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Anze Kopitar News & Rumors

Line of Dustin Brown-Anze Kopitar-Justin Williams tough to handle
May 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"They won a mere two games in December and ended up using seven goalies during a not-so-memorable Kings season in 2007-08. But one of those goalies — Jason LaBarbera — recognized something special in two of the Kings' young forwards, Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. They had career breakthrough performances that season, scoring 33 and 32 goals, respectively. "You could see how great they were going to be," said LaBarbera, who is now the Phoenix Coyotes' backup goalie. "They've always been really good players. But they've never been on that pedestal they are on now. They're doing what they're supposed to be doing.""
Good times roll for Los Angeles Kings' Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar
May 7
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"As the longest-serving current Kings, forwards Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar have been through the worst of hockey times. Brown, who made his NHL debut during the 2003-04 season, and Kopitar, who made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2006-07, have been there for all the broken promises and unrealized dreams, through coaching changes and baffling lineup shuffles. They allowed their optimism to flower when things changed for the better and persevered when the young team sometimes took two steps back for every three steps forward."
Kings' Anze Kopitar will be present and accounted for in playoffs
April 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kings' playoff chronicles: Leading scorer Anze Kopitar has gone from playing Vancouver … all the way to Vancouver again. This is progress? It is if you haven't been in a playoff game in nearly two years, an eon for a hockey player. When the Kings take the ice for Game 1 in Vancouver on Wednesday, it will be two weeks shy of two years since Kopitar's last postseason action, a first-round loss to the Canucks."
Kings coach says he needs more from Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar
February 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"This time, the tough message wasn't aimed at struggling forward Dustin Penner. Instead, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter directed it at his star players, captain Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, calling out the duo. "These guys talk too much about the team," Sutter said Monday after practice. "They should talk more about themselves. What they bring to the table. If they were in any other environment, there'd be ..." Sutter explained the rest of his thought. "In terms of the responsibility that they have, in terms of their production," he said, "… Kopi and Brownie have been stale — from my standpoint — for a little while, together.""
Stars hope Morrow's hit on Kopitar doesn't draw supplementary discipline
January 13
Dallas Morning News
 
"Brenden Morrow has learned not to jump to any conclusions when it comes to supplementary discipline and the NHL. The Stars captain put a big hit on Anze Kopitar in the third period of a 5-4 Stars win that caused Kopitar to leave the game and not return. However, on replay, it appeared that Morrow made a shoulder to shoulder hit that spun Kopitar in a helicopter fashion and back into the boards. Morrow was not penalized on the play, but NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan has many options in possibly ruling against the hit. He could call for a hit to the head, he could say it was boarding, he could say it was charging. The Stars feel it was none of the above."
Anze Kopitar suffers upper-body injury
January 13
ESPN.com
 
"Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar left Thursday's 5-4 shootout loss in the third period with an upper-body injury after he was checked head-first into the boards by Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow and did not return. Kopitar barely moved as he lay on the ice for several minutes. Meanwhile, teammate Mike Richards instigated a fight with Morrow, costing the Kings a four-minute power play. The Stars scored on the ensuing man advantage to tie the score, 4-4, and send the game to overtime. Dallas beat L.A. in a shootout as Loui Eriksson scored the only goal. After the game, Kings coach Darryl Sutter downplayed the injury, saying Kopitar just had a bloody nose. "He'll probably be fine,""
Kings' Anze Kopitar is learning what's best for him
October 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"Game-day skates are optional for the Kings, and their top six forwards and top four defensemen usually opt out in order to preserve their energy. But on Saturday morning at the Kings' practice rink in El Segundo, as for just about every game-day skate, center Anze Kopitar joined the youngsters and spare players for about a half-hour's worth of skating, shooting and passing. He didn't need the work: through Friday his ice time ranked second among NHL forwards at 22 minutes and 43 seconds per game. But Kopitar is reluctant to change a good routine and it's easy to understand why, given that he had at least one point in each of the Kings' first six games and 10 points overall. He was tied for"
Kings' Anze Kopitar has surgery; rehab begins soon
March 31
SportingNews.com
 
