Anze Kopitar: Top 20 Moments as an LA King

All good things must come to an end, as they say. A 20-season run in Los Angeles concluded for LA Kings captain Anže Kopitar when the Kings were swept out of the first round by the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Kopitar was the only player to don a Kings uniform for 20 years to date and provided many memories in Los Angeles throughout his career. With 20 seasons in the book, there were a lot of good moments in Kopitar’s career. Coming up with this list was hard, as there were so many moments that had to be left out.

20 seasons. Top 20 moments.

Here we go!

20. Drafted (7/30/2005)

The moment Kopitar’s NHL journey began. The Kings held the 11th pick of the 2005 Draft, and according to former King player and General Manager Dave Taylor, had the then-17-year-old ranked third on their draft board.

Kopitar was projected to be drafted between picks 5-8 and ranked as the number-one European skater in the draft, which prompted the Kings to consider trading up. Ultimately, the Kings played the waiting game, and it worked. They selected Kopitar with the 11th pick, making him the first Slovenian-born player to be drafted, and the rest was history.

19. Alley opp pass x2 (12/27/2010 & 10/18/2011)

Kopitar was always known for his playmaking, and they were on display twice in alley-oop fashion in 2010 and 2011. The first one came in 2010 when he airmailed one to his long-time teammate and friend, Dustin Brown, in a 4-0 win at San Jose. The second one came the following season, when he did something similar to Simon Gagne in a 5-0 home opening win against the St. Louis Blues.

The Showtime Lakers would be so proud.

18. Comeback complete against the Dallas Stars (11/10/2007)

The 2007-08 Kings didn’t provide much excitement, but Kopitar put the sophomore slump myth to bed with a strong campaign. His memorable moment came on November 10th of that season with the first overtime goal of his career, capping off a 4-0 third-period comeback win over the Dallas Stars with a backhand shot from the slot through the legs of Marty Turco.

17. First career playoff goal (4/17/2010)

The Kings made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Trailing 1-0 in their first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks, the Kings had a power play in overtime with a chance to even the series heading back to Los Angeles. After getting his initial shot blocked, Kopitar followed up the rebound and wristed one past Roberto Luongo to tie the series and give the Kings their first playoff win since 2002. It was Kopitar’s first career playoff goal. He finished his career with 27 postseason goals, ranking 3rd in Kings history.

16. 100th career goal (1/28/2010)

At age 22, Kopitar reached the 100-goal mark with a two-goal effort in a 4-1 win on the road over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

15. First career NHL hat trick (10/22/2009)

Kopitar got off to a hot start at the beginning of the 2009-10 season. In the first month of the season, he tallied at least one point in 11 of 12 games (10 G, 21 A). His notable game came on October 22nd, where he recorded his first career NHL hat trick against the Dallas Stars. Kopitar’s three goals helped give the Kings a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes, but Dallas struck thrice in the third to tie the game and force overtime. Luckily for the Kings, Michal Handzus scored the overtime goal, making sure Kopi’s hat-trick performance wasn’t wasted.

14. Opening night hat trick against Vegas (10/14/2021)

If you followed Kopitar throughout his career, he had a penchant for scoring on opening night. His best opening night performance came later in his career when he recorded a five-point night (3 G, 2 A) to open the 2021-22 season.

13. Four-goal game against Winnipeg (2/28/2023)

Kopitar had two four-goal performances in his career, and the second one came in a 6-5 comeback shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Kopitar scored goals 21, 22, 23, and 24 on the season. This game also marked the last game in a Kings uniform for Jonathan Quick.

12. Four-goal game against Colorado (3/22/2018)

Speaking of four-goal performances, Kopitar recorded his first one in the 2017-18 season. In a dominant 7-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, Kopitar found the back of the net four times in 20:31 of ice time. That season was his best offensive output, where he recorded career highs in goals (35), assists (57), and points (92). His career year at age 30 saw him win his second Selke Award (best defensive forward) and a nomination for the Hart Trophy (NHL’s MVP).

11. 1,000 NHL games (4/1/2019)

1,000 games in the NHL is a huge milestone. To do it with one team is even bigger. On April 1st, 2019, Kopitar logged his 1,000th career NHL game, becoming the fourth player (Marcel Dionne, Luc Robitaille, and Dave Taylor) in Kings history to play 1,000 games with the club. Unfortunately, the Kings lost the game 6-2 to the Calgary Flames in what was a forgettable 2018-19 season.

10. 1,000 points (5/5/2021)

Kopitar joined an elite company with Marcel Dionne, Luc Robitaille, and Dave Taylor as the fourth player to record 1,000 points with the Kings. Clinging to a 3-2 lead on the road over the Arizona Coyotes, Kopitar won a defensive zone faceoff, leading to Sean Walker shooting the puck down the ice into the empty net to seal a 4-2 Kings win and Kopitar’s 1,000th NHL point.

