NHL Notebook: Kings’ Anze Kopitar to retire after 2025-26 season

The Edmonton Oilers will only have to deal with Anze Kopitar for one more season as the lifetime L.A. King is set to retire after this season.

Drafted by the Kings 11th overall in the 2005 draft, the 38-year-old sat alongside his wife and two kids Thursday to make the announcement.

“I want to get this out of the way now to where I’m not a distraction for the team,” Kopitar said. “For example, if we’re in a fight coming down the stretch the last thing I want to do is take attention away from the team and put it on myself… I am looking extremely forward to this next season. I still have a lot of motivation… to compete at the very highest level.”

Kopitar’s Hall of Fame career saw him enter the league as a rookie in 2006-07, scoring 20 goals and 61 points, with his best offensive season coming in 2017-18 when the then 30-year-old put up 35 goals and 92 points in 82 games.

Alongside his two Stanley Cup rings, Kopitar has won two Selke Trophies, three Lady Byng awards, and the Mark Messier award in 2021-22.

In 71 regular-season games against the Oilers, Kopitar has scored 16 goals and 61 points, tied for the sixth-most points against any NHL team.

Kopitar’s last visit to Edmonton for a regular season game will happen on January 10th, 2026, while the last meeting will be Edmonton’s third last game of the season on April 11th, 2026.

Other news and notes…

• Sticking in the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames signed captain Mikael Backlund to a two-year extension. The 36-year-old is entering the final year of a deal paying him $4.5-million, while his new extension, which will kick in for the 2026-27 season, will carrying a $3.25-million cap hit.
• In other retirement news (or non-news, in this case), the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, isn’t sure if this year will be his last. Speaking with Washington Capitals reporters Thursday, Ovechkin said he hadn’t spoken with general manager Chris Patrick or owner Ted Leonsis. Ovechkin, 40, is entering the final year of a five-year deal paying him $9.5-million.