Adrian Kempe

Adrian Kempe
Adrian Kempe with the Los Angeles Kings in 2022
Born	(1996-09-13) 13 September 1996 (age 27) Kramfors, Sweden
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Los Angeles Kings Modo Hockey
National team	Sweden
NHL draft	29th overall, 2014 Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	2013–present

Adrian Kempe (born 13 September 1996) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kempe was selected by the Kings in the first round (29th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. ^[1]

Playing career

MODO Hockey

Kempe made his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) debut playing with Modo Hockey during the 2013–14 season. ^[2] At the end of the season, Kempe was selected in the first round (29th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to Modo for the 2014–15 season.

Los Angeles Kings

Early years (2014–2018)

Following the conclusion of his season with MODO, Kempe signed an amateur try-out agreement with the Kings American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs for the remainder of the 2015 Calder Cup playoffs. ^[3] He also signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kings for the 2015–16 season. ^[4] As he was coming to the NHL from Europe, he was eligible to spend the full 2015–16 season in the AHL if he failed to qualify for the NHL team. ^{[5] [notes 1]} In Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals, Kempe and Vincent LoVerde scored within four minutes of each other to help the Monarchs clinch their first Calder Cup. ^[7] This would also be the Monarchs final season in the AHL as Kings announced that they would be moving their AHL affiliate to Ontario, California and renaming them the Ontario Reign. ^[8]

Kempe with the Ontario Reign in 2015.

Kempe spent the entirety of the 2015–16 season in the American League with the Kings' new affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He recorded 28 points in 55 games. ^[9]

Kempe began the 2016–17 season with the Reign, but was recalled by the Kings on 15 February 2017. ^[10] He made his NHL debut the following day against the Arizona Coyotes. ^[11] He recorded his first NHL point on 21 February by assisting on Tyler Toffoli's goal against the Colorado Avalanche ^[12] and scored his first goal on 11 March against the Washington Capitals. ^[13]

Prior to Kempe's first full season with the Kings, he switched from No. 39 to No. 9. ^[14] He recorded his first NHL hat-trick in a 5–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on 19 October. ^[15]

Later years (2018–present)

On 4 September 2019, the Kings re-signed Kempe to a three-year, $6 million contract extension. ^[16]

Entering his sixth season with the Kings, 2021–22 would be a breakout year for Kempe, who posted new career highs scoring 35 goals and 54 points. He would also participate in his first NHL All-Star Game, held in Las Vegas; he is the only player from the Kings named to the All Stars this season. ^[17]

On 10 July 2022, Kempe signed a four-year, $22 million extension with the Kings. ^[18] Kempe would once again lead the Kings in goals scored, adding 41 goals to his total, and becoming the first Kings player since Luc Robitaille to score 40 goals in a season. ^[19]

Personal life

Kempe was born in Kramfors, Sweden, where he also grew up. His older brother, Mario, is also a professional ice hockey player who played 52 NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes. ^[20] Kempe and Mario briefly overlapped in the Kings organization when Mario signed a one-year two-way contract with the Kings on 5 July 2019. ^[21] The brothers never played a game together as Kings, and after scoring 3 goals and 11 points through 16 games with the Ontario Reign, Mario was placed on unconditional waivers by the Kings in order for a mutual termination of his contract on 19 November 2019. ^[22]

Kempe's nickname is "Juice." The name originated during the Monarch's playoff run to the 2015 Calder Cup, in which the 18-year-old Kempe scored eight goals. His teammates and coaches described him as "having the juice" due to his impressive performance. ^{[23] [24]}

In terms of investments, Kempe became part-owner of Swedish esports organization EYEBALLERS in May 2024. ^[25]

International play

Medal record
Representing   Sweden
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2018 Denmark
	2024 Czech Republic

Kempe represented Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a bronze medal.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010–11	Kramfors–Alliansen	J18		25	1	7	8	10		3	1	0	1	0
2011–12	Djurgårdens IF	J18		18	9	7	16	8		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Djurgårdens IF	J18 Allsv		16	1	3	4	16		4	0	2	2	0
2012–13	Modo Hockey	J18		1	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Modo Hockey	J18 Allsv		2	0	0	0	2		2	0	2	2	0
2012–13	Modo Hockey	J20		39	6	7	13	36		7	1	0	1	4
2013–14	Modo Hockey	J20		20	3	16	19	32		5	1	1	2	6
2013–14	Modo Hockey	J18 Allsv		—	—	—	—	—		4	5	3	8	6
2013–14	Modo Hockey	SHL		45	5	6	11	12		2	0	1	1	0
2014–15	Modo Hockey	SHL		50	5	12	17	42		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Modo Hockey	J20		—	—	—	—	—		2	1	3	4	2
2014–15	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		3	0	0	0	2		17	8	1	9	2
2015–16	Ontario Reign	AHL		55	11	17	28	27		13	4	1	5	2
2016–17	Ontario Reign	AHL		46	12	8	20	44		5	0	2	2	2
2016–17	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		25	2	4	6	6		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		81	16	21	37	49		4	0	0	0	2
2018–19	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		81	12	16	28	50		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		69	11	21	32	29		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		56	14	15	29	28		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		78	35	19	54	46		7	2	4	6	0
2022–23	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		82	41	26	67	55		6	5	3	8	2
2023–24	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		77	28	47	75	72		5	4	1	5	4
SHL totals				95	10	18	28	54		2	0	1	1	0
NHL totals				549	159	169	328	335		22	11	8	19	8

