The Stanley Cup has reached the Kopitar family home in Slovenia. Below is a look at (from bottom) Kopitar’s brother, Gasper; father, Matjaž; and his grandfather with the Cup atop a log at the family home, one that has been used a tribute to the hockey accomplishments of Anze and Gasper over the years. Thanks to Jeff Moeller, the Kings’ senior director of communications (and budding Russian media star) for the picture…
Wow, looks absolutely beautiful there! Cant wait to see Kopitar all next season light it up, career year!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:50 am
@Michael_DD8,
I have to agree with you. I can envision 35 goals 55 assists for 90 points. He was a beast in the playoffs and is just now learning that he can dominate.
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Eldoret Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
@Michael J.,
Kopitar has started the last few seasons really hot, then dropped off the face of the Earth…
Can he? Sure, he’s always been able too. Will he? Dunno.
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KC23 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
@Eldoret, True, but TM over played him a ton and burned him out. DS won’t do that.
Michael_DD8 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
@KC23,
Yep, i think all these players are much different under Sutter then Murray. That may be a obviously… haha
vicarious Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
@Eldoret, My &.02–probably injuries, the kind that slow you down but don’t stop these workhorses from playing, and just some runs of bad luck. Good hitters in baseball get them too. Kopitar’s a fantastic 2 way player. Should have been higher in the Selke voting!
Bonvivant Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
@Michael_DD8, I hope he does not fall off that ladder. It looks a bit unstable.
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He should be so proud of himself.
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Ok, now it’s starting to settle in… The Los Angeles Kings are the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions!!! Damn, that feels good!
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OneTimer Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
@GKG805,
Still hits me sometimes. I suspect this will continue for the next 11 months… possibly longer. Oh, and I’m fine with that.
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Awesome photo! It could not have happened to a better guy, becoming a national hero in Slovenia. I hope that the Cup makes many more stops in Slovenia!
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Why are the moving the ladder with Kopi on top?
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Michael J. Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:51 am
@fuzzerson,
Duh, everyone knows that all Slovenians are natural born acrobats
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Kingstane9 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:52 am
@fuzzerson, probably just holding it for safety reasons while JM is taking the foto
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
@Kingstane9,
That’s exactly what they’re doing…and I’m glad to see it! Good job by Dad and bro keeping that thing nice and steady. Ladders are deadly.
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
I bet this photo has actuaries all over the world spitting coffee on their computer screens. More than 2/3′s of the cost of a ladder go to cover personal injury liability, defense and insurance costs. And when they focus on Kopi’s footwear, heads will start exploding at Lloyds of London! What next? Will Kopi jump from the ladder onto a trampoline behind the shrubbery, then bounce onto a diving board and into an unfenced backyard pool? Oh, the humanity!
BTW, Big Ladder lobbyists will point out that ladders are just a tool. Ladders don’t kill people; people kill people (only sometimes with ladders)
Stuart Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
@Kenny44, That’s true! My friends and I would always say the same thing about beers:
Beers don’t kill people, people kill people… I’ve never seen a beer with a gun! LOL
Kenny44 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
@Stuart
Ever play beers and ladders?
KC23 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
@fuzzerson, Wow, Kopitar is literally climbing up the ladder to the top.
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Is it me or does the cup look perched rather precariously? It amazes me that it doesn’t get dinged up more.
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 11:47 am
@kingszzz,
The Stanley Cup is REALLY photogenic.. not sure if you have gotten the chance yet, but once you get to see it up close/touch it, you’ll see how banged and nicked it really is! They just take such good care in polishing the crap out of it! Really awesome though.
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What a great pic. Brother and Father doing the hardwork if constant support while Grandfather is in the wings with moral support ….all the while our boy has reached the pinnacle!! Glorious
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I never knew the Kopitar family had a new & improved Festivus pole! I don’t think that this will be the last time the Cup is placed on the Kopitar family pole by any means.
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John Roy Morgan Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
@King Alex, hahhahahahhahahahahhahaha Festivus Pole is Real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
@John Roy Morgan,
“And now for the feats of strength”
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WAKingsFan Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
@Michael J., Do not forget the airing of grievances!!
Nuclear Shag Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
@Michael J., Feats of strength = awesome!
vinny Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
@King Alex, lmao too funny!!
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McCheese Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
@King Alex, see the Stanley Cup plaque on the pole? That’s gotta be sweet to have in the yard!
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IceGuy Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
@McCheese,
“Lord Stanley’s Cup” is Slovenian for bird bath.
Who knew?!
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So cool. Congrats to Kopi and family. Enjoy your day with the Cup!
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ANZE at his best — hope he will be always a KINGs player. Greetings from Germany.
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Outstanding! What a summer for the Kings!
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Gaspar better not be touching that Cup!
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John Wilmers Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
@R.E.M. Murray, I get to see Gaspar on quite a regular basis being that he plays for Des Moines in the USHL and I’m a season tix holder for the Lancers of Omaha. He’s young but you can tell he has the same thing going for him as his older bro. Hopefully, he matures and blesses the NHL with another Kopitar!
