Stanley Cup victory parade: L.A. Kings fans line up early downtown

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The Kings’ Anze Kopitar, left, and Dustin Brown, center, with general manager Dean Lombardi during the rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Jordan Nolan, left, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown watch a video of their championship run during the rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Los Angeles Kings and their fans celebrate their Stanley Cup championship at a rally inside Staples Center. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings Coach Darryl Sutter, center with cap, and his son Chris watch a replay of the Kings’ championship run during a rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Kings’ Justin Williams carries the Conn Smythe Trophy into Staples Center during the championship celebration. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown gets some help carrying the Stanley Cup from his son Mason. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell revel in the crowds in front of Staples Center during the Stanley Cup parade. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Mason Brown, son of Kings captain Dustin Brown, picks up confetti next to the Stanley Cup during the Stanley Cup parade. (Wallly Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings goalie Jonathan Quick hoists the Stanley Cup in front of a crowd at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans wave from a bridge as buses carrying Kings players pass below them in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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As the parade confetti falls, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty revels in the team’s Stanley Cup triumph from atop a bus. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Thousands of fans crowd 11th Street at Figueroa Street to get a glimpse of the Kings’ victory procession. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players wave to the crowds from double-decker buses as the victory procession makes its way down Figueroa toward Staples Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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An LAPD officer takes a photo of parade buses as they pass by in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans reach to touch the Stanley Cup as captain Dustin Brown carries the trophy from the parade bus to Staples Center for a ceremony. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans cheer along Figueroa Street as players pass by during a parade for the 2014 Stanley Cup champion Kings. (Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown, left, hands the Stanley Cup to Anze Kopitar as they celebrate during the parade. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown holds the Stanley Cup in downtown Los Angeles during the championship parade. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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A fan takes a photo from a rooftop along the Stanley Cup parade route in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Trevor Lewis, left, and Drew Doughty hoist the Western Conference Trophy before thousands of fans as they celebrate their Stanley Cup win during a parade in downtown L.A. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans cheer as the Los Angeles Kings celebrate their Stanley Cup championship during a parade and then a rally at Staples Center. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Goalie Jonathan Quick raises the Stanley Cup over his head while confetti pours down in front of Staples Center. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Confetti fills the air at the Kings’ championship rally in front of Staples Center. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans take pictures above the buses carrying players during the Stanley Cup procession through downtown. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Confetti cannons erupt outside Staples Center as the buses carrying Kings players arrive for their Stanley Cup victory rally. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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As it rains confetti, Kings captain Dustin Brown hoist the Stanley Cup as they celebrate their NHL championship outside Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown carries the Stanley Cup into Staples Center as fans celebrate along the parade route in downtown. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Alec Martinez, left, Drew Doughty and Trevor Lewis hoist the Western Conference trophy as they parade along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown L.A. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans wave and cheer as the double-decker buses carrying the team players proceed along Figueroa Street on their way to Staples Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans wave from a rooftop as buses carrying Kings players pass by. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans celebrate along the Stanley Cup parade route in downtown L.A. The Kings have won two NHL titles in three seasons. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Cellphone cameras snapping, fans exult along the Stanley Cup parade route on Figueroa Street in downtown L.A. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings player Justin Williams waves to fans along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Holding signs, banners, cameras, jerseys and Stanley Cup replicas, fans celebrate along the parade route downtown. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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The Kings Ice Crew lead one of the buses carrying the players along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fan Jayden Rivera, 3, takes in the excitement with his dad, Eric Rivera of Rosemead, as they wait to see the team players parade through downtown Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

By Caitlin Owens

June 16, 2014 10:42 AM PT

Hours before thousands of fans were expected to crowd Figueroa Street in downtown for the L.A. Kings’ Stanley Cup victory parade, Josh Forsythe had already set up camp.

Armed with a to-go box of pancakes and breakfast food, the lifelong Kings fan, his wife, three young children and his sister-in-law arrived at 7:30 a.m.

“We got here early to root on our boys — wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Forsythe, 31.

Roughly 17,000 people are expected to crowd the mile-long parade route on Figueroa when the procession starts at noon. It will mark the second Stanley Cup victory parade in three years for the Kings, who won the NHL championship in 2012.

The second championship came in a nail-biting, 3-2 double-overtime victory Friday night over the New York Rangers.

Richard Anderson, 43, of Santa Carita, couldn’t make it to the parade for the first Stanley Cup win, so this year, he and his wife, Ana, took vacation days and arrived on the route before 9 a.m. to secure a good spot near the start point.

“It’s one of those unique experiences,” he said. “You can’t count on it ever happening again.”

The procession, which begins at Figueroa and 5th streets and ends at Staples Center, is expected to last 30 to 40 minutes, with multiple street closures in effect. The Kings will also host a sold-out hour-long fan rally at Staples Center starting at 1 p.m.

The LAPD has set up bike barricades from 5th Street to Staples Center and has 800 officers out, lining the street every 20 yards, officials said.

“We have a very good plan in place,” said LAPD Commander Dennis Kato, referring to the stationed officers, a bomb squad in place and security cameras. “This is a feel-good event. All we have to worry about is too many people in one place.”

For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow @Caitlin__Owens.