Anze Kopitar abandons his team at critical moment for Olympics qualification

It is a tough day for Slovenian sports fans as their single most famous hockey player the country has ever produced will not be representing the country at the upcoming Olympic qualifiers against France and Ukraine.

Unfortunately for Slovenia, the timing of the qualifying round simply makes it difficult for NHL players to represent their home countries. After all, the NHL season will be right around the corner, and by the time these qualifiers are happening, most players will be training with their NHL clubs. For this reason many other NHLers, including Marco Rossi, will not be helping their countrymen qualify for the Olympic games. However, this is a bit of a case-by-case basis, as many NHLers, including Freddy Andersen, will be participating.

It is a real shame for Slovenia as Kopitar has aged like a fine wine. Despite being well into his 30s, he continues to be a terrific all-around hockey player. Last season he found the back of the net 26 times and added 44 helpers for 70 points in 81 games. While he has started to take on a slightly smaller role with the Kings in terms of ice-time per game, he continues to be a driving force for the team and is expected to continue that trend next season even at the age of 37 as his birthday is later this month.

In total, Kopitar has 419 career NHL goals and 1211 points in 1373 games. He's won two Stanley Cups, two Selke trophies, two Lady Byngs, and a Mark Messier leadership award to boot. He is a certified Kings legend and will very likely be heading to the Hockey Hall of Fame once his career is over.

Source: HockeyReference
Anze Kopitar Career Statistics