was on the move again. This time he was traded back to Los Angeles for the equally struggling Kevin Stevens. By this time in his career, many people were starting to write Robitaille off. He didn't do much to change their minds last year, as he scored just 16 goals and 40 points in 57 games, the lowest totals of his career. Robitaille was hampered by an abdominal injury that caused him to miss 25 games.

Over the off-season, Robitaille knew he had to do something to turn things around. So he went on a weight and conditioning program that allowed him to add 12 pounds onto his frame. The results have been incredible this season. Robitaille is among the league leaders in goals. He's already scored 22 times and is on pace to tally more than 40 goals by the end of the regular season.

The Kings are pleased to see Robitaille rejuvenate his career in Los Angeles. After all, they have been the recipients of 430 of his 500 career goals.

The Kings honored Robitaille for his accomplishment during the next home game by giving him a new sport utility vehicle (nice). His teammates pitched in their hard-earned cash and bought him a new big-screen TV so he can watch all of his favorite shows, including the hottest comedy on cable, "Mr. Show with Bob and David", which just happens to be the official TV show of LCS Hockey.

Congratulations, Luc! Big TVs are sweet. Oh yeah, and that whole 500-goal thing is pretty cool too...

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