Anze Kopitar makes his feelings known about possibly losing out on Lady Byng trophy after being ejected

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Mar 21, 2024 15:47 GMT

In a recent NHL matchup, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings made headlines for his impressive on-ice performance. But he also expressed his feelings about a potential setback in his quest for the Lady Byng Trophy after being ejected from the game.

NHL on TNT studio host Liam McHugh mentioned Kopitar's family presence in the stands, to which Kopitar replied:

"No, I didn't say anything, but it might cost me the Lady Byng. So I'm a little upset about it."

Anze Kopitar recalled a funny exchange with a teammate, Frankie, who joked about everyone hitting the showers after the ejection:

"But, no, I mean, it was kind of funny, actually, because I think it was Frankie. He came to the corner and he said, you know what? Everybody on the ice hit the shower. So I thought it was kind of funny."

Kopitar hit a big milestone in the Kings' huge 6-0 win against the Wild. He got his 1,200th career point, making him one of the elite in NHL history – only 52 players have reached that mark.

During the game, he set up Fiala for a goal in the first period and scored one himself on the power play in the second, pushing past Dino Ciccarelli to 51st on the all-time scoring list.

Anze Kopitar's been with the Kings for his entire 18-season career. His stats speak for themselves: 416 goals, 785 assists, and now 1,201 points in 1,361 games.

Anze Kopitar's performance helped Kings to 6-0 win

The Los Angeles Kings dominated the Minnesota Wild in a 6-0 victory, highlighted by Captain Anze Kopitar's milestone performance. Kopitar notched his 1,200th career point with a goal and an assist, joining an elite group in NHL history.

Coach Jim Hiller acknowledged their fortune but praised their overall performance, telling reporters:

"We got a little lucky with some posts and crossbars, and David made some really good saves."

Viktor Arvidsson returned from injury with a goal and an assist, while Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault also contributed a goal and an assist each. Goalie David Rittich recorded his third shutout of the season, making 30 saves.

The Wild struggled defensively, with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury replaced after facing 16 shots. Forward Mats Zuccarello commented on the unfortunate bounces, stating:

"It’s just one of those games where you feel like every bounce, every puck goes the other way."

The Kings capitalized on the Wild's mistakes, with Danault and Fiala scoring early goals.