On the career of Anze Kopitar
In Anze Kopitar’s final season, nothing about him stood out more than the reverence with which he is treated.
Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings waves goodbye after an NHL Playoffs game against the Colorado Avalanche on April 26, 2026 at Crypto. com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Not a lot of athletes could get home fans to stay in the arena to watch the final minutes of their team’s season end in a four-goal loss.
Anze Kopitar did that. Not a lot of athletes could make assembled media members burst into a round of applause at the end of their final press conference. Anze Kopitar did that.
Both of those moments were rare occurrences, but for Kopitar, they shouldn’t be surprising. He commands a unique level of respect, not only for the NHL but for the sports world in general. This season marked my first year covering the Los Angeles Kings, and in Kopitar’s final season, nothing about him stood out to me more than that.
He’s treated with a certain reverence throughout the league. Players and coaches hold his play, his personality and his leadership in tremendous esteem. This respect is largely reflected in the way he played.