Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar bid farewell to his Hall of Fame-worthy career on Sunday, April 26.
It was a bittersweet ending for the two-time Stanley Cup champion as the Kings fell 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche at home in Game 4 and were eliminated in a sweep.
But the 20-season veteran got to have his final moments with Kings fans, who shouted "Kopi, Kopi" as time wound down, gave him a standing ovation and also chanted, "Thank you, Kopi."
From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.
"It was hard to keep it together," Kopitar told reporters after the game about the fan reaction. "Being here for 20 years, more than half of my lifetime, is really special."
He was emotional as he received lots of hugs from the Avalanche during his final handshake line. Then he lifted his stick toward the fans and waved goodbye as his teammates tapped their sticks and on-ice officials applauded. Teammate Drew Doughty, also a member of the Kings' Stanley Cup teams, followed him off the ice.
Kopitar had announced during training camp that this would be the final season of his NHL career so he could spend more time with his family. He became the Kings' all-time leading scorer during the season. And with a five-game winning streak in the season's final weeks, Kopitar was guaranteed an 11th trip to the playoffs.
The Kings avoided a fourth consecutive first-round meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. But they had to face the No. 1 overall seeded Avalanche. Colorado completed the sweep on Sunday with goals by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy, Devon Toews and MacKinnon again. The Avalanche will face the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild winner in the second round.
Watch Anze Kopitar's emotional farewell
Is Anze Kopitar a Hall of Famer?
Easily for his championships, defensive acumen and leadership.
The Slovenian native and 11th overall pick in 2005 won Stanley Cup titles with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, and was the leading playoff scorer in both years. He passed a Hall of Famer, Marcel Dionne, to become the Kings' top scorer and finished with 452 goals, 864 assists and 1,316 points. He has been Kings captain since the 2016-17 season.
Kopitar, 38, led the Kings with 107 postseason games and finished tied for second with 89 points.
He won the Selke Trophy twice as top defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) three times, including in 2024-25. He also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021-22.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anze Kopitar bids farewell to legendary career after LA Kings loss
