LA Kings Announce 2025 Team Award Winners

Happy Regular-Season Finale, Insiders!

Sharing some non-game related stuff this morning, with a game preview to follow here later on in the day.

The annual team awards have been announced, with several Kings players honored either by the voting media, the players or other branches of the organization. Sharing all winners and nominees below, with blurbs shared coming from LA Kings PR.

As Voted by the Media
Not to toot my own horn here, but I was 4-for-4 in this section.

There’s been a running joke between Jim Hiller and media members about whether Darcy Kuemper is the team’s MVP. Hiller has consistently referred to him as the team’s “backbone” as opposed to the team’s MVP. Splitting hairs. In the eyes of the media, Kuemper has officially been voted as Team MVP in his first season back with the Kings. Same goes for his selection as the team’s “Best Defensive Player”. In terms of Best Newcomer, I excluded Kuemper for two reasons. One, he played here before and two, I wanted to recognize Warren Foegele. Was nice to see that others agreed. Lastly, Outstanding Defenseman came down to two players for me – Vladislav Gavrikov and Mikey Anderson. I could see either being worthy here and if I could’ve gone joint-winners I would have. Ultimately, had to pick one and I went with Gavrikov as he was asked to play the right side all season long.

Most Valuable Player – “Bill Libby Memorial Award”: Darcy Kuemper
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been selected by the media as the Bill Libby Memorial Award winner for Most Valuable Player on the Kings this season. Acquired by the Kings last June, Kuemper has established a 31-11-7 record with five shutouts while maintaining a 2.02 goals against average (GAA), .922% save percentage (SV %) in 50 games played this year. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native’s GAA is tied for lowest among all NHL netminders while his SV% places second (min. GP: 40). Kuemper was named the NHL’s “First Star of the Week” for the week ending March 16 after earning his 199th and 200th career victories with consecutive shutouts against Washington (March 13) and Nashville (March 15). Those performances marked the first time a Kings goalie recorded back-to-back shutouts since Kuemper himself did so on Jan. 30 and Feb. 3, 2018, and helped the 34-year-old set a new franchise mark for longest home point streak by posting a 15-game run (14-0-1) from Feb. 5 through March 25.

Best Newcomer – “Mark Bavis Memorial Award”: Warren Foegele
In his first season with the Kings, Warren Foegele set career-highs in goals (24), points (24-22=46), even-strength goals (23), game-winning goals (7) and blocks (40) while maintaining a team-high plus-36 rating. Foegele’s plus-36 is tied for the second-highest among all league forward and tied for fourth in the league overall. In addition to his pacesetting plus/minus rating, Foegele enters the final game of the regular season tied for the most game-winning goals on the team and is expected to skate in all 82 games in a single season for the third time in his career.

Outstanding Defenseman: Vladislav Gavrikov
For the first time his career, Vladislav Gavrikov has been voted Outstanding Defenseman by the members of the media. Through 81 games played on the campaign, Gavrikov (5-25=30) has clinched his second career 30-point season (5-28=33 in 2021-22 w/ CBJ). He is tied for the team lead among blueliners in goals (5) and plus-minus (+27), and places second in assists, points and shots (110). Gavrikov’s plus-24 rating this year marks a new career-best, more than doubling his previous best set last season (+9). The 29-year-old also set a new career-high in time-on-ice per game (TOI/GP) by averaging 23:07 minutes, second on the team behind Drew Doughty’s 24:12 min. TOI/GP.

Defensive Player: Darcy Kuemper
Darcy Kuemper was voted the team’s Best Defensive Player by the media for this season after helping backstop the Kings to one of their best defensive seasons in franchise history. Entering the final fixture of the regular season, the Kings have conceded just 198 total goals against, equating to 2.44 goals-against-per-game. The Kings and Winnipeg Jets are the only two teams in the NHL to have allowed fewer than 200 goals against this season. During a monthlong stretch from March 5 through April 10, Kuemper joined Miikka Kiprusoff (16 GS in 2003-04) as just the second goaltender in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to have 15 or more consecutive starts of allowing two or fewer goals. Per data from NHL EDGE, Kuemper (.863 SV%) has maintained the highest save-percentage in high-danger situations of any netminder in the League.

