I think if you’re that terrified of being trucked in the pre season then you shouldn’t be playing. I don’t care if it’s Kopitar or his mom. There’s people who are trying to make a big impact for their livelihoods. And we all know if Kempe got iced by some echl goon Kopitar would have just cuddled him anyways.
Also, if you’re in a full contact sport that has fighting in it, and you have the face Clarke did when stone was holding him. He’s going to have to learn to be a man and stand up for himself. He will get iced if he doesn’t and they know he won’t do anything. It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than be gardener in a war.
That’s why as much as I admire players like Kopitar and Doughty, I never thought of them in the least bit intimidating. Doughty got iced by Tkachuk and he didn’t do anything about it. It was embarrassing. And Kopitar as a captain never stands up for his teammates. That’s a hard sell for anyone.