Anze Kopitar should be frontrunner for Selke and Byng

LA Kings Captain Anze Kopitar should be the front-runner for two NHL awards this summer.

The Frank J Selke trophy is given to a forward who “best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” The Lady Byng Memorial trophy is given to the player who “exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” Anze Kopitar’s game exemplifies exactly what qualifications are needed to win both these awards. 

Kopitar has won the Selke award twice before in his career, in 2016, the same year he also won his sole Lady Byng, and again in 2018. Although Kopitar is a previous winner of these honors, the argument could be made that he has missed out on many other Selkes/Byngs – and even a Hart trophy – because of the West Coast Time Zone in which he plays.

The 35-year-old Kopitar’s game often goes unappreciated by the national NHL media, but what he has done this season should garner their attention. 

The Kings’ captain is in his 17th NHL season and is as productive as ever on both sides of the ice. He finished the 2022-23 regular season with 74 points which is his most points in a season since his career-high mark of 92 back in 2017-18. He also has had his best plus/minus rating in years at +20, and his faceoff numbers are near the top of the league at 55.9%.

Kopitar again led the LA Kings in scoring while being tasked with shutting down the opposing team’s star players. 

Adding to all that Kopitar does on a nightly basis, and he also has set a new career high in blocked shots with 87. This stat may not be as flashy as the others, but it shows his commitment to doing whatever it takes to help his team win. 

Head Coach Todd McLellan recently commented on Kopitar’s overall game, “He’s positionally sound, he’s physically strong, and he’s got a mind that puts him in the right spot more often than not, both offensively and defensively.”

Kopitar is always in the right spot and is also one of the team’s most efficient penalty killers. If the Kings are down a man, you can almost guarantee that Kopitar is on the ice. 

Additionally, Kopitar has only taken a staggering four penalty minutes all season. For a player that matches up against the top players on other teams every night and plays the number of minutes he does, to take so few penalty minutes is nothing less than incredible.

McLellan also spoke on Kopitar’s ability to kill penalties and his lack of minutes in the box, “some teams don’t want their top players penalty killing. He’s our best faceoff guy, and he’s never in the penalty box. Probably one of our smartest guys, so it makes sense to use him.”

Other than the fact he has taken only four minutes in penalties and had a very productive year, Kopitar is also regarded as one of the classiest and most respected players in the NHL, a factor the voters for the Lady Byng should take into account. Kopitar has proven himself both on and off the ice, and his dominant play and his fundamental decency as a person should be recognized accordingly.

The LA Kings are in the playoffs for the second consecutive year, and while Kopitar has done more than enough to bring home both the Selke and Lady Byng this year, it can be assured his focus, as always, is solely on bringing another Stanley Cup to Los Angeles.