Adrian Kempe Bio
Michael Adrian Kempe, known professionally as Adrian Kempe, is a Swedish professional ice hockey player born on 13 September 1996 in Kramfors, Sweden. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing roughly 195 pounds, he plays right wing, shoots left, and serves as an alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. Selected 29th overall by the Kings in the 2014 NHL entry draft, Kempe has developed into one of the franchise’s most consistent goal-scorers and a key figure in Sweden’s international lineup.
Early Life and Background
Adrian Kempe was born on 13 September 1996 in Kramfors, a small coastal municipality in northern Sweden. Growing up in a hockey-oriented household, he was introduced to the sport at a young age alongside his older brother Mario, who would later pursue a professional career of his own. Kempe skated in local youth programs in Sweden and quickly worked his way up through the development ranks, building a reputation as a skilled and energetic young forward. He also played soccer as a child, where he wore the number 9 in tribute to Spanish striker Fernando Torres, and carried that same number into his hockey career.
Kempe progressed through the Modo Hockey junior system, where his combination of speed, shot, and hockey sense caught the attention of scouts across Europe. By his late teens, he had already established himself as one of Sweden’s most promising young wingers, paving the way for his move to senior-level competition and eventual NHL draft selection.
Path to Hockey
Kempe made his Swedish Hockey League debut with Modo Hockey during the 2013–14 season at just 17 years old, becoming one of the youngest players to appear in Sweden’s top professional league that year. His poise and offensive instincts at such a young age drew the attention of NHL scouts, and at the conclusion of his first SHL season, the Los Angeles Kings selected him 29th overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft. He returned to Modo for the 2014–15 season to continue his development before making the transition to North American professional hockey.
Adrian Kempe Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Following his draft year, Kempe signed an amateur try-out agreement with the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, joining them for the remainder of the 2014–15 regular season and the 2015 Calder Cup playoffs. He made his AHL debut on 17 April 2015 and quickly impressed head coach Mike Stothers, earning a top-line role alongside Brian O’Neill and Jordan Weal. Kempe scored his first AHL playoff goal in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Portland Pirates, then added goals in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to help the Monarchs sweep the Hartford Wolf Pack. In Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals, he and Vincent LoVerde scored within four minutes of each other to clinch Manchester’s first Calder Cup championship. Kempe finished the playoffs with eight goals and one assist for nine points over 17 games.
After attending the Kings’ 2015 training camp, Kempe was assigned to the Ontario Reign for the 2015–16 season, where he spent most of the year playing center due to injuries within the Reign lineup. He opened the season with a goal in his first eight games before recording his first AHL hat-trick on 5 November in a 4–1 win over the San Diego Gulls. He briefly left the team in December to represent Sweden at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and finished his rookie AHL season with 11 goals and 17 assists in 55 games.
Los Angeles Kings Breakthrough (2016–Present)
Kempe began the 2016–17 season with the Reign before earning his first NHL recall on 15 February 2017. He made his NHL debut the following day against the Arizona Coyotes, recorded his first NHL point with an assist on 21 February, and scored his first goal on 11 March against the Washington Capitals. In 25 games with the Kings that year, he posted two goals and four assists before being reassigned to the AHL to finish the regular season.
Kempe secured a roster spot out of training camp in 2017–18 and switched from number 39 to number 9, the jersey he had worn in soccer. He opened his rookie NHL season with a hat-trick on 18 October in a 5–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens, then added three more goals in his next four games. After Jeff Carter went down with an injury, Kempe was promoted to the Kings’ second line alongside Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, where he scored 14 goals through his first 44 games. He became the first Kings rookie since 2009 to record 20 assists and finished his rookie year with 16 goals and 37 points in 81 games.
The 2018–19 season saw Kempe begin on the second line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jeff Carter, though injuries shuffled him down to the third line alongside rookies Matt Luff and Austin Wagner. A lower-body injury in late November cost him one game, including a reunion with his brother Mario and the Arizona Coyotes. He battled a 19-game scoring drought through December and January before rediscovering his touch with eight points in three games. Kempe finished the season with 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in 81 games, then joined Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. On 4 September 2019, the Kings signed him to a three-year, $6 million contract extension.
