The Los Angeles Kings announced Sunday that they have placed goaltender Pheonix Copley on long-term injured reserve.
On Dec. 15, Copley was forced to leave practice early with an apparent injury. The undisclosed ailment was severe enough that the 31-year-old had to be helped off the ice by the team’s training staff.
The North Pole, Alaska native has been playing second-string to veteran Cam Talbot, having posted a 4-1-2 record in eight games played this season, with a 3.16 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.
Copley is under a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Kings, the biggest cap hit of his career. It is an extension that he earned after a great run throughout the 2022-23 campaign where he went 24-6-3, posting a 2.64 GAA and .903 SV%.
It was a huge bounce-back season for Copley, who had spent almost all of the three years prior with the Washington Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears, earning the Harry Holmes Memorial Award for the best goaltending duo in 2020-21, alongside former World Junior gold medalist, Zachary Fucale.
Additionally, the Kings will be looking to David Rittich to fulfill the backup role. Rittich has been playing in the AHL with the Kings affiliate the Ontario Reign. He had a 9-8-1 record last season with the Winnipeg Jets, registering a .901 save percentage. Rittich represented the Flames at the 2020 NHL all-star game with a 24-17-6 record.
It has been another surprising year for the Kings as they are currently third in the Pacific Division with a 17-6-4 record and 38 points, nine ahead of the fourth-placed Edmonton Oilers.
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