Anze Kopitar has announced he will retire after the 2025-26 season, concluding his 20-year NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings. This information was reported by multiple outlets in September 2025 and followed his training camp comments confirming the plan [source coverage from NHL.com, ESPN, NYT, and others]. He’s widely celebrated for leading LA to Cups in 2012 and 2014 and finishing among franchise leaders in games and points.[1][6][9]
Latest updates at a glance:
- Announcement: Kopitar stated retirement would come after the 2025-26 season, his 20th in the league.[6][1]
- Context: He’s the Kings’ all-time leader in games played and among top scorers, with two Stanley Cups and multiple individual awards in his career.[9][1]
- Next season: He’s entering the final year of his contract and has indicated a strong finish and focus on team success before stepping away.[1][6]
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent articles and summarize any new developments or quotes from Kopitar or the Kings, and provide a quick timeline of his major career milestones.
Sources
The 38-year-old Anze Kopitar made the announcement at a news conference with his family following the first practice of training camp.
www.nbcsports.comCaptain leads franchise in games, assists; won Stanley Cup in 2012, 2014
www.nhl.comKings captain Anze Kopitar, who helped lead Los Angeles to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, says he will retire after the 2025-26 season.
www.espn.comKopitar is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and the first native of Slovenia to play in the NHL.
www.nytimes.comKopitar will bring his career to a close at the end of what will be his 20th season in the NHL
www.cbssports.comAs the Colorado Avalanche completed the sweep against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs, it is not only the end of the Kings' season, but also of Anze Kopitar's NHL career.
thehockeynews.comKings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire after the upcoming season, ending a 20-year NHL career spent entirely in Los Angeles.
www.startribune.comThe 20th season of Anze Kopitar's storied career will be his last in the NHL.The Los Angeles Kings captain will retire at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, he announced Thursday.Kopitar, 38, helped the Kings capture Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He ranks first in franchise history in games played (1,454) and second in points (1,278). He sits 29 points behind Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne on the Kings' all-time list.He enters his final season ranking 40th on the NHL's all-time list in points and...
www.thescore.comLos Angeles Kings legend Anze Kopitar announced that he will retire at the end of 2025-26, which will be his 20th season in the NHL.
thehockeywriters.com