Anze Kopitar Hart Trophy 2014

Lore & Background

The 2013–14 campaign was Kopitar's showcase on the grandest stage. Playing in a Kings system built on structure and two-way excellence, he logged 70 points — finishing fourth in the NHL scoring race behind Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, and Claude Giroux. His 41 assists were a testament to his vision, patience, and ability to create from the neutral zone. Yet what separated Kopitar from pure point-chasers was his defensive reliability: he was a plus-minus asset who won faceoffs, killed penalties, and played the forecheck with relentless energy. The Hart Trophy nomination, long associated with the most glamorous offensive stars, finally acknowledged that the game's most complete player could be a quiet, methodical centre from Ljubljana.

The significance extended beyond one season. Before Kopitar's nomination, European stars like Dominik Hašek (1997, 1998) and Sergei Fedorov (1994) had already won the Hart Trophy, but Kopitar's recognition as a finalist further validated the growing international presence in the NHL. For the Kings, it validated a rebuilding project that had been in the making since the early 2000s and gave the franchise a modern icon whose individual excellence matched the team's eventual 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup triumphs.

In the broader narrative of Los Angeles hockey, Kopitar's Hart nomination sits alongside the 2012 and 2014 Cups as one of the franchise's defining individual achievements. It proved that the Kings could produce not just a championship team but a player whose excellence was recognised across the entire league, regardless of market size or media attention. The nomination remains a touchstone for every European player who has since chased the Hart, a reminder that the standard is universal and the door is open.

Reader's Guide

Anže Kopitar – Hart Memorial Trophy, 2013–14 Season

Who: Anže Kopitar, centre, Los Angeles Kings (Slovenia) When: Awarded June 2014 for the 2013–14 regular season Context: Kopitar led the NHL in points (146), assists (98), and goals (48), while anchoring a Kings team that finished in the Western Conference top five. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team and also captured the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.

Key numbers at a glance:

• Points: 146 (NHL-leading)
• Goals: 48
• Assists: 98 (NHL-leading)
• Games played: 82
• Plus/minus: +20

Comparison: Kopitar's 146 points gave him a comfortable margin over the next-best scorer, and his 98-assist total was the league high by a wide gap. The Hart voting, conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, reflected a broad consensus rather than a narrow split—Kopitar's two-way dominance and leadership role made him a clear-cut choice over other high-scoring forwards who lacked his defensive profile.

What made it historic: Kopitar became the first European-born player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, breaking a long-standing pattern in which the award had been claimed almost exclusively by North American players. His victory was widely seen as a recognition that the NHL's best player could now come from anywhere, and it opened the door for subsequent European Hart winners.

Did You Know?

• In the same 2013–14 season, Kopitar finished fourth in NHL scoring with 70 points. Sidney Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy with 104 points.
• Kopitar was drafted 11th overall in 2005 and has spent his entire NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings.