Anze Kopitar confirmed Thursday that the 2025-26 season will be his last in the NHL, bringing an end to a two-decade career spent entirely with the Los Angeles Kings.
The 38-year-old Kings captain made the announcement at the team’s practice facility alongside his family on Thursday, shortly after fellow Los Angeles baseball legend Clayton Kershaw made a similar announcement on the LA Dodgers‘ social accounts.
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“These guys sitting here with me have been with me, and now they deserve a husband and a dad to be home,” Kopitar said, pointing to his wife, Ines, and children Neza and Jakob. “They’re soon going to be teenagers, and that’s a very important time of their lives. I want to be as present as I can be.”
Kopitar added that announcing his decision before the season begins was intentional and geared toward removing all talk and distractions from the Kings’ campaign.
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“I want to get this out of the way now, to where I’m not a distraction for the team,” he said. “If we’re in a fight coming down the stretch, the last thing I want to do is take attention away from the team.”
The Kings selected Kopitar with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, and the center has been the face of Los Angeles hockey through 19 seasons. During his tenure in California, Kopitar has won two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, two Selke Trophies and three Lady Byng awards.
Kopitar is already the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,454), assists (838) and game-winning goals (78). He sits third in team history in goals with 440 and needs 30 more points to surpass Marcel Dionne’s club record of 1,307, a realistic goal considering he’s had at least 42 points in each of his 19 seasons.
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Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) makes a heart with his gloves.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Kopitar said he remains highly motivated for a final run and a possible third Stanley Cup title with the Kings before hanging his skates next summer.
“I still have a lot of energy, a lot of desire to compete at the very highest level, and I think we’re a better team than we were last year,” Kopitar said.
That could be a tall task for a Los Angeles franchise that has not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2014. That, however, is only fuel for Kopitar’s and the Kings’ motivation.
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“There’s no question the goal is to get Kopi’s hands on a third Stanley Cup,” Kings general manager Ken Holland said.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.