Anze Kopitar Wins Second Selke Trophy

Anze Kopitar Wins Second Selke Trophy
Jun 20, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Anze Kopitar is pictured with the Selke trophy during the 2018 NHL Awards at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

LA Kings Captain Anze Kopitar won the Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward) as part of the annual NHL Awards Show, Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Kopitar is the only Kings player to win the Selke Trophy. He also won the award in 2016 (that same year he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy).

Some of Kopitar’s 2017-18 season highlights:

  • Set career-highs in goals (35), assists (57) and points (92).
  • Finished tied for seventh in the NHL in points.
  •  Led all NHL forwards in TOI/GM (22:05).
  • Led the team in points for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.
  • Registered a career-high four goals in a single game (tied a franchise record), March 22 at Colorado.
  • Registered his 800th career point (fourth Kings player to reach 800 points with the franchise) in his 900th NHL game, Feb. 20 at Winnipeg.

Kopitar spent 178:05 TOI on the Penalty Kill, while no other player in the Top-10 in scoring spent more than 105 TOI on the PK. Only 22 forwards recorded 165-or-more minutes on the PK, and while Kopitar recorded 92 points on the season, the other 21 forwards registered an average of 28.6 points.

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