Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar will retire after this season, his 20th in the NHL, he announced Thursday.

Kopitar, who helped lead the Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, turned 38 last month. The two-way center is entering the final season of a two-year extension he signed in July 2023 after playing his entire career with Los Angeles.

One of the most respected, defensive-minded forwards in the league, Kopitar has won two Selke Trophies (2016, '18) and three Lady Byng Trophies for gentlemanly play (2016, '23, '25).

According to those close to the captain, Kopitar wanted to make the announcement before the season so he could fully focus on the 2025-26 Kings, a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. The Kings have not won a playoff series since winning their last Stanley Cup in

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