9. The Kings’ all-time games played leader (10/21/2023)

Dave Taylor set the record for games played by a King with 1,111. Dustin Brown, Kopitar’s long-time friend and drafted by Taylor in 2003, set the new benchmark in 2019. Kopitar eventually passed Brown with his 1,297th game on October 21st, 2023, in a home game against the Boston Bruins. Ironically, the two players Taylor drafted set the new benchmark for games played in a Kings uniform.

8. 1,500th career game (3/5/2026)

Playing 1,000 games is big enough. Playing in 1,500 games is hardly even heard of. To play all 1,500 games with one team is something you rarely see. In his final season, on March 5th, Kopitar suited up in his 1,500th NHL game and recorded an assist in a 5-3 Kings victory over the New York Islanders.

7. 400th career goal (11/8/2023)

The 2023-24 season was a season full of milestones for Kopitar, who was in his 18th season with the organization. Already establishing the new franchise record for games played by a King, Kopitar recorded his 400th career goal with an empty-net tally in a 4-1 road win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Kopitar joined Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, and Dave Taylor as the only players to score 400 goals in a Kings uniform. Kopitar finishes his career 3rd on the all-time goals list in Kings history with 452.

6. Kings’ all-time assist leader (12/3/2023)

Speaking of the milestone season that was 2023-24 for Kopitar, the most memorable milestone came in a 4-1 victory on December 3rd over the Colorado Avalanche. Kopitar recorded a secondary assist on Quinton Byfield’s goal with 6:34 remaining in regulation for his 758th career assist, passing Marcel Dionne as the Kings’ all-time assist leader. Kopitar finished his career as the Kings’ all-time assist leader with 864 helpers.

5. Game 7 goal against San Jose (4/30/2014)

Kopitar’s Game 7 goal against the San Jose Sharks in 2014 is probably my all-time favorite goal from Kopitar in his career. With the Kings on the verge of trying to be the fourth team to come back and win a series after falling into an 0-3 series deficit, Kopitar scored the game-winning goal in the final two minutes of the second period.

Justin Williams, notoriously known for his clutch performances in Game 7s, found Kopitar trailing in the slot, and with great patience, backhanded the puck past Antti Niemi to give the Kings a lead they would never relinquish. What I like about Kopitar’s play is his patience and ability to slow the game down, which he has always done well throughout his career. The Kings completed the reverse sweep with a 5-1 win.

4. Game 1 Stanley Cup Final overtime winner against New Jersey (5/30/2012)

Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final marked the first Stanley Cup Final game for the Kings since 1993 and the first of Kopitar’s career. With overtime needed to decide the outcome, it was Kopitar who came up clutch.

Kopitar, corralling the puck at center ice after receiving a no-look pass from Justin Williams at center ice, was able to tuck the puck under the left pad of legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur despite not getting a lot on the shot.

The win gave the Kings a 1-0 series lead.

3. First NHL goal (10/6/2006)

October 6th, 2006, marked the moment Kopitar arrived, and he never looked back. In his NHL debut against the Kings’ crosstown rival, the Anaheim Ducks, Kopitar scored twice in a losing effort. However, that wasn’t the story.

Kopitar caught everyone’s attention when he used his size, reach, and patience to get around Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger, and outwaited former Conn Smythe trophy winner Jean-Sebastian Giguere for his first NHL goal.

The moment that kick-started his NHL career.

2. Stanley Cup champion (6/11/2012 & 6/13/2014)

During a three-year run from 2012-14, the Kings made the Western Conference Finals all three years and won two Stanley Cup championships. Kopitar, Los Angeles’ number-one center, was one of the core players in both championship runs.

He was tied for the team lead in scoring in 2012 (8 G, 12 A) in 20 games, and led the Kings in scoring with 26 points (5 G, 21 A) in 26 games while matching up and shutting down the opposition’s top lines. The national media, particularly the East Coast media, finally got a chance to see what Kopitar was capable of as a legitimate number-one center.

Anze Kopitar celebrates with the Stanley Cup following the Kings' win over the New Jersey Devils in 2012.
Photo credit: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times (6/11/2012)
Jun 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the New York Rangers in double overtime in game five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Photo credit: Richard Mackson/USA Today Sports (6/13/2014)

1. The Kings’ all-time points leader (3/14/2026)

Marcel Dionne’s franchise record of 1,307 points stood for 45 years, until March 14th, 2026. In a game against the New Jersey Devils, Kopitar recorded a power-play goal in the first period to tie Dionne’s record. Later in the game, the 20-year-King scored again on the power play, surpassing Dionne’s record. Kopitar’s teammates came off the bench, mobbing him in the celebratory process. Although the Kings lost, Kopitar officially cemented himself as the Greatest King of All Time.

20 seasons. Two Stanley Cups. Two Selke trophies. Three Lady Byng trophies. Five all-star selections. Plenty of accolades and memories along the way. First ballot Hall of Famer. What a career it was for Kopitar. You can guarantee that there will statue outside of Crypto.com Arena, and inside will have his number 11 raised to the rafters. Thank you for 20 great years and memories, Kopi!

Featured image credit: Paul Sakuma/AP Photo

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