Kopitar takes his case to the North

Anze Kopitar received his first dose of what can sometimes lead rookies to moan, “Whoa, Canada.”

The Slovenia-born Kopitar spent a few days in the Great White North last week, where he was examined by members of the Canadian media for the first time. “It’s not too bad,” Kopitar said of the increased media attention during the Kings’ swing through Edmonton and Calgary. “I don’t mind it. I get a lot of e-mails from sports writers in Slovenia too. The attention is nice and I do my duty, but I definitely can’t let it affect how I play.”

Still, a little northern exposure can only help him at post-season awards time. The short list of candidates for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL’s rookie of the year, begins with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and pretty much ends with Kopitar.

Malkin leads rookies in goals (18) and points (37), while Kopitar leads in assists (24) and is second in points (35). That Malkin plays in the Eastern Conference tilts the ice his way. So the Canada campaign couldn’t hurt.

“He got a lot of attention,” Kings Coach Marc Crawford said of Kopitar. “They have three sports channels up there and every NHL story is covered. He has been a little invisible down here. The No. 1 highlights are from the Canadian teams, which they show before delving into the American teams. And then it is usually only the top American teams.”

The Kings haven’t been that so far. So Kopitar’s media scrums, followed up by his usual solid and sometimes spectacular play, may be selling points to voters. His actions certainly speak louder than his words.

“The first thing everyone sees is how humble he is,” Crawford said. “He listens and he learns and he is very respectful, especially to the veterans.”

Kopitar, 19, is second on the Kings in scoring while playing more than 20 minutes a game.

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If Kopitar is the Kings’ No. 1 success story this season, Alexander Frolov ranks as No. 2.

Frolov leads the Kings with 21 goals and 45 points, including two assists in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. He has four goals and eight assists during a five-game point streak.

Frolov has 18 goals and 39 points in the 29 games since winning a bet with General Manager Dean Lombardi to show more determination with the puck. Because Frolov responded, Lombardi has to read “War and Peace.”

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The Kings recalled forward Konstantin Pushkarev from the minor league Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs and put forward Scott Thornton (broken left wrist) on injured reserved. The Kings also sent defenseman Mike Weaver to Manchester on a conditioning assignment.

chris.foster@latimes.com