Anze Kopitar Biography

Anže Kopitar, born on 24 August 1987, is a Slovenian ice hockey player who has competed professionally in the National Hockey League. He has played as a centre and spent his entire 20-season career with the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL. Selected 11th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft, Kopitar made his NHL debut in 2006 and became the first Slovenian to play in the league. He led the Kings in scoring in all but four seasons and holds the franchise record for most points, third in goals, and first in assists. Kopitar received the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL in 2016 and 2018, and he was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2016, 2023, and 2025. He has represented Slovenia in multiple junior and senior international tournaments, including the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Kopitar began his youth career in 2002 with HK Acroni Jesenice, the team from his hometown in Slovenia.