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Longtime L.A. Kings Captain Anže Kopitar to Retire After 2025-26 Season

Kopitar won two Stanley Cups with the Kings.
Michael Kadlick|
Anze Kopitar plans to hang up his skates after the 2025-26 season.
Anze Kopitar plans to hang up his skates after the 2025-26 season. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Kings

Longtime Kings center Anže Kopitar plans to retire from the NHL following the 2025-26 season, he announced on Thursday evening.

Kopitar, 38, is a five-time NHL All-Star and a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He has won two Selke Awards—given to the league's top defensive forward in a given season—and three Lady Byng Memorial Trophies—given to the player who exhibits "the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

The Kings drafted Kopitar with the 11th pick in the 2005 NHL draft and, upon his debut in 2006, became the first Slovenian player in league history. He's since spent the entirety of his career in L.A., becoming the franchise's second leading scorer. Kopitar was named team captain of the Kings ahead of the 2016-17 season—a title he's held ever since.

Coming off of a 48-25-9 season and a first-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the postseason, the Kings open up the 2025-26 campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 7 against the Colorado Avalanche.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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