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The LA Kings have signed their captain Anze Kopitar to a two-year, $14 million contract extension that will see him with the club until the 2025-26 season.
Drafted No. 11 by the LA Kings in the 2005 NHL Draft, Kopitar has had a career spanning 17 years in the league. He's spent his entire career donning the jersey of the Kings. In the 2022-23 season, he led the LA Kings in goal-scoring with 74 points (28 goals, 46 assists) in 82 games.
The news was much to the delight of the Kings' fans who took to Twitter to express their contentment by calling it a great move by the franchise:
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The hockey journey of Anze Kopitar
Anze Kopitar began his professional career with the HD Hidira Jesenice at SVN U-18. He later joined the Slovenian Hockey League, the highest-tier ice hockey league in Slovenia.
However, due to a lack of competitiveness, Kopitar decided to look out for the other options eventually leaving the country for Sweden.
Kopitar first got the opportunity to play for the U-18 team of Sodertalje SK in Sweden and later joined their junior team where he further honed his skillset. He played one season for SK at the SEL, the highest-tier ice hockey league in Sweden.
Sweden played a vital role in helping Kopitar enter the National Hockey League. Prior to a year before the NHL Draft, the LA Kings captain was ranked as the top prospect from Europe by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
In the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Anze Kopitar was drafted in the first round by the LA Kings. Kopitar made his NHL debut during the 2006-07 season, scoring two goals against the Anaheim Ducks in his debut.
Kopitar has played for 17 years in the league and has spent his entire career with one franchise. Furthermore, he is the LA Kings' third all-time leading goalscorer with 1,114 points through 393 goals and 748 assists in 1,292 games.
Notably, Kopitar helped the LA Kings win the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championships.