As Voted by the Players
Naturally, I am not a player, so I do not get a vote in this section. If I did, though, I think I’d have voted for one of the two as the players did. For Anze Kopitar to continue to produce at the level he has this season, at this stage in his career, is the definition of inspirational, isn’t it? Just marvelous what he continues to do at age-37. For Foegele, I understand the nod here, I just think he has been pretty well sung this season for what he’s brought to the Kings. But I do get it. I’d have perhaps looked in the direction of Joel Edmundson, who has had himself a fine debut season with the Kings, without a ton of recognition for it. But, hard to argue, right?

“Ace Bailey Memorial Award” as Most Inspirational: Anze Kopitar
Voted by the Kings players, captain Anze Kopitar has been named the recipient of the Ace Bailey Award for Most Inspirational Player for the third time in his career. The former Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award winner, two-time Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy winner, two-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner, and two-time Stanley Cup Champion will conclude his 19th regular season as a member of the Los Angeles Kings this week. The captain opened the 2024-25 campaign by scoring his seventh career hat trick on Oct. 10, 2024, at Buffalo, becoming the fifth player in NHL history to score a hat trick in two season-opening games (also 3-2=5 on Oct. 14, 2021). On Dec. 7, 2024, Kopitar became the 43rd skater in League history to skate in 1,400 regular season contests. Through 80 games played this year, Kopitar ranks second among all Kings skaters with 67 points (21-46=67), which has helped the 37-year-old climb to 40th in NHL history with 1,278 career points (440-838=1,278). He finishes the season as the Kings’ all-time leader in several categories, including seasons played (19), games played (1,453), assists (838), and game-winning goals (78) while his name features among the top five in nearly every other metric in franchise history.

Unsung Hero: Warren Foegele
In addition to receiving the Mark Bavis Memorial Award for “Best Newcomer,” Foegele has been recognized with the team’s Unsung Hero Award. Of Foegele’s personal-best 24 goals this season, 23 have come during even-strength situations. The native of Markham, Ontario, leads the Kings with 33 takeaways this season, while his seven game-winning goals are tied with Anze Kopitar for the most among all team skaters.

Additional Awards
The final three awards were voted on by three different groups of people. The LA Kings Booster Club always gets a chance to select their most popular player, with Kevin Fiala taking home the award for the first time in his two seasons with the Kings. Fiala was named yesterday as the Kings’ nominee for the King Clancy and was recognized a second time today, by the Kings Care Foundation, as the team’s Community Service Award winner. Fiala has been outstanding in the local community and it’s well deserved. Lastly, good to see Phillip Danault get recognized for his own commitment to the community. Danault has been active with local youth hockey and has raised money, while also donating his time, to help grow the game locally here in Southern California.

As Voted on by the LA Kings Booster Club
Most Popular Player: Quinton Byfield
The LA Kings Booster Club voted Quinton Byfield the team’s Most Popular Player for the first time in his career. On the ice, the 22-year-old forward enjoyed another season of offensive success, scoring a career-high 23 goals as part of his second consecutive 50-point season (23-31=54) after his break-out 55-point (20-35=55) campaign last year. The native of Newmarket, Ontario, has scored a team-leading three overtime goals this season and is one of six Kings skaters in team history to score nine or more game-winning goals before age 23. In his fifth professional season, Byfield’s on-ice leadership and engagement with fans in the community and through social media have entrenched him as a centerpiece of the Kings organization.

As Voted on by the Kings Care Foundation
Jim Fox Community Service: Kevin Fiala
For the third time in his career, Kevin Fiala was chosen as the winner of this year’s Jim Fox Community Service Award. The award recognizes the player that best exemplifies strong community outreach as determined by the Kings Care Foundation. Fiala, who was also selected as the Kings’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive season, has established himself as a pillar of the Los Angeles community through his extensive involvement with CHLA and other programs, such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Fiala is the first King to win the Jim Fox Community Service Award on three consecutive occasions since Dustin Brown received the honor three times from 2008-09 through 2010-11.

As Voted on by the LA Kings Hockey Development Department
Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service: Adrian Kempe
Adrian Kempe has been chosen as the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award winner by the LA Kings Hockey Development Department. This marks Kempe’s first time winning the award and recognizes the active role that Kempe has maintained in the Kings Learn-to-Play programming throughout his career.