"Being injured sucks": Kings' Pheonix Copley takes to social media to vent over season-ending ACL injury

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Mar 05, 2024 16:23 GMT

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley's season has come to an end following a successful ACL reconstruction surgery, as announced by the team on Saturday, January 6, 2024.

Pheonix Copley suffered the injury in practice on December 15, limiting his appearances to just eight games in the 2023–24 season. During that time, Copley maintained a record of 4-1-2, accompanied by a 3.16 goals against average and a .870 save percentage.

Copley expressed his sentiments about the setback on X (formerly Twitter). He shared a message about the challenges he now faces.

"Being injured sucks. But you know what sucks more? Not experiencing deeply challenging episodes. I will be better for having gone through this," Phoenix Copley said in his post.

Copley was instrumental in keeping Los Angeles on track during the 2022–23 season, when both Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen experienced issues. His remarkable 24-6-3 record, combined with 2.64 goals against average and .903 save percentage, helped the squad retain its performance.

Copley's 2022–23 season marked a career-high in single-season wins, an impressive feat considering his relatively limited NHL experience (76 games).

Kings' have relied on Talbot and Rittich in Pheonix Copley's absence

In the absence of Phoenix Copley, the LA Kings have relied on veteran Cam Talbot as their primary goalie, backed up by David Rittich. Copley has been out since December 11th, playing only eight games this season.

Talbot has been outstanding with a .916 save percentage and 2.46 goals against per game. In the recent 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, Talbot's performance was remarkable, stopping 30 out of 31 shots for a save percentage of .968%.

Phillip Danault's hat trick, along with a goal and two assists from Kevin Fiala, powered the Kings to victory. Under interim coach Jim Hiller, the Kings have won eight of their last 12 games.

Despite an early lead for the Devils, the Kings delivered a comprehensive performance. They dominated the game after an unexpected deflection early on, with Danault and Laferriere contributing crucial goals.

Fiala's increased production in recent games has been crucial for the Kings, with three goals and five assists in the last three games. His focus on playing a complete game has led to improved offensive output.

Next, the Kings will face the Vancouver Canucks, whom they previously defeated 5-1 last Friday.