Anze Kopitar's teammates got emotional after the game when reflecting on his time with the Los Angeles Kings' organization. Here's what Adrian Kempe, Drew Doughty and Trevor Moore said of their longtime and well-respected captain.
As of Sunday, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar has officially retired from the NHL following a 4-0 series loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It was an emotional ending for Kopitar and Kings fans, but no one was more emotional than his teammates after the game.
In the aftermath of Sunday's 5-1 defeat, Drew Doughty, Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe spoke to the media and were asked to reflect on Kopitar's 20-year career in Los Angeles.
Kempe, teammate of Kopitar's since being drafted by the Kings in 2014, had trouble sharing his thoughts because of how emotional he was, choking up and having tears in his eyes.
"He's been there my entire career," Kempe told reporters. "(I) want to thank him for everything he's done."
Later, he was asked about how different the team's leadership would be with Kopitar no longer a part of the group, and he could barely get through his answer.
"It's going to be different, obviously, leadership," he admitted. "Other guys, myself, have to step up."
Doughty, another longtime teammate of Kopitar's, also didn't say much in his media availability. But that didn't stop him from looking back on the career he's had.
"He had an unbelievable career," the Kings' defenseman told reporters. "Means so much to this organization, and yeah, it's going to be tough without him."
With Kopitar now retired, Doughty becomes the longest-active tenured player for Los Angeles, just completing his 18th campaign with the organization.
Left winger Trevor Moore was able to provide more of an assessment regarding what Kopitar meant to the franchise, but also to his teammates and the guys in the dressing room over the years.
"I think the culture that he brought, the no nonsense, be a pro when you come to the rink, play the game the right way," Moore said to the media. "If you cheat, it's unacceptable because Kopi never cheats.
"He's just a guy that everyone looks to. 'What do we wear in meetings?' All that kind of stuff… runs through Kopi."
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