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Sebastian Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
@R.E.M. Murray, too late
https://twitter.com/kopy13/status/220940835678724096/photo/1
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
@Sebastian, Is there no family exemption? Kopitar family blood was spilled to get that trophy, after all!
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Way to go Kopi have a great time with the Cup!
Go Kings Go!
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A very interesting musical-graphic representation of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, by goal and penalty minute:
http://player.vimeo.com/video/44969194
Explanation here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/incredible-playoff-infographic-flyers-sign-fedotenko-fernando-pisani-184407042–nhl.html
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Why hasn’t Gasper been drafted yet? I saw him play last October in Green Bay (he was on Des Moines) and he looked all right. Big guy, could skate fairly well. I am not a scout so I don’t know his weaknesses but just wondering if anyone knows.
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R.E.M. Murray Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
@eskymi,
I have always thought the Kings had his rights.
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
@R.E.M. Murray, Still has a ways to go…He is good, but i dont see the parallels with his brother, but lots can happen.
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That picture has a very weird Monty Python-esque look to it. What we should do Rich as we begin a summer of awesome Cups pics is do a caption game for each player. These would be my choices for this one:
1) “Slovenian Christmas trees often times have stars bigger than the tree itself”
2) “Moments before local hero Anze Kopitar and a Crazy Scientist unveil their latest creation: rooster feet surgically attached to the Stanley Cup”
3) “Anze and his new tree house”
4) “Slovenians attempt to break the world person-on-a-ladder record”
5) Gasper and Anze: Age 8
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vinny Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
@Shakes, lol good idea, i like 4
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Duncanz Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
@& Bakes,
Who’da thunk, Anze lad, you CAN actually see Wasilla from up here!
6) Perfect, Grandpa. That’s just the height we need it to get you the satellite feed for Center Ice.
7) And Voila! The Stanley Cup magically grows to 11 ft tall!
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Duncanz Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
8 ) haha
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
@Shakes,
9) Sir Kopitar (The Sick) celebrates his capture of the chamber pot of the notorious Knights Who Say Ni. Sir Kopitar’s merry band of minstrels used local pine needles to scrub the scent of herring from the bowl, then hoisted their hero up to the exalted “Pedastal of Evacuation”. Sir Kopitar filled the bowl, and there was much rejoicing. (hooray!)
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Shakes Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 5:07 am
@Kenny44, hahahahaha
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Marjan Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 2:11 am
@Shakes,
vinny, Duncanz & Kenny44, you and your 1-9 “masterpieces” are a proof that human stupidity has no limits. As if we Slovenians are some primitives living on trees and eating bananas all day long. Maybe you think Slovenia is somewhere in Central Africa or behind Himalayas. If you of course know that we are speaking about geographical concepts.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 2:44 am
@Marjan,
I am disappointed that anyone would see themselves as superior to a “Central African” or a “Himalayan” country.
This attitude is exactly why some countries in the region that shall remain nameless will never be as good at sports as Brazil and Argentina.
And I suspect they will also never export as many bananas as them either.
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Marjan Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 6:25 am
@Duncanz, your ignorance of sport’s achievements is quite enviable. Let’s put your and Shakes’ childish comments away. Maybe you don’t know (evidently you don’t) that Slovenia is on the third place among ALL COUNTRIES on the world if you divide number of inhabitants by the number of olimpic meddals. Far in front of USA, Canada , Brazil or Argentina. Good day!
Duncanz Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 7:37 am
@Marjana,,
Well, That may all be true, but to this day I have never eaten a banana from your country so I know that other South American countries are exporting much more than your’s.
!No te preocupas, estoy seguro podran tender mas platanos!
Kenny44 Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 11:56 am
@Marjan,
We have common ground – we agree that stupidity has no limits. Now then, as for the “masterpieces”, the whole premise was looking at the picture in a Monty Python light. Monty Python is satirical humor, and often juvenile. The humor pokes fun wherever it can (but especially at people who can’t take a joke). The butt of the joke is always a target of opportunity, not based on a sense of superiority. Indeed, the Monty Python players are most famous for goofing on their own people. My post referenced The Holy Grail, a send-up of the legendary king of England’s most righteous quest. Like them, we’re just having a little fun, and we kid because we love. Good day to you, sir.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 1:37 am
@Cleasey44,
Now go away, or we will taunt you a second time!
Awesome. Who says good guys finish last? Not in this case!
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awesome, thanks! enjoy it kopi!!!
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That ladder looks really uncomfortable.
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Just sign Gasper already!
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Wow… It would be nice to be there and enjoy all of the festivities you know will be going off in his home town.
Cant wait for 2012-13 season to start.
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Nice back yard.
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Caption attempt #6:
“The Stanley Cup is a difficult trophy to earn that players sacrifice blood, sweat and tears. It doesn’t just grow on tress…. oh wait in Slovenia it does!”
