Breaking: Goalie Trade Sends Pheonix Copley Back out West

After losing him on waivers just two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Kings have reacquired goaltender Pheonix Copley in a trade just completed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He's back!

Full release 📲 https://t.co/4SLzCSPgdl

In addition, G Erik Portillo has been reassigned to Ontario. pic.twitter.com/1WH3pg3jm2
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 15, 2025

The Kings send the old standby 'future considerations' to the Bolts in return. The Lightning originally made the waiver claim back on October 2nd when the health status of starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn't 100% known.

Copley, 33, spent last season with the Ontario Reign, posting a 24-17-1 record with a .904 save percentage, a 2.49 goals-against average and two shutouts.

He will join the Kings immediately, as he and Anton Forsberg will hold down the crease while Darcy Kuemper is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Copley had a career season with the Kings back in 2022-23, going 24-6-3 in 35 starts with a 2.64 GAA and .903 Sv%. But he was relegated to just eight games the following year when knee surgery ended his season in December. He only got into one game for the Kings in 2024-25 as the team went with Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich as their goaltending duo. Kuemper finished third in the Vezina Trophy balloting with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 Sv%.

In 77 career regular-season NHL games, Copley has recorded a record of 44-16-8 with three shutouts, a 2.84 GAA and a .898 SV%.