Anze Kopitar, Kings Captain, Suffers Foot Injury
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is facing a period of inactivity due to a significant foot injury. The team announced this on Friday.
Kopitar will be out of the courts for several weeks, according to the official announcement. The player missed Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where the Kings fell 4-2.
The injury occurred on Monday, during the Kings’ shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. Kopitar was hit in the foot by a deflected puck.
This season marks Kopitar’s twentieth and final year in the NHL, a career that has been entirely with the Kings. The Slovenian center announced his imminent retirement last month, at the start of training camp.
Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, has twice won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward. He is the second-leading scorer in Kings history and has been selected to the All-Star Game five times.
The Kings have had a difficult start to the season, with three consecutive losses, leaving their record at 1-3-1. The new general manager, Ken Holland, made few changes to the roster that equaled the franchise records in points and wins last season.
Los Angeles will receive the undefeated Carolina on Saturday night.