The 2019–20 campaign was rocky, with Kempe scoring just one goal and three assists in his first 17 games and being made a healthy scratch in November. Moved back to the left wing, he notched his 100th NHL point on 29 February 2020 against the New Jersey Devils and led the Kings with four shorthanded points before the season was paused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the shortened 2020–21 season, Kempe recorded his second career hat-trick on 9 March against the Anaheim Ducks, the first by a Kings player in that rivalry, and finished with 14 goals and 15 assists in 29 points.
Current Team Era (2021–Present)
The 2021–22 season marked Kempe’s true arrival as a top-six NHL forward. He set new career highs with 35 goals and 54 points, represented the Kings at the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas, and was the only Los Angeles player selected for the event. On 10 July 2022, he signed a four-year, $22 million contract extension to remain with the franchise. The following year, he led the Kings in goals once again with 41, becoming the first Los Angeles player since Luc Robitaille to reach the 40-goal mark in a single season. On 17 November 2025, Kempe committed his long-term future to the organization, signing an eight-year, $85 million extension that runs through the 2033–34 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kempe’s game is built on a hard, accurate wrist shot, strong straight-line speed, and the versatility to play all three forward positions. Teammates and coaches have praised his willingness to adapt to center, left wing, or right wing depending on lineup needs, and his knack for producing offense in tight spaces has made him a fixture on Los Angeles’ top two lines.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Kempe scored his first NHL hat-trick against the Montreal Canadiens in October 2017, recorded his 100th NHL point against the New Jersey Devils in February 2020, and notched his second career hat-trick against the Anaheim Ducks in March 2021. His 41-goal season in 2022–23 placed him alongside franchise legend Luc Robitaille in the Kings’ record book.
Adrian Kempe Career Wins
Across his professional career, Adrian Kempe has accumulated a 2015 Calder Cup championship with the Manchester Monarchs, two IIHF World Championship medals with Sweden, and a growing list of individual milestones at the NHL level. His most celebrated team triumph came during that rookie professional playoff run, while his most recent hardware arrived on the international stage with Sweden.
Los Angeles Kings Highlights
Kempe has emerged as one of the Kings’ most reliable goal-scorers over the past several seasons, highlighted by his 35-goal campaign in 2021–22 and his 41-goal follow-up in 2022–23. He has represented Los Angeles at the NHL All-Star Game and signed a long-term extension to remain with the franchise through 2034.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his NHL accomplishments, Kempe won a Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015 and earned gold with Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, followed by a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Adrian Kempe Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kempe comes from a Swedish sporting family with strong ties to ice hockey. His older brother, Mario Kempe, also pursued a professional hockey career and appeared in 52 games with the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL, giving the two brothers a brief chance to face each other on NHL ice.
Personal Life
Kempe earned the nickname Juice during the Manchester Monarchs’ 2015 Calder Cup playoff run, when the 18-year-old scored eight goals in 17 games and was described by teammates and coaches as having the juice. Off the ice, he became a part-owner of Swedish esports organization EYEBALLERS in May 2024, further expanding his business interests beyond hockey.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year has been a defining period for Adrian Kempe. On 17 November 2025, while entering the final season of his previous contract, he signed a massive eight-year, $85 million extension with the Los Angeles Kings, locking him in as a cornerstone of the franchise through the 2033–34 season. The deal underscored the organization’s confidence in his continued offensive production and his value as an alternate captain in the locker room.
On the ice, Kempe has continued to serve as one of the Kings’ primary scoring threats, anchoring their top-six forward group and providing leadership on and off the puck. His combination of speed, shot quality, and positional versatility has kept him in a featured role under the Kings’ coaching staff, and his veteran presence has helped steady the team’s younger forwards through the grind of an 82-game schedule.
Looking ahead, Kempe remains firmly in the Kings’ long-term plans, with the franchise building its competitive window around his goal-scoring touch and two-way responsibility. With his contract now secure for nearly a decade, expectations are high that he will continue to chase individual milestones while helping Los Angeles push deeper into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
