LA Kings: Could This Be the Final Season for Anze Kopitar?

All good things come to an end eventually; we never know when they will. For the LA Kings, that saying could come at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Anze Kopitar is not only entering his 20th season with the only franchise he has played for, but also the final year of his two-year contract extension he signed in the summer of 2023. The question of whether this will be it for the long-time King has gone unquestioned all summer. In a sit-down interview with Jaime Maggio of KCAL 9, Kopitar opened up and answered that it ‘could’ be his final year (see below).

“This could be my last season in the NHL, yes.”

Anze Kopitar tells @jaimemaggio on the Sports Central Podcast his 20th year with the @LAKings might be his final one. Full podcast comes out tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/ntzfwipA2H

— Sports Central LA (@SportsCentralLA) August 28, 2025

Kopitar is currently the franchise’s leader in games played (1,454), game-winning goals (78) and assists (838), second in points (1,278), and third in goals (440) and power-play goals (124). He is also top three in franchise playoff goals (27), assists (62), and points (89). If this is indeed the final year for the captain, savor it.

Featured image credit: Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images