Kopitar 'very happy' in retirement after storied NHL career

TRENCIN, Slovakia -- When Anze Kopitar spoke about former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara following Chara's farewell tribute game at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium on Friday, he used words that might also perfectly suit himself.

"A great person and a champion. He's always so humble, he's always a team guy," Kopitar said about the Slovak great after the game, which was dubbed "Zee's Final Shift."

The Los Angeles Kings center, who retired this spring following 20 seasons in the NHL, means even more for Slovenia than Chara meant for Slovakia. The Jesenice native was one of just two Slovenians to play in the NHL, with Jan Mursak being the other. Mursak played 46 games during three seasons as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings from 2010-13, getting four points (two goals, two assists) in that span.

Kopitar played his entire career for Los Angeles, which drafted him with the No. 11 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. He helped the Kings win two Stanley Cup championships (2012, 2014), won the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the top defensive forward in the League, twice (2015-16, 2017-18), and the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player who displays the best sportsmanship while playing at a high skill level, three times (2015-16, 2022-23, 2024-25). He had been the Kings' captain since June 16, 2016.

Kopitar finished with 1,316 points (452 goals, 864 assists) in 1,521 games, the most in Kings history. He surpassed Marcel Dionne (1,307 points; 550 goals, 757 assists in 921 games) for that milestone March 14. Kopitar also had 89 points (27 goals, 62 assists) in 107 playoff games.

Despite turning 39 on Monday, he was one of the fitter participants on the ice Friday, though that could be because Bruins forward David Pastrnak was the only active NHL player at the event.

"If I look fresh, trust me, I did not feel fresh. It's definitely the end," Kopitar said.

Los Angeles' all-time leader in games played, assists and points, Kopitar played his last NHL game April 26, when the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round.

While his former teammates are gearing up for the new season, Kopitar is relishing the time he now gets to spend with his family.

"I am very happy," Kopitar said about his retirement. "It's great. Obviously, I get to spend a lot more time with my family. I get to go (watch my) kids ... my son's hockey tournament, my daughter's figure skating competition. So, there is still life in ice arenas, but I'm enjoying it very much."

Family keeps him so busy that he could not even stay in Trencin on Saturday, when Chara had planned either a golf competition or a cycling trip for his guests.

"I'm flying (home) tomorrow," Kopitar said. "I've got to go home, there is some family stuff that we have going on Sunday."

Kopitar will be back in Los Angeles this season, though, most notably on Feb. 24, 2027, when he will have his No. 11 retired and a bronze statue unveiled by the Kings in a ceremony at Crypto.com Arena prior to their game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Kopitar will become the eighth Kings player to have his number retired, joining Rogie Vachon (No. 30), Marcel Dionne (No. 16), Dave Taylor (No. 18), Wayne Gretzky (No. 99), Luc Robitaille (No. 20), Rob Blake (No. 4) and Dustin Brown (No. 23).

Kopitar's bronze statue will join those of honoring former Kings greats Gretzky, Robitaille and Brown, as well as broadcaster Bob Miller.

Despite all the success Kopitar enjoyed in the NHL, it was harder for him to achieve similar accomplishments on the international stage with Slovenia. The one exception, however, was the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, where Kopitar played for Team Europe, which was made up of European players from countries outside of Czechia, Finland, Russia and Sweden. The team, featuring players like Chara, defenseman Roman Josi (Switzerland) and forwards Leon Draisaitl (Germany), Marian Hossa (Slovakia) and Mats Zuccarello (Norway), advanced to the best-of-3 final, where it lost to Canada in two games.

"For me, the World Cup was something special," said Kopitar, who served as Team Europe's captain. "Playing with Zdeno, with Hossa, Zuccarello, all those guys you always play against, and then for a little bit you play with them. It was very fun."