Kings captain Kopitar to retire after 2025-26

Los Angeles Kings skipper Anze Kopitar volition discontinue aft this season, his 20th successful the NHL, helium announced Thursday.

Kopitar, who helped pb the Kings to Stanley Cups successful 2012 and 2014, turned 38 past month. The two-way halfway is entering the last play of a two-year hold helium signed successful July 2023 aft playing his full vocation with Los Angeles.

One of the astir respected, defensive-minded forwards successful the league, Kopitar has won 2 Selke Trophies (2016, '18) and 3 Lady Byng Trophies for gentlemanly play (2016, '23, '25).

According to those adjacent to the captain, Kopitar wanted to marque the announcement earlier the play truthful helium could afloat absorption connected the 2025-26 Kings, a squad with Stanley Cup aspirations. The Kings person not won a playoff bid since winning their past Stanley Cup successful 2014, losing to the Edmonton Oilers successful the archetypal circular each of the past 4 seasons.

The Kings, nether caller wide manager Ken Holland, made respective additions this summertime to assistance with that rubric push, including signing veterans Corey Perry (who played past play with the Oilers), Joel Armia, Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin.

Kopitar volition discontinue arsenic a franchise legend. He already sits atop the Kings' grounds publication for games played (1,454) and assists (838) and is 29 points distant from tying Marcel Dionne's people of 1,307 points arsenic the team's all-time starring scorer. Kopitar is besides 2 backmost from Jeff Carter's grounds for astir overtime goals (11) successful squad history.

Kopitar is coming disconnected different dependable season, finishing 2nd among Kings forwards successful points (67) and ice-time (18:57), trailing lone linemate Adrian Kempe. Kopitar besides tied for the squad pb past play with 7 game-winning goals.

He is besides regarded arsenic a nationalist leader successful his autochthonal Slovenia. As the No. 11 wide prime of the 2005 draft, Kopitar became the archetypal Slovenian to play successful the NHL erstwhile helium debuted successful 2006-07. While Kopitar has appeared for the Slovenian nationalist squad connected assorted stages, including the 2014 Olympics successful Sochi, Slovenia did not suffice for the 2026 Milan Olympics, wherever NHL players are erstwhile again participating.