The Los Angeles Kings hosted a “major announcement” livestream on Sept. 18, and at the podium sat Anze Kopitar and his family. He announced that the 2025-26 season will be his last and that he will retire.
Anze Kopitar will retire after the 2025–26 NHL season, he announced 🥹
Kopitar is entering his 20th season, all of which have been with the Kings 👑 pic.twitter.com/ZSg1JqM4x6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 18, 2025
Kopitar is heading into his 20th season with the Kings after being selected 11th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and has been the captain for what will be 10 years upon the end of the season. Not only has Kopitar been a great offensive talent, but he has been a perennial Selke Trophy candidate, too. He played a key role in the two Stanley Cup runs the Kings had in the 2010s.
Kopitar is on track to become the 39th player in NHL history to hit 1,300 points, as he sits just 22 shy heading into this final season.
Kopitar stated that he spoke with Dustin Brown about the idea of retirement, and Brown’s response was that he was surprised Kopitar signed a two-year deal in 2023. Kopitar, now 38 years old, has still performed at an elite level consistently, including 67 points last season and nine playoff points in just six games.
Kopitar was part of a wave of players who defined an era of hockey. Throughout the early 2010s, when the Chicago Blackhawks and Kings were dominating the Western Conference and the league, Kopitar was making headlines nearly every night.
Kopitar sits near the top in all of the offensive records for the Kings, which is especially impressive considering the rich past of talent they have had. He sits third in goals with 440, first in assists with 838, and second in points (1,278) as he trails Marcel Dionne (1,307) by just 29 points.
There is no doubt that Kopitar is one of the greatest Kings players in history, and after 20 excellent seasons with the Kings, he is now hanging up the skates.
