Kings’ Anze Kopitar wins 2025 Lady Byng Trophy

The NHL announced on Thursday that Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar has been named the recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the 2024-2025 season.

In keeping with this year’s theme of award announcements coinciding with videos of recipients being presented in a surprise manner, Kopitar was given the trophy by his children during a golf outing in Slovenia.

The honor, which is awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

This marks the third time Kopitar has earned the award, joining 2015-2016 and 2022-2023.

Kopitar becomes the third player this century to win the award at least three times, joining Pavel Datsyuk (who won it four times) and Martin St. Louis.

The 37-year-old Slovenia native earned 50 first-place votes in a close race alongside Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (27 first-place votes), Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (34) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (33).

That group of four finished within 100 voting points of each other, with Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens rounding out the top five.

Eight other players received first-place votes, including Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who concluded his NHL career this season.

Kopitar skated in 81 of the Kings’ games this season, recording 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points. He was assessed only two minor penalties all season for four total penalty minutes, a mark that matches the number of infractions he took in 2022-2023.

The Los Angeles captain led his team to a 48-25-9 record, good for 105 points and a second-place finish in the Pacific division.

Kopitar and the Kings lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth season in a row, this time in six games.

A career King, Kopitar has one season remaining on his two-year, $14-million contract.