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/zt8l6AQ 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/zt8l6AQ class=caas-img>Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/KtyNHgx 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/KtyNHgx class=caas-img>Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/tzchjTJ 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/tzchjTJ class=caas-img>Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/aiXQ8rA 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/aiXQ8rA class=caas-img>Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/1D2ACIj 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/1D2ACIj class=caas-img>Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/RcArjLf 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.
" src=https://ift.tt/RcArjLf class=caas-img>
Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/wnOFg3e 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/wnOFg3e class=caas-img>Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/9S0AVym 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/9S0AVym class=caas-img>
Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/ynoNjS2 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/ynoNjS2 class=caas-img>
Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/5dsjiIJ 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/mjboXvA 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.
" src=https://ift.tt/mjboXvA class=caas-img>
Defenseman K'Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/6bTnyor 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/6bTnyor class=caas-img>
Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/zUosTLa 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/zUosTLa class=caas-img>Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/lwztV0D 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/lwztV0D class=caas-img>Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/Q1o85sO 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/Q1o85sO class=caas-img>Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/BKRghmM 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/BKRghmM class=caas-img>
Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/B3Adcao 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/B3Adcao 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/QykXnzu 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/QykXnzu class=caas-img>
Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/eKMlpLh 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.
" src=https://ift.tt/eKMlpLh class=caas-img>
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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