Kings' Anze Kopitar Becomes Fifth Active Player to Hit Major Milestone

While the Vegas Golden Knights might have crushed the LA Kings 4-1, captain Anze Kopitar entered an elite club after assisting his team's only goal for the night.

Feb 5, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) warms up before the start of a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

A secondary assist on a first-period goal carried significance beyond the scoreboard Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena. The veteran center from Slovenia added another entry to a resume already decorated with championships and individual honors, reaching a milestone that places him among the greatest players the sport has ever produced.

The moment came with 15 minutes remaining in the opening frame during a difficult game for the Kings. Trevor Moore's seventh goal of the season, set up by passes from Joel Armia and the captain, marked number 1,300 for the longtime face of the franchise.

Anze Kopitar became the 39th player in NHL history to record 1,300 career points.

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The 38-year-old joins an exclusive group of non-North American players to reach the milestone. Kopitar is the eighth player born outside North America to hit 1,300 points, joining Jaromir Jagr, Alex Ovechkin, Stan Mikita, Teemu Selanne, Jari Kurri, Evgeni Malkin and Mats Sundin.

Among active players, Kopitar becomes the fifth to reach 1,300 points. Sidney Crosby leads the group with 1,746 points, followed by Ovechkin at 1,671, Malkin at 1,390 and Patrick Kane at 1,375. Kopitar now sits at 1,300 points with 446 goals and 854 assists across 1,495 career games.

"What can you say about this guy that hasn't been said already?" Kings head coach Jim Hiller said. "He's not done yet. I think that's probably the most important part of this, he's going to get more than 1,300, there's more things, more milestones to accomplish here before the season's over."

Familiar Venue for Historic Moment

The milestone came in an appropriate setting. Kopitar recorded his 27th career assist in his 38th game against the Golden Knights franchise, continuing his dominance over Vegas. The native of Jesenice, Slovenia, is the all-time leader against Vegas in goals with 16, assists with 27, points with 43, and power play points with 16.

The 5th active player and 39th in NHL history to hit 1,300 career NHL points – congratulations to King Kopitar 🫡👑 pic.twitter.com/bIAuqVMgjo

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) February 6, 2026

Kopitar averaged 1.05 points per game over 20 regular-season visits to T-Mobile Arena, the sixth-highest rate among all players with at least 10 games at the venue.

Critical Stretch Ahead

The milestone came in a 4-1 loss that dropped the Kings to 23-19-14, leaving them three points behind Anaheim for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Kings have lost four of their last five games heading into the Olympic break.

"Everyone's looking toward the break, but at the same time, you've got to be ready to play those games," Kopitar said. "These points are just as important as the points coming out of the break. We didn't get the job done."

The Kings return to action February 25 when they host Vegas at Crypto.com Arena, a game expected to mark the debut of newly acquired forward Artemi Panarin.

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