Lightning Claim Pheonix Copley Off Waivers From Kings
The Lightning have claimed goaltender Pheonix Copley off waivers from the Kings, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Copley, 33, had signed a one-year, one-way, league minimum extension with L.A. in June to continue serving as a No. 3/4 option for them this season. The longtime fringe NHLer has spent the last three years in the Kings organization, including a one-off 2022-23 campaign that saw him emerge as the Kings’ starter for a bit until Joonas Korpisalo was acquired at the trade deadline. Since recording a 24-6-3 record and .903 SV% in 37 appearances that year, though, the Alaska native has only nine NHL games to his name.
Part of the lack of playing time was due to an ACL injury that ended his 2023-24 season in December, but he’d already slipped to third on the Kings’ depth chart by that point after regressing to a .870 SV% through eight starts. He ended up on waivers at the beginning of last year and cleared, spending the vast majority of the season in AHL Ontario aside from making one early-season NHL relief appearance. The 6’4″ netminder was serviceable in the starting role for Ontario, making 42 appearances with a .904 SV%, 2.49 GAA, two shutouts, and a 24-17-1 record.
The Lightning, in need of goaltending depth, make sure he won’t clear waivers this time around. They’ve been dealing with limited availability from star starter Andrei Vasilevskiy in camp, although Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reported today that he’s likely to make his preseason debut this weekend. Even if Vasilevskiy’s health wasn’t a concern, the Lightning were likely on the lookout for another depth option between the pipes.
They have one of the more underwhelming No. 2 options in the league in Jonas Johansson, who’s only managed a .892 SV% and 3.27 GAA behind a stout Tampa defense over the past two years. The backup position in Tampa hasn’t been much of a concern with Vasilevskiy shouldering a 60-start workload, but with the club looking to lighten the pressure on him this year, it makes sense to bring in another experienced option who might be an upgrade on Johansson.
Copley wasn’t going to be an NHL factor for the Kings unless injury struck their NHL tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg, although that’s a likely outcome given their histories. They have just four goalies signed in the organization without him, and one, 19-year-old Carter George, is still ineligible for a full-time AHL assignment and has already reported to OHL Owen Sound for the year. That leaves 25-year-old Erik Portillo, who struggled to the tune of a .889 SV% in 24 AHL contests last year, as their lone recall option. As such, expect a free-agent pickup or corresponding waiver claim to try to give them more insurance and more cushion for Portillo in the minors.
If the Lightning begin the season with three goalies, they’d only be able to carry two extra skaters instead of three. In any event, the claim doesn’t put them in any sort of cap bind. They’ll have the flexibility to open the season with a full 23-player roster with Nick Paul counting against the cap on injured reserve if they choose. Paul underwent surgery last month and is expected to make his season debut in early November.
Waivers: 10/1/25
With less than a week to go until the regular season, waiver season is in full swing. According to PuckPedia, the largest waiver placement of the preseason has taken place:
Boston Bruins
Colorado Avalanche
D Wyatt Aamodt
F Daniil Gushchin
Detroit Red Wings
F Sheldon Dries
D William Lagesson
F John Leonard
D Ian Mitchell
F Dominik Shine
F Austin Watson
Florida Panthers
F MacKenzie Entwistle
F Nolan Foote
F Wilmer Skoog
Los Angeles Kings
D Samuel Bolduc
F Logan Brown
F Martin Chromiak
G Pheonix Copley
F Glenn Gawdin
F Cole Guttman
D Joe Hicketts
F Andre Lee
F Akil Thomas
F Taylor Ward
Nashville Predators
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicholas Abruzzese
F Boris Katchouk
F Jakob Pelletier
Utah Mammoth
Washington Capitals
D Louis Belpedio
F Graeme Clarke
F Henrik Rybinski
F Bogdan Trineyev
Winnipeg Jets
Kings Re-Sign Pheonix Copley
11:59 a.m.: It’s a one-way deal for Copley, per the team’s Zach Dooley. That could be an indication the team is open to him starting the season as Kuemper’s backup.
