Kings captain Anze Kopitar announces this will be his final NHL season Mike Brehm, USA TODAY September 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM 0 Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced on Thursday, Sept. 18, that he will retire after the 202526 season.
- - Kings captain Anze Kopitar announces this will be his final NHL season
Mike Brehm, USA TODAY September 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM
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Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced on Thursday, Sept. 18, that he will retire after the 2025-26 season.
The upcoming season will be his 20th in the NHL, all of which he has spent with the Kings after they drafted him in the first round (11th overall) in 2005.
Kopitar, 38, ranks in the top three all-time on the team in major offensive categories and won Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014. He has been captain since the 2016-17 season.
The first Slovenian player to win the Stanley Cup is in the final year of a two-year, $14 million contract that he signed in 2023.
He was the second Los Angeles athlete to announce a pending retirement on Thursday, following Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/DrNp8U9 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
">Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
" src=https://ift.tt/DrNp8U9 class=caas-img>Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/HWrt2n1 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
">Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
" src=https://ift.tt/HWrt2n1 class=caas-img>Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/0bhM7L4 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
">Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
" src=https://ift.tt/0bhM7L4 class=caas-img>Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/cSeDI8O class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
">Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
" src=https://ift.tt/cSeDI8O class=caas-img>Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/zY6kUyo class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
">Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
" src=https://ift.tt/zY6kUyo class=caas-img>Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/Gv0VYkq class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
">Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
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Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/r2xd0pm class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
">Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
" src=https://ift.tt/r2xd0pm class=caas-img>Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/qfKHVxR class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
">Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
" src=https://ift.tt/qfKHVxR class=caas-img>
Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/1mRqUfy class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
">Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
" src=https://ift.tt/1mRqUfy class=caas-img>
Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/vXplOkr class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
">Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
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Defenseman Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/C71njcm class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
">Defenseman Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
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Defenseman K'Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/S3MNEvK class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Defenseman K'Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
">Defenseman K'Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
" src=https://ift.tt/S3MNEvK class=caas-img>
Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/MISA7pN class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
">Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
" src=https://ift.tt/MISA7pN class=caas-img>Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/DtQEWxA class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
">Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
" src=https://ift.tt/DtQEWxA class=caas-img>Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/yezPZ84 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
">Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
" src=https://ift.tt/yezPZ84 class=caas-img>Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/vBhsMwF class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
">Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
" src=https://ift.tt/vBhsMwF class=caas-img>
Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/yNxLM83 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
">Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
" src=https://ift.tt/yNxLM83 class=caas-img>Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Mammoth. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan went to the Sabres in the trade.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/Zo8wVI9 class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Mammoth. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan went to the Sabres in the trade.
">Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Mammoth. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan went to the Sabres in the trade.
" src=https://ift.tt/Zo8wVI9 class=caas-img>
Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/afiuCXO class=caas-img data-headline="NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason" data-caption="
Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
">Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
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1 / 39NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
Where does Anze Kopitar rank on Kings' scoring list?
Kopitar ranks second all-time on the Kings' regular-season scoring list with 1,278 points and could finish the season as No. 1. He trails Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne by 29 points heading into the Oct. 7 opener.
He also leads the franchise in games played (1,454) and is first in assists (838) and third in goals (440). He's second to Dionne in even-strength and power-play points and could pass him in those categories this season.
Kopitar leads Kings players in playoff games (103) and has 62 assists and 89 points and has the potential to pass leader Wayne Gretzky in those categories.
Will Anze Kopitar be a Hall of Famer?
Yes and potentially on the first ballot. In addition to the two championships (as an alternate captain), he has won the Selke Trophy twice as top defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) three times, including in 2024-25. He also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021-22.
He was captain of Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which lost to Canada in the final.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kings' Anze Kopitar says 2025-26 will be final season
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