Anyone could follow the motto of the Hrušica-born giant, especially athletes and Slovenians who have been his fans for the past eight years. The hockey player who has overcome many obstacles and set milestone for Slovenian sports, has become the champion of NHL with Los Angeles Kings two times already.
“Kopi”, as he’s being referred to, has won the Stanley Cup two times in the last three seasons, both times as the team’s playmaker and leading playoff scorer during the LA Kings’ ascent to the throne. He also led the Slovenian national hockey team at the unforgettable Olympic tournament in Sochi this February, where Slovenia participated for the first time, making it to the quarterfinals and taking a historic 7th place.
But at the age of 26 his success in sports is probably not over yet. Will Kopitar, together with Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick and the rest of the Kings, really create a new hockey dynasty?
Has this been a dream season – Olympic Games in Sochi with quarterfinals for Slovenia and the second Stanley Cup with Los Angeles?
Definitely yes! Though I think the season from two years ago was already a dream one, since that is when we, the Kings, won our first title of the champion. The success of the national team in Sochi has been an add-on this year. I’m hoping there will be another dream season in the near future.
Do you dare say that you’re the best in the world/among the top three, five, ten players in NHL?
No! Being the world’s best hockey player was never my goal. My goal is to be as good of a player as I possibly can, and in this way help my team to be the best. Which is what happened this year. We played against three or four incredible teams, which all deserved to make it to the playoff, and we managed to beat them. It was really nice to hear all these positive comments about my role in the playoff, but I personally find the title of the champion to be the most important goal, and for my teammates to know I’ll do my best and try as hard as I can.
Are you bothered by the talk and predictions about the Kings slowly becoming a dynasty that rules and will continue to rule the most powerful hockey league in the world?
I think anyone would like to be part of some special story. Will this turn into a dynasty or not, that doesn’t matter. We know who’s on our team, which qualities we possess. We’ll try to win again, and it doesn’t matter much if this is next year, or in three years or ten.
Charity work is an important part of your days when spending time in your homeland. In North America sports and charity seem to go hand in hand.
I’m very proud of the charity golf tournament at Bled, even though this is only the fourth time. I imagined it to be organized several times, and it’s getting better every year. We’ve gathered quite some funds so far and helped quite a few underprivileged children. I’m proud of this event. I got the idea for it from our club tournament in Los Angeles.
