NHL Legend Anže Kopitar Retires After 20 Seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and Two Stanley Cup Titles

Anže Kopitar Ends His Professional Hockey Career

According to Главком: Anže Kopitar has officially retired from professional hockey. His final game came against the Colorado Avalanche, where the Los Angeles Kings fell 5-1 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing the series 4-0. Kopitar announced his retirement before the start of the 2025-26 season, but he still made a significant impact during the regular season, playing 71 games, scoring 12 goals, and notching 26 assists. In the playoffs, he appeared in 4 games but did not register any points.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Born in the town of Jesenice, Kopitar came up through the ranks of the Akroni club. He made his senior debut with Kranjska Gora and was selected 11th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. Before joining the Los Angeles Kings for the 2006-07 season, he also played for the Swedish club Södertälje. Over 20 years with the Kings, he became the first Slovenian player in NHL history and won two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

Kopitar established himself as an elite player, earning:

• five All-Star Game selections;
• the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2022;
• the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times;
• the Frank J. Selke Trophy twice.

In March 2025, he surpassed the 1,500-game milestone in the NHL. Overall, he played 1,628 games, scoring 479 goals and adding 926 assists.

In the 2025-26 season, the Los Angeles Kings finished fourth in the Pacific Division and eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 35 wins, 47 losses, including 20 in overtime. The team’s top regular-season scorer was Adrian Kempe, who netted 36 goals. Colorado was the Kings’ first-round playoff opponent.

Kopitar’s two-decade career leaves a lasting mark on NHL history and the hearts of hockey fans. He became a symbol of success for the Los Angeles Kings and a key figure in the growth of hockey in Slovenia. His achievements, including multiple Stanley Cup victories, underscore his importance not only to his team but to the sport on a global scale.