• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorsManor.com

NHL blog, LA Kings hockey news and interviews from The Mayor

  • Radio Replay
  • Prospect Rankings
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Interview / Hockey Legends / Marcel Dionne – ‘Kopitar needs to make a decision’

Marcel Dionne – ‘Kopitar needs to make a decision’

March 2, 2012 By John Hoven

Anze Kopitar, LA Kings (photo: Ikiri)

“I told (Anze) Kopitar ‘You aren’t touching the puck enough. I don’t like your breakout.’ I think Kopitar can make magic with the puck” – Marcel Dionne on MayorsManor in 2009.

Getting a chance to speak with a legend is always an honor. However, to chat with somebody as open as Dionne, it’s always a chance to learn and gain insight from one of the greatest goal scorers of all-time.

He’s back in town for the Kings Fantasy Camp this weekend and we spent some time together last night on a variety of topics, which I’ll post over several articles.

First up, here are some updated thoughts from Dionne on the Kings highest paid player…

“I think Kopitar’s at the point in his career where he has to decide what he wants to do. Does he want to be the guy? If I was him, he should be looking at the situation and what’s going with (Evgeni) Malkin. When (Sidney) Crosby was playing, Malkin was happy to be second fiddle. Then, when Crosby went out, Malkin took over. He wins games on his own. Kopi has to do that! You can’t wait for wingers. You gotta make it happen. Some nights he’s gotta be the guy. And if he’s not, now it’s getting to the point in his game where it’s going to be tough to get up to the level he wants to be. Everbody knows him, everybody knows how he plays.

“He should be a little bit more – he reminds me a little bit of Mats Sundin. They’re big guys, but when they get close to the net, they’re not aggressive enough. They have to get these guys off their backs because they’re big guys. If they’re soft there, then you know what, those soft goals don’t come.

“I still have confidence in him. But, sometimes, management are too nice to their stars. He needs a wake-up call.”

With 731 goals scored in the NHL, that’s the voice of experience you hear.

For more from Dionne’s previous visits to MayorsManor, please see the articles linked below.

Follow @mayorNHL

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

RELATED ARTICLES:

High/Low with Marcel Dionne

In-depth interview with Hall of Famer, Marcel Dionne

Dionne on Jonathan Quick and NHL goaltending

Filed Under: Hockey Legends, Interview, Kings, NHL Tagged With: comments, Crosby, Dionne, hockey, interview, Kings, Kopitar, legends, Los Angeles, Malkin, Mayor, MayorsManor, NHL, quote

About John Hoven

John Hoven is a former member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and co-hosts Kings of the Podcast. He's also the founder and editor of MayorsManor.com, which has been named Best Sports Blog in Los Angeles and Hockey Blog of the Year. Click "ABOUT OUR TEAM" below for a full bio.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    March 2, 2012 at 12:38 pm

  2. Sheng Peng says

    March 2, 2012 at 3:27 pm

  3. Anonymous says

    March 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm

  4. Whiskeypete says

    March 2, 2012 at 5:11 pm

  5. JT_Dutch says

    March 2, 2012 at 5:41 pm

  6. Weasel says

    March 2, 2012 at 7:00 pm

  7. Sean Penn's Ego says

    March 3, 2012 at 12:12 am

  8. JT_Dutch says

    March 3, 2012 at 8:55 am

  9. Anonymous says

    March 3, 2012 at 10:43 am

  10. Sean Penn's Ego says

    March 4, 2012 at 4:16 pm

  11. DetroitSons1952 says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:01 pm

  12. Anonymous says

    March 6, 2012 at 12:08 pm

  13. The Mayor says

    March 6, 2012 at 12:20 pm

  14. Anonymous says

    March 6, 2012 at 12:38 pm

  15. The Mayor says

    March 6, 2012 at 1:15 pm

Primary Sidebar

Kings Of The Podcast

Kings Of The Podcast: S2, E6 with Warren Rychel

Warren Rychel was one of the most popular Kings in the early to mid-90s, especially coming off the team’s run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, where he posted six goals and 13 points to lead all NHL rookies in playoff scoring. A few years later, Rychel won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. […]

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Anze Kopitar Postgame Quotes after Kings 6-3 win vs Blues
  • Game 6: Kings def. Blues 6-3 – Todd McLellan Postgame Quotes
  • Tonge’s Ticket: Sunday’s Best Bets for Kings v Blues
  • Sunday: LA Kings Projected Lineup for Rematch with Blues
  • FIRST GOAL CONTEST: Kings vs Blues- January 24 (Presented by Violent Gentlemen)
  • Making Sense of Hockey Betting, plus Tonge’s Ticket
  • FIRST GOAL CONTEST: Kings vs Blues- January 23 (Presented by Violent Gentlemen)
  • UPDATED: Byfield Injury Status, Ontario Reign Lineup for Sunday
  • Saturday: LA Kings Projected Lineup vs Blues, Plus McLellan Quotes
  • Reign Win First Preseason Game – Jacob Ingham Postgame Quotes

Tweets by mayorNHL

Footer

Archives

Tags

AHL Bernier Blackhawks Brown camp Carter Clifford coach comments Doughty draft Ducks Greene hockey interview Kings Kopitar Lombardi Los Angeles Manchester Mayor MayorsManor Mitchell Monarchs Murray NHL Ontario Penner Playoffs Prospect Quick quote Radio Reign Richards Sharks Stanley Cup Stoll Sutter Toffoli trade video WCB West Coast Bias Williams

MayorsManor

  • About Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Store

© 2021 MayorsManor.com