11:31 a.m.: The Kings have re-signed pending UFA goaltender Pheonix Copley to a one-year deal that will pay him the league minimum of $775K next season, per a club announcement. It’s unclear whether it’s a one-way or two-way commitment.
The upcoming season will mark Copley’s fourth in Los Angeles. He was initially brought in for the 2022-23 season to serve as the No. 3 option/AHL starter behind Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen, a role he’d held for many years with the Blues and Capitals. Instead, Quick and Petersen both put up unplayable numbers, leading Copley to get the call-up and the lion’s share of the starts. In a career-high 37 appearances, he was more than serviceable with a .903 SV%, 2.64 GAA, and one shutout, helping L.A. to a 24-6-3 record in games he received the decision for. He was supplanted as the starter in the playoffs by trade deadline pickup Joonas Korpisalo, but he at least did enough to establish himself as a full-time NHL option.
L.A. brought him back on a one-year, $1.5MM deal for 2023-24 as a result. He started the year as UFA pickup Cam Talbot‘s backup, but after going 4-1-2 with a .870 SV% and 3.16 GAA in just eight appearances, his season came to an end in December after undergoing ACL surgery.
The Kings still wanted to keep him around as an insurance option for this past season, though, signing him to another one-year deal after free agency opened. While Copley was back to full health, he’d slipped behind David Rittich on the depth chart and was back to serving in a more familiar No. 3 role. He allowed two goals on 12 shots in a relief appearance against the Maple Leafs early in the year, otherwise spending the campaign with AHL Ontario after clearing waivers. In his first extended minor-league stint in three years, the 33-year-old Alaskan was good with a 2.49 GAA, .904 SV%, two shutouts, and a 24-17-1 record in 42 games.
His numbers were far better than what top prospect Erik Portillo (.889 SV%, 2.82 GAA) put up as his backup. As a result, with Rittich slated to hit the open market this summer on the heels of an underwhelming 2024-25 performance, Copley might get another chance in training camp to be the Kings’ No. 2, this time behind 2025 Vezina Trophy finalist Darcy Kuemper.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Six Black Aces
As they look to stave off elimination in Game 6, the Los Angeles Kings announced several recalls. According to the announcement, forwards Andre Lee, Francesco Pinelli, Jack Studnicka, Taylor Ward, defenseman Caleb Jones, and netminder Pheonix Copley have been recalled as black aces.
Pinelli is the only player of the group who hasn’t debuted in the NHL yet. Although he has mild NHL experience, Studnicka did not play with the Kings during the regular season.
The remaining four all enjoyed limited playing time with Los Angeles this year. Lee appeared in the most contests, scoring one goal and two assists in 19 games while averaging 9:10 of ice time per game.
Los Angeles likely recalled players solely based on their past NHL experience. They did not promote any of the Reign’s top four point scorers (although Jeff Malott is already on the team) or the top five players with the best +/- ratings.
Still, it’s unlikely any of the six call-ups will play in Game 6 for the Kings. Entering their first elimination game of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Tanner Jeannot remains the only injured member on the roster. Without any meaningful injury updates after Game 5, it’s unlikely any of today’s recalls will suit up for the Kings.
West Notes: Landeskog, Copley, George, Vilardi, Ehlers, Hronek
After flirting with an official comeback in Games 1 & 2, Gabriel Landeskog will suit up for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3. The NHL proudly announced that Landeskog will play in his first game for the first time in 1,032 days.
Landeskog’s return to the NHL minutes is one of the most remarkable comebacks in professional sports. After captaining the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the Swedish winger underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which is an operation more inclined to return an individual to a generic standard of mobility rather than professional sports. Through intense willpower, Landeskog was able to overcome.
It’ll be important for the rest of the Avalanche, too. Based on multiple interviews with players on the team, the void of Landeskog has been present for some time, and having him back in the lineup, even for a few shifts, should lead to intense motivation.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Los Angeles Kings have switched up their emergency third goalies for Game 2. The Kings announced they’ve recalled netminder Carter George from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and have reassigned Pheonix Copley in a corresponding roster move. Should George play, which is incredibly unlikely, it would be the first NHL appearance of his career.
