Los Angeles Kings enter new era after Anze Kopitar departure

The Los Angeles Kings are entering a new era following the departure of franchise icon Anze Kopitar after a 20-season career. The team is looking to break a streak of five consecutive first-round playoff exits. To facilitate this transition, Drew Doughty has been named the new team captain, and Peter Laviolette has taken over as head coach.

Under Laviolette, the Kings are expected to shift toward a more offensive playing style to improve upon last season, where they scored only 220 goals. The roster features key players including Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Kevin Fiala. New additions to the lineup include Erik Haula, Mats Zuccarello, Corey Perry, and Erik Gustafsson, while the goaltending tandem consists of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg.

Broadcasting for the team is also changing. Local games will primarily air on Angels Broadcast Television (ABTV), with DAZN serving as the local standalone streaming option. National coverage includes games on TNT, ESPN, and ESPN+.