"While the Los Angeles Kings prepared for a Thursday game against the Vancouver Canucks, their star center had ankle surgery on Wednesday. Anze Kopitar's operation "went well," the Kings announced. Doctors repaired torn ligaments in Kopitar's ankle, an injury that ends his season while his team heads toward the Stanley Cup playoffs. Postseason plans for Kopitar involve rehabilitation, which is expected to begin as soon as possible, the Los Angeles Times reports. Kopitar won't be ready to play again until next season. Kopitar, 23, is the Kings' leading scorer with 73 points. Following on a shoulder injury to Justin Williams that likely will keep him out until the playoffs, Kopitar's injury"
Kings call Anze Kopitar's surgery successful
March 31
Los Angeles Times
 
"Anze Kopitar, the Kings 23-year-old star center, had successful surgery Wednesday to repair torn ligaments in his right ankle, the team said. "It went well and he remains out indefinitely," a club spokesman said, declining to elaborate. Kopitar, who still leads the Kings with 73 points, was injured Saturday during the second period of the Kings' 4-1 victory over Colorado. He is scheduled to start rehab work as soon as possible but will not be back this season."
Report: Anze Kopitar now out until midsummer for Kings
March 29
Yahoo! Sports
 
"After suffering a broken ankle against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, the initial prognosis for center Anze Kopitar(notes) of the Los Angeles Kings was a minimum of six weeks on the shelf. On Monday, that prognosis was changed to "out indefinitely" after Kopitar underwent an MRI and ligament damage was discovered, via the LA Times. Now, Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider drops the bomb on the Kings website: Based on initial diagnosis, done immediately after Kopitar was hurt in Saturday afternoon's game against Colorado, there had been hope that Kopitar's recovery time would be limited to six weeks, but that depended on the results of an MRI. That MRI, done Monday morning, revealed torn"
Kings won't bring up player to replace Anze Kopitar
March 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"On the first day of the rest of the Kings' season, club executives decided against summoning a replacement for center Anze Kopitar, who broke his right ankle Saturday and is expected to be out at least six weeks. Coach Terry Murray said Sunday he conferred with General Manager Dean Lombardi and assistant GM Ron Hextall and they resolved to "hold the course" and give expanded roles to players like fourth-line center Trevor Lewis. Kopitar was injured during the second period of the Kings' 4-1 victory over Colorado. Lewis played well between Ryan Smyth and Dustin Brown, setting up one goal and scoring another. "It's an opportunity especially for a player like Lewis who's going to have more"
Kings lose kopitar with broken ankle
March 27
Denver Post
 
"The Los Angeles Kings won the game Saturday at the Staples Center but suffered a major setback in the process. Their star, Slovenian center Anze Kopitar, suffered a broken right ankle late in the second period in the 4-1 victory over the Avalanche, and the early prognosis was that he will be out six to eight weeks - which would make him unavailable for at least two playoff rounds. Kopitar, 23, leads the Kings with 73 points, on 25 goals and 48 assists. He was injured when Avalanche defenseman Ryan O'Byrne checked him near the boards, his skate caught and he fell awkwardly. His consecutive-game streak will end at 330. "I've dealt with this before, with top guys being out with injuries, and"
Kings coach Murray puts ball in Kopitar's court
April 17
Vancouver Province
 