- There are a few injury updates for the Winnipeg Jets as their opening-round series transitions to St. Louis. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported that forward Gabriel Vilardi will travel with the team while Nikolaj Ehlers will not. Still, it’s important to note that Vilardi has yet to practice without a non-contact jersey, meaning he could remain a ways away from returning.
- Team Czechia will have a quality defenseman join them for their IIHF World Championship gold medal repeat bid. Earlier today, it was announced that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek will join his international team for the upcoming tournament. It’ll be the first time since the summer of 2022 that Hronek has played in the tournament when he tallied two assists in 10 contests.
Kings Recall Pheonix Copley
The Kings have recalled Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario to serve as their league-mandated emergency backup during the postseason, the team announced.
Normally, teams recall depth names from the ECHL or other relative unknowns in the system to fill the role if their AHL affiliate is in the Calder Cup Playoffs. That’s not the case here. Copley, 33, appeared in 42 of Ontario’s 72 regular-season games and was their unquestioned starter with a 2.49 GAA, .904 SV%, 24-17-1 record, and two shutouts. Backup Erik Portillo, who made his NHL debut this season, managed 15 wins but only a .889 SV% in 24 outings.
Nonetheless, it appears Copley won’t be available to Ontario as they begin their first-round series against the San Jose Barracuda. That’s a huge declaration of faith by the organization, not only in Portillo but in 18-year-old Carter George, who’s finishing the season with the Reign after his Owen Sound Attack was eliminated in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. The 2024 second-round pick is widely regarded as a top-five prospect in the organization and has allowed just one goal on 61 shots to begin his professional career, posting a 0.50 GAA and .984 SV% across two games with Ontario over the last week. With Copley out, the door is open for him to play professional playoff hockey, a rare feat for a teenage netminder.
As for Copley, it’s nice to see the veteran get back on track after ACL surgery in December 2023 upended his career. He only made one NHL appearance in relief this year, allowing two goals on 12 shots against the Maple Leafs early in the year, but he was L.A.’s No. 2 option as recently as two years ago when he went 24-6-3 with a .903 SV% and 2.64 GAA in 37 games in the 2022-23 season. An infrequent backup option throughout his lengthy professional career, he’s likely ticketed for AHL action as long as he’s still in the game.
Kings Place Andreas Englund On Waivers, Reassign Pheonix Copley
The Los Angeles Kings have made a pair of roster moves ahead of the 4-Nations Face-Off break, placing defenseman Andreas Englund on waivers for purpose of reassignment and sending goaltender Pheonix Copley back to the minor leagues per John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor. Both players have served as extras in the Kings lineup for much of the season. Englund played in spurts through October, November, and January – but it’s been nearly a month since he’s stepped into the lineup. He has just one goal in the 11 appearances he has made and averaged just 6:30 in ice time in the three games he played in January.
Originally an Ottawa Senators draft pick in 2014, Englund has fallen into the role of journeyman depth defender since leaving the Senators for a minor-league deal in Colorado in 2021. He’s a bruting six-foot-four, 200-pound defenseman who racked up over 100 penalty minutes in 57 games of the 2021-22 AHL season. That physical presence was enough to earn him an NHL deal and routine role with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022-23. He played 36 games with the NHL Colorado, and 15 games in the AHL, and scored three points in both leagues. He was traded late in the year to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for veteran defender Jack Johnson. Englund finished his year with 11 games and one point in the Chicago lineup.
The Blackhawks let Englund walk to free agency in the following summer, where he’d ultimately land a two-year, $2MM contract with the Kings. He’d go on to play in all 82 games of Los Angeles’ 2023-24 campaign. That consistency allowed him to set 10 points and 81 penalty minutes, both career-highs at the NHL level. He hasn’t had the same bid for the lineup this year, and now seems poised to spend the Kings’ two-weeks break on a return trip to the minor leagues.
Meanwhile, Copley has been the forgotten third in Los Angeles’ goalie room. He’s played in just one NHL game this season – a 2-1 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs in October. Copley has been far more active in the minor leagues this year. In 20 games with the Ontario Reign, he’s set a 13-7-0 record and .906 save percentage. His save percentage leads the trio of Reign goaltenders, but his 13 wins are tied with Erik Portillo‘s mark through 22 games. Portillo and Copley should rotate starts over the next two weeks, and the latter’s stay in the minors could stick now that Los Angeles has starter Darcy Kuemper back to full health.
