Anze Kopitar vs. Sharks: The Forgotten Milestone That Got Away

For nearly two decades, Anze Kopitar has been the quiet constant in Los Angeles. Drafted 11th overall in 2005, he arrived without flash and stayed without noise, letting his game speak in a steady, authoritative tone. Strong on the puck, impossible to knock off balance, always a step ahead — Kopitar’s personality has always matched his play style.

He has led the Kings in scoring in 15 of his 20 seasons, a remarkable feat for a player known first for defense and responsibility. Within the top 40 scorers in NHL history, Kopitar is proof that consistency can be just as powerful as flair. Soon, he’ll also crack the top 25 in games played when he reaches 1,500.

Kopitar’s legacy isn’t built on highlights. It’s built on nights where nothing dramatic happens, except that the Kings win and No. 11 quietly does everything right. Two Stanley Cups, two Selke Trophies, and a reputation as one of the smartest two-way centers the league has ever seen.

And yet, for all he’s accomplished, no team has seen more of Kopitar than the San Jose Sharks.

A Familiar Rival, One Last Time

Kopitar had played 99 games against the Sharks. The matchup on January 7 was set to be his 100th — and, with him announcing this as his final NHL season, likely his last chance to reach that mark.

Instead, he never made it onto the ice.

Kopitar (lower body) was ruled out for the January 7 game after suffering the injury two nights earlier, on January 5 against the Minnesota Wild. He exited that game in the first period after logging just under five minutes. The injury ultimately kept him out of what would have been his 100th career game against San Jose.

Over those 99 games, he has scored 29 goals, 48 assists, and 77 points — second only to Teemu Selanne’s 99 points against San Jose.

What makes that number more impressive is context. Kopitar has actually scored more points against two teams he’s faced fewer times. Against the Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes, he recorded 95 points in 91 games. Against the Anaheim Ducks, he posted 90 points in 94 games.

His final visit to SAP Center on November 20 — or “the Shark Tank,” as fans lovingly call it — felt fitting. Kopitar had a goal (video below), and an assist in a Kings loss that went to a shootout after Adrian Kempe tied the game with less than a minute remaining. Even in defeat, Kopitar left his mark one more time.

Oh Captain, Our Captain pic.twitter.com/P8bkwniUTq
— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 21, 2025

Kempe later spoke about what Kopitar means to the locker room and what he’ll miss most when that chapter closes. It wasn’t about points or awards. It was about calm, leadership, and knowing exactly where the game is going before it gets there.

Why 100 Games Against a Team Matters

To understand how rare 100 games against one opponent truly is, you have to look at league history. The NHL didn’t reach 32 teams until recently. Seattle joined in 2021. Vegas arrived in 2017. Before that, the league sat at 30 teams for nearly two decades from 2000–2017.

Go back further, and it was even smaller. From 1993 to 1998, there were just 26 teams. Nashville and Atlanta pushed it to 28. Columbus and Minnesota made it 30 in 2000. Fewer teams meant more chances to play and score points against a single opponent.

Since the 1993 expansion, only a handful of players have reached 100 games against one team. Patrick Marleau dominates the list with 124 games against the Kings, 123 against the Ducks, and 122 against the Coyotes. After MArleau, is Zdeno Chára, who logged 112 against the Buffalo Sabres. After him its Shane Doan, who takes the net four spots with 112 against the Sharks, 111 against the Kings, 109 against the Ducks, and108 against the Stars.

Following those three, only Nicklas Lidström, Jarome Iginla, and Martin Brodeur are in the 100+ games club against a single opponent — a group Kopitar would have joined on January 7 had he been healthy.

Anze Kopitar has announced that he will be retiring from the NHL after this season. 👑

✔️ The first player from Slovenia to play in the NHL
✔️ 2 Stanley Cups
✔️ 2 Frank J. Selke Trophies
✔️ 3 Lady Byng Memorial Trophies
✔️ 1 Mark Messier Leadership Award
✔️ 5 All-Star Game… pic.twitter.com/zR0zPmKWwG
— NHL (@NHL) September 18, 2025

What makes Kopitar’s 100th game against San Jose special isn’t the number itself. It’s what it represents. Longevity. Reliability. A career built on trust and excellence, season after season.

Now, as February 2026 winds down and Kopitar’s final NHL season enters its closing stretch, the 100-game mark against San Jose will remain one that got away — not because of performance, but because of timing and injury.

Kopitar’s career has never been loud. But when the final numbers are tallied, they’ll echo for a very long time.

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