The Los Angeles Kings have signed star center Anze Kopitar to a seven-year $47.6 million contact extension that will carry into the 2015-16 season, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced Saturday morning. (Kopitar has one remaining year on his current contract).

"This is really exciting and a little overwhelming to be honest," Kopitar said Saturday morning in San Jose (where the Kings open their 2008-09 season at 7PM). "I am happy to be apart of this organization for the next eight years. I can focus now on hockey-only and on doing what I want to do, which is to bring the Stanley Cup to L.A. I am also excited to remain with a great group of players who have gotten the same commitment from our organization. We are looking forward to growing together and to building something special here."