THN.com/podcast. Anze Kopitar [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk5MTc3MzI0ODY2ODM5OTY2/usatsi_20568559.jpg] Anze Kopitar The captain is staying in the City of Angels. The Los Angeles Kings locked in their franchise face on Thursday, agreeing to terms with forward Anze Kopitar [https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/1677056669514186753?s=20] on a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $7 million. With one year remaining on his current deal [https://puckpedia.com/player/anze-kopitar], Kopitar's new extension will kick in ahead of the 2024-25 season, keeping him in Los Angeles through 2025-26, at which point he will be nearing his 38th birthday. It always seemed like something would get done between Kopitar and the Kings. The franchise icon has played every single NHL game of his career with the organization after getting picked 11th overall in the 2005 draft and has undoubtedly reached legend status, helping lead the Kings to the organization's only two Stanley Cup championships. Not to mention, Kopitar is still a very productive player. The 35-year-old finished with 28 goals and 46 assists in 82 games last season while logging over 20 minutes in average nightly ice time, routinely taking on the hardest defensive assignments of any Kings forward and handling them with ease. While he might be a half-step slower than in his prime, Kopitar certainly isn't cheating to make ends meet. In fact, Kopitar served just four minutes in penalties over the entire course of the season in 2022-23, showcasing his continued ability to make contributions at both ends of the ice without overstepping the rules. With Kopitar's extension now in place, the Kings have their new center trio of Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Philip Danault locked in through at least 2026. Needless to say, it's a good day to be a Kings fan.
