Kings to retire Anze Kopitar’s number in February

One of the greatest players of the modern era will be immortalized in Hollywood.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that the team will retire Anze Kopitar’s No. 11 during the 2026-27 season. The Kings are also going to unveil a statue commemorating arguably the greatest player in franchise history.

The ceremony honoring the Slovenian legend will come prior to a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 24, 2027. Kopitar will become the eighth player to have his number retired by the Kings, joining teammates Rob Blake and Dustin Brown, as well as Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Luc Robitaille, Rogie Vachon and Wayne Gretzky (though No. 99 was retired by the entire NHL).

Kopitar’s legacy in Tinsel Town will be remembered forever. When he first came to the team in 2006, L.A. was competitive, but never really known as a championship contender. With players like Kopitar, Brown, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty, the Kings became one of the toughest teams in the Western Conference. Everything came together in the 2011-12 season, as Kopitar and company captured the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The Kings replicated the feat two years later, with Kopitar leading all skaters with 21 assists and 26 points in the postseason.

Kopitar spent all 20 years in the NHL with the Kings and set numerous franchise records. He ranks first in regular-season games played (1,521), assists (864), points (1,316) and game-winning goals (79). He’s also first in playoff games played (107), while sitting third in postseason goals (27), second in assists (62) and tied for second in points (89) with Robitaille, both behind Gretzky.

Along with the two Cups, Kopitar took home the Lady Byng Trophy three times and the Frank J. Selke Trophy twice, while being honored with the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021-22.