"Kings head coach Terry Murray is about the nicest guy you'll meet amongst the NHL coaching fraternity, but he came close to calling out his star centre Anze Kopitar on Friday, following his team's optional workout. Kopitar has been a nonentity in games against the Canucks this season. He had 1-2-3 in four games against Vancouver, but two of those points were in the 8-3 blowout on April 1. Asked if there was any strategy he as a coach could employ to get Kopitar going, Murray said: "You can take a player off the ice if you don't like the matchup, if you're going to get the (same) D against them all the time. But there's also a time when this is the time when every player has to find a way"
Anze Kopitar, Kings teammates are eager to feel playoff atmosphere
April 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"Over many dinners, Kings center Anze Kopitar has heard playoff tales from Rob Scuderi, who won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh last spring, and Justin Williams, a 2006 champion with Carolina, and soaked up every detail. "The old stories come out," Kopitar said. "They kind of walked me through it and I watch the NHL Network to see all the clips from a couple years ago. You see the atmosphere on TV but you definitely want to experience it when you're on the ice." Next week Kopitar will get his wish, joining many teammates in an NHL playoff baptism. Like Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Peter Harrold, Drew Doughty, Wayne Simmonds, team captain Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Raitis Ivanans, Davis"
Kings let the best record get away in 3-1 loss to Vancouver
December 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"A team that has met so many challenges so well this season encountered a test Monday that it couldn't ace. With a chance to own the best record in the NHL -- a distinction the Kings haven't enjoyed more than 10 games into the season for more than a decade -- they responded with a generally flat effort in a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place. Not even a timeout called by Coach Terry Murray 2 minutes 18 seconds into the game while his team trailed by a goal could permanently jolt them out of their lethargy, and they were unable to mount any pressure during a 46-second five-on-three advantage in the first period. "We didn't come out as strong as we wanted to. We didn't play that"
Rested Canucks ready for tough stretch ahead
November 26
Vancouver Sun
 
"Fall vacation is over for the Vancouver Canucks. The leaves have been raked, the gutters cleaned out and it's time for some hockey. The Canucks, who have played just twice in the last 11 days, tonight embark on a six-games-in-10-day stretch that will either return them to the top half of the Western Conference, or leave them buried. They are healthy. They are rested. They are at home. They have no excuses. Absolutely none. "There are never any excuses," captain Roberto Luongo said Wednesday as the Canucks wrapped up preparations for tonight's opponent, the Los Angeles Kings. "No matter what adversity we're faced with, we have to find ways to win whether it's injuries or scheduling or"
Kopitar conditioned for success
November 26
Edmonton Journal
 
"Anze Kopitar altered his off-season conditioning program after being challenged by the Los Angeles Kings management last spring. The result has been impressive. Kopitar has advanced from being a sporadic sniper to consistent point producer, while also improving his play in the defensive zone. Entering Wednesday's game at Rexall Place, Kopitar led the NHL with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists). "They wanted me to play at a high level for 20-25 minutes a game," he said. "I felt confident I could take the next step and I think I've shown it so far. There's still a lot of work to be done, (but) being on top right now is something I'm really proud of. "There are a lot of really good hockey"
Canucks winger Michael Grabner catches up with an old foe, Anze Kopitar
October 30
Vancouver Sun
 
"Thursday night's game was only his eighth in the NHL, but in one respect it felt just like old times for Vancouver Canuck winger Michael Grabner. There he was, out on the ice again with Anze Kopitar. Grabner and Kopitar grew up less than an hour from one another. Grabner hails from Villach, Austria, while Kopitar was raised in Jesinice, Slovenia. Their respective minor-hockey teams played one another several times each season. "I played against him my whole life growing up," Grabner said before the Canucks met the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. "We started playing each other when we were seven or eight and that continued until when we were 14 and he went to play in Sweden." They"
Kings and Kopitar hit on winning combination
October 28
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"It's too early in the season to dream too big and these are the Kings, after all, masters of selling hope, if nothing else. But it's impossible not to be impressed that they are leading the Pacific Division and that center Anze Kopitar is leading the NHL in scoring, and neither of those feats would be possible without the other. Kopitar, in his fourth season and still awaiting his first playoff experience, has 10 goals and 21 points in 12 games. Drawn away from the fringes and into the action by linemate Ryan Smyth, who has made a living creating and potting rebounds in the trenches around the net, Kopitar has produced grand results. The 22-year-old Slovenian has been held scoreless only"