Anze Kopitar

Slovenian ice hockey center and captain of the Los Angeles Kings, two-time Stanley Cup champion and first Slovenian NHL player to reach 1000 points.

Anze Kopitar was born in Jesenice, Slovenia in 1987. Los Angeles Kings selected him 11th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. His career has produced 348 goals and 741 assists for 1,089 career points — all franchise records for the Kings. He won two Stanley Cup championships with Los Angeles (2012, 2014). He won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward twice (2016, 2018) and the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship twice (2016, 2018). He was selected to five All-Star games. He became Kings captain in 2011. He is the greatest Slovenian athlete in any professional sport and a national hero in a country that became one of Europe's most passionate hockey nations. His combination of offensive production — consistently over 70 points per season — with elite defensive commitment makes him the most complete two-way centre of the 2010s alongside Jonathan Toews. He represented Slovenia at multiple World Championships.

Kopitar is renowned as an elite two-way center who excels in both offensive production and defensive responsibility. His exceptional hockey IQ, precise passing ability, and strong faceoff skills make him a complete player who can control the pace of the game. He combines excellent vision and playmaking with reliable defensive positioning and penalty killing expertise.

Kopitar paved the way for Slovenian hockey players in the NHL and remains the country's greatest hockey export. His success helped raise the profile of hockey in Slovenia and inspired a new generation of players from the region.

• Stanley Cup 2x (2012,2014)
• Selke Trophy 2x (2016,2018)
• Lady Byng Trophy 2x (2016,2018)
• All-Star 5x

Team Career

Team	Period	GP	Goals
Los Angeles Kings	2007–2024	1395	398
Slovenia	—	84	30