LA Kings Announce Team Award Winners

Several players honored for standout seasons

Apr. 17, 2026 at 4:55pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented hockey scene, with overlapping planes of royal purple, navy blue, and metallic silver conveying the energy and dynamics of the sport.The LA Kings' annual team awards honor the individual standouts who fueled the squad's success this season, setting the stage for a deep playoff run.Los Angeles Today

The LA Kings organization announced their annual team awards, with several different winners. Awards were voted on by media, players, and the organization, with Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, Brandt Clarke, Anze Kopitar, Anton Forsberg, Andrei Kuzmenko, Kevin Fiala, and Jacob Moverare among the honorees.

Why it matters

The Kings' team awards highlight the standout individual performances that contributed to the team's success this season. These awards recognize the players who made the biggest impacts on and off the ice, as the Kings look to build on their momentum heading into the playoffs.

The details

Adrian Kempe was named the team's MVP after leading the Kings in goals, assists, and points. Artemi Panarin was recognized as the best newcomer after his instant impact since joining the team in a trade. Brandt Clarke was named the top defenseman, while Anze Kopitar was selected as the best defensive player. Anton Forsberg earned the Unsung Hero award from his teammates, while Andrei Kuzmenko was voted the most popular player by the LA Kings Booster Club. Kevin Fiala won the Jim Fox Community Service Award for the fourth time, and Jacob Moverare received the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award.

  • The Kings announced the awards earlier this morning.

The players

Adrian Kempe

A 29-year-old Swedish winger who led the Kings in goals, assists, points, and other key offensive categories this season.

Artemi Panarin

A 34-year-old Russian forward who was acquired by the Kings in a trade and made an immediate impact, recording 27 points in 26 games.

Brandt Clarke

A 23-year-old defenseman from Ontario who set new career-highs across several statistical categories in his second full NHL season.

Anze Kopitar

The 38-year-old Kings captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion who was named the team's best defensive player for a franchise-record eighth time.

Anton Forsberg

A 33-year-old Swedish goaltender who posted a career-best 2.57 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in his first season with the Kings.

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What they’re saying

“Adrian Kempe led the Kings in nearly every offensive category this year, including goals (36), assists (37), points (36-37=73), game-winning goals (8), shots on goal (226), overtime goals (4), shootout goals (6), multi-goal games (6), and multi-point games (16).”

— LA Kings PR

“Since he joined the organization just over two months ago, Panarin's 18 assists and cumulative +9 rating are the best among all Kings skaters in that span, while his seven multi-point performances for Los Angeles are tied for the fourth-most such games by a Kings player this season overall.”

— LA Kings PR

“Kopitar's 56.9% face-off winning percentage was tied for the 22nd best among all NHL players to have taken at least 100 draws this season and tied for his third best percentage in his 20-year career.”

— LA Kings PR

The takeaway

The Kings' team awards showcase the depth of talent and contributions across the roster, from star players like Kempe and Kopitar to unsung heroes like Forsberg. These individual accolades will provide momentum as the team prepares for the playoffs, where they hope to build on their regular season success.