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vinny Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
@Shakes, lol nice
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Perro Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
@Shakes, I was thinking it would be something about putting it on a pedistal
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Marjan Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 2:13 am
@Shakes, you and your “masterpieces” are a proof that human stupidity has no limits. As if we Slovenians are some primitives living on trees and eating bananas all day long. Maybe you think Slovenia is somewhere in Central Africa or behind Himalayas. If you of course know that we are speaking about geographical concepts.
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Shakes Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 5:22 am
@Marjan, looks like someone’s missed the jokey joke here. Don’t worry Marjan, we’re going to make equal fun of Russians, Canadians, and Americans with each picture…
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Marjan Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 6:17 am
@Shakes, I don’t worry. So, let’s make some fun of you first.
Duncanz Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 7:42 am
@Marjan,
I know his weak point … call him Shakeshoven for his “masterpieces”.
It will drive him “bananas”!
Stuart Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 7:47 am
@Shakes, wow… something must’ve been lost in translation! Or there is no humor left in Muddville, I mean Slovenia…
@Marjan, who are you, Gene Autry or something? Tell ‘em who you came to see!!!
Wish I could be there…in Ljubljana, but I can’t make it.
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now i want a trophy log in my backyard
probably for the best, nothing to put on it anyways.
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ladder match with the cup. awesomeness.
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The stand for the cup was made during the finals. As this is where the cup will stay when Anže brings it home
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Kopi living my dream….anyone else watches the cup game over and over..
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DL sign Gasper!
http://eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=32799
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Bet Lord Stanley’s cup never been atop a log!!!!! LOL
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luc20rules Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
@rogiesbackup, With all the Canadians? I would guess that some player had a father/brother that was in that weird lumber jack competitions, and the cup was once atop a huge 200+ foot redwood tree at sometime.
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I wish my mother could be there in Slovenia and see Kopi and the cup. My 80 year old Slovenian Mother has now become a King’s fan due to Anze. Before Kopitar started playing I don’t think Mom even know hockey was played with a puck. We told her that he was Slovenian and you should have seen her jumping up and down and screaming for Anze in the finals. Slovenia has the most wonderful people and if you ever have a chance please visit their country. My Mom was an orphan at age 18. When she had a granddaughter she sent a family tree to her Mom’s relatives in Slovenia. They not only filled out that side, but found her Dad’s side and made contact with them. We were able to visit them all and she now knows she has a huge family that loves her. Maybe someday she will meet Kopi.
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g smith86 Reply:
July 5th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
@Debra Turull, that is touching…to say the least…thanks
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One of my favorite photos so far!!!
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Is that Slovenia or Kapalua? It looks so lush and not so eastern european…I want to move there…have hockey babies there and one day have that look in my eye…like Kopis’ dad, …of fathering a stanley cup winning hockey child prodegy
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Ales Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 3:10 am
@g smith86,
Come on. Slovenia is the third most forest-rich country in Europe. Only Finland (77%) and Sweden (75%) have higher shares of forests so do not be supprised that surroundings is so lush.
Come visit us, more info (http://www.slovenia.si/). Regards!
Go Kopi Go!
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wzz Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 7:03 am
@g smith86, that’s because Slovenia has very little to do with eastern Europe, neither culturally nor geographically.
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BringBackTheShieldJersey Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 7:17 am
@wzz, except the language, which is Slavic. And that’s a pretty significant connection. Having been to Slovenia, I see it as exhibiting elements of both East and West.
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wzz Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 8:38 am
@BringBackTheShieldJersey, that is correct, although the Slovenian language doesn’t belong to the East Slavic group but to the South Slavic one. Culturally, it’s a mix of everything given a location at the crossroads of cultures, with a stronger western (German/Austrian) cultural/historical influence.
I’m pointing this out just for fun trivia’s sake, since nobody who knows the region will refer to it as “Eastern Europe”. This is mostly a cold-war era geopolitical label, although Slovenia wasn’t technically a part of the eastern block either (not after 1948 at least).
Besides, there’s hardly a thing like “Eastern European looks” when it comes to countryside in general – there’s plenty of beautiful locations out east too.
Debra Turull Reply:
July 6th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
@g smith86, Slovenia is not eastern Europe at all. Most people speak english and 2-3 other languages. Even in 1994, when I as last there, my relatives in a small town had computer ascess. It is one of the prettiewst coutries in Europe. Some of the scenery looks like it came out of a movie.
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YES! The Slovenian Log of Achievement!!
Love it.
Go Kopi Go.
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Have you seen this?
http://24ur.com/sport/hokej/kopitar-se-je-zbudil-ob-stanetu.html
Eating like a champion. King’s breakfast?
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Stanley Cup or ‘Stanko’ with Anže in Slovenia:
http://www.siol.net/sportal/hokej/nhl/2012/07/kopitar_spi_in_je_ne_s_punco_pac_pa_s_stanetom.aspx
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Wow, That Is so Awesome. Pix Speaks for Itself…
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Bellow some new pics with “Stanko”. Anze should also be somwhere there, I guess.
http://www.siol.net/sportal/hokej/nhl/2012/07/stane_sredi_jezera.aspx
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Anze is a champion! So happy right now. Nice photo.
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