By Megan Sanders, October 7, 2025
Los Angeles Kings legend Anže Kopitar is honoring his 20-year NHL legacy in the most honorable way possible: by retiring on his own terms.
As he announced Sept. 18, he will be done playing in the NHL at the end of the 2025-26 season. This is quite a loss since Kopitar, the Kings’ 11th overall draft pick in 2005 and the first Slovene to play in the NHL, has exceeded expectations as the team’s captain.
Whether he is scoring points or providing leadership, he is always a class act and someone his teammates look up to.
Not only has Kopitar won two Stanley Cups, in 2012 and 2014, but he is also a three-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner, a two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner, and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to a player who not only showcases great skill on the ice but also has gentlemanly conduct. The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded to an NHL forward who also displays good defensive skill on ice. The Mark Messier Leadership Award is presented to a player who has great leadership on and off the ice.
Kopitar has proved in recent years he still has more to provide for the team. Throughout his career, he has racked up 440 goals and 838 assists. He also currently holds the franchise record in assists and is third in goals.
Last season, he scored 21 goals and had 46 assists, leaving him with a 67-point season. That is just three points fewer than his 2014 championship season.
His announcement might not come as a surprise to some, but it’s leaving many heartbroken as they prepare to watch him play in his final season.
For 19-year-old Alexandra Gorgij, who has been a life-long Kings fan, there hasn’t been a time in her life when Kopitar wasn’t playing for the Kings.
According to Gorgij, she has admired his consistency over the years and hopes the team pulls out all the stops for him at the end of the season because he deserves it. She has hopes of him being able to end his career with another 20 to 30 goal season or even another Stanley Cup.
“I feel like it’s so undeniable that he’s one of the best two-way centers ever in the NHL,” Gorgij said. “I will definitely just miss his presence on the team.”
Ideally Kopitar’s retirement will force younger players on the team, like defenseman Brandt Clarke and forward Samuel Helenius, into the next steps in their careers by playing in larger roles and allowing them to grow as NHL players.
Retiring at this point in his life gives Kopitar the perfect opportunity to spend more time with his family and watch his two children grow up. He also plans to move back to Slovenia after his final season comes to an end.
But it’s not the end yet, as Kopitar has mentioned in his retirement speech he is fully motivated this season and hopes the team this year can make it all the way.
According to Joseph Jones, 23, he was shocked when he saw the announcement, but he understands why Kopitar is retiring after this season and says there is no reason for him to wait until his performance starts to decline.
“It would be really cool to see him get just one last good playoff run, whether it’s the Stanley Cup final or even just getting past the first round, getting that excitement of getting a little deeper into the playoffs,” Jones said.
As to why he chose to announce his decision right now, Kopitar said he wanted to take all the attention away from him and have the full season to focus on the team’s goal of playing playoff hockey.
After his retirement becomes official, the team will have a lot to think about when it comes to finding a new captain.
The Kings could turn toward someone like defenseman Drew Doughty, who has also spent his entire career playing for the Kings, or they can take a completely different approach and look to reward someone younger who is expected to be around for more years.
Kopitar will forever be immortalized in the Kings organization even after parting ways when the season comes to an end.
Feature image courtesy of Megan Sanders
