Anze Kopitar made history in 2006 as the first Slovenian to make the National Hockey League. As it looks now, it could be decades, if ever, before anyone supplants Kopitar as the best player from that nation.
Despite there not being anyone at Kopitar's level in Slovenia, he was highly scouted and transferred to the Swedish League. After a year there, Kopitar was taken 11th Overall in the 2005 Draft, a move that some considered a risk. Kopitar elected to stay in Europe for one more season, and the more polished Center ventured overseas, ready to show off what he learned.
Kopitar had 61 Points as a rookie, and he never dipped below that number in his first six years. An All-Star in 2008, Kopitar scored 81 Points in 2009-10, which was the best tally of the first half of his career. Kopitar went to another All-Star Game in 2011, and in 2012, he was the offensive spark plug of the Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup Championship, a playoff run that saw Kopitar (along with Dustin Brown) lead all skaters in scoring with 20. Kopitar led Los Angeles to their second title two years later, and Kopitar was again the postseason leading scorer (26).
Since his second Cup, Kopitar has collected individual accolades. In addition to three more All-Star Games (2015, 2018 & 2020), Kopitar was a dual-award winner in 2015-16, capturing the Frank J. Selke and Lady Byng. Kopitar won his second Selke in 2917-18, in a year where he posted a career-high 92 Points. For his efforts, Kopitar was a finalist for the Hart Trophy for the first time in his career. He continued to produce and collect awards, including the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2021/22 and his second Lady Byng the year after.
As of this writing, Kopitar is entering his 20th and final season in Los Angeles with 1,280 Points, going into the 2025-26 Season, and could become the all-time leading scorer for this franchise. Considering the snipers and offensive superstars this team has housed, that would be incredible.
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