Kings Recall Pheonix Copley On Emergency Basis, Place Mikey Anderson On IR
With Darcy Kuemper away from the team for personal reasons, the Kings needed to add a goalie to their roster for their game tonight versus Anaheim. The team announced that veteran netminder Pheonix Copley has been recalled from AHL Ontario. To make room on the roster, defenseman Mikey Anderson has been placed on injured reserve.
It’s the fourth recall of the season for Copley whose previous stints with the big club have been short-lived. That trend will almost certainly continue as he’s a strong candidate to be sent back to the Reign following the game. The North Pole native has only made one appearance with Los Angeles this season, that coming in relief back in mid-October but extended his streak of seasons with an NHL game to four. Copley has also played 20 times for Ontario, putting up a 2.45 GAA along with a .906 SV%.
Anderson, meanwhile, has missed a little more than a week with a finger injury sustained late last month. He has logged heavy minutes for Los Angeles this season, ranking second on the team in ATOI at 22:50 (excluding Drew Doughty who is five games into his return). Through 49 games, Anderson has five goals and nine assists along with 83 blocks and 68 hits. He’ll be eligible to be activated at any time as he has already missed more than the required seven days.
Kings Recall Pheonix Copley, Assign Erik Portillo To Minors
The Kings are swapping out backup goaltenders in advance of their afternoon game against Seattle today. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario. In a corresponding move, Erik Portillo was re-assigned to the Reign.
Copley was the backup for Los Angeles at the start of last season, following an impressive 2022-23 performance that saw him record a 2.64 GAA and a .903 SV% in 37 games. However, he struggled early on last year and then was injured, handing the number two job to David Rittich who secured the second-string role again in training camp in the fall.
The 32-year-old has made one appearance with the Kings this season, stopping 10 of 12 shots in a mid-October appearance. But most of his playing time has come with the Reign where he has a 3.34 GAA and a .879 SV% in seven outings so far. He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and is on a one-way contract worth $825K.
As for Portillo, the 24-year-old received his first NHL recall a little over a week ago but didn’t see any game action with Rittich carrying the workload in Darcy Kuemper’s absence due to injury. He has played in five games with Ontario so far, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .891 SV%. Last season, Portillo put up a 2.50 GAA and a .918 SV% in 39 outings with the Reign, earning him a three-year, $2.35MM contract, the final two seasons of which will carry a one-way salary. It’s not ideal to have a young goaltender sitting without any game action for an extended stretch so he’ll go back to Ontario and get a chance to see some regular action with them.
Kings Activate Darcy Kuemper, Reassign Pheonix Copley
Netminder Darcy Kuemper‘s time on the injured reserve is ending. The Los Angeles Kings announced they’ve activated Kuemper off injured reserve and reassigned goaltender Pheonix Copley in a corresponding roster move. This move puts Kuemper in line to make the start tonight as the Kings take on their rivals, the San Jose Sharks.
Kuemper’s been on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered during a difficult start against the Ottawa Senators on October 14th. His first two starts back with the Kings organization were exceptional with Kuemper 56 of 59 shots against the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins to the tune of a .949 save percentage. Kuemper more than doubled his goals against in the contest against Ottawa allowing eight goals on 41 shots in an overtime loss.
The team’s goaltending has been a mixed bag since Kuemper went on the injured reserve. The combination of David Rittich and Copley allowed 14 goals in four games but 12 of those goals came in two separate games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights. Kuemper, assuming he’s fully healthy, should put Los Angeles in a better position to improve upon their modest 3-2-2 start to the regular season.
Copley didn’t garner any starts for Los Angeles during his emergency recall but filled in for Rittich during the team’s loss to the Maple Leafs on October 16th. He managed to stop 10 out of 12 shots in 27:29 of ice time for a .833 save percentage and 4.37 goals against average. He’ll now return to the crease for the AHL’s Ontario Reign where the team has averaged four goals against per game using three netminders.