Los Angeles Kings Make Anze Kopitar Team Captain

Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles Kings moved their top scorer Anze Kopitar into the role of captain, President and General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Thursday.

An assistant captain since 2008, Kopitar becomes the 14th captain in team history. In the past season, Kopitar led the Kings in scoring for a record-setting ninth consecutive year. He ranks sixth on the Kings all-time scoring list with 684 points, and his contract runs through the 2023-24 season, according to a statement released by the team.

He replaces teammate Dustin Brown, who was stripped of the captaincy this year after the Kings’ first round exit from the playoffs.

For many it’s a bittersweet move. Kopitar is a popular core player, central to the team’s two Stanley Cup Championships. His elevation to the role of captain is widely believed to be aimed at propelling his already elite play to the level of superstar while helping to return the team to championship form.

But for some diehard fans, it’s a bitter pill to swallow seeing Brown demoted after being the first player to hoist the cup in Kings history in 2012 and again in 2014. The youngest captain in Kings history, the hard hitting Brown helped lead the club into its championship era, but his point totals have slipped over the last two seasons.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. PLEASE REFRESH THE SCREEN FOR UPDATES. Getty Images photo by Harry Howe courtesy of the Los Angeles Kings.