Overview
- Kopitar announced his decision after the first practice of training camp at a team press conference in El Segundo with his wife and two children alongside him.
- He will complete the final year of the two-year, $14 million extension he signed in 2023, closing a 20-season, one-club career in Los Angeles where he has served as captain since 2016.
- The 38-year-old enters his farewell season with 1,278 points in 1,454 games, two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014), two Selke Trophies and three Lady Byng awards.
- He leads the franchise in games and assists and starts the season 29 points shy of Marcel Dionne’s club record for career points.
- Los Angeles targets a deeper playoff run under new GM Ken Holland after recent first-round exits, and Kopitar’s announcement coincided with Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw revealing his own retirement plan.