The Los Angeles Kings may have a new coach and even a new uniform but there is no question who is the leader on the ice in Anze Kopitar. He was the 11th overall pick by the Kings in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and has spent his entire 18-year career with the Kings.
Kopitar has been a consistent presence on the front line during his time with the franchise and has helped the team to nine playoff appearances and two Stanley Cups. During those playoff runs, Kopitar led the league in assists and points.
It shouldn't be much of a surprise with his veteran leadership and the way he is still playing at a high level, that he would be the team's captain. He has had that 'C' since the 2016-2017 season and is considered one of the top captains in the entire NHL.
Bleacher Report names Anze Kopitar as the sixth-best captain in the NHL
Recently, Joe Yerdon with Bleacher Report put together his list of Top 10 captains in the NHL and listed Kopitar number six:
"It's incredible to think that Anze Kopitar has been in the NHL since 2006-2007 and has been an elite two-way player since around 2009. That he's been captain of the Los Angeles Kings since 2016-2017 seems both like it was almost yesterday and also a long time."
As Yerdon noted, Kopitar was an alternate captain during their Stanley Cup runs and it is probably one of the reasons he is one of the top captains today. He has been able to guide this team through those years after the Stanley Cup and remain competitive.
While the Kings know Jim Hiller from his time as assistant coach and as interim head coach at the end of last season, this will be his first time in the role full-time or permanently. The experience of Anze Kopitar should be a great resource for Hiller as the team not only tries to get back to the playoffs but also out of the first round.