The LA Kings have announced their 2023 season-opening roster, which features 12 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders. As part of today’s transactions, forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Jordan Spence have been loaned to the Ontario Reign, the Kings primary American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. A full roster can be found here.
Forwards (12): Viktor Arvidsson, Quinton Byfield, Phillip Danault, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kevin Fiala, Carl Grundstrom, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Alex Laferriere, Trevor Lewis, Blake Lizotte, and Trevor Moore.
Defensemen (6): Mikey Anderson, Tobias Bjornfot, Drew Doughty, Andreas Englund, Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy.
Goaltenders (3): Pheonix Copley, David Rittich and Cam Talbot.
Headlining the roster are a trio of two-time Stanley Cup Champions with the Kings, including captain Anze Kopitar, alternate captain Drew Doughty, and forward Trevor Lewis. After helping the Kings capture the first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2012, the trio led the Kings to a Western Conference Final appearance in 2013 before winning the Stanley Cup again in 2014.
In total, the roster features 15 players who played at least one game with the Kings during in 2022-23 NHL season, including 2023 NHL All-Star Game participant Kevin Fiala, 40-goal scorer (41G in 2022-23) and 2022 NHL All-Star Game participant, Adrian Kempe and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who was signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings after being acquired via trade on Feb. 28, 2023. The roster also features forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is entering his first season with the Kings after being acquired via trade from the Winnipeg Jets and signing an eight-year extension on June 27, 2023.
As part of today’s roster announcement, the Kings have loaned forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Jordan Spence to the Ontario Reign, the Kings primary American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
Roster Highlights:
- Anze Kopitar enters his eighth season as captain of the LA Kings and 18th with the organization overall after leading the Kings in scoring with 74 points (28-46=74) last year. It marked the fifth consecutive season the captain has led the club in scoring and 15th time overall, the most in franchise history. In doing so, he joined Gordie Howe (17 times) as the only two players in NHL history to lead the same franchise in points at least 15 times.
- Goaltender Pheonix Copley enters the 2023-24 NHL season after establishing a 24-6-3 record in 37 games played last season with the Kings. Copley recorded his 20th Kings win in just his 29th start of the season, becoming the fastest goaltender in team history to record 20 wins in a single season.
- Forward Quinton Byfield is set to skate in his 100th career NHL game on opening night. In doing so, he will become the ninth player from the 2020 Draft class to reach such mark.
- For the first time since 2007-08, the Kings opening night roster features two players (Kevin Fiala (72), Anze Kopitar (74)) who recorded 70 or more NHL points the season prior.
- This year’s opening night roster features nine first-round NHL Draft selections: Tobias Bjornfot (22nd, 2019), Quinton Byfield (2nd, 2020), Phillip Danault (26th, 2011 by CHI), Drew Doughty (2nd, 2008), Pierre-Luc Dubois (3rd, 2016), Kevin Fiala (11th, 2014 by NSH), Adrian Kempe (29th, 2014), Anze Kopitar (11th, 2005), and Trevor Lewis (17th, 2006).
Of the 21 players on the Kings Opening Night roster, 16 were drafted, signed or acquired since 2019.
- Drafted (3): Tobias Bjornfot (2019, 1st rd.), Quinton Byfield (2020, 1st rd.) and Alex Laferriere (2020, 3rd rd.).
- Signed (7): Pheonix Copley (2022), Phillip Danault (2021), Andreas Englund (2023), Trevor Lewis (2023), Blake Lizotte (2019), David Rittich (2023) and Cam Talbot (2023).
- Traded (6): Viktor Arvidsson (2021), Pierre-Luc Dubois (2023), Kevin Fiala (2022), Vladislav Gavrikov (2023), Carl Grundstrom (2019), and Trevor Moore (2021).
The Kings open the season on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at home against the Colorado Avalanche at 7:00 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on TNT and the LA Kings Audio Network on iHeartRadio.
