Kopitar vs. Laperriere – Photo: Mark Mauno
By the San Marino Tribune
Ian Laperriere, a defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings from 1996-2004, will be honored by the team in a ceremony before Saturday’s game at Staples Center against the Colorado Avalanche.
Acquired in a seven-player trade with the New York Rangers, Laperriere was voted three times each as the Kings’ best defensive player, most popular player and most inspirational player.
“He was the heart and soul of our team,” Luc Robitaille, the Kings’ president of business operations and a teammate of Laperriere for five seasons with the Kings, told Fox Sports West.
“When you play with a guy like Ian Laperriere every day, you know you’re going to get the best out of him.”
Laperriere left the Kings following the 2003-2004 season, signing with the Avalanche, who he played with for four seasons.