With Los Angeles Kings legend Anze Kopitar announcing that he will retire from the NHL upon conclusion of this 25-26 season, he will leave behind an impressive legacy in the game.
The Slovenia native was drafted 11th overall by the Kings in the 2005 NHL draft. Despite the obvious talent, there were question marks about whether Kopitar’s game would translate to the NHL level considering the limited sample size of Slovenian NHL players to make it to the top hockey league in the world.
Kopitar quickly put those early doubts to bed with his play on the ice, putting together a 2 decade career amongst the most impressive of anyone in the modern era.
What is Anze Kopitar’s legacy?
Kopitar has a strong case as the greatest Los Angeles Kings player in history. Barring an injury, something he has experienced little in his career thanks to his strong durability, Kopitar will take his place as the Kings all time franchise leading scorer this season. His current 1,278 point tally is just 30 away from passing Marcel Dionne’s 1,307 point total.
Beyond the points and stat sheets, Anze has accomplished so much in the game of hockey. He has helped bring home both of the Kings Stanley Cup Championship trophies in 2012 and 2014. He has made his mark as one of the best two way players in the game, having won 2 Selke trophies. He also established himself as one of the most respected competitors in the game, taking home 2 Lady Byng awards. Not to mention his ability as a leader, winning the Mark Messier NHL Leadership award.
And through it all Anze went through most of his career overshadowed and underrated. That is the caveat of sharing the ice of fellow legends of his time such as Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane. Nevertheless, Kopitar will get his due with a clear Hockey Hall of Fame nomination in his future.
