Kings center Anže Kopitar has won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the 2024-25 season, the NHL announced Thursday. According to the league, the award is given “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” As with most other major trophies, it’s voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season.
As the full voting results show, Kopitar was far from a unanimous first-place vote and narrowly edged out Brayden Point, Jack Eichel, and Jaccob Slavin, all of whom had at least 27 first-place nods. It’s Kopitar’s third Lady Byng, putting him in a tie for fifth-most in league history. Frank Boucher (seven), Wayne Gretzky (five), Pavel Datsyuk (four), and Red Kelly (four) are the only ones ahead of him.
Others receiving first-place votes, listed in order of total points awarded, were Nick Suzuki, Cale Makar, Marc-André Fleury, Mitch Marner, Colton Parayko, Jake Sanderson, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Kirill Marchenko.
Kopitar, 38 in August, appeared in 81 games for Los Angeles in 2024-25 in what was his 19th NHL season, all with the Kings. Still an effective top-line piece, he also finished eighth in Selke Trophy voting after posting a 21-46–67 scoring line, a +14 rating, and 67 blocks while winning 57.2% of his faceoffs. As always important for Lady Byng voting, Kopitar took just two penalties all season – a holding call against the Devils in January and a cross-checking penalty against Utah in April.
The all-time great Slovenian pivot previously won the award following the 2015-16 and 2022-23 seasons. He was also a finalist back in 2014-15.
Image courtesy of Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images.