Anze Kopitar did more than score twice on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils; he rewrote the Los Angeles Kings' record book. With those two goals, the veteran captain climbed to 1,308 career points and passed Marcel Dionne to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. Kopitar pulled even with a second-period power-play goal, then delivered the third-period equalizer at Prudential Center, all while playing out his announced final season after 20 years in a Kings uniform.
He passed a long-standing mark
Dionne’s club record of 1,307 points had survived for more than four decades before Kopitar finally caught him. Earlier this month, Kings general manager Ken Holland called the achievement “amazing,” pointing to Kopitar’s longevity and the way he “plays 200 feet,” a combination that helped make this milestone possible. The game details and the record-setting night were reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Career snapshot
Kopitar has been the face of the franchise since the Kings took him 11th overall in the 2005 draft. His résumé includes two Stanley Cup titles (2012 and 2014), multiple individual awards, and five All-Star nods, as detailed by NHL.com. Earlier this month, he also reached his 1,500th career game, a milestone that underscores how rare a long, one-club career like his has become, noted in NHL.com’s coverage of that 1,500th appearance.
What it means for the playoff push
The timing of Kopitar’s record only adds to the Kings’ end-of-season drama. Los Angeles is battling to lock down the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, which raises the stakes on every game in its farewell run, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The team has already circled April 2 for Kopitar Legacy Night at Crypto.com Arena, according to a club announcement from the LA Kings. Whether this ends up fueling a playoff run or serves as the capstone to a Hall of Fame career, the scoring record locks in Kopitar’s status as the defining player in franchise history.
For Los Angeles, the numbers tell a straightforward story: Kopitar arrived as a teenager and, barring a late surprise, will leave as the greatest player the Kings have ever had. He passed the ultimate test of time that few athletes survive, and he did it while wearing the Kings' colors from start to finish.
.jpg){kind=link}