Anze Kopitar is already embracing life after hockey, and the longtime Kings captain says spending more time with his family has made retirement everything he hoped it would be.
Anze Kopitar spent 20 years carrying the weight of the Los Angeles Kings on his shoulders, but just months into retirement, the franchise legend sounds remarkably comfortable with life away from the NHL.
Kopitar offered that glimpse into his new reality Friday in Trenčín, Slovakia, where he participated in Zdeno Chara’s farewell tribute game at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium. The event, dubbed “Zee’s Final Shift,” brought together several of Chara’s former teammates and friends, with Kopitar among those taking the ice.
After the game, Kopitar spoke with NHL.com’s Michael Langr about retirement and made it clear that, despite spending most of his adult life playing professional hockey, he has no regrets about walking away.
“I am very happy,” Kopitar said. “It's great. Obviously, I get to spend a lot more time with my family.”
That extra time has quickly become the best part of retirement.
Rather than spending his days preparing for another NHL season, Kopitar can now watch his children compete. His son plays hockey, while his daughter participates in figure skating, meaning ice rinks remain a part of his life — just in a very different capacity.
“So, there is still life in ice arenas, but I'm enjoying it very much,” he said.
That may be the clearest indication yet that Kopitar is fully embracing the next chapter.
He even had to cut his time in Slovakia short because of family commitments back home, missing out on one of the activities Chara had planned for his guests.
“I'm flying (home) tomorrow,” Kopitar said. “I've got to go home, there is some family stuff that we have going on Sunday.”
Kopitar retired this spring after 20 seasons with the Kings, finishing his career as the franchise's all-time leader in games played, assists and points. He won two Stanley Cups, two Selke Trophies and three Lady Byng Trophies while serving as Los Angeles' captain from 2016 until his retirement.
His final game came April 26, when the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now, there is no training camp to prepare for, no long road trips and no pressure to be ready for another 82-game season.
Instead, Kopitar gets to enjoy the game from the other side of the boards.
And while he still looked sharp enough to skate alongside the participants in Chara's farewell game, even Kopitar admitted appearances can be deceiving.
“If I look fresh, trust me, I did not feel fresh,” he said. “It's definitely the end.”
There will be plenty of opportunities for Kings fans to celebrate him again. Kopitar will return to Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2027, when the Kings retire his No. 11 and unveil a bronze statue in his honor at Crypto.com Arena.
Until then, however, Kopitar seems perfectly content with the life he spent 20 years working toward — one where the most important games are his children's, and hockey no longer has to come first.