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	Sweden	WHC17			5	5	0	5	2
2013	Sweden	IH18	7th		4	2	1	3	12
2014	Sweden	U18	4th		7	1	6	7	16
2015	Sweden	WJC	4th		6	4	4	8	2
2016	Sweden	WJC	4th		7	3	5	8	8
2018	Sweden	WC			10	2	6	8	8
2019	Sweden	WC	5th		8	3	3	6	2
2021	Sweden	WC	9th		7	1	4	5	2
Junior totals					29	15	16	31	40
Senior totals					25	6	13	19	12

Awards and honours

Award	Year
NHL
All-Star Game	2022	[26]

Notes

1. Per the NHL and CHL agreement, "a signed player aged 18 or 19 who was claimed from a CHL club and is not retained by the NHL club, must be assigned to the CHL junior club whom he last played for or owes a contractual obligation." ^[6]

References

1. "Los Angeles Kings 2014 NHL and lives with his wife in Manhattan beach Draftee's". sportsmedia101.com. 28 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
2. "Kempe brothers to play together as Adrian makes debut" (in Swedish). Modo Hockey. 21 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
3. "Monarchs Sign Adrian Kempe to ATO". Manchester Monarchs. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
4. "2014 1st Round Pick Adrian Kempe Signed To Three-Year Entry-Level Contract". National Hockey League. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
5. Dadoun, Ryan (14 April 2015). "'14 first-rounder Kempe joins Kings' AHL affiliate". NBC Sports. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
6. Meltzer, Bill (15 July 2016). "Who can play where… and why". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
7. Clinton, Jared (14 June 2015). "Manchester Monarchs capture Calder Cup with 2-1 Game 5 victory". The Hockey News. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
8. "Reign Become the AHL Affiliate of LA Kings". Ontario Reign. 30 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
9. "Adrian Kempe". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
10. "Adrian Kempe, Paul Ladue Recalled from Ontario (AHL)". NHL.com. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
11. Lee, Forrest (16 February 2017). "Preview: Coyotes at Kings". NHL.com. Retrieved 13 December 2018. Forward Adrian Kempe, 20, will make his NHL debut.
12. Pannone, Louis (14 November 2017). "Adrian & Mario Kempe Shining as Rookies". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
13. "Kempe's first NHL goal propels Kings past slumping Capitals". sportsnet.ca. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
14. "2017 Opening Night Roster; LA Kings Recall LaDue from AHL, Martinez to IR". NHL.com. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
15. "Adrian Kempe's hat trick hands Canadiens sixth straight loss". sportsnet.ca. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
16. "LA Kings Sign Adrian Kempe to Three-Year Contract Extension". Los Angeles Kings. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
17. "Kings' Adrian Kempe makes 1st All-Star team; Doughty, Kopitar snubbed". www.ocregister.com. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
18. "Kings' Adrian Kempe agrees to four-year, $22-million extension". Los Angeles Times. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
19. Elliot, Helene (30 March 2023). "Column: After King-sized improvement, Adrian Kempe has shot at scoring milestone". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
20. Vest, Dave (3 December 2018). "'Yotes Notes: Kempe Hoping to Play vs. Younger Brother for First Time". NHL.com. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
21. "LA Kings Sign Mario Kempe to One-Year Two-Way Contract | Los Angeles Kings". www.nhl.com. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
22. "Kings put Kempe on unconditional waivers". The Sports Network . 19 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
23. "NHL Power Rankings: A fun fact about every All-Star". ESPN . 2 February 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
24. "LA Kings LW Prospect Adrian Kempe "Has Some Juice To His Game"". Frozen Royalty. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
25. "Victor Leksell, Adrian Kempe and GeoGuessr co-founders joins the EYEBALLERS family". EYEBALLERS. 10 May 2024.
26. "2022 NHL All-Star Game rosters, captains announced". .nhl.com. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Tanner Pearson	Los Angeles Kings first round draft pick 2014	Succeeded by Gabriel Vilardi