Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the upcoming 2025-26 season, which will be his 20th with the team.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, Kopitar could become the team’s all-time scoring leader this season, overtaking Marcel Dionne’s 1,307 points. Kopitar sits at 1,278 entering the season.

Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon at the team’s El Segundo training facility, the 38-year-old Kopitar said he was retiring to spend time with his wife Ines and his 10-year-old daughter Neza and 8-year-old son Jakob.

“They deserve a husband and a dad to be home and present,” he said.

Kopitar added that he wanted to announce his retirement plans early to avoid being a distraction to the team during the season.

“A simple way to

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