Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar has been awarded the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
Anze Kopitar has been crowned the best leader in the NHL, with the league announcing the Los Angeles Kings captain as the winner of the 2022 Mark Messier Leadership Award.
The award is chosen by Messier himself, given to the player whom he believes best-exemplified leadership during the most recent season.
Clearly, Messier has a soft spot for Kopitar's contributions. And why wouldn't he? Kopitar has been a staple in the Kings organization throughout his entire career, serving as team captain since 2016 after helping lead the franchise to two Stanley Cups and capturing two Selke Trophies as the NHLs' best defensive forward.
This season, Kopitar was his usual productive self, racking up 19 goals and 67 points in 81 games to help a young Kings squad earn the team's first postseason appearance since 2018. Even at the age of 34, Kopitar continues to be a consistent producer, one who has helped usher in a new era of Kings hockey while playing a big role in acclimatizing the club's stable of young talent to the big league game.
Despite a disappointing end to the season in round one of the playoffs, the future is bright in Los Angeles. Kopitar, of course, is a big part of that.
