Kings’ Anze Kopitar explains personal reason behind retirement call

The Los Angeles Kings will soon experience the end of an era with their franchise. Team captain Anze Kopitar announced on Thursday, the opening of training camp, that the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season will be the last of his career.

It will mark the farewell tour of not only one of the great Kings players, but one of the most consistent two-way forwards in the game today. Additionally, he’s one of the most decorated players in Kings history as a two-time recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, a one-time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy, and of course, his pair of Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014.

During a press conference on Thursday, Kopitar explained the reasoning behind his decision to call it a career after the upcoming season.

“After last season, I had a bit of time to think and talk with the family, to see where the path is for me and where it’s going. After lots and lots of thinking, I’ve decided that this year’s gonna be my last year playing in the NHL,” Kopitar said, via The Los Angeles Daily News. “These guys have been with me for the past 20-plus years, and now they deserve a husband and a dad to be home and present.”

Kopitar can’t be blamed for wanting to spend more time with his wife and children, especially after playing two decades of hockey in the NHL.

Anze Kopitar announced retirement on the same day as Clayton Kershaw